Easing the pressure

My once-low blood pressure was high at my last two doctor appointments. This could be attributed to anxiety about the chemo that followed. But it’s also a call to action to get back on track with my cardiovascular program.

     I haven’t been to the health club for a month. I haven’t been walking regularly. I’ve been preoccupied in mental and emotional distractions, tests and appointments of this journey along with teaching and every day life.

     But what I need most is to get moving. My coach Ron, the most diligent and disciplined exerciser I know, told me this. He always tells me this. It’s hard to measure up to his model. However, I don’t want any additional complications to my health. When I go back to the doctor in three weeks, I’d like to see lower numbers.    

     My friend Sally went through breast cancer 10 years ago and is doing great now. We talked for a long time on the phone. Diet, of course, is also related to blood pressure. I tell Sally how I’m trying to eat healthy (lots of fruit and veggies, staying away from high-fructose syrup) but how I don’t want to obsess and make diet the focus of my life.

I ask Sally if she still drinks green tea. She says no, she doesn’t like green tea. She echoes lots of fruits and vegetables, little red meat and the moderation message.

     Ron eats for sustenance and health. He eats the quesadilla, but refuses the tortilla shell. He eats the quiche but not the crust. He concocts morning cereals full of seeds and grains and nuts. He avoids meat and, lately, carbs of all kinds. A treat to him is munching on celery in front of the TV. (We’re trying to negotiate cutting it in slivers.) He dissects every food that crosses his plate. This isn’t a new thing. Like his exercise regime, it’s a lifetime thing, one I’ve learned to accept.
     But for me, food is life. The doctors’ advice is essentially: balanced diet and moderation. From what I’ve read, though, foods, like sugars, are best avoided or greatly minimized.
     I’m starting to browse the net. Here’s what I found. Unlike other cells in the body, cancer cells try to live forever.  Sugar or glucose supplies cancer cells with the energy necessary for growth.  Cancer cells have defective mitochondria. The only proven way to grow new mitochondria and enlarge existing ones is to exercise. The more vigorously you exercise, the greater the growth in size and number of mitochondria. In short, there’s something at the cellular level that’s saying “exercise.”
     Sally opts for moderation in food but the one thing she’s religious about is exercise because the studies that have proven exercise to be associated with reduced reoccurrence of cancer. Sally’s also a nurse.
     Sally and Ron are both mentors and allies on my journey. I’m listening.