My 145/101 HBP Confession

After retirement from the U.S. Army,
I thought that I didn't need to exercise any more.

High-strung-entrepreneur full of energy? Pushing and striving hard to accomplish your business goals? Eyes focused on the prize and next money maker assignment?  Too busy to slow down right now because you’ve got too much work to do?  Got to get it done today because tomorrow might be too late – and there’s more stuff to do? Have no time to work-out or exercise because you don’t feel like it? Eat-on-the-run?  Can’t understand why you are gaining so much weight?

Well slow down Ms. CEO! While you are diverting much of your energy into your business growth and entrepreneurial dream, you could be stressing yourself out and shortening your life too!  There’s a strong possibility that you may have overwhelmed yourself and there’s way too much on your plate.  Worst of all, you have no idea of how to scrape some of it off.  Do you want to live to see your business dream come true?

145/101 (systolic/diastolic) was my recorded blood pressure measurement when I went into the Emergency Room for the third allergic reaction to my blood pressure  medication.  24-hours later it was 159/92 at my doctor’s office.  Already she had informed me that anything above 140/90 was in the danger zone for a stroke, kidney failure or a heart attack!  

Normal range for an African American female my age, 56, is 135/80.  Still I didn’t listen (or believe her) until I began spazzing-out on my husband, children, and grandchildren because I had little or no patience.  Worst even yet, my clients too! Can’t make money with unhappy clientele.   

The tenderness in my chest, congested head cold, shortness of breath and breaking out in whelps on my chest, shoulder and lips wasn’t so bad.  I thought the profuse sweating was due to night sweats!  I only needed a little rest and antihistamine ointment!  It wasn't until the third time that it happened then,  I realized it was no theory that African Americans were at a greater risk of having hypertension than most other races and nationalities.

Let’s not talk about the salt-factor!  It’s a joke - a no-salt or low sodium diet in the fast food world.  When entrepreneurs are out and about, we grab something quick and easy to eat.  Unfortunately most, if not all, fast foods use salt as a preservative to help foods to last longer.  Some meals are seasoned even more with salt when it’s cooked on the grill. 

In non-Hispanic African Americans, researchers have discovered that there may be a gene that makes us more salt sensitive.  “As little as a half a teaspoon could raise BP as much as five millimeters of mercury (mmHG),” according to American Heart Association’s website www.heart.org.

Some unsettling stats which I recently learned from www.goredforwomen.org are:

1. Cardiovascular diseases kill nearly 50,000 African American women annually.
2. Of 20-year-old African American women (or older), 49% have heart disease.
3.   Sadly, only 1 in 5 African American women believes she is personally at risk.  
4. Unfortunately, only 52% of African American women are aware of the signs and symptoms of a heart attack
5.  Only 36% of African American women know that heart disease is their greatest health risk. 

Many women in our families have died at a very young age because they learned after age 20 that the southern-style foods we grew up on, were not the best diets for us.  Fatback, collard greens with seasoned-salts and ham stock, fried chicken cooked in lard, etc. are just a few of the slave-mentality leftover dishes that we have carried on throughout generations.   

Even though a change in diet makes a huge difference, it is not enough! To keep your blood pressure in a healthy range, www.cdc.gov suggests the following.

1. Reduce salt intake.
2. Check blood pressure and monitor it regularly.
3.  Maintain a healthy body weight.  Know your body mass index (BMI).
4. Exercise regularly. Avoid inactivity.
5. Eat more fruits and vegetables.  (i.e. bananas-high in potassium).
6.  Don’t smoke.
7. Watch alcohol intake (two drinks for men and one for women per day).
8. Take prescribed blood pressure medicine as directed.
9. If trouble taking meds consult with your health care professional about other medications.

·         There are four different groups of BP meds – some work better on African Americans than others.

I want to live to see my entrepreneurial dream come true, don’t you?  These are just a few tips that will help us to help ourselves to stay healthier.  Life is short and tomorrow is not promised.  Live, laugh and love yourself till death.