Christiane [00:00:09]:

Welcome back to the Happy Healthy Hustle podcast where we explore the intersection of health, happiness, and productivity. I'm your host, Christiane, and I'm really excited. We have a very special guest here today. And before I welcome our special guest, I would like to give a shout out to the podcast fan of the week. Podcast fan of the week This week actually comes from Hannah Marin Pena. The title of the review that Hannah Marin Kenya Lev is amazing with 3 exclamation marks. I love how engaged I felt throughout the whole podcast. I listened to the episode From Goodwill to Goldmine.

Christiane [00:00:57]:

And it is truly an amazing story, and I felt super inspired. I love the back and forth and how personal the podcast was. Very heartwarming. Thank you so much, Hannah I adore your feedback. If you have not left a review, please go to Apple Podcast. Look for the Happy Healthy Hustle. Leave me a review. You might just be that fan on next week's episode that I'm going to give a big shout out to.

Christiane [00:01:26]:

And right now, I'm giving a big shout out to Oh, I guess that's here. On today's episode, I'm super thrilled to welcome Donna Williams. Let me tell you a little bit about Donna because you need to get some background and get just as excited as I am. She's a certified health coach and has her own podcast named High Blood Wellness Lifestyle Podcast with Donna Williams. And that podcast was actually created to talk about how diet profoundly influences long term optimal wellness and permanent Weight loss. The podcast is all about showing how you can eat incredibly delicious, satisfying foods while eating healthy And lose weight is part of the foundation in reversing your high blood pressure numbers. So let's welcome Donna. Donna, so excited you're here.

Christiane [00:02:17]:

Let's do it.

Donna [00:02:19]:

Hi. Hello, and thank you so much for the opportunity being on the Happy Health Podcast with you, Christiana. But I need to do a little correction. I made a mistake. The name of my podcast is High Blood Pressure Wellness lifestyle, with, Donna with, with Donna Williams. I guess I I did a little boo boo there It's, leaving off the word pressure.

Christiane [00:02:47]:

I love it because, high blood pressure, if We are lowering that. It enhances your wellness, and so it's all connected. And Yes. I love that you're actually a happy, Healthy hustler because you are truly showing us the spirit of what it means to have a podcast, to be a health coach, To help others just be as healthy as your life was, how would you describe your superpower to us, Donna?

Donna [00:03:18]:

My superpower, I think, is in listening well. Listening wherein listen to what people are not saying. I try to tune in to hear what is not being said outwardly. So when someone is discussing their problems or an issue with their health. I listen intuitively, really listen hard, and then I try to guide them to say what I think might be wrong or what they are Saying, I know I cannot diagnose a problem because I'm not a medical doctor. But after a certain amount of time of practice and experience in dealing with clients, you get to know What some issues are that is creating a problem within an individual's body.

Christiane [00:04:17]:

Mhmm.

Donna [00:04:17]:

So that I think is my superpower.

Christiane [00:04:21]:

Very good. Because a lot of clients sometimes struggle finding the right words In this describing what's really going on They don't know. They don't know. Or what I call doctor Google. Right? So they googled something and they think, oh my gosh. I think I have this Incredibly horrific disease where, not minimizing the impact of it, but it could be high blood pressure that's leading to a lot of other consequences. So they are looking at the consequences, which are in reality an Outcome of having blood pressure. Right?

Donna [00:05:01]:

Of course. Of course. Because there are many consequences of high blood pressure. Because one of them could be, If you don't monitor it, you can get a stroke and become paralyzed and be dependent on someone, and I'm sure no one wants that. No one wants to be dependent on anyone. So maintaining a healthy diet, which is the foundation The foundation of maintaining control of your high blood pressure is your diet, a nourishing diet. And that way, once you have that covered, you're able to thrive.

Christiane [00:05:38]:

Very good. I love that. And that's, you know, part of really Why I invited you today? Because I think it's such an important topic that we sometimes completely disregard or we push to the side because we think there are a 1000000 other things in our life that are more important than checking our blood pressure and Maybe even changing our eating habits, especially now that we move into the fall season. This is a very important topic because family gatherings, Fall dishes don't sometimes lend themselves to thinking about nourishing with nutritious meals. Right? This may be more the comfort foods that call for us than necessarily thinking, is that something that's going to help my blood pressure? So I want to hear a little bit about your challenges in your life. When you started the podcast, I assume this came from a point of Where you turned your pain into your purpose, to where you felt maybe this particular podcast can help others That has experienced something that I experienced. I would like to hear a little bit about that, please.

Donna [00:06:49]:

1st, Most people are not even aware that they have high blood pressure. And so they start feeling certainly, because I wasn't aware I had blood pressure. How I found out I had high blood pressure was my mother died from ovarian cancer, and I was Overcome with so much grief, that I had headaches. I was I was just overcome. So I went to my doctor, And my doctors, checked me out and said, you have high blood pressure. At first, I was so scared because That is not what I was, I that I wanted to hear. And furthermore, what I've heard about high blood pressure is how it damages The organs of the body and the strokes and the heart attacks. So I was I had to overcome my fear.

Donna [00:07:44]:

And then I had questions like, can it be cured? And he said no. I didn't like that. How will it affect my life? He couldn't explain it to me just that you have to take your medications for the rest of your life, and that was it. And then and eat less don't put salt in your food. So I said I have to eat tasteless food. How can someone live like that? But I knew I had to take the medications for the rest of my life not to get a stroke. So he prescribed his medication, and the medications were awful to me. I became so ill.

Donna [00:08:25]:

I had I suffered for the 1st year of taking medication, and I kept going back to him and Explaining to him that I had this dry hacking cough that would not go away. I could not sleep or anything. It got so bad that I could not even speak a full sentence. And my girlfriend said to me, why don't you go to another doctor? Because you're taking all these medications and he's not helping you. She, at that time, was, a student at, acupuncture school. And she said, come to the clinic. Come to the school and do a treatment. And I said no because I was afraid of the needles.

Donna [00:09:14]:

And, Then I was a business banker working in the bank. And I was passing her cubicle, and she grabbed me into her cubicle. And she did acupuncture On my arms, just my arms, but my lung points are along my arms. And that was the first time in 9 months I didn't cough for an hour. That was how my revelation or They they thought to take charge of my health started, and I knew other people wanted us to know How they can take charge of their health and not only depend on their doctor and the medications that they prescribe. So that was my start.

Christiane [00:10:01]:

So you were working in a bank?

Donna [00:10:05]:

Yes. And visiting clients.

Christiane [00:10:07]:

Oh my gosh.

Donna [00:10:09]:

And I used to have to travel with a rag and water because I would start to cough when I'm trying to say a sentence. So think how embarrassing that was, and that went down for 9 months.

Christiane [00:10:21]:

Oh my gosh. And then you visit this particular client And

Donna [00:10:29]:

No. No. No. No. Was a coworker. We work together at the bank on the same floor, and we all are in cubicles. You know? And, I was just walking by her cubicle on this in the same area, and she grabbed me. I knew she was going to School for acupuncture because that was her passion.

Donna [00:10:49]:

She wanted us to do something else. And she grabbed me and pulled me into her cubicle and massaged My lung points. Then I didn't know it was my lung points on my arms, but she just massaged both my arms. And that was the 1st time my, coughing ceased. The following day, I was at the school getting my acupuncture treatment.

Christiane [00:11:12]:

What an incredible story.

Donna [00:11:13]:

Yes. I wasn't even sleeping.

Christiane [00:11:16]:

Oh, no.

Donna [00:11:17]:

That's so bad. It went on 9 months, and the doctors were giving me, all these medications. I was drinking a ton of water. It was just horrible, and nothing was working.

Christiane [00:11:31]:

So I wanna hear a little bit, what was the influence that led to that? Or who was your biggest influencer?

Donna [00:11:39]:

For for creating, to for becoming A health coach, it was that same person, Maria. She is now an acupuncturist. And I started my website then Talking about my high blood pressure, my experiences and stuff. And she said to me and We are we have been friends from 1994, and we have always been honest with each other. And we speak the truth to each other And no judgment because we know it's with love. And she says to me and she said to me at the time, how can you be speaking about high blood pressure? And you're not doc you're not a doctor. You're not qualified. You're not even a health coach.

Donna [00:12:21]:

You have to go to school and learn how to do that. And She her daughter was also learning how to be a health coach, so she referred me to, the Institute for Integrative Nutrition. And I went and I got certified because that's how I got certified. So I learned even more, got even more confident. And there with a year study, I learned about nutrition. So I could then create Menus create a diet and step into this role fully of, helping people And learning how to go about it in a great way. Go ahead.

Christiane [00:13:09]:

At what point did you decide then to, Fully transitioned to becoming a health coach.

Donna [00:13:16]:

When I got laid off.

Christiane [00:13:20]:

Oh, boy.

Donna [00:13:21]:

Had my website all these years and talking, but when I got laid off, I decided, Well, let's step into it. I didn't want to go and work for someone else again. So that that is when I stepped into it fully. So That is how that was the birth of my business of, I got laid off from my job, and I, I went into it fully of creating a program because before, I would talk about it on the website, but I did not create a program. Because, you know, when everything is going fine and you're getting an income, you don't step out into something else until something happen Or you get uncomfortable, then you step out. So in this occasion, I stepped out and created my program and then started going into it fully With confidence. What

Christiane [00:14:17]:

is your biggest recommendation to somebody that, a, doesn't know they have high blood pressure or, b, they have been recently diagnosed?

Donna [00:14:31]:

If you have been recently diagnosed, I'd like you to ask questions. And I know your doctor is going to be grabbing a medication for you that he thinks is best, but you also have to Educate yourself. Ask questions. They are doing their best, but every one of us are unique. We have a unique body that reacts differently to your medications. So be aware of how your body changes. What are the effects side effects? Mention it to your doctor, make a note, and then discuss A dietary change program. And I would and I know the doctor would tell you, oh, limit your salt intake, Lower your calorie, stuff like that.

Donna [00:15:22]:

But in essence, there are 4 vital elements of well-being. And when we integrate them into our daily lives and the four essence are nutrition, physical activity, stress management, mindfulness, then you can manage blood pressure and also your body's well-being. Because for me, I think blood pressure is not only, that your pressure went wild. There's so many things happening to us in our inner being, our inner thoughts, and the challenges of life, our mentality, That if we don't get the tools, the techniques to, manage them, You stress more, and your blood pressure goes crazy. So once you discover these 4 elements and how to Manage it along with your diet, then everything's flows. And be open to plant based diets. I'm not saying to go vegan to become a vegetarian. No.

Donna [00:16:33]:

But We have to change some of the meat. And, listen, the meat and the fish that we're having. The plant base, it's delicious. I have created great meals from, vegan dishes, and it's filling and tasty. And your family would like it, and kids would like it too. So that's one of the elements of moving forward in health.

Christiane [00:17:02]:

It's amazing because I'm going to have a plant based chef on one of the future episodes. And she's actually going to share with us some of the delicious, recipes that she's creating for the fall and making sure that we are moving into the fall thinking forward about what we will in January, which is New Year's resolutions. So that would be another fun episode coming up there.

Donna [00:17:28]:

Especially for the upcoming, Thanksgiving Where we eat so much but for me, I tend to substitute, the white potato, though I do eat it on occasion with sweet potato.

Christiane [00:17:42]:

Very good.

Donna [00:17:43]:

And you can fix it with, mix it with quinoa, vegetable kale, And stuff the vegetable stuff the potato the sweet potato. It is delicious. It meets your craving, the sweet craving that we all have. And You're with it. You're nourishing your body at the same time and eating a delicious meal.

Christiane [00:18:04]:

Very good. So it doesn't sound like Deprivation is No. A meal plan at all. We are certainly feeling we are indulging.

Donna [00:18:12]:

We have

Christiane [00:18:13]:

this, And we are moving through life with this amazing bursting happiness that you are sharing.

Donna [00:18:19]:

Right. And we're not starving.

Christiane [00:18:21]:

Not at all. Staying the happy, healthy hustler. I love it. Well, with that, we are at the end of our episode here today. And I always leave my episodes with asking my guests, how can we get in touch with you, Donna? What is the best way that our guests can reach out and ask any questions or just see what you're doing or following along your amazing tips?

Donna [00:18:48]:

Well, my website is info on high blood pressure.com. There, you will find Lots of information on how to maintain and control your high blood pressure. I do have online programs on how to Overcome high blood pressure and thrive. This this would help you, you know, lower your blood pressure, Eat great foods, and there is so many other ways to nourish your well-being or to just have a talk with me, and we can go from there. And I can guide you on how I might just suggest something that will help you move forward. So that way you can be your own health warrior. So all of that is on my website.

Christiane [00:19:44]:

Amazing. Yeah.

Donna [00:19:45]:

Yes. And I have a free gift that I like to, Yeah. It's an acupuncture ebook. And the reason why I Stand to focus on that one because you can use acupuncture to help yourself. For instance, if your blood pressure Elevate suddenly or in an emergency, you can there are certain points you can quickly manipulate, massage, and You can help someone lower their headaches and lower their blood pressure at the same time. They still have to go to the doctor, But at least you have lowered the level of urgency. So they can download my acupuncture, Ebook and learn how to do it.

Christiane [00:20:34]:

I will put that in the show notes. Thank you so much for the generous gift. It sounds like something I'm definitely going to look into. Yeah. Because I'm always about quick and easy recipes, ways that I incorporate little happy, healthy tricks into my life to stay that Hustler that we all are deep down. Well, with that, that's it for today's episode of the Happy Healthy Hustle podcast. I hope you enjoyed our discussion about high blood pressure, how to manage it, how to move forward, and certainly, how to increase our health and happiness. Remember, health, happiness, and productivity are all interconnected.

Christiane [00:21:13]:

We need to prioritize all of these 3 to reach our full potential. Thank you so much. Stay tuned, and see you on the next episode.

Donna [00:21:21]:

Thank you.