GO TAKE A WALK FOR HEALTH. HEY THERE, THIS IS METTA AND BINDI. WE NEED TO TELL YOU ABOUT SOME REALLY SCARY NUMBERS. BUT DON’T GET TOO SCARED. WE DON’T WANT YOU TO GET YOUR BLOOD PRESSURE UP. THAT’S RIGHT. TODAY WE’RE TALKING ABOUT HYPERTENSION, BETTER KNOWN AS HIGH BLOOD PRESSURE AND IT’S ONE OF THE MOST WIDESPREAD DISEASES IN THE COUNTRY TODAY. BUT HERE’S THE GOOD NEWS: IT’S ALSO ONE THAT’S TREATABLE. YOU HAVE THE ABILITY TO KEEP YOURSELF HEALTHY. CAN YOU BELIEVE THIS? ABOUT ONE-THIRD OF ALL U-S ADULTS IN THEIR FORTIES AND FIFTIES CAN BE CLASSIFIED AS HAVING HIGH BLOOD PRESSURE. AND BY THE TIME WE’RE OVER SIXTY, ABOUT ONE-HALF OF US HAVE IT. THAT’S AN EPIDEMIC. AND WORSE, HIGH BLOOD PRESSURE IS BECOMING INCREASINGLY COMMON ACROSS ALL AGE GROUPS AND ETHNICITIES. HIGH BLOOD PRESSURE DAMAGES THE HEART BLOOD VESSELS, KIDNEYS, BRAIN AND OTHER ORGANS AND CAN LEAD TO HEART ATTACK, STROKE, HEART FAILURE, KIDNEY FAILURE AND EVEN DEMENTIA. BUT AS WE’VE SAID, YOU HAVE THE POWER TO KEEP YOURSELF HEALTHY. WE DON’T WANT YOU TO BECOME ONE OF THESE STATISTICS. HERE’S ANOTHER PROBLEM: HIGH BLOOD PRESSURE USUALLY HAS NO SYMPTOMS AND EVEN A PERSON WITH VERY HIGH BLOOD PRESSURE MAY FEEL OKAY UNTIL IT’S TOO LATE. THE ONLY WAY TO KNOW IF YOU HAVE HIGH BLOOD PRESSURE IS TO GET YOUR BLOOD PRESSURE CHECKED. YOUR DOCTOR CAN CHECK IT. MANY PHARMACIES HAVE MACHINES THAT CAN CHECK IT. EVEN YOU COULD CHECK IT YOURSELF AT HOME WITH YOUR OWN SIMPLE AND INEXPENSIVE BLOOD PRESSURE CUFF. IT’S SUPER EASY. A READING ANYWHERE BETWEEN NINETY OVER SIXTY TO A HUNDRED-TWENTY OVER EIGHTY IS HEALTHY BUT IF YOU’RE OUTSIDE THAT RANGE, IT’S TIME TO TALK TO YOUR DOCTOR. BUT HERE’S A LITTLE SECRET. IF YOU DO HAVE HIGH BLOOD PRESSURE, CHECKING IT EVERY DAY, KEEPING TRACK OF IT, HAS BEEN FOUND TO BRING ABOUT A MINDFULNESS THAT HELPS BRING YOUR BLOOD PRESSURE BACK DOWN. NOW, WHAT CAUSES HIGH BLOOD PRESSURE? IT CAN BE HEREDITARY, SO IF OTHER PEOPLE IN YOUR FAMILY HAVE BEEN DIAGNOSED WITH HYPERTENSION YOU DEFINITELY WANT TO KEEP AN EYE OUT AND GET CHECKED. AND LIFE ITSELF IS GENERALLY FRAUGHT WITH RISK FACTORS FOR HIGH BLOOD PRESSURE: STRESS, OBESITY, TOO MUCH SALT, TOO LITTLE SLEEP, SMOKING, ALCOHOL AND EVEN IMPROPER USE OF PAIN RELIEVERS CAN LEAD TO HYPERTENSION. AND ONE OF THE OTHER BIG PROBLEMS THAT CAUSE HIGH BLOOD PRESSURE IS WE SIT AROUND WAY TOO MUCH IN THIS MODERN WORLD. IF YOU’RE NOT ACTIVE, YOUR BODY DOESN’T KNOW IT NEEDS TO BE TAKING CARE OF ITSELF. SO, WHAT’S THE BEST WAY TO NOT BECOME A SICK STATISTIC? TAKE CARE OF YOURSELF. HYPERTENSION IS ONE OF THOSE DISEASES THAT RELIES ON YOU TREATING YOURSELF POORLY, SO INSTEAD YOU HAVE TO LOVE YOURSELF AND TAKE CARE OF YOUR BODY FROM THE INSIDE OUT. JUST LIKE YOUR MAMA TOLD YOU, EAT MORE HEALTHY FOOD, LESS JUNK FOOD, MORE REAL FOOD, LESS MEAT, MORE VEGETABLES. GO EASY ON THE BOOZE. DON’T BE A GLUTTON, ALL GOOD THINGS IN MODERATION. EXCEPT SMOKING. GIVING UP SMOKING IS THE SINGLE MOST IMPORTANT STEP YOU CAN TAKE TO PREVENT HIGH BLOOD PRESSURE, YOU’VE GOT TO QUIT SMOKING. IF YOU DO HAVE HIGH BLOOD PRESSURE, YOU DEFINITELY NEED YOUR DOCTOR LOOKING INTO IT. UNCHECKED HYPERTENSION CAN REALLY SPELL DISASTER. SO, IF YOUR DOCTOR PRESCRIBES MEDICATION, YOU BETTER TAKE IT. REMEMBER, WITH GOOD HEALTHY LIVING YOU MIGHT SOON FIND YOU NEED LESS MEDICINE AND MAYBE NONE AT ALL. GOOD LIVING IS THE BEST MEDICINE FOR HYPERTENSION. YOU’VE GOT TO GET ENOUGH SLEEP, LEARN HOW TO QUIET YOUR TROUBLED MIND AND LISTEN TO YOUR BODY, REALLY LISTEN. IT’LL TELL YOU WHEN YOU’RE HUNGRY AND WHEN YOU’RE FULL. IT’LL TELL YOU THAT HEALTHY FOOD MAKES IT FEEL BETTER THAN JUNK FOOD. IT’LL TELL YOU THAT LOVING YOUR INSIDE MAKES YOU MORE LOVABLE ON THE OUTSIDE. AND IT’LL TELL YOU TO GET UP, GET OFF THAT
SCREEN AND GO LIVE A LITTLE BECAUSE OF COURSE EXERCISE AND BEING ACTIVE IS ALWAYS THE BEST MEDICINE. GO TAKE A WALK—FOR HEALTH.
