142/90. For some reason, that blood pressure reading stood out. There were others that were high around that time, over nine years ago, but this is the one that confirmed to my doctor that I was pre-hypertensive. I was a walking time bomb, also being most likely pre-diabetic. It was only a matter of time that I would have full blown hypertension and diabetes if I didn’t make some changes.
As many of you know, my doctor initially wanted me on blood pressure pills. I was fortunate to have a doctor that worked with me as I did not want to go on medication. He agreed to let me lose the weight and hope that the blood pressure would go down as the weight went down. It worked, as 6 months later, my blood pressure was normal and I never took a single pill.
Today, I checked my blood pressure, as I do every now and then. It read 110/69. Do you know how awesome that feels, knowing I have a healthy blood pressure without having to resort to meds? I have been plant based for over 9 years, and went completely vegan in September of 2016. Yes, my 5 year anniversary is coming up! I felt relieved knowing the path I took helped me avoid medication that my parents and so many other family members have to deal with. It was always about health since I started my journey. Eventually, it became about the animals too, as I became an ethical vegan too. It’s nice to know I can keep my diet in check and help save the animals at the same time.
I could have just as easily took meds. So many people have. I want to be healthy, I don’t want a quick bandaid to cover my health conditions. I opted to get healthy, but I had no idea I would stick with it and that it would become a lifestyle. But the thing is, it was never a “diet” but a “lifestyle”... that is why I succeeded in losing 150 pounds and lowering my blood pressure readings. A temporary diet will only temporarily fix the problem.