Blood pressure is the measurable pressure exerted by the blood against the wall of the arteries. Blood pressure can vary depending on the flexibility and strength of your blood vessel walls, your heartbeat, and the volume of the blood. Neither too high nor too low is ideal—like Goldielocks, you want it just right.

Get your blood pressure checked by your doctor; many times pharmacies and even shopping malls have machines where you can check your blood pressure for free. For more accuracy, home units can be purchased and are fairly inexpensive. The following chart contains general guidelines for what your blood pressure should be at different ages. Numbers well above these can indicate over-activity in the glands; numbers well below these figures could indicate glandular under-activity.

Age	Systolic/Diastolic
10	100/70
20	120/80
30	122/81
40	126/84
50	130/86
60	135/89
70	166/91

So, you don't understand what could be causing you high blood pressure? You eat right, get plenty of exercise, and still the doctor tells you that your numbers are too high? Let's take a look at some reasons for why you might have this condition. Many factors can cause high blood pressure, including:

• High cholesterol (because of the thickening of the blood)
• Hardening of the arteries
• Abuse of stimulants, such as caffeine
• Stress

Think about your stress level, maybe your heart is telling your body something about how you are managing your life. Use herb that calm, and choose a stress-management therapy. I'll give you some more advice on other things to consider, but for now let's talk about one of the best herbs for blood pressure: garlic.

Good old garlic (Alium sativum) is great for so many things, and it seems to have an affinity for helping the circulatory system, too. In fact, this would be my choice if I had only one herb to help bring blood pressure into balance. Garlic is high in phosphorous, potassium, sulfur, and zinc, and it has an affinity for the lungs, sinuses, circulatory system, and digestive system.

It has been known to dissolve cholesterol, which can contribute to high blood pressure, and helps remove it from the arteries. If you have high cholesterol and begin to take garlic, you should also add milk thistle and a bowel cleanser (a mixture of psyllium hulls and cascara sagrada works as well), to help the cholesterol exit the body through the bowel.

Garlic also is a natural antibiotic, and it makes a great remedy for killing parasites and fungus. Garlic capsules can be taken if you'd rather not chew on raw cloves. Some are coated with chlorophyll to help odor, and some are enterically coated, which means that the capsule or tablet will break down in your intestines, not your stomach.

The oil of garlic contains the same properties and can be rubbed on the chest for respiratory infections. Take enough pills to equal at least three cloves daily when fighting hypertension. Unfortunately, much of garlic's medicinal effects are contained within the compound that gives it its strong odor. If you don't have a raw garlic capsule, make sure the manufacturer did not remove the allium. If they did, your garlic won't be effective.

Beating high blood pressure involves many factors, so you might want to take several herbs and remedies to bring it back down. Here are a few to try:

• A mixture of hawthorn, capsicum, and garlic will support the entire circulatory system.
• Cornsilk milk support the kidneys, which are usually involved in high blood pressure.
• Chamomile will sooth the nerves and stress usually associated with the problem.

Non-herbal support that works to balance the blood pressure includes coenzyme Q10 (CoQ10), which is a co-enzyme factor (a compound that works together with your body's enzymes to help them function) essential to the health of all human tissues. Its purpose is to increase the efficiency of cellular metabolism.

Trace minerals are often lacking or out of balance in people who have high blood pressure. Try a trace mineral supplement, or take alfalfa or liquid chlorophyll for natural supplementation. Daily Omega-3 oils and a B-complex vitamin are also useful in bringing down the pressure.

At the other end of the pendulum swing is low blood pressure, which is not the best thing to have, either. Low blood pressure can signify hormonal under-activity, and many people with this condition have thyroid problems. Symptoms of a low thyroid include fatigue, depression, cold hands and feet, and coarse hair or skin.

If the thyroid is under-active, it may need nourishment. The thyroid likes iodine, and one of the richest foods in iodine is kelp. Kelp grows in our oceans and is packed with many trace minerals from the sea. Other tonics for the glandular system include licorice root, which helps tone the adrenals, and ginseng, which is an all-around tonic for the entire body.

Ginkgo biloba and hawthorn both work well together to bring blood pressure back up into balance. Add a trace mineral supplement and some capsicum, and you will have remedy to boost you. All these foods and herbs will also help feed your entire circulatory system; a weakened heart can be cause of low blood pressure.

Exercise will help get your blood moving and your heart pumping, which can have an effect on overall blood pressure. Deep-breathing exercise help to bring more oxygen into the blood stream and can help regulate many disorders of the body. Here's a breathing exercise to try. This might make you dizzy, which is why I suggest you try it sitting down.

1. Sit up straight.
2. Breathe in through your nose, open up your throat to get more air, and concentrate on the air filling the bottom of your stomach first, then your abdomen, then your diaphragm, and finally, the lungs, from the bottom up. (This full inhale should take approximately 8-12 seconds to complete.)
3. Hold this full breath for as long as you can.
4. Then push the air out of your body forcefully in three or four exhales; repeat.

Try this exercise, and take your blood pressure before and after to see if it makes a difference for you. I find it energizing and stimulating, especially when I have been at my computer writing all day!