Patient Stories

John* is a 57-year-old farmer whose GP referred him to another GP specialising in lifestyle medicine for further consultation regarding his high blood pressure, obesity, and high cholesterol.

John's goal? To come off blood pressure medication.

John is married with adult children, enjoys an active social life and has had knee joint replacement surgery.

Initial visit

With a BMI of 31, weight of 118kg, and blood pressure at 138/98, he was advised to avoid extra salt in his meals and swap cheese for hummus to help improve cholesterol levels by increasing fibre and reducing dietary cholesterol. He was also encouraged to explore whole food plant-based options like meal kits and gradually increase his daily walking as he recovered from knee surgery.

One-month review

His knee steadily improved, and he started walking daily with weights up and down hills and biking with his dog every day for 15 minutes. He successfully reduced added salt, modified his cheese intake, and enjoyed hummus and oat milk. He reduced his meat intake while eating more legumes. His blood pressure dropped slightly to 136/83, his total cholesterol dropped from 4.99 to 3.85, while his weight decreased somewhat to 116.6kg.

Plan:

• Add two cups of leafy dark greens daily to increase nitrates and relax blood vessels.

Four-month review

He added more leafy greens and fruit to his daily diet and increased his walking to 30 minutes of brisk walking per day. He has found it challenging to eat healthily away from home, so this is an area to continue to work on. Although his cholesterol slightly rose from the last checkup to 4.78, his waist measurement was reduced by 5cm, and his blood pressure decreased significantly to 118/64. It is suspected that the rise in cholesterol may be due to the takeaway food he indulged in when travelling.

Plan:

• Quiet deep breathing for two minutes per day.
• Wean off blood pressure medication.

Six-month review

His blood pressure remained in the healthy range at 114/76 after walks. He had been off medication for two months now, with further weight loss (down to 111.9kg) and a waist circumference of 98cm. His total cholesterol was down to 4.73.

John had reduced his meat portions and was eating freshly caught fish for lunch with hummus and bread or wholegrain crackers. His breakfasts had been rolled oats with fruit and oat milk.

Plan:

• Keep salt intake to less than 0.5 tsp per day (2,000 mg). Check sauces and avoid sodium if over 200 mg per serve.
• Try balsamic vinegar for a dressing.
• Maintain daily greens, fruit, oat milk and oats for breakfast.
• Use baked beans for lunch, but tip off excess sauce.
• Use peanut butter, nut butter, and avocado for fats.
• Use nuts, seeds and dried fruit for snacks.

After six months of simple lifestyle changes, this 57-year-old farmer could come off his blood pressure medication thanks to incorporating more plant-based foods like hummus, legumes, and oat milk, daily walking and reducing salt. His blood pressure reduced and stabilised, and he saw steady progress in cholesterol and weight loss. As he continues to adopt more aspects of a whole food, plant-based diet, further reducing his consumption of animal products and increasing his physical activity, further improvements in his health are expected, highlighting the powerful impact of small, sustainable lifestyle interventions.

*Name changed for privacy purposes

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