The Everyman's Way to Combat High Blood Pressure

Doc's note: He might be our in-house cryptocurrency expert, but today, Crypto Capital editor Eric Wade isn't talking about crypto.

Instead, he shares his battle with a disease known as a "silent killer"... Its symptoms often emerge too late to avoid dire (sometimes fatal) health consequences. Eric details how he realized the danger and what he's doing to overcome it...

It has been a rough week for our money...

Tariffs... a weakened U.S. dollar... sell-offs in stocks and cryptos... and a possible trade-war-induced recession have given us all way too much to worry about...

But weeks before all the economic and market drama began, I was hit with a different – and potentially dangerous – worry...

A few weeks ago, I was diagnosed with high blood pressure. And since nearly half of American adults will experience it in their lifetimes, I wanted to share my experience in the hopes that I might encourage even one reader to improve their health. As Doc always likes to say, without our health, our wealth means nothing.

First, I have a couple notes I think are important to set the stage. One, if I fight high blood pressure, you can too. I promise. Second, I am in no way, shape, or form any kind of health expert. Zip. Nada. I try to eat well, but my favorite food group is sour cream if that tells you anything (maybe not so different from many of you reading this right now).

It was a normal day in the first week of March when my wife, who's smart enough to routinely check her vitals, asked me to try out her home blood pressure cuff to make sure it was working. When the reading came back for me at 140/99 mmHg with a pulse rate of 59, I was surprised to say the least. (In case you don't know, a normal reading is below 120/80 mmHg.) So I – with the encouragement of my wife – decided I needed to get it down.

Longtime readers may remember that I shared my decision to stop drinking coffee in these pages. It wasn't because I have anything against coffee... in fact I love it. But I decided to quit because I didn't like needing coffee to get my day going.

But after being off coffee and virtually all caffeinated drinks for more than a year, I came across research that indicated that moderate coffee intake can actually have health benefits. Since I enjoy coffee, I took that as license to start enjoying a cup or two in the morning. If you recall, before I quit drinking coffee, I would sometimes have four to six cups a day.

But you probably see where I'm going with this... I was immediately suspicious that my reintroduction of coffee triggered high blood pressure.

Of course, I reached out to my doctor, who, it turns out, fortuitously, was on a prolonged trip and couldn't see me for a month. But the office said to start recording my blood pressure daily and ordered some blood tests.

I say the appointment delay was fortuitous because I used the time to try to tweak my lifestyle in hopes that I might bring my high blood pressure down myself... and avoid being prescribed medicine when I finally did see my doctor. I'm not against prescriptions, but I'll avoid them whenever it's safe to do so.

During the month I waited, I looked into whether coffee was the culprit (most likely not, based on how little I drink). So I decided to check out the natural options to get my blood pressure into a healthier range. First, of course, is more exercise. My wife and I take our darling dogs for a 15-to-30-minute walk each and every day... So that's probably a half mile to a mile. But it's slow going because one dog is a Chihuahua and the other is a Maltese, and boy do they like to sniff or bark at everything. Does that even count as exercise?

I also try to bicycle a few times a week. I've had an on-again-off-again relationship with yoga. And I do some weight training here and there. Now you're getting the picture that yes, I exercised... but what I was doing wasn't anything to brag about.

That had to change. I increased the regularity of my exercise. I found a pure, organic unsweetened hibiscus tea (a natural blood pressure regulator) that I now drink twice a day. My wife and I strengthened our resolve to eat a more Mediterranean-style diet. (Bye, bye nachos with cheese sauce and sour cream!)

Two weeks later I had a long travel day, so I took my blood pressure at 5 a.m. before I left for the airport: 161/124 mmHg with a pulse of 69.

To say I was deflated would be an understatement. In my mind, I had increased the good things and decreased the bad things... for two whole weeks. Alright, as a rational, intelligent human being I can see how progress might take longer than two weeks. But I was clearly heading in the wrong direction!

Later in the day (I was at the Nvidia GTC conference, known as the Super Bowl of artificial intelligence), I found a medical "tent" and asked them to check my blood pressure. I'm aware that flights, TSA, Ubers, and walking the floor of expo halls can affect your blood pressure... But I still wanted to know. This time it was 150/90 mmHg. Not great, but not worse, either.

That was March 18 and what would – in hindsight – be the high-water mark for my blood pressure.

After that trip and the shocking revelation that I wasn't progressing, I was more determined than ever to get my scores down before seeing my doctor.

Remember, I had already increased my exercise, began drinking unsweetened hibiscus tea, and tweaked my diet.

I began reducing my portion sizes and increasing my intermittent fasting. I made a sincere effort to sleep more. And I got strict with the exercise, rotating in some treadmill, elliptical, and stairs with other exercises (including swimming) to target my "American" midsection, to make sure I break a good, hard sweat every day. Gone are the days of, "I'll exercise if I can..."

I also started meditation and breathing exercises specifically designed for high blood pressure. They're so pleasant and enjoyable and effective that you might feel like you're cheating if you try them. Anyone who struggles with self-improvement (don't we all?) may see meditation as "too good to be true"... I know I did.

But now, less than three weeks after my worst day, I'm seeing a payoff. So much so that when I see my doctor later this week, I don't expect to need a prescription. That's because I'm decisively heading in the right direction. My recent blood pressure reading was 119/89 mmHg. While that can stand to come down, remember I was at 140/99 mmHg five weeks ago. And all I've done is tweak my lifestyle. (I even had a reading of 97/75 one afternoon after a particularly relaxing meditation!)

You might have started reading today wanting a quickie silver bullet. And by now, you probably think I've failed to deliver. I disagree. I shared this because to me it feels like what I'm doing is so easy it is the silver bullet!

Obviously, you need to listen to your doctor who knows more about your health than I – the editor of Crypto Capital – ever will.

It takes a little bit of time and effort to improve your health. But remember, if I can do it, you can do it too.

Best regards,

Eric Wade

April 10, 2025

Editor's note: It's hard to see it in the moment, but crisis – whether with your health or finances – can present an opportunity. Right now, Eric believes there's a historic chance to buy select investments at large discounts. He has prepared all the details for you – and, to say the least, his track record proves he knows what he's doing. I urge you to take a close look here.