I feel so tired, and yet cannot be more contented. Well, except for this thing that happened to my apartment floor. It was too exhausting to even tell the tale, even if what it only involves is my irrational (sort of, if you know the extent of it) fear upon seeing that my floor tiles are popping up and breaking apart. I’ll save that for later, so I can recount the more tiresome task ahead of having it repaired.

For now all I want to say is that I love keeping busy. Even just feeling busy at times. I’ve been missing badminton sessions, though, even if I’ve been buying more energy drinks than usual; one of these days I may have to get into weight loss drinks, too.

Because of the unbelievably tedious process my HMO provider requires before you can have yourself checked by a doctor, I’ve decided, for two years now, against going for a check-up whenever I feel something odd or when even when I fear that my blood pressure’s going up again because of having to spend days of feeling sluggish, heavy-headed, and generally not well. Not the brightest idea, I know. But I found this suggested diet plan for people with, or are prone to, hypertension. It is called the DASH diet – Dietary Approaches to Stop Hypertension. It’s not a weight loss formula per se, but I’m thinking that a diet that is focused on less salt and less saturated fats would be good for the figure conscious, too. We’ll see if I can find a more specific menu plan that would be tailored to my needs and resources.

After engaging in an hour and a half of cardiovascular exercises at the gym, I felt a bit lightheaded and dizzy that for a moment I feared that I might have overworked my heart.  I’ve heard of a number of terrifying stories about people suddenly collapsing at the gym, and even at badminton or basketball courts, so you must forgive me for being a little paranoid. The thing is, I wanted to have my hypertension checked but all the hassles our company’s cheap health insurance entails are more than enough reason for me to delay going to the doctor time and again.  Again, not a very bright idea, so don’t be like me. For my part, I just watch what I eat closely and try to be as physically active as possible while having a “feel” of my health and well being every single day. It pays to have a good health insurance. I just don’t have the resources to pay for one at this time.

As someone who occassionally suffers from high blood pressure, I know how important it is for me to lower my salt intake. The doctor told me so, as if I need another reminder. The problem is, I’ve always loved salty foods – adobo, fish sauce with sinigang, or soy sauce in almost every grilled or fried fish or meat. No-salt foods, evem low-sodium ones, are bland, unsatisfying, and depressing. I don’t think I can ever live with it. I’d rather be a semi-vegetarian (which basically means I’m planning to have veggies in a majority of my meals but I’ll still have meat whenever craving sets in). To me, salty equates to flavor and good taste.

But, really, the doctor is right. Avoiding salty foods as a lifestyle will have a dramatic impact on the risk of developing hypertension or heart disease. I’ve read there are no salt seasonings available in the marklet, so maybe I can try that. Could be a good start in practicing healthy cooking and eating. I’m thinking maybe if I’ll manage to psyche myself enough and get used to to taste of less-salty foods, then it will eventually be like a habit, sort of like reprogramming my tastebuds.

There’s a Web site that sells no salt (and no sugar) seasonings, nosaltnosugar.com. They even have recipes and health articles there. It all looks promising that I might just be tempted to look for a local equivalent.

I just want to share these few helpful information I researched about cardiovascular health. Having the genetic predisposition to hypertension, I’m rather paranoid whenever I’m feeling woozy and breathless. I’ve once consulted an internist when the dizziness and heavy feeling in the chest became rather intense and I was told that I’m borderline hypertensive. I’m never at ease when inside a hospital or clinic so I didn’t come back for reassessment when I finally felt good after weeks of watching my diet and trying to be physically active. I guess continuing to be physically active is helping me a lot, even if my diet went back to meaty-salty-fatty-processed food – something that I’m now hoping to avoid again.

Here are some symptoms that I found points to cardiovascular problems: A tightness or weighty feeling in the chest (that can spread to arms, neck, and throat) and breathlessness or choking feeling may be symptoms of angina. This is caused by restricted blood flow in the arteries. Sufferers of this type of disease take medications that thin the blood, and sometimes more drastic therapy like EDTA oral chelation. Oral chelation (e.g., EDTA) is used to remove calcium deposits and other minerals and heavy metals out of the body, resulting in clean arteries. Other signs of arterial blockade, which might need forms of chelation therapy, are cold feeling and pain in the arms or legs, memory impairment, lack of energy, and breathlessness over a slight exertion.

Of course, no one should self-diagnose, especially for those without medical background. Researching for symptoms can sometimes be a helpful thing; other times, it can only lead to paranoia (you’ll find that whatever you’re feeling has some scary medical jargon search results) and wrong diagnosis of symptoms. And don’t self-medicate. Even if you have reason to believe that EDTA chelation therapy is for you, it’s always best to consult your doctor first.