I went back for a yearly check-up with my doctor the other day. The good news is that I reversed the pre-diabetic trend according to my labs last year. The bad news is that the elevated blood pressure had gotten worse. It was not unexpected. High blood pressure does run in my family. The difference is the age of onset. I'm not proud to say I'm on the younger side of things, but I remain optimistic about my overall health.
Fortunately, my doctor told me he was not the type to prescribe blood pressure meds immediately. He'd like me to make some changes and return in about a month and see. I don't know how much could change, but I would try.
When I exited the doctor's office, I saw multitudes walking around the city center. There were people of various shapes and sizes. I thought, "There is no way in hell most of these people are healthier than me."
To an extent, it is coping, but I know I can make lifestyle changes like I did this past year. When I lost excess weight, I could feel pressure lifted from my knees. I can't imagine overweight and obese people who lob themselves around daily.
I did find ways to help manage blood pressure without medication from the Mayo Clinic. The article lists ten ways one could do to help mitigate elevated blood pressure.
Right away, I knew I could use more exercise. I've recently started jogging with a colleague during our midnight work break. It's only about twice a week, but it's a start. I've also started doing evening strolls daily to hopefully offset things.
I could have better sleep habits. I was better about going to bed soon when I came home from work in my 20s. Over the years, I stayed up unnecessarily before finally going to sleep.
The most challenging aspects are reducing stress and reducing sodium intake. Stress at work has been a constant pest since the pandemic. Our department continually faced challenges in staffing and supplies. Maybe I should adopt the attitude of "that's above my pay grade"?
The bulk of my sodium intake is most likely from fast foods. I would have to cook more at home and plan to make it as convenient as possible. I don't know if I need to vet the ingredients I get at stores. I'll have to get back to you guys on that one.
This year is going to be another year of lifestyle changes.
"There's no way in hell most of these people are healthier than me."
