I've been doing something a little differently these last 30 days, and because of it I have lost 18.5 pounds and finally normalized my blood pressure - without any meds. I'm writing this post to show you exactly How I Cured My Hypertension in 30 Days Without Dieting.
I won't go into a lot of details (not right now anyway), but before this Covid-19 went into full-blown panic mode like it is now, I had my own personal health-scare.
A wake-up call if you will. Actually, more like a wake-up slap in the face.
It certainly got my attention, that's for sure, and I realized right then and there that I was going to have to make some changes. That was February 25, and since then - the results have been nothing short of amazing.
For starters, when they weighed me in the Emergency Room, I weighed 206 lbs. Yeah, I'll admit that I was overweight for my height of 6' 0". But I was eating a plant-based, no-oil diet, so I was good.
Or so I thought.
But my blood pressure that day was 174/105 - so all was NOT good. Granted I was anxious because I was in the ER, but still - those were crazy high numbers.
Now I have previously lost weight and lowered my blood pressure as I have mentioned in this article How I Lowered My Blood Pressure Naturally With A Mary's Mini Diet.
But for any of you who have actually done a Mary's Mini, it's not the easiest thing to stick to for 10 days straight. I mean I love potatoes, but after 3 or 4 days? Yeah, not so much. In other words, to me, it just wasn't sustainable. My hats off to those of you who can do it.
And, as many of you have previously asked, "What happens when you go off the Mary's Mini? Do you regain the weight?" In my case, yes. And obviously, my blood pressure went right back up too.
So this time I knew I had to do something different. As I said, that was 30 days ago and I'm here to tell you this time, it worked as I have maintained the weight loss and normalized my blood pressure - without any meds at all.
Here's how I did it.
How I Cured My Hypertension in 30 Days Without Dieting
That's exactly right Dr. Klaper, it was the food. And all I did was change the way I was eating and start moving my body more.
Exercise
Before I get into the food, let me just say that I did start exercising more as that is important too. We have got to have some kind of physical activity every single day. We can NOT be couch potatoes (or in my case, office chair potatoes).
Get out and walk. Right now we're all quarantined, so what else do we have to do? It doesn't have to be far, just get out and move. I walk my neighborhood (with some steep inclines) every single day (rain or shine) for at least 30 minutes.
It burns calories, gets your heart rate up, and lowers stress. Start with whatever you can do, and gradually try to do more every week.
Food
And now - the food.
I know some of you might be asking, "But Chuck. You were already eating a Whole Food, Plant-Based Diet? And you're right. I was. For the most part, I was pretty much living on the recipes I post here to this blog.
As I said "for the most part" - like maybe 99% of the time.
But that other 1%.....
I was also including things in my diet that I shouldn't have. Maybe not a lot, maybe not very often, but nevertheless, things I should have removed from my diet a long time ago.
Below is a list of what I removed.
Some of you won't like it. Some of you will argue. Whatever. This is exactly what I removed from my diet.
The only thing I changed!
And I now have the scale readings and blood pressure numbers to prove it made a difference.
- Nuts - Yes, even cashew sauces
- Seeds - With the exception of Flax on my oatmeal
- Nut butter - No Peanut Butter, and PBJs were my favorite snack.
- Seed butter - No Tahini
- Vegan butter - It was rare - but occasionally I'd have it on my toast
- Veganaise - Again - this was rare but now it's gone completely
- Beer & Wine - Nothing but calories
- Vegan cheese - My wife likes it - so it was always in my fridge
- Tofu - Good for you sure, but it IS calorie-dense
- Restaurants - once a week my guilty pleasure was a trip to my favorite Mexican Restaurant for Vegan Burritos & Margaritas. Can you say salt, oil, and sugar? No more.
- Veggie Burgers & Fries - Again if it's from a restaurant - it's guaranteed to be full of grease. Even those Impossible or Beyond things in the store - avoid them like you would this virus if you want to lose weight.
- Store-bought Hummus - because oil = fat = calories. Make your own.
- Plant-based milk, yogurt, sour cream - lots of fat and calories.
- Avocados - yep them too. Too high in fat.
Bottom line? And I KNOW you have heard this before?
"The Fat You Eat Is The Fat You Wear"
Dr. John Mcdougall
That's really what it comes down to.
I eliminated ALL the calorie-dense foods I used to eat. Not 80%. Not 90%. Not 99.9999%
100%
My weight this morning was 187.5 (and still dropping) and my blood pressure was 113/77. And I stopped taking my Losartan (blood pressure meds) exactly 2 weeks ago.
It works.
I know you've heard this before, but you have got to do this 100% if you want to see dramatic results like mine. No exceptions.
What Do I Eat Now?
Whole foods, all plant-based. No fake foods. No processed foods. No restaurant foods. No fatty, greasy, imitation foods.
I eat REAL FOOD.
Potatoes, carrots, rice, beans, corn, veggies, greens, and bread. Yes, I eat bread and I am still losing weight. There is oil-free bread out there you can buy - or you can simply make your own. I make my gravy and cheese sauce to pour over everything. Stir-frys, pasta, soups, stews.
Real food cooked at home.
We may have been quarantined 2 weeks ago, but we have been eating good, and I am still losing weight.
I think it's pretty obvious right now that the hospital is the last place we want to be. If my little incident had happened this week? Or last? I would have been right there in the thick of it.
The absolute best thing we can all do right now, to hopefully prevent this thing, is to take care of ourselves at home. Eat right and exercise. Eat clean, like I did, and watch the pounds melt away and the blood pressure drop.
If you haven't already - come visit us over at my BNV Community Facebook Group where I'll be Live-Streaming, answering any questions you may have.
See ya there.
Chuck Underwood
I eat a fair amount of potatoes all the time
Emlyn
GREAT work!! I'm so impressed... and encouraged!
Question, if I may... were you eating a lot of potatoes at the same time as taking Losartan? I'm (sadly) on that right now, after a COVID-induced (I think) hypertensive crisis. The pharmacist mentioned that I should keep my dietary potassium low...buuut...
well, minis!! And potato minis are the ones on which I have the most success.
Thanks in advance!
Connie
PS... and your green chili sour cream is our all-time favorite recipe. it has the most of any recipe for cashews so know i need to give that up. )0:
Connie
good job, Chuck... I have been having too much of 4 of those things.... cashew sauces, peanut butter occasionally, almond milk and the occasional restaurant meal. I went to lunch today and ordered a large salad. I finally remembered to take my own dressing - a fat free maple syrup/spicy mustard. My friends were amazed that I could eat a huge salad but I reminded them that all of it was only a couple hundred calories. I've known for a while that I need to cut out the cashew sauces but it has been hard to do. The gravy I love has 1/3 c for a quart of gravy and my cheese sauce has only 1/4 c for almost a quart and half... so I've told myself that little bit won't hurt. I know it does because I'm not losing and have even gained a few lbs recently. My BP is ok but I'm back on meds for that. This is probably a common story but it's my story and I know I need to fix it now. Thank you for the example...
Judy Leitterman
Omgosh! I needed this! I am not liking my BP right now! Thanks so much for all you teach us!
sino
Hi Chuck,
I am also on a journey for life. Do I really have to give up the salt???What can I use instead??The salt is my only vice
right now.
Kathleen
Chuck, I came hime last night after going to the ER the night before for numbness all down my right side. I immediately thought of you, so I went back to your story and recommendations. I have been eating plant based for a long time, but have included many of the things mentioned in your blog. They wanted to add in blood pressure pills and cholesterol meds. I am already on blood thinners for past events.. Here goes: I need to prove them wrong about the extra pills and lose more weight. Thank you for your story and all you offer.
Kathleen
What did you replace plant milk with? I also love PBJ sandwiches....not sure I can give them up.
Chuck Underwood
It made a difference! And I love PBJs too. I no longer use plant milk, except sometimes to cook with.
Mary
Thank you for sharing your story it is a real wake up call for me! I lost 60 pounds of weight, high blood pressure and high blood sugar by making Dr Esselstyn Prevent & reverse heart disease my way of life. The engine 2 7 day challenge brought it all together for me. But I have slowly started adding “treats” such as nut butters, peanuts, some oil, etc and then the quarantine stress eating! After following your recent health scare I had to face the truth of what I was doing to myself! So thank you for reminding me it all matters and I am now back on track with nourishing food choices and exercise .
Stay healthy and thank you for being a positive example and your awesome recipes.
Mary W
KIRSTEN ZIERES
Hi Chuck, so glad you recovered well from this! I have been following your blog, I use a lot of your recipes (and I share them often), and I love the FB group as well. I am also in Portland area and hope to say hi in person sometime!
I found the information about Esselstyn and McDougall after my husband had stay in the hospital too, though I am the one following the WFPB - SOS free lifestyle. I do admit I have been struggling lately and have slipped quite a bit.. so reading your recent blogs have been eye opening and have rekindled my motivation. Thank you for sharing!
My question is - when doing a Mini, do you still try to eat 3 'normal' meals a day? Or do you eat more or less when you are hungry? Like, if I stuck to potatoes only, maybe some greens and spices and things like mustard or sriracha, could I eat 4 times a day and still do this? Can I have black coffee in the morning? 🙂
Thanks in advance - for taking the time to read this - and I look forward to your reply!
Chuck Underwood
I still had 3 main meals a day, but they say if you get hungry - have another potato! And officially, you're not supposed to have coffee, but I did anyway.
Louise
Thank you for sharing, very helpful. For me it doesn't matter how perfect my diet is, if I don't get exercise - as in that 30 minute walk a day at least, then my bp goes up. The exercise is also a key part of it. so thank you for mentioning that. I hope it helps others to do the same!
Mela
Great progress! I have type 2 diabetes and made limited progress after going WFPB. I read that it might be necessary to give up even health fats like avocado and nuts. I decided to try it for one week. The results were amazing! Within 5 days my insulin usage went from 56 units a day to Zero! Now I’m working on getting rid of oral meds. BTW by the third day my husbands blood pressure went from 165/90 to 113/60! He’s on 4 meds for it and may have to reduce or stop them!
Keep it up! BTW many of your recipes are regulars in our house ?
Pat
Thank you so much for the info on how you lowered your blood pressure, I’m going to follow your example. Question, when you went off your meds, did you do this after consulting your doctor? Have you also lowered your cholesterol? Looking forward to reading more about your journey
Chuck Underwood
I have been consulting my neurologist through email and as scheduled to see (or virtually see) my PCP tomorrow
Wendy
Thank you for sharing your story and for all the wonderful recipes. So glad you are doing so well now. Being home has made me crave things I haven’t gotten into in a long time and I must admit I’ve given in to the cravings. I can tell by the way I feel that it has to stop. You’ve inspired me to get back to 100%. Thank you
Dave Wegener
Chuck, thank you for your encouraging and honest article. Last May (2019) I was so close to being under 200 pounds, I could almost taste it. I too am 6 feet tall and was 335 pounds in March 2016. Then I had a scare from my doctor because I was approaching pre-diabetes with an extremely high triglyceride number. He wanted to put me on meds, but I refused, and instead we came up with a plan that started me on my journey to a WFPB lifestyle. That was four years ago, and the first 100 pounds came off in just 9 months. My blood pressure and lipids have all been stellar ever since, and I am no longer technically "obese," but I am still overweight, and I'd like to get down to a weight of around 185 pounds. In April 2019, after reading Chef AJ's book I took her 21-day challenge for 40 days and dropped 10 pounds. That was when I saw the number of 202 on the scale. Then came the summer of caramel corn and chocolate covered nuts and then the holidays with family who think I've joined some sort of food cult, and I have been stuck at about 215 pounds ever since. NUTS, CARAMEL and CHOCOLATE!!! Those are my trigger foods. And it has been a daily wrestling in my mind to choose a healthier "treat." But during this COVID-19 time, I've been 100% compliant again - to you and to AJ - for the last 2 days, and I have been out jogging or walking every single day since March 14, and I look forward to seeing some lower numbers on the scale in the next few weeks. I know it is possible. I've come this far, and I've done it before. Again, thanks for the encouraging words.
Mary Ring
Congratulations! You have done so well. I am motivated by your story. Keep up the good work and stay well.
Judith Foley
Chuck,
You listed giving up plant based milk. Is that only soy and nut-based milks? Have you ever tried to make your own oat milk from oatmeal? Before this shut in, I purchased a very large container of rolled oats with the intention of trying one of the super easy oat milk recipes. I have not yet, but if I am unable to get to a store and want some milk to use in a recipe, I will blend some oats and water for a few seconds, strain and use that. Do you have an issue with this type of plant based milk?
Just wandering.
Jan
I would like to know this too. I made some oat milk and it was so easy and worked for what I use plant milk for. The only thing for me is I use it so seldom it went off before I finished it. Maybe it can be frozen?
Michelle
Good reminder, just because your vegan doesn’t mean you are healthy. So happy you are doing well!
LB
Great information. I, like you, eat clean 99% of the time but have high blood pressure which makes me unhappy. I’ve ramped up my exercise and an eating whole unprocessed goods, mostly potatoes, with some greens and a bit of fruit. I’m one week in, but would love to see results like yours!
Susie
Yikes! I can give up all of the above but tofu! Wonder if that will still a result in a good reduction in blood pre;sure
Tina
Chuck- I’m so glad you are ok.
I really appreciate this information.
I have had a heck of a time trying to get my BP down to normal.
I currently eat WFPBNOLS about 95% & I exercise at least .90 minutes a day (walking & exercise bike).
I’m going to give it a shot doing exactly what you did & see if I can get similar results. I do g need to lose weight but I do want to get that BP down & get off meds.
Now really is the perfect time while I’m working from home.
sylvia
Tina.... ditto for me. I'll join you from my home (I'm in Canada).
Chuck.... thanks for your honesty and for inspiring us.
Debbie
I too had a major scare on Feb 23. I had a major heart attack. Amazingly I had very little pain. When I arrived at the ER, they told me I was having a major heart attack which really surprised me. Thankfully there were no blockages, no damage to my heart. Unfortunately, the attending heart surgeon cut through the main artery in my groin causing internal bleeding and a massive hematoma. That was much more painful than the heart attack. Honestly, I'm very to fortunate to be alive. If I had not been eating wfpb no doubt I would not have survived. But, like you, I had not been 100% wfpb recently. I'm hoping I can gain entrance into Johns Hopkins Hospital under the care of Dean Ornish's heart program. Meanwhile, I'm back to 100% compliance.
Ellen
I, too, had a scare, and need to do exactly what you are doing, Chuck. Congratulations on your success! I am struggling though, being home surrounded by omnivores. When will you share more details about what you did? I need to start, today, and need more info. Temptations are wine, pizza (with cheese), chocolate, candy, vegan ice cream, and Boom Chika popcorn. Once these are all out of the house, I will be good - and I am working on this today. But, I need to have something ready to grab to eat that is healthy when the cravings hit. I need a plan and a routine. Keep doing what you are doing, Chuck. You are so very appreciated.
Wanda
You sound just like me! ... I know i can do better anyway. I have not been good on this way of eating in the last year. I want, pizza with cheese, chocolate and candy daily, and popcorn with butter and salt.
I really do have to get serious.
Lisa
I had a similar epiphany a few months ago. I didn't have high blood pressure, but my weight loss was stalled and I was still getting food cravings. I eliminated nut butters, chocolate, and flours/breads. My body has a strongly addictive response to certain foods which I can only imagine is like an alcoholic's response to consuming alcohol. It was necessary for me to stop eating anything with flour, including those healthy, no-oil bread and muffin recipes. Earlier, I realized that I needed to stop restaurants because I have learned how to cook more delicious, nutrient-dense foods at home. I still eat a little tofu, although I cut serving sizes down, and I do eat the equivalent of one walnut, one Brazil nut, a tsp of ground chia, or a TBSP of ground flax. I still have desserts, such as banana/cacao nice-cream, chia pudding with only banana as a sweetener, or a roasted sweet potato mixed in a food processor with a TBSP of cacao for a decadent mousse (no sweetener). I will likely continue to adapt if I learn more, but this is the first time in my adult life that I feel free from irresistible food cravings. I never want to go back to that horrible trap. Thank you for your great recipes and for being a real, honest food blogger who keeps things real. You help a lot of people.
Kathryn
Good for you! Everyone's metabolism is a little different. For myself, I also had to go 100% salt free to get good results. I was already low salt =, no oil, no sugar, no nuts and I was close but not there. I stopped the little bit of tahini I was using and ALL the salt (even from hot sauce) and went 100% and sure enough it works! It took a month to get used to completely salt free food but now I am and it was worth it to me.