Blood Pressure Down

May 1, 2013
Given that nearly a third of U.S. adults have high blood pressure, the audience for this sensible, just-do-it book should be a large one. Certainly, Brill knows what she is talking about professionally. She is a registered dietitian, exercise physiologist, and wellness coach who also knows her stuff personally, since her father had his first heart attack at age 45, and her brother died of kidney failure brought on by complications of high blood pressure at age 56. Brill does a good job of explaining that hypertension is a silent killer that hurts blood vessels without pain or symptoms and then causes huge problems, such as stroke, kidney failure, and heart attacks. Brill's 10 steps aren't earthshaking ( lose five pounds, eat bananas, eat yogurt, exercise ). But they're doable. Helpful charts show power foods, including magnesium-rich cocoa powder, and 50 recipes include useful nutritional information. Overall, anyone who wants to try nondrug approaches to lowering blood pressure can find much useful, potentially lifesaving information in this guide book.(Reprinted with permission of Booklist, copyright 2013, American Library Association.)