Under Pressure

Recently, I've been having some issues with high blood pressure. It wasn't incredibly high, but about the 130/90 range. My doctor told me to watch my diet (i.e. salt intake). A lot easier said, than done (especially for a picky eater such as myself and our hectic lifestyle). I tried my best: less processed foods, more fruits & veggies, healthier mid-day snacks like fruit and nuts (unsalted), and having oatmeal or yogurt for breakfast. This helped a little, but my BP was still slightly above normal. I tend to drink a lot of pop, especially Diet Coke (at least once a day). For Lent, I have decided to completely give up Diet Coke and have limited all other soda intake (non-caffieine drinks like Sprite & 7-up), to just once or twice a week. What a difference! Within a matter of days, my BP dropped to well within normal limits (and at times even borderline too LOW). The first few days were really tough. I suffered from severe headaches and cravings. But it's been 2 weeks now, and I'm feeling good.