The Stuff In My Fridge; The Mysteries In My Pantry
After the HA (heart attack acronym): phase one: suddenly, I am mystified by my pantry and disgusted by my fridge’s contents. Grocery shopping has become a more measured, analytical and complex process. Reading nutritional labels and information is like reading a badly translated instructional manual.
A recent radio broadcast featured a report on sodium. Now, too little sodium might be bad for your heart. So, where do I get a sodium counter that tells me when I have consumed the right amount of sodium?
Here’s what I’m learning. Keep it simple. Eat something dark green and something orange. For fibre, pick a cereal not a sweater. Add a berry to the cereal. Smother it in organic skim milk. Boil a bunch of eggs and have one every now and then for protein. Yogurt’s a good protein thing. And unsweetened nuts. Beans are great for protein and farts. Pork, chicken, beef always figure in the mix, but salmon and tuna should also fit into the mix. I’m not a big fan of fish straight up , but I can handle tuna salad sandwiches.
Spinach and mushrooms — wow — every TV doctor’s all over them. Can’t go wrong with fruits. Bananas are high in sugar, but high in potassium, too. And as I am on heart meds, I need more potassium. An apple a day …
There are some great websites out there that really dig into every health topic —www.mayoclinic.com, www.caloriecount.about.com, www.webmd.com —
And anything that helps me process fluid — good thing — I’ve seen what 25 pounds of excess retained fluid looks like in my legs. Right now, I’m as thin as I’ve every been. Everyone says I look great. So, next time someone asks me if I’ve been working out, I can say — well, I tried to kill myself, but now I just make sure I eat in a way that allows me to expel liquid regularly so I can look this way. How do you like me so far?
At the end of the day, I’m learning by trying; not beating myself up if I have something sweet or something salty. What matters is that I don’t do anything to excess and stay away from the obvious killers — like cigarettes, telemarketers, and anything else that causes unnecessary stress.
By the way, if you have learned anything interesting about health, please share.
November 25, 2011 at 5:30 am
Thanks for your article, it was a very interesting read, and most helpful for me. It answered many of my questions, and hopefully I will be able to implement your suggestions, and have a positive outcome.
December 7, 2011 at 11:56 pm
The most interesting thing I have learned about health is this -
“People have always understood intuitively that mind and body are not separable,” writes Vancouver physician Gabor Maté in his enthralling exploration of the relationship between stress and disease, ‘WHEN THE BODY SAYS NO -The cost of hidden stress’.
VERY interesting book.
December 12, 2011 at 1:03 pm
I can say with experience that Beano is a bean eater’s best friend.
January 9, 2012 at 5:25 pm
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January 17, 2012 at 12:04 pm
Michael, good to hear you’re doing alright, particularly after HA. Like your blog….interesting reads.