My Damn Dad And His Hypertension..Help!

So, I am known in my family as a huge health freak. I’m a vegan with a very high % of raw food intake (probably around 80-90%), I drink “crazy things” (like green smoothies and vitamineral green shakes), I’m fascinated by superfoods, and when I’m having a rough day, I make up a big dish of something amazing while reading online all the wonderful health benefits of each ingredient I am eating (yes, this is my idea of fun).

My dad is really supportive, and always loves to try everything I eat. I got him to take flaxseed oil pills in the morning, and converted my family to rice milk and earth balance. I know what my dad needs to eat in order to lower is blood pressure, but I am looking for more advice. He is 200 pounds (and 5’11”) and his blood pressure was 180/90. He is going back to the doctor in one month from today to get his blood pressure and blood taken again, so I want to devise a one month plan to get his blood pressure down!

I think I am going to show him how to make green smoothies so that he can start making them every day. I am also going to have him bring a good healthy snack with him to work, atleast an apple and another fruit… or maybe some veggies with hummus. Monday-Wednesday he already eats a big huge salad with light dressing that my mom makes him… but unfortunately he brings home pizza every thursday for him and my mom, and eats stuff like steak, chicken, (some veggies) cheeses, fried seafood, lobser sandwiches…stuff that makes my heart hurt just look at it.

He also drinks a lot on the weekends.. (not a drunk.. just throughout the day) lots of wine and some beer. Our family gets together every weekend and eats and drinks and unfortunately the idea of drinking Kombucha doesn’t appeal to anyone else.

So what else can I do? Any supplements I can get him on? I know he will stick with things that are pretty convenient.. he is just not willing to give up the food he eats on the weekends and the drinking. Gahhh I hate this. What is the point in being so knowledgable about health and having a true passion for it if you can’t even convince your family that your diet can save your life?

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Hey , I am so glad that you love your dad enough to want him to be healthy. I think it’s really important to share your passion and your knowledge with him and the rest of your family. Just remember the only person you can really change or help is yourself. You can provide someone else with tools but you can’t make them use them. Keep up the great work with giving him resources and ideas but don’t get discouraged if he doesn’t follow them to the letter. I think the point of having the knowledge is to share it - through your enthusiasm and passion you can show the way to better, healthier living. But it will still be their choice to change not your convincing (in my opinion). Maybe one option would be to challenge him to try your way for 10 days… that’d only be one weekend of foods and drinking he’d miss – if he planned the days right – and then he could chart his own progress somehow. A 10 day challenge might seem more feasible than a sudden lifestyle change. Good luck and good health to you and your family

But why?