by Justin Cox

Created on: April 22, 2008   Last Updated: January 08, 2009

The words, although not unexpected, hit me with the same effect as a stiff jab from a middleweight fighter. 'I'm going to write you a prescription for your high blood pressure' said the doctor. I knew this day would eventually come, but not like this. This wasn't how I had things planned out in my mind.

I have a long family history of high blood pressure and heart disease. I have the weight issues. I eat whatever I want, whenever I want. I use lots of salt, on everything. As my career and it's stress levels advance I exercise less and sit behind a desk or meeting table more. I could go on and on, but basically if you review all the risk factors for high blood pressure and an unhealthy middle age lifestyle right there in the dictionary beside the definition of HIGH BLOOD PRESSURE CANDIDATE is a picture of me.

I have always been strong willed, though, and have promised myself that when the day came and the doctor said the time had come to be officially diagnosed with HBP I would make the necessary lifestyle changes to avoid the medication. I have always said that and I meant it with all seriousness. I have a strong aversion to medications, particularly ones that will be hard or impossible to ever stop taking. I have no problem with people on medication, I just don't want to join them until I have done everything in my power to prevent it.

I know that by now you are curious why if I am so strong willed about making a healthy lifestyle change did I wait until being diagnosed to start living healthier? I admit it doesn't make a whole lot of sense that if you truly have the willpower and ability to bring yourself back from an unhealthy condition and put yourself into a healthy on WHY LET YOURSELF GET UNHEALTHY IN THE FIRST PLACE! The answer is buried deep inside me and many other men just like myself. We don't enjoy abusing and neglecting our health. We are more in denial. Or maybe it's the glimmer of hope that we will be the one who does all the wrong things and still manages to not have any health issues. We all know the friend or the friend of a friend who drinks too much or smokes too much or eats whatever he wants and lives a long healthy life to the amazement of the doctors, right? What if that guy is me? Then all the healthy vegetables and the yogurt I ate was a waste when I could have been eating delicious junk food and swilling beer. You just have to push things to the limit, that's part of being a man.

They say the HBP is a silent killer and in my case it easily

• 1
• 2
• Next Page >>