Blood pressure

Friends who know that I’m not a ‘morning person’ would have been surprised to see me out walking in the park before breakfast today. All part of my enhanced ‘healthy living’ regime prompted by the shock of a raised blood pressure reading last week.

I thought my lifestyle was pretty good already, but from now on there will be more aerobic exercise; less coffee, wine, salty and fatty foods; more vegetables, herbs, fruit and the occasional dark chocolate ginger; olive leaf extract; and more regular meditation sessions. Psychological factors are not so easy to change, even with the help of Bach flower remedies such as Elm, Rock Water, Vervain and Impatiens to promote a more relaxed attitude to life. I hope to avoid having to take medication, especially since a recent review in the British Medical Journal has questioned its value for cases of mild hypertension.

There is a widespread misconception that people who practice good physical self-care, positive thinking and spiritual development should never have anything wrong with them – especially if they work in the healthcare field. But all bodies are vulnerable to sickness of one kind or another and will eventually wear out completely. It is also true that those with some personal experience of sickness or disability often make the most effective healers.