How my grandfather’s hypertension saved my life

My drug resistance high blood pressure was 163/104

Diets, workouts and supplements were Useless.

Suddenly, my blood pressure is okay again.

Fear of stroke and heart attack are gone.

Tragically, I owe this all to my dear Grandpa

The year is 1972

Squeeze’t, don’t pull, Grandpa says.

I pull… pang… miss.

I wipe a tear from my eye.

You’ll get the hang of it. You’re only 10. His voice is calm and deep. It always is.

This time, squeeze like this. He places his trigger finger next to my thumb. My thumb moves like magic. I don’t even feel his touch.

I try

He smiles. Don’t try… do.

I do squeeze the trigger.

Pang, the soda can flies in the air.

Yes!

I make a victory fist and dance.

Turn to celebrate with Grandpa.

He’s not smiling
No celebration
No victory fist on his hand

Grandpa is lying in the dust with both hands on his chest, shaking rigidly.

His face is turning blue.

I panic. What’s wrong Grandpa? What’s going on?

Get your dad, he whispers through his clenched teeth.

I run as fast as I can. Heart racing. Tears streaming down my face.

Hurry, hurry, something’s happening to Grandpa.

Dad drops his hammer.

He runs faster than I can. He kneels next to Grandpa. It’s the only time I’ve seen him cry – shaking and wailing.

Grandpa is still like a statue… black flies swirl in and out of his open eyes.

I told you that your blood pressure would kill you… I told you. Again Dad cries.

Grandpa was only 64 years old, otherwise healthy, strong man who ignored his high blood pressure.

Forty-five years later:

My doctor uncuffs me. 163 over 104, you have high blood pressure.

My first impulse is to ignore it. I don’t feel sick. Why worry?

Then I remember Grandpa. And I know that if I don’t manage my blood pressure, I will soon be the one lying in the dust with flies in my eyes.

From the grave…

Grandpa nudges me and says; Don’t try, DO!

I did “DO” lower my blood pressure. And I’ll tell you how.

It was challenging at first.
Then easy once I learned how.

Being diagnosed with “drug-resistant high blood pressure,” meant I tried medications, but they didn’t help. There was nothing else my doctor could do.

I tried the usual: diet changes, gym ratting, etc.

Didn’t help, didn’t harm.

Hundreds of dollars on overpriced, overhyped blood pressure supplements – don’t waste money on scams.

Then comes…

The day my blood pressure shrunk

I walk into a cafe, and there is my cousin.

You look like death warmed over, she says smiling.

Yes, I’m actually dying, I say.

WHAT?
Her smile vanishes

My blood pressure, you know.

I used to have high blood pressure – not anymore. She says

Tell me.

Okay, but it’s going to sound crazy.

Okay

So you know that I’ve been struggling a little bit with my weight. She takes a bite from her doughnut.

Oh, I didn’t notice. I smile.
She rolls her eyes.

So I thought because of my blood pressure, I’d have to go on a strict diet, to the gym and all that crap.

You didn’t? I ask.

No, I came across something else that’s much simpler and easier.

Spill the beans?

Okay.. what do you think controls your blood pressure? She sips her chocolate caramel cafe latte.

Dunno. Maybe the heart, or kidney or arteries? I sip my healthy fruit tea.

Sort of. But what controls your heart to beat faster, your kidneys to increase blood fluid and your arteries to narrow? These are the three things that cause high blood pressure.

Uh, bad diet, lack of exercise???

Nope, these contribute to high blood pressure. There’s, however, just ONE thing that controls blood pressure behind the scenes.

Uh, stress??? I’m eying the door.

Stress is also a contributor.

What really controls blood pressure is the Medulla oblongs

She leans back and sips her chocolate caramel latte again.

I wait
She waits

Medulla oblongs? I ask

She smiles, finishes her doughnut and licks her fingers.

Yes, it’s a small piece of the brain that connects to the spine. It controls many of the automatic parts of our bodies, like our breathing, heart rate and stress hormones. It also controls the kidneys and the expansion and retraction of the arteries.

The Medulla oblongs controls everything that contributes to high blood pressure.

I try to hide a small yawn with my hand as I glance at the clock on the wall.

Need to be somewhere? she asks.

Uh, no, not really.

C’mon dude, I’m saving your life.

Okay, okay.

She continues.

The body’s alive and constantly changing. Like when we move around, the arteries expand to allow more blood flow to the muscles and organs.

Remember that time dads bull pushed you into a pool of cowshit? You almost drowned. Then, your arteries probably expanded quite a bit.

She giggles.
I don’t.

Now that I mention this story, you’re all huffy. Making the heart pound faster, causing the blood pressure to hike. She laughs again.

You’re right, I say. You always know how to get my goat.

We both laugh.

Finally, laughing and relaxing causes the heart to slow down, the arteries to widen, and the blood pressure to calm down.

Up one second, down another, all day long. All controlled by the Medulla oblongs without anyone giving it a second thought.

Interesting, I say.

It sure is, she says.

Now the problem… Throughout our lives, the Medulla oblongs starts to dysfunction.

Stress, bad diets, lifestyles, difficult life experiences — who knows. All kinds of factors play a role and pile up, causing our blood pressure to rise.

So we have to get the Medulla oblongs back on track.

Because…

If we control the Medulla oblongs, we control our blood pressure

How do I control the Medulla oblongs? It’s all unconscious, isn’t it? I ask.

Ah, clever finally. She leans back and smiles.

Out with it, I say.

Now it’s really going to get weird. I need you to be open-minded.

Ok

Have you heard about mind-body exercises?

Yes, I tried sitting meditation and Yoga. It helped a little – not a lot.

That’s because these traditional mind-body exercises are not specifically designed for blood pressure.

Many landmark studies confirm that traditional practices are helpful. Just not as helpful as modern mind-body exercises specifically designed for people with high blood pressure.

That’s where a guy called Christian Goodman comes in.

Never heard of him, I say.

I hadn’t either. It was my doctor who told me about him, she says.

Christian is praised and respected among health professionals. Many doctors refer their patients to him, especially clients with drug-resistant high blood pressure or those who experience severe side effects.

A while back, Christian begins improve different mind-body techniques to better deal with high blood pressure.

He wants his blood pressure exercises to be quicker, easier and more effective than the traditional ones. We’re not hermits with nothing to do except meditate all day… especially if the results are kinda meh.

The outcome is the best mind-body exercises for people with high blood pressure.

To make this as easy as it gets, he also puts them on audio.

Just follow along.

Easy peasy.

So it was Christian’s exercises that healed my blood pressure.

I usually only did one of them. There’s no need to do them all.

Then it only takes nine minutes

I could spare nine minutes, I say.

What’s the mechanism? How do these exercises help with blood pressure?

Honestly, I’m not entirely sure, She answers.

It’s definitely related to stress. Not necessarily conscious stress like “I’m having road rage stress,” although they help with that, too.

More like directly addressing the stress hormones that have piled up in our bloodstream.

The blood pressure exercises do more than that, though.

They somehow help reset the  Medulla oblongs, which then regulates the heart, arteries and kidney to better manage blood pressure.

Kinda like rebooting a frozen computer.

To tell you the truth, I don’t even care.

My blood pressure was averaging 172/111 before and now it’s steady 115/74. So whatever these exercises do works.

I never knew how the medicine I was taking worked, either. Just that they made me feel like crap. And failed to regulate my blood pressure.

God moves in a mysterious way. And maybe it’s just God working through Christian Goodman.

There are definitely lots of scientific studies supporting this, even if most of them use mind-body exercises that aren’t as effective as Christian’s.

So, as my blood pressure nosedived over a few weeks, my doctor monitored and cut my drugs gradually – till I was off all meds.

I sipped my fruit tea.

You like that shit? She asks.

Hate it… high blood pressure Y’know.

She laughs and sips her chocolate caramel latte.

I mean, this is interesting, I say. Where can I find Christian’s blood pressure exercises?

She told me where. 

[If you’re  interested, you can find Christian Goodman’s blood pressure exercises here]

 That evening, I do my research.

Christian Goodman is indeed highly praised.

He is a respected health journalist, researcher and public speaker. Lots of doctors recommend him.

Lots of folks have benefit from using his blood pressure exercises.

I checked his website and I find more details.

It’s plug and play – nothing to learn, so I can start benefiting as soon as today.

They take as little as nine minutes, so I don’t have to invest much time on this.

There isn’t any physical strain involved. So, anyone can do them.

I find their price reasonable. Especially for something that can save my life. Not hundreds of dollars like I had already spent on meds and supplements.

And they offer no questions-asked money-back guarantee. So… nothing to lose.

Plus, their order form has the same security standards as Amazon.

What really pushes me over the edge is thinking about my grandpa lying in the dust — his blue face — the flies in his eyes. I still have nightmares decades later.

My grandchildren, Tom and Susan and little Jimmy. How will me dying in front of their eyes traumatize them?

My wife, Greta, and I are excited to enjoy our golden years together. I’ll break her heart, abandoning her like that.

At least put up a fight.

My children, my children.

So I find the courage to click the order button.

Immediately upon completing the order, I’m automatically redirected to the members’ area — it’s simple. I don’t even need a password.

I press play.

Follow along.

Nine minutes.

Tested: 145/91, lowest blood pressure reading for months.

I don’t tell anyone what I’m doing. Don’t want to feel embarrassed if I fail.

Keep at it for a few more days.

Try the other two exercises, too.

Tested: 119/78, that’s a healthy blood pressure.

Still healthy two years later.

Still do the exercises once in a while.

I highly recommend the blood pressure exercises by Christian Goodman.

[If you’re  interested, you can find Christian Goodman’s blood pressure exercises here]