High Blood Pressure

[JamieMarc]

@BlueBells
Thank you for the hugs and the condolences.
I'm sorry for the loss of your friend too. What a wonderful friend he must have been. Imagine quitting smoking, something so addictive and such a part of one's lifestyle and identity in a way, for you, his friend. That is a wonderful friend!

We've been talking about balance. The word balance has been one of my favorite what I call keywords or go to words for a number of years now. I have others like gratitude, abundance and more. Words that I use to remind myself about how beautiful life is and how to live my life.

But I am straying as usual. For those who may be reading this with high blood pressure, the friend I have been speaking of who I lost at one point switched to a non-salt substitute, and he was pleasantly surprised how much he enjoyed it. But for some reason or other, I can't remember exactly, he eventually went back to salt. When he was in the nursing home during his final years, he would keep a stash of salt in there without the staff knowing. There comes A Time near the end of life when those things just don't matter anymore, and one should be able to enjoy and savor all of their favorite things about life, including the simplest of things like salt.

Mrs dash is one brand I'm aware of that makes many different salt substitutes for those reading this who might want to try it. And of course, always read those labels and avoid all canned foods as a general rule of thumb.

I already get a full blood work up every 4 to 6 months, so I am always well aware of not just my blood levels of sodium but my blood pressure as well. Should it ever get too high for an extended period I think I'll be okay without salt or less salt without any problem. When I switched to low carb, rather liberal low carb, I really thought I would miss Bread and pasta so much, but I don't. Instead, I was able to get creative and learn new ways to prepare foods that would traditionally include pasta for example. So I'm certain I could do the same thing with salt were that time to ever come.

Many hugs @BlueBells and @SBee

 

[BlueBells]

Thank you @JamieMarc

Yes, he was one of those "got your back" friends, and they are so rare! As we both lived on our own, we'd have daily contact, even if just a 2 minute call to check "you on your feet? ". I really miss that. There are times that loneliness bites harder when there simply is no one to call. I mean, if desperate, there are people I can call on, but not so much to just say hi to.

 

[SBee]

@BlueBells that's so hard to miss the briefest of daily contacts that meant so much to both of you. I love a friendship where you can say are you ok ? Get a head and then you have to say .. no, I'll say it again, really - are you ok, because you just know when something is not quite right.
They don't come often some do need to relish those friends.

A big but to you today bluebells. xx

 

[SBee]

@JamieMarc I switched years ago from proper salt to LO-Salt in the UK. Im used to it so much I no longer like real salt. I am making a conscious effort to make better changes,the recent BP scare has knocked that into me. I thought my diet is pretty good, I always cook from scratch mostly plant based, lower fat options etc but seeing if I can make smaller extra changes.
( Except refuse to give up full fat oat milk, cos a decent decaff coffee is my only true sin. Well, food wise anyway.... )

But I need to push harder if that's something I can do for myself. I need to get my body in it's best position to help against the new health stuff. Gives me a feeling of gaining some control back but in a safe kind way of that makes sense. Am sure some days I will do the ' why am I bothering' thing but once my minds set on something so go for it.

hugs as always my friend

 

[JamieMarc]

@BlueBells @SBee
That was the exact same kind of friend Joe was, and the same type of relationship we had. After losing Joe, I am so grateful that I still have my other BFF, Gene, with whom I have the same type of relationship. We have been best friends for at least 35 years now. I am so blessed and grateful to have him in my life still, and I know he feels the same about me. I am also his BFF.

 

[JamieMarc]

@SBee
Our diet is one of those things that we can safely experiment with to find out what makes us feel our best. Sounds like that's what you are doing, and that's what I am doing as well. I have noticed changes every time I tweak my diet a little or even switch to a different type of diet, not to lose weight, but for health and feeling good, feeling my best.

There are so many areas of our lives that we have control over that we can experiment with safely without medication to see if that is something that could make a difference. I have identified so many things that do, and I hope to find even more as the months and years go by. And much of what I have learned and tried or even thought of, many of those ideas I got from all of you.

Big hugs back at you!

 

[BlueBells]

@JamieMarc @SBee

Thankyou for the kind comments. So pleased Jamie to hear you still have a friend like that. Very special indeed !

I'm trying to keep to a balanced healthy diet. When able (fibro) I cook a big pot of stew or soup and freeze it down. At least that way I know what's in my frozen dinners

I've never yet gotten the courage to freeze a 'dinner' as in meat and veg, or a pasta dish. I need to do that also, as I can go weeks without having the energy/inclination to cook.

I know home cooked is way better than take away, and veg/salad is so much better than sandwiches, mainly as less bread. ( I love bread!).

If I have eggs, I need toast with them, or I feel unwell. However, my daughter had a friend visiting (from Florida ) and he cooked eggs, tuna, some spices, and a dash of milk. When about done, would top it with cheese. I can eat that, no bread !!

 

[MissNeverWell]

I've often wondered about salt , and yes, seems different people require different amounts.

Interesting you mention that. I consider myself a very moderate salt user as I don't like the taste of excessive salt and used Becel unsalted margarine for years. However, frequently, my blood work taken at annual physicals showed a high salt content and the only possibility that made some sense was dehydration. Still, it just didn't seem to fit. I'm wondering if Becel replaced the salt with another ingredient that is equally salty, like soy, the way they add different forms of sweeteners when the say "sugar free".

 

[BlueBells]

@MissNeverWell

Still, it just didn't seem to fit. I'm wondering if Becel replaced the salt with another ingredient that is equally salty, like soy, the way they add different forms of sweeteners when the say "sugar free".

Maybe, you would need to study the chemical composition.

I'm allergic to artificial sweeteners, from just feeling nausea through to one giving me headaches, dizziness, general unwell, and my dad picked that one, it was affecting my mood as well, getting a bit easily annoyed. That was over a week or so.

I try to go as natural as possible, ordinary salt, butter, (not the softened with canola ones) cane sugar and just cutting back on them a bit. I've tried plant "milks", but they are not for me. An odd soy is pleasant, but too often and my gut says nope. I prefer skim (skimmed) milk, or light. I have skim in tea, and full cream in other drinks, not that I have many, and light for cereal.

I love cream, but I cannot have too much fats, so I limit that. Also, the more fats I eat, the more sugary I need to balance out, sounds weird that one. I do have a sugar imbalance, and I've gotten pretty good at that sugar/fat thing. Mostly, I just eat very little of either.

 

[SBee]

@BlueBells freezing homemade soup is my go to, in those days where I CBA or don't feel up to cooking. Like you I freeze smaller batches of stews\bakes and then add a ton of veggies or salad for extra goodness and vitamins. If I don't have healthy home cooked stuff around its far easier to reach for the more unbalanced foods. So I literally avoid buying crap food! If it's not there, can't be tempted

Couple of years ago switched to fake Sugar substitute a couple of years back.... Now I avoid it completely. Everyone has their own choices but yeah,this stuffs not for me. No longer a sugar person actually ( sweet enough!? hahahahaha. Not )

 

[JamieMarc]

a big pot of stew or soup and freeze it down. At least that way I know what's in my frozen dinners

@BlueBells
I do much the same as you. I cook one or two dishes in my slow cooker every week, portion and freeze them. Not only is it healthier, as you said, since I know what I'm putting in my body, but I enjoy doing it. And I like getting creative too. I get 5 to 6 meals out of every slow cooker dish that I make.

Some things don't freeze well, so you have to be careful about what you cook. I am low carb, so pretty much every dish I make freezes very well. I love bread too, and I do miss it sometimes, but not nearly as much as I thought I would. Same thing with pasta. However, I am liberal low carb on the weekends, so I do get to enjoy a pizza or a pasta dish now and then.

I also eat a lot more eggs than I did before I went low carb.