Saturday, April 28, 2012

Low Blood Pressure #98

We talked some in the last post about blood pressure and mine being very low.  I haven't seen my cardiologist yet, but will update you as soon as I do.  Back to the the blood pressure.  I can find a lot about causes of high blood pressure but not much on causes of low blood pressure.  You can find many discussions of the symptoms of low blood pressure.  Light headiness, dizzy after stooping or bending over.  When mine is very low, as the other day, I have a strange sensation of my body being very heavy.  As if I am enclosed in a heavy weight, or perhaps the feeling of high g-forces.  I definitely feel it takes an extra effort to move my arms and legs.   I have not found much to explain why that feeling.  Honestly, it is pretty concerning to me that my blood pressure has begun to fluctuate.  Especially dropping so low.  I definitely do not drive, or do anything strenuous when feeling that way.   I have visited several medical websites, including the Mayo Clinic, for an explanation of low blood pressure causes and still can not find anything definitive other than all say "you should see your doctor."

Now some causes of high blood pressure, which most of you know.  Drinking alcohol, mental stress, smoking, poor eating habits, being overweight, lack of exercise, genetics, being an older age, too much salt in diet.  Wow... find anything there that does not apply to many of us.  Kidney and thyroid disorders and disease also contribute to high blood pressure.

Because of being sick, not feeling well and so forth, today was the first workout I have had in 4 days, which is unusual for me.  I can not say that I felt the normal perkiness, and as invigorated as I usually do.  I felt sort of groggy and sluggish.  I am sure it had to do with the low blood pressure. 

Next Day
I worked out this morning around 7:00 a.m. and took my blood pressure when I got home.  I felt much better than yesterday, but still was a little sluggish.  My pressure reading was a shock to me.  84/44.  I am glad I will be seeing my cardiologist in a few days.   Strangely, I did not feel light headed or dizzy when my pressure was so low.  I took it twice to be sure there was no error, and there was not.

I get the feeling not many of you reading this who are heart patients are really into exercising as yet.  And that may be good considering your current state of health.  You know, it just depends on you, your health, your cardiologist, and what you are capable of.

Wednesday, April 25, 2012

Flu Bug #97

I woke up this morning with a new appreciation for my improved good health.  You know it does not take long to take some good things for granted and that has happened to me.  We spoke last time about Cindy beginning a new home project for us, and the first morning with all the workmen here, it started off just as the new carpet deal did.  A big fat flop.  I mean within 15 minutes of starting, everything planned on would not work with what we had to work with.    It got worse.   I was in my office down the hall from all the work commotion and had not felt good since I had gotten up.  I had made it through my workout, but by the time I got home I was feeling not so good.  I never get sick to my stomach.   In a matter of minutes I got so sick at my stomach, dizzy, ached everywhere and did not think I would be able to walk down stairs.  I should mention Cindy had just had the same thing and was not completely over that. She was maybe 50% normal.   Whatever I had, it was more like the flu than a stomach virus which was the diagnosis from our two family medical advisers.   It was 4 days of feeling terrible and now is the fifth day and I do feel like getting up and around some.

My point.  I realized this morning, that coming home from the hospital,  back there after heart surgery, how I felt and wondered if the rest of my life was going to be feeling that way every day.  And it could have been that feeling being exhausted, not wanting to do much, sort of depressing feeling.  And that made me think of some of you reading this.  I hope I have helped you see that you can, and have gained back your health and lifestyle.  During being sick, I don't know why, but I got cravings for food that I have not had in a long time.  And it took a lot to resist the urge.  I kept feeling it would be okay just this once.  I was sick and that would justify eating the butter pecan ice cream, and so forth.   I had to keep telling myself I can't go back to where I use to be.  I know many of you struggle with that every day, but me being sick the last few days, has made me appreciate myself for getting my health back.  And I don't want to lose that.

I go to my cardiologist for my regular check up and exam in a few days.  No apprehension, but my blood pressure has been very low.  Too low.  This morning  after exercising it was 88/47.   I rested several minutes and took it again and it was basically the same.  Now, about two hours later, it is up to 107/54.  So I do have concern about mine being low and the cause.  I will guess I am going to be in for a blood pressure medication change.   Again, maintaining a daily record of your blood pressure readings can be so valuable in helping your cardiologist in diagnosing and prescribing proper treatment for you.

Wednesday, April 18, 2012

Exercise Advice #96

I think a couple of weeks ago I made it to another level in exercise fitness.  I am doing more exercises, more sets and feel stronger.  I have the strength to do some exercises I never thought I could, or would ever do again.  I begin with the Total abdominal strength machine.   Then 35 minutes of rapid pace treadmill.  Next are leg lift extensions, followed by assisted chin ups.   Then it is horizontal bar pull ups and back stretches. Next are back extensions, some weight lifting, and a hyper extension abdominal crunch machine.  I finish off by doing some push ups and several reps on an ab-x machine.    Now the reason I listed all of this is when I began exercising it was 30 minutes treadmill, 15 minutes on an elliptical and walking one mile on an indoor track.   And that was more than enough, as I was only 5 months past having heart surgery.   Many of you are getting to that phase of recovery and rehab.  My best advice is when you begin exercising get yourself into a routine that you can stay with as far as your schedule and time are concerned.  That will be very important to you establishing exercise as having a specific part of your day and becoming a normal activity.  There will be many choices you can make as far as what basic exercises you begin with.  Again my suggestion is stay with cardio exercises such as the treadmill and elliptical.

After exercising I would drink a glass of orange juice and eat some grapes with either walnuts or sunflower seeds for a boost.  Occasionally I would make myself a banana, or strawberry smoothie.  I am not much for smoothie's being an effective part of weight loss.  So I gave those completely up.  After a month or so, but not long into it  I was ready to begin doing some exercises on strength machines. With my cardiologist permission of course.

The most important thing I have told you today is make exercise a strict routine whenever it may be.   Don't slip it in at different times of the day, or irregular days of the week.  You will find it much more difficult to develop a routine that you can consistently stay with.  As much as I enjoy exercising, it is still a chore and there are many times during the week I can find reasons not to go, or put off going until later.  I have to keep it in it's proper scheduled place to make it work for me.  Simply put it is just like changing your eating habits.  You must be committed to it and working to become heart healthy. 

Hey we got through the total carpet redo ordeal now Cindy is ready to start another project.

Sunday, April 15, 2012

Staying Healthy #95

A word from the wise.  Do not ever replace carpeting in your home.  You will be better off by selling your home and buying another one that has the new carpeting that you want.  It will be much more expensive, but you will not have to deal with installers and carpet salespeople who make used flim flam salesmen look like giants of integrity.  Yes, we are having that done as I write this on a Friday at 6:20 p.m.   A total carpet replacement that started Monday at 8:00 am and would be completed late Tuesday afternoon is still going Friday night and scheduled to work through Saturday, with Sunday off and completion Monday.  Yes friends, one complete week later.  One week of living out of a paper box to keep your things in as strangers come into your home and move you from room to room to sit among the clutter.  Take how many rooms you have in your home and multiply that times room to room moving.  Everything in the home is taken out, and brought back in at the convenience of total strangers.  Strangers, I might mention, you are paying well to put you through this misery.  Plus I am sitting here with my grandaughter in my office, with a big toe that is swollen and hurts. Why?  Because I stepped on a big carpet tack left as a trap by one of the strangers in my home.  Now my toe has turned red and just adds to the pain of being in misery.   I am wondering where I will sleep tonight since there is no furniture in my bedroom and only a concrete floor to walk on.

Next Day
Well we got through another night from carpet hell.   Ever try walking from your bed to the bathroom in the dark with the pathway blocked by everything from suitcases, to pillows, computer printers, and fax machines.  All  waiting in the dark for you to fall over them.  And you know those installer guys are home in their comfy beds, laughing about how miserable you are.

I don't think I ever told you this, but while I was in the hospital and after surgery, one of the reasons my cardiologist kept me there for another week was a problem of not enough oxygen in my blood.   I was not breathing deeply enough to take in sufficient  oxygen.   I was doing some breathing exercises daily but was not progressing quickly enough to be sent home.  There was discussion that I might have to carry around one of those oxygen bottles for breathing assistance.  That was a scary thought.   That I would be confined to activities where I had to have access to bottled oxygen to help me breathe.   Well, my cardiologist at the time, told me he was against that and did not feel it was necessary.  He told me he would not send me home from the hospital until I could do without bottled oxygen.   And I was thankful for that.  So you can see regardless of how difficult your health circumstances are at this time, do not feel you can not make the strides necessary to return to normal health and an active lifestyle.

Some of you having gone through all of that may feel the same as me.  It is like it was another person all of that happened to.  Could I have really been that unhealthy and sick?

There are a lot of readers out there who are just beginning to go through that and the best advice is go slow, and take steps slowly to change your lifestyle to a healthier one.  Regardless of your current health circumstances, you can improve your health. Medication, your diet, being active as your health permits.  Seeing  your cardiologist often and asking his advice on how you can begin changing to a healthier lifestyle.     Basically that is what we all did and took a patient but determined approach to changing.   When I say patient, or slowly, or small steps I do not mean putting off, or delaying trying to improve your health.  I am saying, do not expect big results in a short period of time.  You should be planning a health lifestyle that you can sustain for years to come.

My last posting #94 was what I thought would be the most popular I have written and hardly anyone has even looked at it.  You just never know.

Friday, April 6, 2012

Heart Attack Survivors Fitness Center #94

You know part of the fun of working out is just being there.   Have you ever looked around at all the people you work out with?  Don't you think it is somewhat strange?  I mean it is basically the same core of people there at the same time, same days.  Most of them you do not know, and they don't know you.  They see you every day but it is not like at work in a large office building. You see people in passing there.  But it is different around work.  It is like "hey," "how are you," "good to see you," "good morning," "tough day?" "have a nice holiday," "have you lost weight?" you know stuff like that.  At the fitness center that is all out the door.  There is some sort of code when guys are working out.  Do not make eye contact, someone might get the wrong idea.   No smiling allowed, and never, ever, say "good morning."  Just grunt something inaudible, and slightly nod your head while completely avoiding eye contact.   If it is someone you have worked out with regularly for a couple of years it is okay to look slightly down and not say, but mumble "Hey."  If you have mumbled "hey" to them a couple of times before, then you can sort of quickly nod your head up and back while at the exact same time mumbling "hey." That signals you recognize the other person, but you are not looking at them.  And the showers, well there is only one rule.  And it can never to be broken.  Look down at the floor at all times.  If anyone says your name just keep walking and for gods sake do not look up.

Cindy says why don't you ever talk to those people down there and get to know them?  As you can tell she is a rookie, and has no idea.  Michelle on the other hand is concerned that I might speak to someone she knows, and that could lead to worlds colliding.   And speak to women?   ABSOLUTELY NOT.  Are you nuts?   Speak to one of the athletic young women and you are pegged as the dirty old man of the fitness center.  Speak to the older widow women and you're pegged as a playboy looking for action.  And if your not capable of action that may not be a hindrance to the widow, she may welcome that as a personal challenge......  Either way, if it gets back to your wife, you are packing your bags, and you are not going on vacation....

Why do the big heavy people always wear hooded sweat jacket pullovers, with the hood up?   No I am afraid it is not because of being cold. It can be July and over 100 degrees in our climate and the big people will labor on the treadmill with that on and the hood pulled up.   I guess it is to induce more heat and sweat. I wish they wouldn't wear those with the hoods up.  Sometimes I have startled myself by looking over and you think there is an overweight Jedi from Star Wars on the treadmill next to yours.  

And the worse are guys near my age who wear.......  Now get this, spandex type shorts that are like what you see the speed bicycle racers wear.  You know the tighter the less wind resistance, the more speed. Well it is not that windy in our fitness center and the older guys don't go that fast on a treadmill.  I mean these aren't really guys, they are old men like me, and believe me, none of us need to be seen in public wearing anything tight fitting. 

That is why I go at early hours.   Less human contact.

Wednesday, April 4, 2012

Is It Okay To Eat Pink Slime? #93

Well, just as I thought we had a complete understanding of processed and red meats being unhealthy for heart patients, something known as pink slime steps into the picture.  Yes, I know processed meat is bad for the non-heart patient too.   Meaning your grandchildren, children, friends and neighbors eating red meat, and processed meats, are consuming unnatural chemicals which their bodies were not meant to absorb nor process.  Let me tell you how I really feel about this.  We were not, and are not meant to consume red meat.  For my entire life, minus the last three years, I ate any and all the red meat I could and I liked it.  I thought the great U.S. Federal government, beef industry, and food industry were looking out for your and my best health interest and would never provide us with a plate full of chemicals we could just as well fertilize our lawns with as eat.   And every morning we would fry up a  pan full of some marketed and labelled "Grandma's Old Time Country Sausage" to get the day started off like the healthy good ole country folks did.   Knowing grandma would never feed us lawn fertilizer, we jumped right into that plate of sausage, right....And when we took the kids to the Fourth of July picnics and grilled up hot dogs, our children never thought we would feed them warmed up pink slime mixed in with some chemicals to make the hot dog look red and remain edible longer.  Little did we or our children know without the chemicals their hot dogs would have soon turned a greenish yellow and would not have been suitable for human consumption.  Most, not all, but most, of the food industry had absolutely no responsibility with providing good nourishment to our children, it was about using chemicals in processed foods as a marketing and sales aid. Providing healthy foods to ourselves and our families is our responsibility, not Oscar Mayers, or Ray Kroc's.  They were sales and marketing entrepreneurs, not dietitians.  That is about as obnoxious as I know how to be when saying if you are concerned about your heart health, do not ask me if it is okay to eat processed or red meats seasoned in ammonia nitrates.   It is going to drive up your cholesterol levels and begin to damage your coronary arteries again. And it will make it difficult to lower your weight and blood pressure, if you continue eating heart unhealthy foods.   Just go get yourself a slab of prime rib and don't waste your time talking about going on a diet, or walking around the block.  What is the point of all the exercise if you're headed down to McDonald's later for burger and fries?   Do I like to eat charcoaled dry rubbed pork ribs? Do I like the smell of ribs cooking over charcoal?  Do I love them with mustard slaw and bar-b-cue beans? Do I miss eating them?  Absolutely.  But I can never do that again and feel good about myself.  If God ever tells me, well I've got some good news and some bad news.   The good news is go eat that rib dinner tonight, and I'll wait until after you have finished dinner before giving you the other news...So you see, no more bad food for me, we were meant to take care of ourselves.

For the record, what is pink slime?  Lean beef trimmings, which in fact are a by product of the beef butchering process, that go through a centrifuge. Why a centrifuge you may ask?  The trimmings consist of various cuts of beef containing  amounts of fat.  The trimmings are processed through a centrifuge to remove the fat from the trimmings, and at the same time the trimmings are exposed to a "puff" of ammonia.  This is done to raise the PH level of the beef and kill pathogens such as E coli.  So you can not fault the process, or industry for applying standards and processes to make the product safe from dangerous bacteria.  However, chemicals are applied to meet safety standards and to make the product more marketable, acceptable and desirable to the consumer.  Which brings you around to educating yourself about what you are eating and making your own decisions for you and your family.

I believe some people think if you run far and fast enough, exercise hard and long and often, you can eat anything you want and remain healthy.  And that works for some a while....as long as you are young.  For the great majority of us with normal physically functioning bodies, we can not do that and remain healthy.   Another well known healthy 52 year old person that I know of suffered a fatal first heart attack.   If given the opportunity that person would not waste a  prized second chance on  unhealthy foods..................................................


I am not sure I need to write another posting until someone sends a comment or e-mail on what to talk about.

Sunday, April 1, 2012

Heart Healthy Diet For The New Readers #92

For all of us heart patients, and regardless of what stage we are in and it could recovery, rehab, or near completely back to normal. For all of us, there is one common reality.   Eating a heart healthy diet, exercising on a regular basis, and maintaining a healthy weight is a lifelong commitment for us, if we are to enjoy an active and healthy life. That is one of the reasons I have taken such a rigid stand on avoiding eating red meat.  We must eat foods that will lower and maintain safe cholesterol levels. Not to do so would be foolish for us.  Combined with exercise, the heart healthy diet will lead to weight reduction, and help you maintain that healthy weight.  Along with the reduced weight, and increased activity through exercise, your blood pressure should begin to drop to normal levels.   So you see the three core ingredients of a heart patients lifestyle go hand and hand in maintaining a more healthy life.

There are more new readers who are looking for the foods that will best fit a heart healthy diet and lifestyle for them.   Eating more green vegetables, and fruit daily is a good start, especially when you are replacing or removing from your diet high fat and cholesterol foods.   We each find fruits that best suit our taste and needs.  For me oranges, bananas, and strawberries are a daily part of my diet.  And I may have grapes, apples, or some melon in addition.   Eventually, as you replace the foods that were high in fat, cholesterol, and calories with fruit and vegetables, you will lose weight and not be constantly hungry as you had so many times in the past when you went on a diet for a few weeks.  What you are doing now is much different and is not at all "going on a diet."  You are changing lifestyles. You are becoming a heart healthy person who eats a completely healthy diet.

It seems like the subject of eating red meat, or processed meat comes around  in most of our discussions about a healthy diet.  I guess in all fairness that is because we have a lot of new readers, who are more recent heart patients.  To control your cholesterol and reduce your weight, one of the most difficult foods to reduce, give up, or drastically change, is eating red meat.  If you are serious about eating healthy foods consider this thought.  Reducing, or eliminating red meats (includes processed meat)  is critical in your struggle to improve your cardiovascular health.   But you will also gain other health benefits, you will be reducing many chemicals you have been consuming through eating red meat. Go to the search box in the top right hand corner of this page and enter "sodium nitrates" and read posting number 41 concerning hot dogs, bacon, and other foods you use to enjoy to eat and see what came along with that.

When I was beginning heart surgery recovery I was very determined to make any changes necessary to regain good health, and not go back to my old eating and lifestyle habits.  Why? I am not really sure.  It was so unlike me at that time to change like that.   I think more than having a heart attack, it was when I had the heart attack.  Just weeks before having a heart attack I decided I was going to lose weight by not going on a diet, but by completely changing my eating habits and the foods I ate.   I began when I stopped  eating  processed or red meat of any kind.   Stopped all fast food and soft drinks, colas, or what have you.  I drank water, orange juice, and coffee.  I had not yet thought much of exercise or working out.  At that time, working out to me was going to work each day.   Then just a few weeks into this new me, I had a heart attack.  So a lot of the changes related to good health you would make after heart surgery, I had already made and it was not as difficult for me as most of you having to make the decision to change under a lot more stress and pressure.  If you are like me, 90% of making a change is, it must be my idea.  And I have to want to do it.  Not be told I must do it, by someone else.  That is another issue I did not have to consider.  You know being given a ultimatum.  If you don't do this, then this or that will or won't happen.  I am not sure I would have been able to fulfill the commitment to changing to a healthy lifestyle if I had not wanted to do it on my terms.  It is not easy.  Each day at lunch or dinner, it is a decision for me on controlling my urge to eat something that is not going to harm me to eat that one time.  It is that I can not risk breaking the commitment once.  It will become too easy after that, to more and more stray back to my old eating habits.  And I suspect it will be that way from now on for me.

New to recovery or this blog. Go back to posting numbers 1, 2, and 3 for insight to beginning a new healthy lifestyle.