More on Blood Pressure
Blood Pressure particular to PKD
Herbs etc. that ↓ BP
Eliminate salt
Hibiscus
Himalayan salt less than ⅛ teaspoon daily
Garlic
Grape juice
Grape seed extract
Onion
Parsley
Pea protein
Saffron
Solé try it, see if it helps
Warm weather
Walks
Herbs etc. that ↑ BP
Salt
Avoid commercial soups or restaurant soup or fast food soups too ↑ salt.
Avoid commercially baked breads each slice too ↑ salt.
Avoid processed foods, too ↑ in salt and other sodium additives
Avoid luncheon meats & cheeses contain sodium-phosphate solution too ↑ sodium.
Avoid commercially prepared salad dressings too ↑ sodium.
Avoid soy sauce too ↑ sodium.
Coffee
Cola
Ephedra
Ginger
Ginko biloba
Ginseng
Green tea
Hawthorne
Kava-kava
Kola nut
Licorice
Ma huang
Rosemary
Star anise
Tea
Who Ate My Ham Sandwich?
I tried atacand and cozaar, two medications that prevent high blood pressure. These two medications are known to reduce proteinuria. Each successfully diminished protein in my urine. Both were prescribed for the purpose of abolishing proteinuria, increasing renal blood flow, bettering PKD and not for reducing high blood pressure. I found that by following a low sodium alkaline diet (less than 1200 mg / day), these two medications gave me an uncontrollable craving for salt. I craved salty prepared foods such as
rye bread
pickles
ham
and even fast food
Once I successfully avoided travel food, prepared foods, restaurant food, fast food, and frozen dinners, my BP ↓.
I craved ham sandwiches on rye with a dill pickle (all salty foods) for breakfast lunch and dinner. I stopped the atacand and the craving left. I started the atacand once again and the craving returned. Normally a vegan vegetarian, yet I found myself wandering around my home questioning anyone nearby if they had eaten my ham sandwich. The culprit turned out to be me. I had eaten my own ham sandwich totally unaware that I had done this. My own experience is that I crave salt whenever I take blood pressure lowering medicine. Two slices of regular ham contain 604mg sodium, almost half my daily recommended limit.
I experimented by eliminating all blood pressure medications. My blood pressure is well controlled by avoiding salt, diet, exercise, avoiding foods and herbs that raise blood pressure and by taking daily walks. I took (6) six OTC (over the counter) potassium citrate capsules with 18 ounces of water. I tested my urinary protein with albustix. Zero urinary protein was the result. I stopped the potassium citrate, continued with the alkaline diet and I was again spilling protein in my urine. I took (6) six potassium citrate and protein in my urine vanished once again. Now you see it; now you don’t. The above experiment is said to be empirical knowledge as opposed to scientific knowledge. It is what we experience within our bodies or more specifically within one body. This is how we know it is true, at least for ourself alone within these private set of circumstances and within this particular body. I have become more diligent with my diet and no longer spill protein in my urine as long as I continue to avoid all animal proteins including animal broths, soups, egg yolk, and beef tea. I think it goes hand in hand with aging. My body has become more sensitive to animal proteins and eating them causes me to spill proteins in my urine and eventually this protein spillage can lead to the kidneys diminished functioning and their inability to concentrate urine less and less.
The below (ACE) diagram helps explain an overwhelming craving for salt.
