Darn Mucilage

 In my quest for being healthy I'm always looking around for the latest news on items that will be beneficial for me.   My blood pressure has been the bane of my existence.   One of my first blog entries was a boring but important entry tracking my blood pressure readings.   High blood pressure has been something that's plagued me since as far back as 2005 and I'm sure much earlier.   

I remember going to the ER because of it a couple of times.   I remember feeling faint like I was going to pass out.   But somehow over the years I've dodged being prescribed blood pressure medication.    Both of my parents had been taking blood pressure medication for more than half of their lives.

I've tried so many different things for it with marginal results.  Apple cider vinegar, grape seed extract, l-citrulline, ubiquinol, miracle greens, magnesium, cucumbers, watermelons, hibiscus, green tea, garlic, and onion among other things.   But there hasn't been that magic elixir.

So I was checking out Dr. Bobby Price's latest video where he was singing the praises of okra water.   I do like okras so I was definitely intrigued by what was being said.   The heart of okra water is the mucilage which is a mucus like substance that the okra secretes.   That mucilage is said to have many health benefits.    These include improved digestion, reduced blood sugar, reducing inflammation, boosting energy, immunity, promoting weight loss, and flushing kidneys.

Hearing about all those benefits made me curious to try it.  I decided to check other videos which touted a lot of the same information.   So I decided to buy some okra this past weekend.

The benefits of blood sugar is particularly something that could benefit Dom since he has type 2 diabetes.  Dom is old school though and isn't one that looks for alternatives.   So I knew he would not be open to trying it.    Whenever I try something unorthodox, he always says "why do you hate your body so much"...LOL.

So I prepared the okra water as instructed the evening before.  By early morning the water became an icky mucus like substance similar to the videos.   I slowly drank the water and I will say I felt full after drinking it.   I'm not sure I felt any more energetic than normal.  I actually felt a little more constipated so not sure it really helped me with digestion.   I noticed my poop became light green as well (almost the color of okra itself).

I drank it for two more days and then as I was doing more research, I found a side effect of drinking okra water that stopped me in my tracks.    One of the side effects is that it could cause kidney stones.  This is because the mucilage is high in oxalates.   Folks that have had kidney stones (like me) are highly at risk for developing them.

I guess everything has it pros and cons.   But I don't want to do anything that could cause kidney stones.   Those are no fun to deal with.   Consequently yesterday evening I was feeling the urge to pee a lot with hardly anything coming out.   That of course got me freaked out that I may have blockage already.    I guess I need to drink some more barley water...LOL.

So it's back to the drawing board.   The one positive is that my going to the office 3 days a week gets me a little more exercise.   My numbers still aren't where I want them to be though.   The quest continues.