Advice on how to live a healthier life

[lavenderbongo]

Hi. I had a health scare yesterday (I had a couple of thunderclap headaches - written about them in the general health section and going to get a CT scan today).
I have been put on beater blockers to try and lower my blood pressure and obviously I have seen this as a bit of a wake up call.
So I am over weight (size 16-18), work full time in a stressful but enjoyable job. I have two kids both in the early teens and a lively DH. And I need to take more exercise. Currently walk the dog once a day (twice in summer but it’s coming to winter here and it’s getting dark early. Anybody recommend good ways to get fit and loose weight that would fit into a very busy lifestyle?
I wake up at 5.30 in week days to walk the dog and get home from work 5 ish most days apart from two evenings when I’m ferrying kids about. Saturday is spent taking kids to netball and Sunday housework and prep for next week at work.
I could do with some suggestions on diet and exercise and how to lower my blood pressure.
I’m actually a bit scared about my CT scan and looking for ways to distract myself before going in a couple of hours!

I would follow Michael Pollan’s principle: eat real food, not too much, mostly plants. Avoid all fried food from fish to chips, anything that has more than 4 ingredients listed. Introduce more vegetables and more variety. Stop all processed food , including processed meat ( bacon and ham) and stop the Friday take away, have soup two meals a week, leave anything that has more than 5 gr of sugar/100 gr on the shelf, start eating beans and lentils, ditch all drinks except water especially the false healthy smoothies or juice, stop the cold coffee or frappucino, join a gym near your workplace and go at lunch.
Walking can be a good exercise but only at good speed and intensity, walking the dog while on the phone and stopping at every lamppost won’t give you any benefit, so wake up your lively DH, give him the dog and use that hour to either work out at home or power walk to a level at which you can’t hold a conversation and have to take off your jumper.

While your daughters do netball, walk around the block. Do not focus on losing weight but changing your lifestyle forever.
Buy he book How not to die from Dr Greger.

I am French and live in Australia and most of the time what I am horrified by what people eat. At any age, even 6 months babies sucking on baby custards pouches.
Eat real food that is a plant instead of coming out a (factory) plant.

Thanks LilliesAndChocolate. I think it’s having the time to cook properly/getting organised. I think I am reasonably fit and it’s my diet that is the main issue. My DH is on board and willing to help.
I meant he is “lovely” not lively. 😊