>Apparently there is probably more to it than that.  My previously vegan
>boyfriend (now he's paleo) did not spend "a lifetime" eating processed
food.
>He ate whole food almost exclusively--a very high fiber,
low-processed-food
>diet.  He's also normal weight and very fit--works out almost every
day.  And
>yet he has high blood pressure.  For a while he needed two medications
to
>control it.  Since shifting to a paleo diet and cutting out added salt
(both
>in cooking and at the table), his blood pressure is down enough that he
can
>maintain on one medication.



Well, a vegan diet is almost worse than a "normal" processed food diet
for causing insulin release, because there is almost no protein in the
diet to keep blood sugar stabilized.  It has nothing to do with being
"fit" and having a normal weight.  A constant release of insulin from
eating high carbohydrate foods - whether they are plucked from the
ground or processed by Frito-Lay, causes hardening of the arteries and
forces the blood pressure up just to get it where it needs to go past
the constricted and hardened arteries.  

My father is fit as a fiddle and of normal (even thin) weight, yet
battles with his blood pressure constantly because he refuses to give up
his diet of a constant intake of high carbohydrate foods.  He too eats
good, natural food - it's just all starch and sugar - even if it is
natural starch and sugar.  The one thing that HAS helped him bring it
down a few points is increasing the amount of potassium, magnesium and
calcium to balance any sodium he might be eating.

My boyfriend was also on two types of medication for his blood pressure
- and after going strict low-carbohydrate and losing 35 pounds he was
able to completely stop the medication.  As soon as he started eating
high (or even worse - OFTEN) carbohydrate, his blood pressure went up
again - even though he had not gained any weight back.

So, I must clarify my earlier statement - it is not so much a diet of
"processed" foods that causes high blood pressure - although by paleo
standards any grains or legumes that need to ground, threshed and baked
to be eaten are "processed" - it's the constant and relentless exposure
of the arterial walls to insulin - which is released upon the
consumption of high carbohydrate foods.  This is ONE of the factors that
causes hypertension, and one of the easiest to repair.

And there is just as much danger in hypotension as well, and there ARE a
class of people (such as myself) who suffer side effects from low blood
pressure and need to consume salt in quantity just to provide enough
blood pressure to keep from fainting, to keep their extremities at a
comfortable temperature, and to keep their cells alive and oxygenated.
I have actually had to sit and lick potassium & sodium out of my hand to
keep from fainting and keep my body core temperature up.

Yes - it's all sort of weird.  And the truth is, everyone is different
and has different requirements.  

Fawn
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