Living a heart smart life & Nursing Topics

Parent in a Nursing Home, Question to ask Beforehand

2014-07-21T07:40:00.000-07:00

If you are ever faced with, putting a parent or other loved one in a nursing home you usually ask all the questions you can think of off the top of your head. What type of questions should you ask, and how do you know if you are being told the truth, and not the nursing home's version of the truth?

Ask about staff to resident ratio in the nursing home, and you will generally be told it is higher then it really is. For a more honest look at the figures, when you walk in a nursing home across the nation you will see a piece of paper with those staff ratios and it is more honest then what you will be told by the administrator.

This piece of paper will list only nursing staff, you will see RN, those are the registered nurse's and on the day shift there will be plenty of them in a nursing home. In the evening there maybe only one RN, but most units or floors will have at least two LPN's (licensed practical nurses). The CNA column is the amount of certified nurse's aides on staff per shift.

For a 200-bed nursing home during a day shift, you may see six RN's, up to 12 LPN's and twenty-five CNA's. This looks great on paper and if an aide calls in sick; chances are that aide is not replaced. Sometimes when an LPN calls in sick it is not listed on the paper, nor are they replaced. For the day shift, you have generally 18 licensed staff members and 25 certified staff members to take care of 200 residents. That is not bad on paper, and if all show up as scheduled, it works fine.

It is not a reality usually that everyone shows up which means everyone is working harder then usual. The best bet to get a real glimpse is to just open your eyes and walk on a unit with the administrator on a tour of a nursing home, and keep your eyes open. Do a rough head count of the staff members on a unit, see if they are over worked.

Day shift is usually staffed better then the other shifts and be very apprehensive of a 200-bed nursing home, which has only less then seven aides scheduled on the night shift. Those seven aides will be responsible for turning residents, who need to be turned every four hours, and walk any residents who are able to the bathroom and assist them there.

What planned activities do the nursing home have for residents? If there is an activity going on during your tour of the nursing home, look and see how the staff is interacting with the residents. Do the residents look happy; do the staff members look happy? A good nursing home will have plenty of activities that residents of all abilities can participate in.

Usually on every unit of floor of the nursing home, you will see a calendar of events, planned activities for the month for the residents. Do the activities look like something your parent or loved one would enjoy?

Ask questions such as can you come in and volunteer at these activities if you choose this nursing home for your parent. A good nursing home always needs plenty of volunteers to help occasionally and this is a great way to see what goes on at a nursing home from the inside.

How will the therapists at the nursing home help your parent? Visit the physical therapy room, and talk with the therapist if possible. Therapists are not only there for the residents who need rehabilitation, they are there to help the residents maintain what physical skills they have currently. The therapists in a nursing home also work with the staff members on correct posture, so that the staff knows how to transfer a resident safely who may not cooperate all the time from a wheelchair to a regular chair.

In a nursing home, your loved one will have the best care possible if you ask the right questions and make mental notes on staffing issues. Get to know the staff, be a frequent visitor, and get in to helping out as much as you can.

Natural Healing Migraines

2014-07-07T08:19:00.000-07:00

Having endured migraine headaches since I was a young girl of five years old I have dealt with too many within my lifetime. If there were a magical pill I could take to end them for the last time I certainly would do that, but there is no magical pill so I have learned ways to deal with them so I control them and not the other way around.

Last summer I wrote an article about how to ease migraine headaches and limit how much they control my life. Those migraine headaches medicines both prescription and over the counter just make me far more ill, so I do not use them very much.

Most people who do suffer from migraine headaches also report that medication taken at the wrong time will set our bodies into vomit mode. When your head is pounding the last thing you want, is your body to vomit, so why take medicines when you know it will happen? I have had countless iv fluids and even been hospitalized before I found the answers I sought for so long.

You need real migraine headaches help and it is not going to come out of a bottle or even a shot if you do not watch what you eat on a daily basis. Trust me, one that one folks, I have found a way to control my pain simply but avoiding food and other triggers.

Did you know that some of the very foods you eat could cause migraine headaches? It is true and once I had heard this long ago I searched for a book and found it. That book is long gone but the lessons learned remain with me today many years later because I learned that migraine headaches can be caused by certain foods.

Hot dogs, processed cheese, lunch meats and chocolate all are migraine headaches triggers. Limiting these foods can help; my limit is two grilled hot dogs (which I love) before the migraine headaches sets in. I did write an article on these as well and you can locate more of those food triggers here.

This is a great idea to figure out what triggers migraine headaches, but there are so many triggers out there. These migraine headaches triggers not include not only foods but stress and things in our environment as well. It surely is enough to make your head spin.

Creating a trigger notebook will allow you to see a pattern of your migraine headaches and once you see the patterns you can realize what your triggers are. All you need to do is write down foods you ate during the day, stress levels, and what is happening around you.

Sunlight is a trigger for me, so I try to stay out of it, but even inside I must guard against it. Sunlight streaming through a window will set off migraine headaches, as will sleeping on too flat of a pillow.

If I do happen to get migraine headaches even with the precautions that I take, I try rubbing my neck, taking a hot shower, take a few capsules of fever few or use a hot rice bag to relieve the pain. A rice bag is a great way to relieve the pain from migraine headaches. These rice bags are great for any type of pain that you maybe experiencing and can be made any size.

Heart Patients and Summer Foods

2012-09-06T14:17:00.000-07:00

In the summer time at picnics and other gatherings, there is a variety of foods cooked by different people. Heart patients will not be able to enjoy the offerings as much as other people will. This is because the summer foods such as mayonnaise base salads, hot dogs and hamburgers, and potato chips are all laden with salts that and cholesterol which are not good for us.

To ensure that heart patients can eat and enjoy the day, they usually need to bring their own low salt alternatives. However, since every adult should be watching his or her sodium intake in my opinion, anyone can bring these items to any gathering. Perhaps if more people limited the salt there would not be as much of a meed for blood pressure pills.

There is low salt mayonnaise that can be used with low cholesterol macaroni that make a good salad. Most others who are not on this type of diet will eat it as well because it tastes good. Use low sodium mustard is desired but easy on the eggs, pickles, or olives, which are not on our diet. Opt for low sodium ranch dressing instead of plain mayo or salad dressing.

There are even low salt or no-salt potato chips that you can bring along to any outing. Picking up a bag of baked chips instead of chips, which are fried, is always a better idea. There are several brands of flavored crackers, which are low salt so they are a good idea as well.

Hot dogs, hamburgers, and even sausage usually have a very high fat content and are loaded with salt. Heart patients are supposed to avoid these. Instead, take some low fat Turkey slices, reduced salt mayonnaise, and a loaf of bread, which makes it healthier meal. You could even bring along some low sodium on sliced cheese. Do not forget the lettuce, tomatoes, and sliced onion, these toppings are sodium free.

If you are making a trail mix use, unsalted peanuts, bits of dark chocolate and marshmallows. If you want smores choose low salt graham crackers, dark chocolate and regular marshmallows. Add cool whip to cakes rather than frosting to make them available for heart patients.

Migraines and Salt Intake

2012-08-30T14:15:00.000-07:00

Many people do not realize the effects that salt has on their bodies. After I had my heart attacks in October of 2009, I had to go on a low salt diet, as do all heart patients. Within months, I realized that the migraines that plagued me since I was five years old were suddenly gone.

Migraines had affected me since I was a child. These migraines occurred at least three times a month and sometimes they landed me in the hospital. When I was about thirty-five, I learned that processed foods made these headaches worse so I cut back on those foods.

For instance, I cut back to two hot dogs at a cook out and I had a slight headache not that raging one I had when I ate three. In the summer time at cookouts, I would eat three grilled hotdogs but I rarely ate them other times in the year. I did eat a lot of cheese and sandwich meat because it was cheap, as a single mom, I pinched pennies.

After the heart attacks, I began reading labels to make sure I was staying on the low salt diet. Cold cuts, hotdogs, sausage, and cheese went off my diet for the most part, because they were high in sodium. The benefit for me was lower blood pressure and the migraines virtually disappeared. I have had a few since then but they are very rare and always occur after I splurge on sodium-laden foods.
Occasionally when I will eat too much salt, the migraines come back because the blood pressure goes up. I can feel it. Most of us do not realize the effects that our food intake does to our bodies.

Unfortunately, after some people have heart attacks they still did not limit the salt and their blood pressure remains high. Therefore, they have recurring heart attacks. I am very careful about what I put in my body. I am anal about salt intake because I am scared to death to have another heart attack.

I am very careful when I go out to a restaurant. I order baked chicken or a chef salad, but the heavily seasoned items are off my list of eatable foods. Instead of the beer battered Haddock I love, I opt for baked fish which is lightly seasoned and not breaded. I choose a baked potato instead of the French fries, which are usually salted before they come from the kitchen.

For picnics or parties where there is a wide array of food, I will always go for the plain looking foods. I also make a low salt dish to pass so that I know at least there is one thing I can eat. Being on a low salt diet does not mean I have to eat bland food or go hungry. It simple means I need to make better choices and if this means I get the added bonus of the rare migraine it is a great choice.

Breast Self Exams Are Critical to Your Health

2012-08-23T14:08:00.000-07:00

Performing self breast exams should begin when a woman is in her twenties according to the Cancer.org website. Early detection could save your life, that's why it is so important for all women to check their breast on a monthly basis beginning at age 20. This allows you to become familiar with your breast and make it easier for you do detect changes if there are any.

There are 3 ways to do a self breast exam looking in the mirror, while showering, and of course laying flat on your back and feeling the breast. The WebMD site explains why you need to perform all of these ways of examining the breasts. Simply the breasts look and feel different in different positions.

In the mirror: Look
Stand in front of a mirror topless in a well lit room.
Examine your breasts visually, first with arms at your sides. Next place your hands firmly on your hips and tighten your chest muscles. Then bend forward in the mirror allowing your breasts to fall. Now place your heads behind your head and check your nipples from side to side. Also look at the undersides of your breast, lifting them if necessary.

In the shower: Feel
Check armpits are breasts for any lumps or thickenings. Examine your chest area from bra line to collarbone. Raise one arm over your head and use the other hand to examine the opposite breast. Use an up and down motion from bra line to collarbone and repeat on the other side.

Lying down: Feel in a circle
Lie down and place one arm behind your back and use the other hand to examine the other breast using a circular motion. Start at 12 o'clock and move toward 1 o'clock in small circular motions.

Continue around the entire circle until you reach 12 o'clock again. Keep your fingers flat and in constant contact with your breast. When the circle is complete, move in one inch toward the nipple and complete another circle around the clock. Feel the entire breast. Make sure to feel the upper outer areas that extend into your armpit for any lumps or thickenings. Also push gently on your nipple, it should easily be moved.

It's recommended to do a self breast exam monthly, usually a few days after your period or the first of the month if you no longer menstruate. Remember to report any changes to your doctor as soon as possible. Not all lumps are cancer but early detection is crucial if it is. You can sign up for free email reminders of when to do your monthly exams at the Bright Pink website.

Health Benefits of Walking Groups

2012-08-16T13:45:00.000-07:00

There are many benefits of participating in walking groups. Walking in groups will help with weight loss, cardiovascular health, and overall health. It also can help you to be less lonely by forming new friendships or even romantic relationships.

Improving cardiovascular health is a benefit of walking groups. Getting out there and doing simple walking revs up your heart at a safe level. With the walking group, you have people around you who can help if God forbid you have another heart attack. There is bound to be someone who is walking for the same reason, and you can share experiences and help one another in your quest to stay heart attack free.

Weight loss is a great benefit of walking groups. The weight will not melt off overnight, because it was not put on overnight. However, with each step, a tiny percent will fall off, and soon you will see the changes in weight that you are looking for. Start slow and keep the distance to where it is comfortable for you. Each day increase your speed or distance and those weight loss changes will occur quicker than you can imagine.

Forming friendships that are lasting is a benefit of waling groups. People who are walking usually have the same type of goals from this form of exercise and those goals will form friendships.

Healing from bad romantic relationships is a benefit of walking groups. Some may wonder about this one, but think about it if you join any type of group or change your habits you are more likely to heal from bad relationships quicker. Walking in groups will help you heal quicker because you are meeting new people and getting back into the swing of life.

Depression affects many people, and one of the best things you can do is get out and meet new people who will uplift you and make you feel better within. Healing in walking groups is a great benefit of walking groups. No one has to know you are depressed, so it will be more comfortable for you. The sunshine will also lift your spirits.

It is widely known that there is strength in numbers. Walking in groups will speed things along in emergencies. In the case of young women or older kids who often walk alone, walking with partners will decrease the likelihood of crimes.

Find Walking Partners with These Ideas

2012-08-09T13:44:00.000-07:00

Walking is great for your health in many ways. Walking alone for your health is never a good idea. Here are some ways to find someone to walk with.

When the weather is nice it is the perfect time to get out there and walk. However, health patients or people who have mobility problems feel more comfortable walking with other people. It is hard at times to get someone in your household to walk with you.

Still if you are walking to lose weight or otherwise walking for your health, you need to get out there and walk. Walking alone can be boring or even dangerous to some of us. Heart patients may have a heart attack so they should not walk alone, and neither should teenage girls for obvious reasons.

The answer of course is to organize a walking group with people who wish to walk for the same reasons. Many large cities have groups that meet in parks to walk, but for those of us who live in small towns or rural areas the groups are nearly non-existent.

You could hang a sign in a convenience store asking for walking partners but that does not always work out as planned.

You could create a Facebook walking group for your area and announce it to people in your local area. Those Facebook groups are perfect for many things and creating on for this purpose may be just the perfect thing for your needs. Just make sure your group has your purpose, town, and state so others can find you.

The Facebook group not only allows you to set up the arrangements as far as time and distance, and location, you also see the faces of those who also wish to walk. You form bonds in these types of groups so it is like walking with an old friend in some cases.

Set up nightly walks at a public place. Locally our high school leaves the track around the football field open. While the mile long oval may be boring to walk alone it is safe from vehicles so walkers may use headphones. It is always better to walk in there with someone who is walking for the same reasons, because you will have something to talk about. Who knows you might even strike up a friendship as you walk and that is always a good thing.

Migraines, Blood Pressure and Salt Intake

2012-08-02T13:42:00.000-07:00

If you are experiencing migraine headaches which are limiting your daily activities, and medications do not seem to help, I may have the solution for you. This is my personal observations over the years, as I have been suffering from migraines since I was five years old.

When I was growing up I had the usual childhood, ate the same things my siblings ate, yet the food did not affect us all the same. Three out of seven siblings got migraine headaches that bothered us to various degrees. I was the only one that was hospitalized for a migraine that lasted a week, but the three of us who suffered had numerous doctor visits.

I suffered three heart attacks within four days shortly after I turned forty-three and I began to watch what I ate. I was put on a low salt diet, as are most heart patients. It is commonly known that salt will increase blood pressure and if you have a high enough blood pressure, you have either a stroke or a heart attack.

I took my diet seriously and counted the milligrams of salt I consumed. I used a plain sheet of paper and wrote down the numbers I got from reading sodium levels on packages. I gave up foods, which seemed to have high amounts of sodium such as cheese and processed foods.

I also switched to sea salt that was recommended. What I learned is sea salt has just as much sodium as regular table salt has in it.. A quick read of labels on the grocery shelf will show that information. It is in your best interest to read every label that goes in your cart, no matter what product you are buying in the grocery store.

Before long the first anniversary of my heart attacks was coming around, and I realized that it had been over a year since I had a migraine. I realized that for myself there was a direct correlation between salt intake and migraines. As long as I keep my sodium intake below that limit of 2,000 milligrams, the headaches stay away. One those rare days when I have too much sodium I will get a migraine headache complete with the vomiting, sensitivity to light and of course the pounding headache.

Picnic Foods for Heart Patients and Diebetics

2012-07-26T13:36:00.000-07:00

Heart patients and those with diabetes are often invited to picnics and cook outs during the summer. Those who cook the dishes, which are passed during these events, usually forget our special diets. Please do not forget us. Here are some ideas for your next event.

With so many people now on special diets, it might be hard to plan dishes for those among us who are on them. The heart diet is low salt, low fat and low cholesterol while the diabetic people limit sugar and those foods which break down to sugar.

When cooking the meats, please remember that many prepared sauces have high levels of sodium. Instead of slathering all of the chicken or beef with this sauce, sprinkle a few pieces of meat with Ms. Dash instead. The same with the burgers sprinkle them with a no salt seasoning, this way when we add mustard or ketchup we are not over loading on the salt content. Too much sodium is bad for everyone so it is best to try and limit is where ever you can.

The flavored chips are usually loaded with salt, so grab a few bags. It is best to purchase a flavored bag, a plain bag, and a plain bag with low salt. Mix the two bags of plain chips together and no one will be the wiser.

To make a heart healthy chip dip take a packet of Lipton French Onion soup mix and mix it with twice the amount of low fat sour cream. Trust me if no one sees you do this, no one will even taste the difference. We can use this dip on top of hamburgers rather than a slice of cheese, which has a quarter of the amount of salt adults, should eat a day.

When making potato or macaroni salads use low fat mayo instead of salad dressing. This is a great alternative. Items such as olives, pickles, mustard, and eggs, which really make salads of this type, taste delicious, are loaded with salt so please limit these things. Did you know that you can also lower the sodium content of pickles and olives by rinsing them off in cold water before you put them in the salad?

Cakes, other sweets, and pies are picnic staples but a better alternative is a nice fruit salad made with fresh fruit. If you use the canned variety, be sure to rinse of the items before you toss them in a bowl. Use low fat cool whip instead of regular cool whip. Another great alternative is to use jell-o. You can serve it plain or mix fruit in there.

Restaurants and Low Salt Foods

2012-07-19T13:40:00.002-07:00

If you are on a low salt, low fat, or low cholesterol diet, it is difficult eating in a restaurant because one never really knows how the food is prepared. The menu may state that food is low salt, low fat, or low cholesterol but too many factors come into play in the manufacturing process as well as the cooking process.

Even if the instructions on a package or a recipe call for a certain ingredient such as sugar or butter, cooks in many restaurants will use what is on hand. This can ultimately change the amounts of the items a dieter is trying to limit in the finished product.

Sometimes it is as simple as adding whole milk instead of low fat milk in the cooking process that adds the salt or even extra fat. The type of oil or fat used in the cooking or baking process will alter the finish product as well.

The only way to be sure what ingredients are used in a product is to cook it yourself or watch the cooking process. In a restaurant, it is far better to eat the simple foods that require little in the preparation process.

These items include green salads and baked potatoes, which have very little sodium, fat or cholesterol naturally. A baked potato, with real butter, sour cream and chives has little sodium, fat or cholesterol. However, once any type of cheese or bacon bits are added to the food, the amount of the salt, cholesterol and fat you are trying to limit goes higher quickly.

A piece of meat may have a lot of fat in. Depending on the cooking process, it may have a higher level of cholesterol and sodium. The best option here is to choose a cut of meat, which is smaller and has less fat. Baked meat is typically healthier but again it depends on any seasonings, marmalades, and other ingredients used in the process.

If you are craving T-Bone or a pork chop, it is still possible to enjoy these items depending on how they are cooked, even when you are on a special diet. Ask if the restaurant grills the steaks or chops without adding any type of seasonings.

If they typically include seasonings, ask that the cook withhold the seasonings on your meat. Most restaurants will accommodate special requests for diners if it is something simple.

We need to de-stress here is a contest to help

2012-03-10T15:24:00.000-08:00

We, heart patients all need to relieve stress levels and a great way I found to do this is write fiction. I know everyone is not a writer but you can benefit from reading the words I write!

My friend and fellow writer, Angel Sharum began a writing group back in 2010. Members of this group write short stories that we publish. I have been a member of this group since it began. Now Angel is having a contest where she is giving away one of our books to a lucky visitor. Please check out her blog for more details.

Stay tuned, my next blog post will be highlighting a book I recently published about my experiences as a heart patient.

http://www.angelsharums-storyboard.blogspot.com/

Penguin Pride and Heart Patients

2012-02-29T12:57:00.000-08:00

Hockey is a fun game to watch and if you are a heart patient there is no reason you cannot go to watch the game! Walking into the stadium is good exercise for your body and soul. Maybe you cannot play the game anymore but you can get out where the action is.

When you get the itch to catch a real live hockey game, go see Ticketamerica’s web site. Ticketamerica.com has tickets for the Pittsburgh Penguins the Consol Energy Center and all other NHL tickets. Being from PA myself, I got Penguin Pride! Get your NHL tickets at Ticketamerica's web site. They also have tickets for all Pittsburgh Penguins matches even those played at the Consol Energy Center.

If you are a hockey fan but cannot get to the rink to watch a game or play, the next best thing is to find some free online games to play

Over at Candystand there is an extreme air-hockey challenge. It is free to play and if you submit your scores, you can win real prizes. When playing this one, you select your country and help lead the team to victory. The mouse controls your mallet. So get your trigger finger ready for this excitement. You can play on Acadepod’s website they have eight hockey games. Some of these are flash, java, and shockwave games for fans to enjoy.

Moderation is the key with Homemade Fries

2012-02-23T15:39:00.000-08:00

I have to admit that for two years after my heart attacks I was scared to eat anything fried. I denied myself those homemade French Fries that I used to eat along with many other things.

One night while I was home alone recently and feeling like I had given up so much I put the olive oil on to heat. As I cut up the potato, I had a brief moment of second thoughts. Then reality quickly took over and said I am not going to have another heart attack because I have a few French Fries here.

Those fries were so darn good, and I did not feel badly for giving into my craving. I know with the olive oil I fried them with the healthiest oil I knew of.

I did not salt them, homemade fries do not need anything. I did mix my favorite dipping sauce, which is about a teaspoon of ketchup to 2 teaspoons of fat free mayo. I love this mix and its great on fries, or baked burgers. My granddaughters love this dip with their chicken nuggets.

I believe moderation is the key to everything we eat. Real French fries fried in olive oil once or twice a year is not going to kill me.

Exercise and NCAA Basketball

2012-02-19T11:53:00.000-08:00

Living with heart disease does not mean you have to sit in the house like a hermit. It is very important to get out there and get some exercise. Granted some of us can get back to our sporting activities quickly, while others need to take it slow and to build back up to these activities.

If you enjoyed basketball before you were diagnosed with heart disease you might be missing that type of adrenalin rush. While you may not feeling like getting out there to play basketball you sure can watch some great action on the basketball court. If you are a fan of the Charlotte 49ers, Greensboro Spartans or the Central Eagles get out there and see a game.

Ticketamerica.com has seating for college games that include some great teams in the state of North Carolina that include the North Carolina Central Eagles tickets, North Carolina Charlotte 49ers tickets, and North Carolina Greensboro Spartans tickets college NCAA games.

Low Salt Comfort foods

2012-02-07T15:47:00.000-08:00

Comfort foods on a low salt diet are easier to prepare then one might think. Macaroni and cheese, soup, and even a cheeseburger and fries can be low sodium if prepared the right way. Here are some tasty alternatives to the comfort foods we enjoyed most of our lives.

Macaroni and Cheese
Macaroni and Cheese is a comfort food, but to some one on a low salt diet it is off limits. On the other hand, is it? The macaroni itself is not bad, and it's better if you skip adding the salt to the water when you boil it.
Opt to use low salt cheese, Helluva and Alpine Lace companies both make good varieties.

Also, skip the bread or cracker crumbs on top, as these are typically better for you. If you have to use the breadcrumbs, use low sodium bread and season it a salt-free seasoning. As always though watch the portion sizes and read the labels of all ingredients.

Burger and Fries!
For the burger get the leanest, you can find and mix it with ground turkey. Season it with the Mrs. Dash of your choice for extra flavor. For cooking, you have a few ways to accomplish it. Steam it, grill it, or bake it in the oven! Place the patty up on a drip pan so the oil, fat etc drips off on to the other pan and away from the food. Think of your burger as a mini meatloaf and you will fare better.

Depending on your toppings, you can add a slice of cheese. Cheese though is typically high in sodium and not a good thing if you insist on ketchup, pickles, mustard, and mayo on your burger. All of these are high in sodium, so its time to choose what you can go without and what you must have.

The fries are the easy part. Either purchase the type which is already cit or slice up your own potatoes and bake them. Never deep-fry these, I know they are great but most of us who are on the low salt diet are also on the low fat, or low cholesterol diets as well. Baking our fries is much better all around and much healthier for us.

Soups
Canned soups are usually loaded with sodium and the no salt or low salt varieties are gross. Soups are a comfort food that is stable of just about everyone in the United States. You can create you own and still enjoy it. Boil a few chicken thighs, add frozen vegetables or noodles and along with Mrs. Dash you have a soup you can eat. Beef stew no problem cut up your own beef, add the frozen vegetables, and chopped potatoes and you have a hearty meal you can enjoy.

My journey into the low salt diet is only just a year old but each day I am finding alternative ways to eating the comfort foods I enjoyed all of my life.

Salt and its dangerous affects

2012-01-30T15:49:00.000-08:00

Many people do not really understand the ramifications of eating so much salt in their diet, nor do they realize how much sodium they are in fact consuming on a daily basis. A healthy adult should limit the intake to 2,300 MSG according to the Mayo Clinic and unhealthy adults such as those with heart or blood pressure problems need to consume less. Read on to see what salt does to the body and how you can prevent a heart attack.

Some may wonder why it is so important to limit the consumption of salt. Heart attacks and strokes top that list, but even before it gets that bad, people who eat too much begin to retain fluids. Two months before my heart attacks last year my best friend Chrissie noticed that I was gaining weight in only my arms and legs at a very noticeable rate. I did not derive a conclusion because I thought I was too young to worry about it. I was wrong.

The salt we eat goes into the kidneys where it is used and the extra is passed through urine. However is there is extra salt, which is too much to pass in the urine it enters the blood stream and increases the blood volume. When there is too much blood volume it makes your heart work harder. Prolonged over working your heart can lead to heart attack, stroke, or worse yet death. It also causes high blood pressure, which can do so many bad things to you. Truthfully, knowing that it could eventually kill you is it worth the extra salt on your French fries or other food.

Not only can too much salt in your body cause the heart attacks, strokes, and high blood pressure. It can also mess with your kidneys giving you kidney disease and cirrhosis! Retaining the extra sodium will make you puffy and puffy ankles make it very hard to walk some days. Your clothes do not fit properly and well its all around a very bad idea to load up on salt just enjoy food.

Limiting your salt before your doctor tells you too can reduce our risks and help you live longer. It can also prevent you from paying the almost 19,000-dollar hospital bill from last fall when I had 3 heart attacks within 4 days.
There are many benefits to reducing the salt within your diet. Some of these benefits include lower cholesterol, less chance of insulin resistance, reduced risk of having chronic liver disease, less of a risk of developing osteoporosis, some types of cancers, and it lowers your chances of becoming obese.

Even if you never salt the food, you eat at the table you may be in trouble with your intake. About five percent of the sodium intake occurs when we are cooking, only 6 percent is added at the table, and 12% comes from natural sources. A whopping 77 percent of the salt an average adult consumes comes from the processed or prepared foods we eat. Those are stats according to a graph, on the Mayo Clinic site.

You would be wise to eliminate or reduce the consumption of processed foods or foods that come all ready prepared. Get back to preparing meals from scratch, if you have a crock-pot you can prepare a meal in the morning and allow it to cook stress free all day. Prepared foods are not healthy for your wallet either as they usually cost much more.

Low Salt Thanksgiving

2012-01-24T15:44:00.000-08:00

Soon it will be time to plan the Thanksgiving Dinner and for those among us on the low salt it's a time we dread unless of course we are cooking. Traditionally holiday meals are laden with foods, which have many delicious foods that are swimming in salt. That can spell major trouble for us and it is something we should avoid at all costs.

I am not saying avoid the Thanksgiving dinner feast, I am simply saying avoid the salt. Avoiding all the sodium we can is so much better for those people we love as well and us. With smart choices, we can enjoy all the food, fun, and festivities of the day.

Turkey
What would a Thanksgiving dinner be without the turkey? A farce that is what the feast would be without the turkey. There are low sodium birds out there for purchase and they are plentiful in the right areas.

Choose a fresh turkey, which has not been frozen. The brining process adds all the high sodium content, which can harm someone on a low salt diet. If you are lucky enough to live in a rural area, contact a farmer and see if he would sell you a fully-grown tom or hen.

Rub a salt free seasoning inside the turkey, in the area where you would add the stuffing to add flavor.

Gravies, Vegetables and More
To save on sodium in the gravy use a prepared mix, which has reduced salt, but these are not all created equally so read the labels.

Use fresh or frozen vegetables it's the processing of these items, which sends the salt content rather high and reduces the quality.

While cooking anything do not add salt. Add a container of salt to the table, so it's handy for people to use if needed.

Stuffing is typically high in sodium so create your own. Unsalted bread is the main ingredient along with celery and some no salt seasonings such as Mrs. Dash complete the stuffing that is better for you.

When cooking any of the desserts, which go with this meal, it is permissible to add any of the salt substitutes to make it healthier for every one. Done correctly no one will even notice but you.

Use a low salt spread for breads and rolls that you serve at the feast.

It's best to skip the pickles and olives but some people will complain so get the low sodium variety and serve them in dishes.

For deviled eggs and salads, which use a mayo base, get some reduced salt mayonnaise and use it. It's not the best but it will work.

Low salt Christmas Dinner

2012-01-17T13:04:00.000-08:00

Planning a Christmas dinner when you are on a low sodium diet for health, reasons can be an overwhelming task to figure out what you can eat. I have put together this list of foods, which are low in salt so that you and I can enjoy food on Christmas with the family.

Low Salt does not mean bland food, it simply means food that will not clog your heart and shorten your life.

We all know that ham, which is the staple of most Christmas dinners, is now outlawed by our low sodium diet. Usually Christmas Dinner us included, the ham, ham gravy, mashed potatoes, sweet potatoes, buttered homemade rolls, canned vegetables. Last year this was one of the reason I said screw the usual ham dinner with all the trimmings. I skipped making the entire dinner.

Gravy

To some that looks like it would be a wonderful meal. Salt reined high in all of those food items even the mashed potatoes because they were smothered in gravy. The gravy that is typically made from the ham drippings is not only loaded with sodium it is also high in fat, which is a no-no for those among us who are on a low cholesterol diet. It is best to skip the gravy, which is made from fat.

However, that is not always possible as it is a necessary item to some people. There is low sodium instant gravy mixes that you can substitute for the homemade gravy. Read the labels on these, stick to the suggested serving sizes and one serving will be enough.

Meat

All ham is high in salt that is part of the curing process. It is really best to avoid it when on the low salt diet. There are low sodium hams on the market, but they are usually double the price and hard to find. If you insist on having ham for your Christmas dinner opt for ham slices which have been rinsed in water to remove the salt. To me personally a ham slice will not cut it, as it is not what I am used to.

Potatoes

The potatoes on the Christmas dinner menu are fine if you use whole potatoes you need peel and cook. Skip the candied yams or sweet potatoes, which are in the cans. Anything in a can is processed and processed foods are typically high in sodium.

For a person on a low salt diet, opt for a low salt butter spread and a dollop of sour cream. Sour cream has lots of flavor and it is naturally low in sodium.

Canned vegetables

These are always high in salt, even if you get a low salt variety it still has more sodium then you should have. Opt for cooking frozen or fresh vegetables for the holiday dinner and everyone eating it will be eating better. Season these no-salt alternatives from Mrs. Dash.

Breads, rolls and other items might be fine as long as they are homemade where you can control the salt content. Read the labels and make some changes if needed.

Going on a low sodium diet is not a bad, thing. Until you get the hang of cooking low salt foods, meals will be bland but do not be afraid to get out there and educate yourself. Your life depends upon this, and it is always a great way to get our families eating better without them realizing this.

Resources:

http://www.lowsaltfoods.com/food_center/lsfoods/meat.htm

http://www.lowsodiumliving.com/ham.htm

Surviving a low sodium diet

2012-01-10T12:57:00.000-08:00

Surviving a low sodium diet can be difficult in the first few days when a person has become accustomed to eating a lot of salt in their diet for much of their life. This page will give you the necessary information to point you in the right direction to stay on the low sodium diet.

There is much information on the internet to survive a low sodium diet. The Cleveland Clinic recommends those patients who are on a low sodium diet reduce the sodium intake to less than 2000 mgs. While this may seem like a huge amount of salt, it really is not very much at all.

If a doctor has prescribed a low sodium diet for a patient, the patient needs to begin this diet immediately. To ensure optimal health the patient must continue on this diet for an extended time. A doctor will recommend this diet for patients who have high blood pressure, cardiac disease, or other chronic conditions, which are made worse by a high salt diet.

Medical Disclaimer

The content in this page is not a substitute for professional medical advice. Please contact a doctor before using the information presented here.

Education

The first step to surviving a low sodium diet is to learn to read nutritional labels and make smart choices in your dietary habits. All labels in the United Sates are required to carry nutritional information, which includes sodium, calories, fat, and other dietary information.

The internet has a wealth of information and can greatly reduce the time it takes to locate good food choices with low sodium content.

Toss out

Eliminate salty foods cupboards, pantries, and refrigerators or learn to use these items very sparingly. Donate the foods with high sodium content to a food shelter or to a family in need, rather than throwing it away.

Remove the saltshaker from the table.

Buy smart

Fill the grocery cart up on naturally low sodium foods. Always read the labels before placing the items in the grocery cart. Choose frozen vegetables rather than the canned variety.

Canned foods tend to have more sodium so avoid regular canned items, instead choose no salt added varieties. Flavor the food with low salt seasonings or herbs rather than high salt content seasonings. Avoid fast foodrestaurants, which have high sodium items. Cook meals at home from scratch where you can control the salt levels.

Resources:

http://my.clevelandclinic.org/healthy_living/Nutrition/hic_Low-Sodium_Diet_Guidelines.aspx

Recovery Mode

2011-10-26T10:36:00.001-07:00

Recovery from a heart attack is easier than it sounds. Diet, exercise, medication, and of course talking about our experience are mandatory for the full recovery of a heart attack. This is how I recovered.

Diet

Heart patients are often put on a low salt diet; some are put on a low cholesterol and low fat diet as well. I got the low salt and low fat diet and my first reaction was how am I going to live without my potato chips? I eat chips with less salt on them but I limit myself to the recommend serving these days and when I try to eat the brand of chips I used to eat, they are way to salty.

It was only the first few days on the low salt diet, that I thought food was bland. Never been a big fan of prepared foods anyway it was easy to get away from them, and trust me the sodium level is high in many of those items. I cook from scratch most of the time and I do not add salt.

Mrs. Dash has several great brands of seasoning mixes so I sprinkle some on skinless chicken breast or a small piece of pork with no fat on it. Gone are packaged seasoning mixes and those mixes you put on chicken or pork. The sodium level is huge per serving.

Sea salt, which is often recommended for heart patients, is tasty but the sodium levels are equal to regular salt. Compare labels side-by-side next time you visit a store and you will see this.

Fried foods were also something I was never a huge fan of, but I did love fish fry. Now the comfort food is off limits to me the way I love it, so I chose not to eat it. Instead, I make fish at home and it does not sit in oil.

Exercise

I admit before my heart attacks I thought very little about exercise. I took the elevator because it was easier. I did not take the time a few days a week to walk out around town. Instead, I sat for hours writing which is my work, and only getting up to take a bathroom break. I would walk to grab something from the convenience store.

Housework occurred as needed but laundry occurred once a week or the kids did it. My washer is in the cellar and well it was a pain in the butt climbing the steps daily.

Laundry occurs a few times a week now days but I do the bulk of it. Sometimes I will leave baskets of clean clothes and have the kids bring them up. I now make sure I only sit for an hour and then get up for some exercise.

When the weather is nice, I walk to work or around the town. I love to walk over to the river, sit on the benches, and think.

I do what I can, if I get tired out I rest. Right after my heart attacks family were scared to let me do things.

MY advice for family members and friends: Do not baby a heart attack survivor; allow us to do what we can. Trust me we will not over do it soon after an attack because the pain is too fresh in our minds.

Medication

Simple, if your doctor prescribes it, take it. After my heart attacks, the doctor prescribed me a blood pressure pill, a pill to lower my cholesterol and an aspirin a day. The blood pressure pill kicked my butt, I'd take it and be asleep with an hour, or so which really limited my production. However, as time wore on my body adjusted to the medication and I was fine.

Counseling and Support

I so wish there was a Heart Attack Recovery support group as there as for recovering alcoholics and drug addicts. I would proudly stand up and say 'My name is Amy and I am a survivor'. The best I can do is talk to people who have experienced a MI (Myocardial Infarction) as I did.

For only survivors such as my boyfriend Jay and my brother in law Willie know what I have been through. They understand the pain, the fear and the anger of it all, where most people cannot begin to understand.

Talking out the feelings you have concerning the heart attacks is great as it helps to relieve the stress and apprehension associated with it. It's through talking with other survivors that we begin to realize we are not alone. We also realize through talking with others just how family, friends, and others treat us once we have a heart attack.

Healthy Chicken Soup

2011-10-26T10:34:00.001-07:00

Regular chicken noodle soup is off limits to people on a low salt diet because of the sodium levels. Even the healthier versions have too much sodium, cholesterol, or fat. That is not good for your heart or waistline either.

A healthy alternative to those prepared canned of soup is to make your own. It is far easier than one might think. I grew up eating homemade soups, I just got lazy when my children came along and used the canned crap they sell in the stores. After experiencing three heart attacks with four days, I went back to cooking homemade, as my parents had shown me.

To create a healthy alternative to the canned chicken noodle varieties you simply need is chicken, and noodles and a few shakes of Mrs. Dash. When I create mine I like to add frozen carrots, onions and once in a great while I will add some chopped celery.

I simply take a pan and add water. The amount f water really depends upon how much homemade chicken noodle soup you are going to make. I usually add four cups of water, two legs of skinless chicken, a quarter cup of chopped onion, 1 cup of frozen carrots and a few cups of dried low cholesterol noodles to the mixture when its time.

I allow the chicken and an onion to cook in the water until the chicken is done. Then I pull out the chicken, debone it, and add it back into the pan with the frozen carrots. Once the carrots are almost soft I will add in the noodles. Sprinkle in some of the Mrs. Dash to taste and you have a delicious pot of homemade chicken noodle soup.

The beauty of this simple recipe is the varieties are endless. Add turkey, beef, or even lean ground hamburger instead of the chicken. Have homemade chicken noodle soup with peas or green beans instead of carrots. You can also choose to use macaroni, wheels or another pasta product rather than the egg noodles.

If you want a cream based soup, boil a handful peeled potatoes. Use a masher to break them into smaller pieces right in the pan. Don't dump the water, instead add in a cup of 2% milk, and thicken it with mashed potatoes flakes. Add only enough flakes to get the right consistency, as you are not making mashed potatoes. Add in cooked turkey bacon or some cooked lean meat and vegetables if desired.

Skip the traditional soup seasonings and go with Mrs. Dash for a heart healthy homemade soup.

Starting at the beginning

2011-10-26T10:32:00.001-07:00

I am living a much healthier life since I had a few heart attacks back in October of 2009. I thought I was too young to have a heart attack, boy was I ever wrong.

You are never too young to have one. I turned 43 in mid September of 2009 and had my first mild heart attack 2 weeks later. Two days later I had two more heart attacks. I drastically changed my lifestyle for the better but it still took me a long time to get healthy again.

What did I change my lifestyle? I have children and grandchildren and I wish to be here for them. Besides, at that time I had not accomplished my big goals in life. Now I have accomplished some of them, yet I wish to do more, and certainly experience more of this joyful thing called living.

I will include tips, tricks and lessons learned here on this blog. Together we all can remain healthy and heart attack free.