Heart Healthy Foods

A new month means a new health article.

Continuing on my year of heart healthy ideas, one thing I have to confess...I've fallen off the wagon.  In foods that are heart healthy, that is.  It's hard to break old habits.  It's harder when you have some really picky eaters.  For example, Jacob will not eat okra, squash, cooked mushrooms, and most any 'unnormal' veggie, like asparagus and cauliflower.  James will not eat fish or seafood of any kind, and most veggies.  When he and I first began to date, the most in veggies he would eat was corn, green beans and peas and carrots, not pea and then carrots, but they had to be mixed.  I've gotten him to eat broccoli, cauliflower and he still refuses to eat turnip or mustard greens.   He introduced me to black beans and I must admit, I was a bit nervous at first, but I LOVE them now.  They have become a staple in our pantry.

We buy groceries once a month.  Confession: I hate buying groceries.  We tried doing the making a menu and buying one time a week, but I found we were spending more money doing that because there were nights we just didn't want baked chicken and preferred pizza instead. And, did I mention, I hate buying groceries?   I don't do menu's and as it may work for some, for us, it just wasn't feasible.   It did help with the "what's for dinner" question, but when I said what was for dinner, I got some really bad looks. I've also stopped asking, "What do you want for dinner tonight" because I have yet to find a recipe for "I don't know" and "I don't care". 

So, tomorrow morning, I will get up bright and early, have a pot of coffee, and go buy some food.  Wanting to get back on track, I have been researching heart healthy foods.  This is the tricky part.  Picky eaters.  Most fruits, James and Jacob will eat.  It's (again) the veggies.  Personally, there aren't too many veggies I won't eat.  I don't care for blueberries, eggplant or artichokes (to name a few).  I won't refuse to eat those foods if I'm at some one's home for dinner, but I just don't care for them.  As for meats, I get tired of chicken, pork and beef and would love some fish.  I save those moments for when James and I go out for dinner.  I eat all the fish I can hold (and then some).

Here are some heart healthy foods that we all need to eat.  
1. Salmon
2. Flax seed
3. Oatmeal
4. Black or Kidney Beans
5. Almonds
6. Walnuts
7. Red Wine
8. Tuna
9. Popcorn
10. Brown rice
11. Soy milk
12. Blueberries
13. Carrots
14. Spinach
15. Broccoli
16. Sweet potato
17. Red bell peppers
18. Asparagus
19. Oranges
20. Tomatoes
21. Bananas
22. Cantaloupe
23. Papaya
24. Dark chocolate
25. Tea
26. Yogurt (Live active cultures are best)
27. Lentils
28. Raisins
29. 100% whole wheat bread, tortillas, cereals, pastas, etc
30. Apples
(Source:  www.webmd.com, healthfinder.gov, eatingwell.com)

We all need to eat healthier.  And most of these will go on my grocery list for tomorrow.   Some ideas, bake, broil, grill your meats...whether it is chicken, fish, pork or beef.  If you have a slow cooker, USE IT!  I love mine and I use it year round.  Steam your veggies.  Leave the skins on potatoes, apples and most any other veggies or fruits you can eat the skins.  That is where all the vitamins are and they are healthy.  Just wash them good and enjoy. :)  Do not fry your foods and if you do, use olive or canola oils and very little of them.  We all needs oils/fats in our diets.  That is what keeps our skin from drying out and becoming flaky and yucky.  Go easy on the sugar.  Sugar raises your triglycerides, which increases your cholesterol.  Not a good thing. Also, go easy on the salt.  Most canned foods have more than enough salt to cover what our bodies need.  Learn to use herbs and spices to replace the salt.  Garlic, onion powder (not salt), rosemary, thyme, basil, ginger, paprika, to name a few can add a wonderful flavor to foods and you won't miss the salt.  Lemon, lime, orange juice and zest can add a whole new element to foods.

Whether you have heart disease or not, we can all learn to eat a little healthier.  Make it fun.  Food can be fun and healthy.  Try it, you might find you enjoy it.  And, don't be afraid to try new foods.  You may find you actually like it.

Heart Health: Smoking

I was looking back at all I have done for a “Year of Heart Health” and I have touched on this subject but not really dug into it.  It’s a bit touchy for some.  Some have really strong feelings about smoking and others just don’t care.  You either love it or hate it.   

I am a smoker.  I quit once for almost 5 years, but I got a case of stupid and started smoking again.  It’s true what they say, that if you have stopped smoking and start back, you’ll smoke more and it’s harder to quit again.  When I quit the last time it really wasn’t that hard.  Not so much this time.  It’s been difficult.  Maybe it’s because I have more stress in my life now.  Maybe it’s because I’m bored.  Maybe it’s because other people smoke around me.  Maybe….it’s an excuse to not stop. 

As with any drug and yes, nicotine is a drug, there is a reason why you do it.  Once you find out that reason, it’s a little easier to stop.  I knew why I had started smoking in the first time, so that made it easier to stop.  Why did I start again?  That remains a mystery.  I’m not sure.  I remember when, I remember who it was that gave me that cigarette; I remember where I was at and what I was doing.  I do not remember why.

So how does smoking affect the heart? Smoking causes a buildup of fatty stuff in your arteries.  This is called Atherosclerosis.   This occurs when the normal lining of the arteries deteriorate, the walls of the arteries become thick and fatty deposits and plaque block the blood flow.  Your arteries become narrow, which decreases the supply of blood to the heart, which decreases the oxygen to the heart, which puts more strain on your heart, which can lead to a heart attack.  MAN!  That was a mouth full!  Smoking also decreases HDL (good cholesterol) and increases blood pressure and heart rate.

It’s good to not smoke.

I’ve been taking Chantix to help me stop smoking and I must admit it has helped me a great deal!  In 12 days, I have went from 3 packs a day down to 1 (sometime ½) packs a day!  There are a whole bunch of side effects with taking Chantix.  I cannot stress this enough:  TAKE THEM SERIOUSLY!  They are not put on the packaging for you to entertain yourself while in the bathroom.  

The one thing I was looking out for is Chantix can cause a heart attack.  Having already had two of them, I did not want a third.  I expected some edginess, crankiness, and shortness, but I did not expect the hostility, anger, aggression and other negative feelings I was having and unable to control.  I felt like I was on the edge of losing it all the time.  I wanted to yell at people and I wasn’t holding my thoughts back, either.  Everything I thought, somehow, came out of my mouth.  I could not control it.  It was becoming dangerous, not just for others, but for me as well.  One time, I thought about getting my hubby’s pellet gun and shooting him with it!  Why?  No idea.  It was almost impulsive and I had to talk myself out of it.  I did a lot of talking.  I love my husband very much and why I wanted to harm him, I still have no idea.  My logic tells me I need therapy.

So, I am now taking a 1mg daily, and a 1mg every other night.  We'll see how that works out.  I'm not feeling as hostile as I was, so that in and of itself is an improvement.

I can say I am breathing better.  I feel better overall.  My house smells better because there is no smoking in the house now.  It’s a bit of an inconvenience to stop whatever it is you are doing to go outside to smoke.  Hubby has a slight problem doing this.  He attempts to guilt me into letting him smoke inside.  He’ll say, “Guess I’ll go OUTside to smoke.”  Then, look at me as if to say, ‘Please can I smoke inside?”  I just smile and say, “Okay”.  Yes, I am standing my ground on this.  My sister won’t come to see me because she can’t smoke in the house.  Oh well.  My health is more important than she is.  And it’s not that I am becoming ‘one of those people’.  Right now, the smell of cigarette smoke makes me sick.  A side effect of the Chantix.  One day, I’m sure, it won’t bother me.  Then again, it might.  I don’t know.  I just know that right now, not smoking in the house is helping me.  Sometimes I think it would be a lot easier if hubby didn’t smoke. 

I know I am making my heart happy and healthy by not smoking, or as of now, not smoking as much.  I know by not smoking I will live a longer life.  If you haven’t stopped smoking, maybe you should look into it.  Again, not going to become one of those people.  But, it will make you healthier, happier, you will breath better and because your heart is getting the much needed oxygen rich blood, your heart will be better.  Your lungs will clear up; your sinus’ will improve.  That cough you have…it will go away.  Your life and your health will improve.  And, you will be proud of you.