What are the worse foods for a heart patient to eat and is it okay to eat butter pecan ice cream before you work out? No you should not. Always work out AFTER you have eaten butter pecan ice cream. These are some recent and very valid questions. We spend a lot of time reviewing healthy foods and not much time on bad to eat foods. Now what are bad to eat foods for heart patients? High in calories leading to weight gain rather than weight loss. Foods high in LDL cholesterol, triglycerides, and leading to possible artery blockage. Foods high in fat content leading to possible weight gain and heart disease.
We will pick on my favorite. Butter pecan ice cream is a not very good for you food. My favorite flavor and brand comes in at 310 calories and 110mg of cholesterol for a 1/2 cup serving. That is very high on your cholesterol being that would be 37% of your daily max limit. Ever try to eat your favorite ice cream and have no more than half a cup? Do you know how little half a cup is? The bowl I use to eat ice cream from was so big more than half a cup would be left in the bottom when I was finished. Vanilla was 270 calories and 120 mg cholesterol versus chocolate's 260 calories and 90 mg of cholesterol. So do you understand why you should workout after eating butter pecan ice cream? Probably need to be working out while you are eating it. Okay we have now established for the committed to a healthy lifestyle and diet, that ice cream is in our past.
Now for those of you addicted to Cheetos. First let me say I was absolutely surprised at the results. 150 calories and zero cholesterol per serving. Total fat was 10g or 16% of your daily allowance. Now let's analyze the calories versus the serving size. Each itsy bitsy scrumptious Cheetos is 7 calories. Doesn't sound like much does it. So how many Cheetos can you stop at before you have eaten the whole family size bag? Most processed snack foods have the same addictive influence on us. Long term effects on your health but great in taste and flavor, and you cannot eat just one.
Frankfurter, hot dog, frank, or wiener are various names for a hot dog and they come natural skin or not, in all beef, pork, turkey, tofu, veggie, and even more varieties. The most popular being the all beef frank which is what I use to eat. There is some nutritional value differences depending on the brand and of course the variety or meat filler used. A generic all beef franks has 148 calories. This is undressed and no bun, the frankfurter only. Contains 24mg of cholesterol and 513mg of sodium, which is high, very high. Contains no vitamin A or C or vitamin B6. Does contain phosphorous, sodium, and fluoride along with sodium nitrate and pink slim. You remember we discussed those chemicals a while back and they add absolutely no nutritional value or health benefit. Some people, of which I am one, think sodium nitrate is a concern for consumption due to a high risk of cancer. They do increase the shelf and edible life of the food product. Basically they are filler, a flavor enhancer, and a preservative.
Potato chips are a popular snack food. They are a high calorie, flavor satisfying snack. And it is true the more you eat of them it seems the more you want. A one ounce serving contains 160 calories which is about 10 calories per chip. Doesn't sound like many calories when you talk about eating only maybe 10 or so. In fact you are more than likely going to find it difficult to eat less than 50 or so. And at one at a time it will not seem like your are eating a lot of them until you watch the bag go from full to near half full. They are a very high fat food one serving being 10g or 16% of your daily allowance. Remember that is approximately only 15 chips. And zero cholesterol. That sounds okay, but remember we talked about labelling laws and if the serving size is so low there is a minimum amount that can be claimed as zero. Legal way to say if the serving size is unrealistically low, some unhealthy nutrition values can be claimed low or even zero. You can bet if you eat 75 potato chips you are getting some amount of cholesterol.
In our last posting #129 we went over how to cook , prepare, and include chicken in a healthy diet. We now need to discuss how unhealthy most fried and fast food chicken is to your health. We will use one serving of Kentucky Fried Chicken (KFC) crispy for nutrition values? As good as it may taste, it is probably just as bad for your heart health. Normal fast food fried chicken is definitely not something the heart patient should be eating. A KFC chicken breast is 510 calories, a whopping 33g of fat, 110mg of cholesterol and 1010mg of sodium. Thighs are 340 calories, 24g of fat, 80mg of cholesterol and 780mg of sodium.
Now this is the first time we have reviewed this much information on foods we know we should not eat. All of the above foods were all part of my normal diet four years ago. I tell you this so new readers will understand I am not picking on anyone, only pointing out the many bad food habits that a heart patient must change.
Thursday, August 30, 2012
Wednesday, August 22, 2012
Can Heart Patients Eat Chicken? #129
Chicken, is it good for you? How do heart patients prepare or cook healthy chicken? You will not see any discount coupons for a bucket of KFC at your cardiologist office, but chicken can be a healthy and tasty food choice for heart patients. I have mostly overlooked discussing chicken as a part of my diet. Recently I got an inquiry about how does chicken need to be cooked or prepared for a heart patient. We should take time to talk about the health benefits of eating chicken.
I eat chicken breast only. No dark meat, and I know there are supposedly health benefits of the dark meat. The dark chicken meat I have eaten has all tasted greasy and just was not what I consider something I would want to be part of a low cholesterol diet. Now back to the chicken breast, always must be skinless. You can buy it that way or remove the skin yourself. We always buy skinless and boneless chicken breast. Chicken is a very good source of protein, a 4 oz. serving providing almost 70% of your daily protein needs. Chicken breast contain less than half the fat of premium grade T-bone steak, and the chicken fat is far less saturated than beef fat. Chicken is high in vitamin B6 and the essential trace mineral selenium.
There are several ways you can prepare skinless chicken breast. They can be grilled, barbecued, baked, or boiled. At least those are the ways we cook chicken breast. Baked chicken served with a green vegetable and a salad. Grilled or boiled sliced chicken added to a large dinner salad. Barbecued chicken breast on a shish-ka-bob with grilled onion, and mushrooms. All of these methods are some of our favorites and add to a healthy meal.
Edible mushrooms also include several health benefits. They contain zero cholesterol and actually help reduce cholesterol as they are digested. Mushrooms are high in powerful antioxidants which combat free radicals. Mushrooms are the only vegetable to contain edible vitamin D. The only other food source of vitamin D being cod liver oil. I eat cooked mushrooms, adding to other compatible foods. I do not eat raw mushrooms as a matter of taste preference.
My cardiologist is satisfied that my low blood pressure has now adjusted itself to acceptable levels since taking me off of one of my medications Norvasc. I seem to be leveling off in the 120-130 over 90 range. Honestly it is somewhat of a disappointment to me. It certainly is better than some of the very low pressure and associated symptoms I was experiencing. My disappointment is I am having spikes to the 150 range. I am not convinced my cardiologist has made the right decision. With as much as I exercise, as healthy of a diet, my body weight being where it should be and me still taking medications I think mine is now too high considering all of those factors.
I eat chicken breast only. No dark meat, and I know there are supposedly health benefits of the dark meat. The dark chicken meat I have eaten has all tasted greasy and just was not what I consider something I would want to be part of a low cholesterol diet. Now back to the chicken breast, always must be skinless. You can buy it that way or remove the skin yourself. We always buy skinless and boneless chicken breast. Chicken is a very good source of protein, a 4 oz. serving providing almost 70% of your daily protein needs. Chicken breast contain less than half the fat of premium grade T-bone steak, and the chicken fat is far less saturated than beef fat. Chicken is high in vitamin B6 and the essential trace mineral selenium.
There are several ways you can prepare skinless chicken breast. They can be grilled, barbecued, baked, or boiled. At least those are the ways we cook chicken breast. Baked chicken served with a green vegetable and a salad. Grilled or boiled sliced chicken added to a large dinner salad. Barbecued chicken breast on a shish-ka-bob with grilled onion, and mushrooms. All of these methods are some of our favorites and add to a healthy meal.
Edible mushrooms also include several health benefits. They contain zero cholesterol and actually help reduce cholesterol as they are digested. Mushrooms are high in powerful antioxidants which combat free radicals. Mushrooms are the only vegetable to contain edible vitamin D. The only other food source of vitamin D being cod liver oil. I eat cooked mushrooms, adding to other compatible foods. I do not eat raw mushrooms as a matter of taste preference.
My cardiologist is satisfied that my low blood pressure has now adjusted itself to acceptable levels since taking me off of one of my medications Norvasc. I seem to be leveling off in the 120-130 over 90 range. Honestly it is somewhat of a disappointment to me. It certainly is better than some of the very low pressure and associated symptoms I was experiencing. My disappointment is I am having spikes to the 150 range. I am not convinced my cardiologist has made the right decision. With as much as I exercise, as healthy of a diet, my body weight being where it should be and me still taking medications I think mine is now too high considering all of those factors.
Friday, August 17, 2012
Cindy
Cindy, my wife, has a serious illness, I will continue doing heart health and exercise posting but only as often as time permits. I will keep you informed on her progress.
Thursday, August 16, 2012
Heart Surgery #128
Cardiovascular surgery is usually on the heart or the great vessels. It can be to repair defective heart valves or a heart transplant. Most frequently heart surgery is to treat heart disease and the procedure performed is a coronary artery bypass grafting. Not all of us but most of us had bypass surgery and were asleep during the surgery.
After you have general anesthesia and are completely asleep the surgeon will normally make a 8 to 10 inch incision along the middle of your sternum. They will then open the breast bone to access your heart and aorta. You will be connected to a heart-lung bypass machine which does the work of your heart. Adding oxygen to the blood and circulating it through your body. Your heart is stopped once your are connected to the heart-lung machine. The surgeon will take an artery or vein from another part of your body. Usually a vein from the leg is used for the graft, however it could be an artery from the chest or one from your wrist. Using one of these veins the surgeon will graft it onto the blocked artery creating a detour or bypass around the blocked area. This will be repeated until each blocked artery has been bypass grafted.
Your breastbone is closed with sternal wire and the incision sewn closed with stitches. The surgery will last 5 to 6 hours or more. There are of course risk or dangers with this type surgery. Blood clots in the lungs. Heart attack during surgery, infection, lung failure, or breathing problems are all possibilities.
A change I noticed is my feeling to cold, even in hot weather. Either my tolerance to cool temperatures has changed, or my internal body temperature control has changed. I feel cool or cold even in the summertime. Most often I wear long sleeve shirts and denim jeans rather than shorts when working outside in 90 degree plus temperatures. When we go out to dinner I will always have on long sleeves and take along a light weight jacket because most restaurants keep their air conditioning on low temperatures. From what I have found this not not unusual with those who have had heart surgery. It is not completely understood by doctors but some possible causes are offered. One is the machine used to circulated blood through your body does so without circulating through the heart. This normally runs for most of the duration of your surgery which could be several hours. This type circulation could result in minor damage to your capillaries. Or the temperature control section of the brain could be affected by the length of a long duration surgical procedure. Those are the two predominant possibilities I found. Have many of you also experienced this problem of feeling cool or cold since your heart surgery?
Heart bypass surgery is no guarantee of prevention of possible future heart attacks or coronary artery blockage reoccurring. Eating healthy foods, regular exercise, weight and cholesterol control are the basic elements you control in living with the heart condition you now have. I have read where blockage occurring again is not unusual after 10 years or more after the initial bypass surgery. It is also not unusual to occur prior to 10 years. The recurrence of blockage can be effected by how healthy of a lifestyle and how well you have taking care of yourself.
After you have general anesthesia and are completely asleep the surgeon will normally make a 8 to 10 inch incision along the middle of your sternum. They will then open the breast bone to access your heart and aorta. You will be connected to a heart-lung bypass machine which does the work of your heart. Adding oxygen to the blood and circulating it through your body. Your heart is stopped once your are connected to the heart-lung machine. The surgeon will take an artery or vein from another part of your body. Usually a vein from the leg is used for the graft, however it could be an artery from the chest or one from your wrist. Using one of these veins the surgeon will graft it onto the blocked artery creating a detour or bypass around the blocked area. This will be repeated until each blocked artery has been bypass grafted.
Your breastbone is closed with sternal wire and the incision sewn closed with stitches. The surgery will last 5 to 6 hours or more. There are of course risk or dangers with this type surgery. Blood clots in the lungs. Heart attack during surgery, infection, lung failure, or breathing problems are all possibilities.
A change I noticed is my feeling to cold, even in hot weather. Either my tolerance to cool temperatures has changed, or my internal body temperature control has changed. I feel cool or cold even in the summertime. Most often I wear long sleeve shirts and denim jeans rather than shorts when working outside in 90 degree plus temperatures. When we go out to dinner I will always have on long sleeves and take along a light weight jacket because most restaurants keep their air conditioning on low temperatures. From what I have found this not not unusual with those who have had heart surgery. It is not completely understood by doctors but some possible causes are offered. One is the machine used to circulated blood through your body does so without circulating through the heart. This normally runs for most of the duration of your surgery which could be several hours. This type circulation could result in minor damage to your capillaries. Or the temperature control section of the brain could be affected by the length of a long duration surgical procedure. Those are the two predominant possibilities I found. Have many of you also experienced this problem of feeling cool or cold since your heart surgery?
Heart bypass surgery is no guarantee of prevention of possible future heart attacks or coronary artery blockage reoccurring. Eating healthy foods, regular exercise, weight and cholesterol control are the basic elements you control in living with the heart condition you now have. I have read where blockage occurring again is not unusual after 10 years or more after the initial bypass surgery. It is also not unusual to occur prior to 10 years. The recurrence of blockage can be effected by how healthy of a lifestyle and how well you have taking care of yourself.
Sunday, August 12, 2012
Soluble Fiber Foods and Health Benefits #127
During my learning more about cholesterol I kept finding the term soluble fiber in a lot of the reference materials. And then while finding more about cholesterol friendly foods soluble fiber presented itself to me as very important in cholesterol and blood pressure reduction. I was making the mistake of thinking of soluble fiber as one and the same as dietary fiber. And all or most of the health benefits being associated with the digestive system. And yes me the grand master and champion of eating oatmeal for good heart health needs to know more about soluble fiber.
There are two types of dietary fiber insoluble, and soluble. Insoluble fiber being fiber that promotes a healthy movement of material not absorbed by your body through your digestive system. Sources of insoluble fiber are whole-wheat flour, wheat bran, many nuts, and numerous vegetables. Soluble fiber dissolves in water to form a gel material and works in reducing cholesterol, blood pressure, and glucose. Sources include oats, peas, beans, apples, citrus fruits, carrots, barley, flaxseed, walnuts, and almonds. Specifically soluble fiber found in many foods will lower LDL or "bad" cholesterol levels. High fiber foods can aid in weight loss by being low in calories and being more filling and satisfying.
How does soluble fiber lower cholesterol? Remember fiber is not absorbed during the digestive process. Soluble fiber can be fermented by intestinal bacteria into fatty acids which can be absorbed. Processing soluble fiber interferes with the absorption of bile in the intestines. As a result the bile is excreted as waste and the liver is forced to produce more bile salts. The body must use cholesterol to produce bile salts which requires the liver to increase production of LDL receptors which pull cholesterol from the bloodstream, reducing LDL cholesterol. Therefore the more bile salts produced by the liver the more the amount of LDL cholesterol is removed from the bloodstream. The more soluble fiber you eat, the greater your body will work in reducing LDL cholesterol. And what is one of the best sources of soluble fiber. Oatmeal. No thanks necessary Mr. Quaker Oats. I proudly tell you several days per week I have oatmeal for breakfast and lunch.
Sources of soluble fiber are exclusively plant based foods. Additional to those already mentioned and considered good sources or high in content soluble fiber foods are. Lima, kidney, pinto, navy beans, broccoli, and brussels sprouts. Fruit sources are prunes, pears, oranges, and grapefruit.
There are two types of dietary fiber insoluble, and soluble. Insoluble fiber being fiber that promotes a healthy movement of material not absorbed by your body through your digestive system. Sources of insoluble fiber are whole-wheat flour, wheat bran, many nuts, and numerous vegetables. Soluble fiber dissolves in water to form a gel material and works in reducing cholesterol, blood pressure, and glucose. Sources include oats, peas, beans, apples, citrus fruits, carrots, barley, flaxseed, walnuts, and almonds. Specifically soluble fiber found in many foods will lower LDL or "bad" cholesterol levels. High fiber foods can aid in weight loss by being low in calories and being more filling and satisfying.
How does soluble fiber lower cholesterol? Remember fiber is not absorbed during the digestive process. Soluble fiber can be fermented by intestinal bacteria into fatty acids which can be absorbed. Processing soluble fiber interferes with the absorption of bile in the intestines. As a result the bile is excreted as waste and the liver is forced to produce more bile salts. The body must use cholesterol to produce bile salts which requires the liver to increase production of LDL receptors which pull cholesterol from the bloodstream, reducing LDL cholesterol. Therefore the more bile salts produced by the liver the more the amount of LDL cholesterol is removed from the bloodstream. The more soluble fiber you eat, the greater your body will work in reducing LDL cholesterol. And what is one of the best sources of soluble fiber. Oatmeal. No thanks necessary Mr. Quaker Oats. I proudly tell you several days per week I have oatmeal for breakfast and lunch.
Sources of soluble fiber are exclusively plant based foods. Additional to those already mentioned and considered good sources or high in content soluble fiber foods are. Lima, kidney, pinto, navy beans, broccoli, and brussels sprouts. Fruit sources are prunes, pears, oranges, and grapefruit.
Tuesday, August 7, 2012
Heart Patient Advanced Exercises #126
Push ups are an exercise I have become enthusiastic about. Some refer to push ups as one of the most effective exercises you can do. Why? It combines strength building and cardiovascular exercising. The increased heart rate and pumping of blood throughout your circulatory system gives you the benefits of a good cardiovascular exercise. (Do not perform push ups until you are fully recovered, have been actively exercising, and prior approval of your doctor) And finally the proper motion and movement of your arms, shoulders, legs and abdomen give you benefits of stretching along with toning a great many of your overall muscles. I have told you previously I was intimidated about doing push ups and did not attempt doing them until about 5 months ago. (Two years after surgery, and the beginning to actively exercise) When I first began or attempted them going down was easy. Coming back up was a major struggle. I mean very major struggle. When I got to that point and could not lift I very nonchalantly looked around to be sure no other workout folks had seen my arm muscles quivering like jello as they strained unsuccessfully to lift my body more than 2 inches from the floor. That embarrassment prompted me to make a decision that I am proud of. To not give up and I tried it again. Not right then but later. When I got home, down on the kitchen floor I went and tried again. It took me a several days until finally I could do three. You may be laughing but if you have not done any for 30 years you try it and then see how funny you think it is. Each day it became easier to do more push ups and more rapidly. It was not long before I added it to my normal daily workout routine and can now easily do 2 sets of 12 fully extended from the floor and do them quickly. Which doing quickly is important in the proper technique according to trainers. Anyway I am getting ready to adding another set and go for 14. Another benefit of doing push ups is you do not need any equipment of any kind. A solid hard floor is all that is needed so you can do those at home at your convenience..
Another regular exercise for me is the horizontal pull up. Imagine doing a pull up from a horizontal bar about 3 1/2 feet from the the floor. With your body horizontal to the floor, gripping the bar and lowering yourself in a rigid, straight position you then repeat raising and lowering your chest to the bar while maintaining your rigid position. This is an excellent exercise for your posture, strengthening back and shoulder muscles.
Leg lifts are another exercise I do daily. I do them from a dip/leg raise machine. I do this for toning stomach and leg muscles. If you are one of us who have lost a lot of weight you know that toning your muscles is something to be dealt with from necessity and not from wanting to develop muscles.
In closing I want to repeat I would not recommend any of these exercises for those heart patients who are just beginning exercising. I would stay with the basics and wait until I felt better about my heart health and strength before attempting any of these. My first exercise efforts involved walking. Outdoors, on a treadmill, on indoor track while carrying an 8 pound ball elevated overhead with one hand. From those basics I progressed to a regular workout exercise routine. You will know when you are recovered and strong enough to attempt more than walking. As a heart patient remember when exercising always stay within doctors orders and your abilities.
Another regular exercise for me is the horizontal pull up. Imagine doing a pull up from a horizontal bar about 3 1/2 feet from the the floor. With your body horizontal to the floor, gripping the bar and lowering yourself in a rigid, straight position you then repeat raising and lowering your chest to the bar while maintaining your rigid position. This is an excellent exercise for your posture, strengthening back and shoulder muscles.
Leg lifts are another exercise I do daily. I do them from a dip/leg raise machine. I do this for toning stomach and leg muscles. If you are one of us who have lost a lot of weight you know that toning your muscles is something to be dealt with from necessity and not from wanting to develop muscles.
In closing I want to repeat I would not recommend any of these exercises for those heart patients who are just beginning exercising. I would stay with the basics and wait until I felt better about my heart health and strength before attempting any of these. My first exercise efforts involved walking. Outdoors, on a treadmill, on indoor track while carrying an 8 pound ball elevated overhead with one hand. From those basics I progressed to a regular workout exercise routine. You will know when you are recovered and strong enough to attempt more than walking. As a heart patient remember when exercising always stay within doctors orders and your abilities.
Friday, August 3, 2012
Basalmic Vinegar and Salads #125
Many readers are inquiring about feeling "lightheaded and or dizzy after a heart" attack. I assume they are new readers, and recent heart patients. I need to make clear I am not a physician, nor a medical professional. I do have two family members who are unofficial medical experts. Unfortunately for us, I and their children are their only patients. But that is another story. Anyway, assuming you are in the early stages of heart attack recovery, and based on my experiences those dizzy feelings normally occurred after stooping or bending, and were the result of low blood pressure. I have had a problem with that for over two years, which my cardiologist has treated by changing frequency or reducing dosage of my heart and blood pressure medications. There are two or three earlier postings that go into more details about low blood pressure.
Some of you may wonder why I so often continue to refer to myself as a heart attack survivor, and or recovering heart patient, or heart surgery patient. There are many who read this who are new, or who select only specific topics and do not follow our entire progress. I want to be sure I do not present myself as a medical professional, new readers should realize I speak from my experiences.
We eat salads almost daily and use a lot of balsamic vinaigrette which has led me to look into the health aspects of balsamic vinegar. I was quite surprised by some of the general information I found. Balsamic vinegar originated in Italy 900 years ago. It is not made from wine as commonly thought, but from a specific type of white grape. The vinegar is made from the cooked reduction product of those grapes and aged in oak barrels for a long period of time. There are three types of balsamic vinegar. Authentic traditional grade which is aged for a minimum of 12 years. Commercial grade which is used in cooking and food products. And finally condimento grade which is a mix of the other two and may have other products blended in. The authentic traditional grade can be aged for 25 years or more and range in price from $50.00-$500.00 for a small bottle. The weight loss benefits are questionable, but can be attributed being a replacement for high calorie salad dressings. It is combined with olive oil to make balsamic vinaigrette and the health benefits of olive oil are well known. On its own, balsamic vinegar is high in cardiovascular healthy antioxidants, low in saturated fats, low in sodium, and contains no cholesterol. The combination of balsamic vinegar and olive oil make for a healthy salad dressing.
I also enjoy olives in my salads, green olives. I found that most olives start out green on the tree. Some remain green as they ripen and other varieties turn black as they ripen. Olives are very healthful with the many different varieties containing various antioxidants, anti-inflammatory nutrients. They contain monounsaturated fats and studies have shown them to lower cholesterol. You know that I recognize the great health benefits of the Mediterranean diet. I try to follow some of that diet and am encouraged that you will find olives and olive oil center stage of the Mediterranean diet.
A typical salad I eat on a regular basis will contain baby spinach, tomatoes, olives, olive oil and balsamic vinegar. I don't know a "better for your cholesterol or heart healthy food" than any of those.
Some of you may wonder why I so often continue to refer to myself as a heart attack survivor, and or recovering heart patient, or heart surgery patient. There are many who read this who are new, or who select only specific topics and do not follow our entire progress. I want to be sure I do not present myself as a medical professional, new readers should realize I speak from my experiences.
We eat salads almost daily and use a lot of balsamic vinaigrette which has led me to look into the health aspects of balsamic vinegar. I was quite surprised by some of the general information I found. Balsamic vinegar originated in Italy 900 years ago. It is not made from wine as commonly thought, but from a specific type of white grape. The vinegar is made from the cooked reduction product of those grapes and aged in oak barrels for a long period of time. There are three types of balsamic vinegar. Authentic traditional grade which is aged for a minimum of 12 years. Commercial grade which is used in cooking and food products. And finally condimento grade which is a mix of the other two and may have other products blended in. The authentic traditional grade can be aged for 25 years or more and range in price from $50.00-$500.00 for a small bottle. The weight loss benefits are questionable, but can be attributed being a replacement for high calorie salad dressings. It is combined with olive oil to make balsamic vinaigrette and the health benefits of olive oil are well known. On its own, balsamic vinegar is high in cardiovascular healthy antioxidants, low in saturated fats, low in sodium, and contains no cholesterol. The combination of balsamic vinegar and olive oil make for a healthy salad dressing.
I also enjoy olives in my salads, green olives. I found that most olives start out green on the tree. Some remain green as they ripen and other varieties turn black as they ripen. Olives are very healthful with the many different varieties containing various antioxidants, anti-inflammatory nutrients. They contain monounsaturated fats and studies have shown them to lower cholesterol. You know that I recognize the great health benefits of the Mediterranean diet. I try to follow some of that diet and am encouraged that you will find olives and olive oil center stage of the Mediterranean diet.
A typical salad I eat on a regular basis will contain baby spinach, tomatoes, olives, olive oil and balsamic vinegar. I don't know a "better for your cholesterol or heart healthy food" than any of those.
Wednesday, August 1, 2012
Uneasy Highway # 1
Sunday my blood pressure began to abnormally increase. 115/70 has been normal range for me. My first couple of daily readings were in the 145 range and continued to elevate until reaching 178/95. Finally Cindy decided I should go to the ER of a nearby hospital and have a doctor check me. After several hours in the ER it was decided I would be kept over for further test.
My blood pressure was staying in the 160 plus range and I was having heart pains. The next day my cardiologist ordered a nuclear stress test followed that afternoon by a heart catherization searching for blockage. No blockage was found, I went home from the hospital the following day. What do I make of all of this? I do not know and I feel somewhat unsure of my heart health. Until Sunday I considered myself a great example of a healthy lifestyle for those older people recovering from heart problems.
As usual Cindy through all of my troubles has been there at my side. Whether it is push or shove, win or lose, rain or shine, Cindy never falters. She never wavers. She has always been there and has never lost faith in us.
Cindy and I have always appreciated and counted our many blessings and not looked back at our misgivings. The day after I got home from the hospital, Cindy went to her doctor for an annual physical. That night as we were driving to dinner she got a call from her doctor after 6:30 pm. We both knew from the time of the call it was not to deliver good news. Upon reviewing the test results, her doctor discovered a mass on one of her lungs. She is not smoker. Monday I go to my cardiologist for a check up and Friday Cindy goes to a hospital for a biopsy. I will give you the results of her test as soon as we know. I am healthy and strong, I worry and pray for her.
My blood pressure was staying in the 160 plus range and I was having heart pains. The next day my cardiologist ordered a nuclear stress test followed that afternoon by a heart catherization searching for blockage. No blockage was found, I went home from the hospital the following day. What do I make of all of this? I do not know and I feel somewhat unsure of my heart health. Until Sunday I considered myself a great example of a healthy lifestyle for those older people recovering from heart problems.
As usual Cindy through all of my troubles has been there at my side. Whether it is push or shove, win or lose, rain or shine, Cindy never falters. She never wavers. She has always been there and has never lost faith in us.
Cindy and I have always appreciated and counted our many blessings and not looked back at our misgivings. The day after I got home from the hospital, Cindy went to her doctor for an annual physical. That night as we were driving to dinner she got a call from her doctor after 6:30 pm. We both knew from the time of the call it was not to deliver good news. Upon reviewing the test results, her doctor discovered a mass on one of her lungs. She is not smoker. Monday I go to my cardiologist for a check up and Friday Cindy goes to a hospital for a biopsy. I will give you the results of her test as soon as we know. I am healthy and strong, I worry and pray for her.
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