Anti-Inflammatory Diet

[Ultralight]

I think any one of a number of anti-immune plans will naturally bring your blood pressure down, without paying too much attention to salt. YMMV. Of course stress is a major factor, as well.

Is your assertion about diet evidence-based?

[ApatheticNoMore]

Some people's blood pressure doesn't respond to salt:

The American Heart Association (AHA) estimates that slightly more than half of people with high blood pressure are salt sensitive to some degree. And one of every four people with normal blood pressure is also salt sensitive

However:

Not everyone with hypertension is sensitive to salt. In fact, one of every three people with hypertension is salt resistant. This means that their blood pressure doesn’t respond in an exaggerated way to excess sodium.

http://www.berkeleywellness.com/heal...salt-sensitive

Your diet doesn't sound bland. Sauteed squash and fish doesn't sound bland at all. Certainly I've eaten such meals. However I gotta admit I would add salt to them. I don't think salt causes binges, although you might eat less of low salt food because blander ... however neither of these would be binging, that's it's own thing.

[Yppej]

Do you put salt in your pancakes? That is the binge I remember you writing about.

[SteveinMN]

Your diet doesn't sound bland. Sauteed squash and fish doesn't sound bland at all.

I think it all depends on what you're used to. People who eat a lot of restaurant/takeout food or processed/prepared food from supermarkets typically ingest a lot of sodium. Whether that affects hypertension or other issues is, as you pointed out, open to question. But high sodium intake certainly affects what one's tastebuds are used to; foods without that extra enhancement can seem pretty ordinary until one's sense of taste readjusts. At that point, even a little added salt has a big impact.

Oh, and I would nominate summer squash (zucchini, crookneck squash, etc.) and certain varieties of white fish (the lower-oil species) as some of the blandest foods on the planet. They benefit greatly from adding something, even if it's not salt.

[JaneV2.0]

Is your assertion about diet evidence-based?

No, Ultralight--I just pulled it out of thin air, as I do all my assertions.

"Evidence based" always makes me laugh--in this country, at least, you get the evidence you pay for. The best evidence, IMO, is based on much-maligned anecdotal reports, from which most good science springs.

Stephen Phinney, MD, and Jeff Volek started Virta Health to promote a low-carb approach. They've done studies:
https://www.virtahealth.com/research Dr. Phinney is himself a researcher who has a number of recorded lectures on YouTube.

Dr. Timothy Noakes presented reams of supporting studies at his trial in S. Africa last year. You can Google it.

There is all kinds of information out there in the wild, if you look for it.

[JaneV2.0]

...

Oh, and I would nominate summer squash (zucchini, crookneck squash, etc.) and certain varieties of white fish (the lower-oil species) as some of the blandest foods on the planet. They benefit greatly from adding something, even if it's not salt.

I was thinking just that--and summer squash adds a delightful layer of texture to the mix.

[Suzanne]

Sugar has dire effects on blood pressure for at least some people - evidence-based! Check out Pubmed.gov.

In high school biology class, we used sugar, not salt, in osmotic pressure experiments.

I spend too much time in youtube - and now I’ve discovered Food Hospital...one episode featured a visit by a 30-year-old raw vegan. His examination showed that his bone age is 20 years older than his chronological age.

Also, 80% of his calories come from sugar. It may be sugar from fruit, but it’s still sugar.

[JaneV2.0]

Also, the sugar in fruit, fructose, is primarily metabolized by the liver, and can contribute to hepatic hypertriglyceridemia and non-alcoholic hyperlidemia in general, particularly when part of a carbohydrate-heavy diet.

[HappyHiker]

Me, I jazz up my anti-inflammatory diet with lots of lemon juice/lemon zest, garlic, fresh basil and some olive oil...I could eat cardboard using those four ingredients.

Garlic is amazing for inflammation and infections...just Google garlic benefits to find out about its many healthful properties. Remember to "let it rest" for 10 minutes after chopping and before cooking with it to bring out its great properties.

You can add finely minced raw garlic to many different salads, too.

Chives and scallions are wonderful to add some spice, too. Spices are -- the spice of life!

[JaneV2.0]

It's a rare day when I don't eat some combination of onions, garlic, scallions, shallots...

But I also enjoy harissa, sri racha, cold-pressed sesame oil, various spice blends including curries and garam masala, and many more.