Whole Hawthorn Berries
Posted: Sun Mar 13, 2016 3:10 pm
I've recently been diagnosed with having high blood pressure, thickening of the heart, and some fluid around the heart. This follows months of extreme fatigue for no known reason. I had an umbilical hernia repair in December, and I haven't been OK since. The surgical site is healing fine, but I never regained energy after the surgery. My doctor kept sending me to various specialists and ran assorted blood tests, but until the echocardiogram, nobody could figure out that anything was wrong.
The cardiologist told me not to exercise until after the nuclear stress test (which still hasn't been scheduled!) I'm working on getting a home blood pressure monitor, which my insurance will cover, but the doctor has to order it first and I didn't think of it until after I'd left the cardiologist's office. I left a message for him and am waiting for a call back.
I've also bought whole hawthorn berries to brew into a beverage and coQ10 pills; 100 mg each. I've been taking 2-3 a day, with meals. I've been cutting back on my salt usage and drinking more water, and I'm looking forward to having that blood pressure monitor so I can see if the salt restriction is needed.
What's the best way to use the hawthorn berries? Simmered in water or just steeping in hot water?
Every day, I make a nettle infusion, to which I add rose hips. The second half of the month, I swap out some red raspberry leaves for some of the nettles. I've also been making ginger root tea by cutting up ginger into cubes and simmering on the stove for about half an hour.
Is it better to add the hawthorn berries to the ginger or to the nettles? How much should I be using per day? Is there a time of day that's better to take it, or should I have small amounts throughout the day?
Also, is there anything I could or should do before the nuclear stress test to minimize the damage from the radiation?
The cardiologist told me not to exercise until after the nuclear stress test (which still hasn't been scheduled!) I'm working on getting a home blood pressure monitor, which my insurance will cover, but the doctor has to order it first and I didn't think of it until after I'd left the cardiologist's office. I left a message for him and am waiting for a call back.
I've also bought whole hawthorn berries to brew into a beverage and coQ10 pills; 100 mg each. I've been taking 2-3 a day, with meals. I've been cutting back on my salt usage and drinking more water, and I'm looking forward to having that blood pressure monitor so I can see if the salt restriction is needed.
What's the best way to use the hawthorn berries? Simmered in water or just steeping in hot water?
Every day, I make a nettle infusion, to which I add rose hips. The second half of the month, I swap out some red raspberry leaves for some of the nettles. I've also been making ginger root tea by cutting up ginger into cubes and simmering on the stove for about half an hour.
Is it better to add the hawthorn berries to the ginger or to the nettles? How much should I be using per day? Is there a time of day that's better to take it, or should I have small amounts throughout the day?
Also, is there anything I could or should do before the nuclear stress test to minimize the damage from the radiation?