At the gym

But then again, today I met my friend here. I rarely see her exercising. Yet, she was in almost perfect shape. Today, she visited the gym and she was working out a lot. She was working out more than what was required. She had that tense look on her face. I did not interrupt her while she was working out. Once done, I went to talk to her.

I did want to know why she looked so tense. But then again it was rude for me to ask her personal stuff. But she told me. She said that last week she visited the doctor. The doctor told her that she has hypertension. She looked in perfect shape though. She told me that her parents had hypertension too. So that’s why she was here today in the gym working out.

Now I felt bad for her. She looked worried. She had little kids and surely she is worried about them too.

But I knew that just working won’t help her. Since I’m a healthy cooking coach, I decided to help her.

I told her that just by working out a lot, there won’t be any significant changes. Changes have to be made in her lifestyle. And that includes the things that she eats. I told her that I can take a one-on-one grocery shopping class. This way, she will know what has to be purchased to keep hypertension in control.

I told her to, first of all, get some citrus fruits. These help a lot in improving heart health. Next, since she told me that she loves eating fish, I told her to get some salmon or similar fatty fish. It is known that intake of such fishes can significantly decrease hypertension. I also told her to get Swiss chard, pumpkin seeds, beans, lentils, and pistachios.

And most importantly I told her to get vegetables mainly carrots, broccoli, and tomatoes. All these are rich in potassium which should surely reduce hypertension.

Finally, I told her my favorite suggestion – Greek Yogurt. I told her that consuming Greek Yogurt three times a day can reduce hypertension and also heart health issues by 13%. I also told her to avoid salt and salty products.

She noted down all these. There was a sigh of relief on her face.

I didn’t see her for the next few days. I would think about her at times. One morning, on my way to the gym, I met her jogging. She told me how consuming the food items I suggested to her made such a huge difference in her life. She can eat good food and also not stress herself too much in the gym.

She looked healthy and happy. And that’s what matters in the end.