"Two years ago, a GP told me I had high blood pressure and he was tut-tutting about it and looking really quite worried and I knew nothing about this so I was put on two different drugs," said Paddy O'Gorman, sharing his own story with Sean O'Rourke.
This diagnosis took Paddy by surprise as it tends to have no symptoms and Paddy hadn't considered it before. He went on a couple of different drugs but when a persistent cough wouldn't budge, Paddy realised he was actually allergic to the medication and so alternative methods for controlling the situation had to be employed.
One of the first things a doctor might ask you to do if you suffer from high blood pressure is to lose some weight. "It's no good telling me to give up my pints, I'm not doing that, I enjoy my few pints, I enjoy my glass of wine at night and I enjoy foods from all over the world," said Paddy, adamant that the few pints on a Friday night were staying firmly in place. He did, unfortunately, have to give up the tea and buttery toast with his dog and wife in the mornings though, replacing it with a healthy fruit-based breakfast. The dog is devastated. Through fasting days where Paddy eats only fruit, he has managed to shed a stone and a half without giving up the few drinks.
Dietitian Louise Reynolds was on hand to help Paddy with some tips for a natural blood-pressure lowering regime.
"There is a diet for high blood pressure, it's called the DASH diet, which stands for Dietary Approaches to Hypertension. Hypertension is the medical word for high blood pressure… It's a version of a healthy eating plan. One of the big things is lots of fruit and vegetables, particularly green vegetables."
The diet is low in salt and saturated fat and high in minerals such as magnesium. "If you could focus on the vegetables," advised Louise. Paddy provided a powerful counterargument though, "A pizza is very convenient, isn't it, especially when you come in from the pub after a few pints."
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