Hi all

So I have the book The 8 week blood sugar diet and have read it once.

I am just 6ft and 74 kg and have a waist measurement of 35″ [ sorry for the mixed units , they seem to work for me !]

I cycle regularly at least 3 x 12 miles every week with 3 good hills involved , and do quite a bit of dog walking as well.

The Diabetic Association web site say I am at risk of getting Type 2 , risk now 1/33 will be 1/7 as I age.

However I am more interested in whether the diet and 5:2 can reduce my blood pressure ?

I was on medication but I was not happy with the possible side effects and came stopped it couple of years ago.

Currently my BP is around 195/95 however it does vary considerable through out the day it can be high when I first wake and lower after the bike ride !

regards Paul

Hi Paul

I’ve finished the 8 weeks and can confirm that my weight, fasting blood sugar levels and blood pressure have all dropped.

captainlynne

Thanks

Were you measuring your BP ?

If so could you quantify the reduction ? % maybe ?

regards Paul

Hi Paul,

I’m not a medical practitioner but a few comments …

1. BP measurements are notoriously fickle … even talking whilst you’re having your BP taken can give a false reading. Suspect that your resting BP is correct … ie … not the readings after exercise. Best to have it checked regularly at your GP and try to correlate their readings with yours.

2. Those readings look really high to me.

3. I read somewhere that an irregular heartbeat can cause big fluctuations in BP. Might be worthwhile asking your GP about this.

4. Biggest impacts on BP are salt intake and body mass. So pretty sure that this diet will help.

Hope that this helps.

Regards
Martin

Hi Paul

Sorry I don’t have the starting BP (only get it checked at GP. Been on meds for high BP for years (Bendroflumethiazide and Candersartan) which was keeping it under control.

After about a month on this BP was 117/87. Two weeks later it was 119/70, which the nurse said was low!

Sorry I can’t be more helpful.

Martin

To much hassle to go to the doctors every time I want it checking , also some ‘ white coat ‘ syndrome.

Yes if I take it 3 times in a row the readings were all different

Last time I took it twice a day [ same time every day ] and just used the average , it was maybe 10% higher than it should be.

Although this blanket less than 140/80 is a change , in the old days it was some figure + your age so as you got older the safe readings where allowed to rise , now the WHO wants every one on the planet to have the same readings irrespective of age,weight,fitness etc

I really need one of those 24 hour monitors that you wear , may ask if they are available to borrow at my surgery.

captainlynne

Thats impressive are you off the meds now ?

regards Paul

Paul – don’t see the nurse for another two weeks, but we had discussed coming off the meds. When I realised how I was feeling (remembering questions she’d asked) I took none yesterday, and only half of each tablet today. Feeling much better now, so will continue on half of each tablet daily until I see her. I didn’t want to just stop without checking BP with her. Hopefully when I see her it will still be ok and I can come off the meds 😃