Improved weight, blood pressure and chronic pains

Feedback from a client, a patient of my daughter Padma Sripda MD who has done 12 classes over the last one year and eight months. 

She gained weight (from almost underweight to a healthier BMI), lowered her persistently high BP and gradually lowering her anti-anxiety medication per her doctor’s advice and made more improvements. 

Detailed report

Breathing

I practice the breathing exercises while driving, walking and at work. I mostly do the ‘Counting mode’ but when driving I do the ‘Tip mode’.

Hypertension

Last week I had a really great blood pressure reading 126/86. This is one of the lowest I have had. 

Diet changes

I have been having breakfast every morning and a better lunch and dinner. I am working to cut out sugar. Instead of soda I have been drinking juices and water. I gained 25 lbs from these changes. I added a multivitamin, vitamin D, Vitamin C in the powder form and the milled flax seed which I put in smoothies or a salad every day.  That was a lot of work to change my eating habits but well worth it.

Sleep

I have been waking up fresher in the mornings but still getting great sleep.

Moods

I find that my moods are more even. I don’t have as much anger or depression. I feel things are easier to deal with.

Anxiety medication

I have been cutting down on the anxiety medication very slowly but I think I have made great progress. I used to take 2 a day. I am now down to 1.25 to 1.5. I think I feel better now cutting back on this medication.

Chronic neck and back pains

My neck pain has greatly improved from the stretching as well as my back. I can’t remember the last time I needed pain medication for these problems. 

I am going to continue to practice all the above items. I would like to start hiking and maybe working out a little in the gyms at the hotels I stay at.

My notes 

She was very lean for her height, her cheeks were shrunk and her face was looking sick. She was working out of town and on her feet for hours. She was not eating any breakfast and hated to have any. It required lot of persuasion over many classes, for her to change her long-established habit.  She neither had any good lunch. She was feeling fatigued and low in moods by afternoon. After the diet changes, her weight has improved and she is feeling much better overall.

She had chronic neck and back pains and taking pain medications and sometimes even shots for acute neck pain.  Her back pain dramatically improved after practicing the “Focusing on breathing’ modes (4) and the waking up routine.

She had persistently high BP (Hypertension) for at least 6 years. During the visits to her doctor, the systolic ranged from 136 to 219 and the diastolic ranged from 94 to 129.

For many months from the time she attended the classes, she was bitterly complaining about her employer’s treatment of her – not paying fair wages, not appreciating her high-quality work etc. In last six months she did not say one thing on this issue.

Sep 2012

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