Bloody Blood Pressure

I saw my doctor a few weeks ago and he told me I needed to get my blood pressure down.  When I saw him, it was 142/85 I think, with normal being under 120/80.

On my 40th birthday, June 15th, being at an "upper-level of my lifetime weight range" of 215 pounds, I began a new diet.  I stopped drinking sodas or caffeine, and I (mostly) got my morning exercise routine back on track.  In two weeks, I've dropped about seven pounds.  I know, I know, water weight, and it will come off more slowly as I continue.  Point is, I've been doing all the things that should lower my blood pressure, including watching my sodium and drinking potassium-rich fruit juices.

So I was pretty pissed yesterday when I used the blood-pressure monitor at the pharmacy and it read 142/82.  Let me describe yesterday.  I woke up, did yoga, wrote in my blog, worked for a while, had sex, took a nap, drove to pick up my son, went grocery shopping, and had high blood pressure.  There was a huge, relaxing thunderstorm in the afternoon.  There is no way it could be described as a stressful day.  I felt fine.  I was really shocked that my bp wasn't lower.

I took a reading again this morning at home, and it was 140/84.  I'll take it again right now.  136/77.  Okay, that's a little better, but nowhere near "won't kill you".  But the only thing I can think of that I'm doing that would stress me out and contribute to high blood pressure is my having anxiety over having high blood pressure.

Prevention Magazine says I should drink Hibiscus tea.  Hibiscus tea it is, then.  Anything so I don't keel over and die, or stroke out and leave my loved ones responsible for wiping my ass. 

Singing to myself, "it's Bloody, Blood Pressure" to the tune of "Muddy Mudskipper" from Ren and Stimpy.  I hope this is not a sign from my subconscious that I'm going to have an aneurysm.

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