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.

Morphine Hangover Chicken Patty Dinner

I know...the title is a little strange.  Just hear me out...

The other night, I thought I was having another heart attack.  So James rushed me to the hospital.  After several tests, come to find out, it was not another heart attack, but an angina attack brought on by acute tracho-bronchitis...in other words, I have bronchitis and it was shutting down my air flow, which was depriving my heart of the much need oxygen required to live.

One of the many things the hospital did was start an IV and give me some morphine.  It's great stuff...until you get a really bad hangover from it.  That is what happened today.

We got home yesterday morning around 4am and I was flying high.  James said I 'sang all night'.  I have no memory of that.   Needless to say, I slept pretty much all day yesterday.

James woke me up bright and early this morning to go to the super center to get some groceries, house hold supplies and of course, my prescriptions filled.  I do not think there is enough coffee in the world that will get rid of a morphine hangover.  We did our thing and came home.  James went off to work and I went to bed.

I woke up 2 hours later and thought to myself, "I have to fix some dinner...ugh."  So, half asleep and hungover, I took out some breaded chicken patties.  I stood in my kitchen looking at them and had no clue what to do with them.  I decided to 'wing it' and throw some stuff together and call it done.

It turned out pretty good.

Morphine Hangover Chicken Patty Dinner

3 breaded chicken patties
1 small onion, halved, then sliced
1/2 teaspoon garlic
1-2 Roma tomato, sliced thick
3 slices of turkey bacon, halved (so you have 6 slices)
3 slices of cheese (your choice, I used American)
1 1/2 cups uncooked instant rice

Directions
Heat skillet (I used my large cast iron, you will need an oven proof skillet).  Place turkey bacon in heated skillet and fry until almost done.  Remove to plate lined with paper towel.  While bacon is frying, slice onion.  After removing bacon from skillet, add onions and stir.  Turn heat to Medium and let the onion sweat for about 3-4 minutes. Add the garlic and stir. Remove from skillet.  (I put mine on the plate with the bacon)

Add the chicken patties and cook until almost heated through.  Take the tomato and slice.  Top each patty with 2 slices of tomato, 2 slices of the bacon, and, the onion/garlic mixture.  Add salt and pepper to taste and top with the cheese slice.  Heat oven to 300 and place skillet in the oven and let this cook for about 15-20 minutes. 

While the patties are in the oven, make the rice according to box directions.

To serve
On a plate, put 1/2 to 1 cup of the rice in the middle and top with the chicken patty.  Drizzle some ranch dressing, ketchup, salsa, sour cream, whatever you like, or leave it plain.  You could use buns and have a chicken patty sandwich, too.

This was actually pretty good and very filling.  I might just have to make this again, but without the morphine hangover.

Eating healthy

Most of the time, I try to add a little humor to this blog.  Some things, though, we should be serious about, and this is that thing. 
It's been almost 6 months since I had my heart attack.  I would love to report that life is better than it was, however, I am still struggling with the smoking and losing weight.  Confession time: I got off my diet and gained 5 pounds.
Part of that, I believe, is due to the fact that my treadmill is buried behind a pile of sheet rock.  Not to say I haven't been active.  I have been out in my yard working, planting my flowers and a few veggies, pulling weeds and all that fun stuff. 
In life, we are going to have set backs.   We are going to have bad days, weeks even.  We are going to have things go wrong, break down and just quit on us. It's called living.  It's what life is all about.  We must look at it as it is; Life.  We can choose to cry or we can choose to laugh.  I think I like laughing better.
I decided to share my journey of better living with you for a couple of reasons.  1. It keeps me held accountable, and 2. Something I may say, may help YOU live a better life.  Some people feel I should keep this journey to myself.  I feel that I should share it with you.  If what I say helps just one person, then I feel my job is done.

Now on with the show.  Heart disease can be prevented.  Heart disease begins the moment we are born.  Everything we eat, drink, breath in affects our heart, veins and arteries.  How active we are, how we manage stress and our weight all affect our hearts.  I am going to focus on what we eat.  Fast food, sweet treats, and drinks, fats/oils, will determine how our hearts work.

Let's do a little anatomy background.  Your heart sits in the center of your chest.  Your heart beats, allowing the blood to be pumped throughout your body and circulates up to the heart, through the heart and out into the body again.  Your blood is full of oxygen.  Without it, your heart suffers, you kidneys will suffer, your brain will suffer, in short, your entire system will suffer. 
So, how does the food we eat affect our hearts?  It's very simple.  If you eat unhealthy foods; fat, sugar, dyes, processed foods, red meats and dairy products which all contain "Cholesterol", you end up with too much cholesterol in the arteries.  Our bodies produce all the cholesterol we need.  Eating these foods causes our bodies to have an over abundance of cholesterol, which in turns, clogs up our arteries, and in general, makes us all feel sluggish, causes us to be bloated, unable to sleep, and just makes us miserable.  When you have too much cholesterol, it begins to build up within the arteries.  When it fills up the artery, blood is unable to flow properly, and you have a shortage of oxygen to the entire body, and you have what is known as a heart attack.

What can we do to help prevent heart disease? 
1. Control your portion size.  We eat way more than what is recommended.  I remember when I was working in daycare as the cook, the recommended amount of fries for a 2 year old was 1 oz.  That's about 5 fries, 3 green beans, 1 1/2 of a chicken nugget. Compare that to what is usually consumed and you can see we eat way too much.  One box of mac and cheese can feed a family of four.  Most of us, will eat, on average, 2-3 boxes at one meal.  For pasta, the serving size is 1/2 cups, for an adult.  I think it is fair to assume, most eat more than 1/2 cups of pasta.
2. Eat your fruits and veggies.  These are the best source of vitamins and minerals, fiber and they are lower in calories.  However, you still must watch how much you eat of them. 
3. Choose whole grains.  Anything 'white' should never touch your lips.  White rice, white bread, white potatoes.  The better choice is wheat bread, brown rice and sweet potatoes.  These foods are high in fiber, which can help improve the hearts ability to pump.
4. Limit unhealthy fats and cholesterol.  Limit the amount of saturated and trans fat you consume.  These foods raises your cholesterol, which we already have enough of, so limit these foods, if not, just cut them out altogether.
5. Read the label.  Foods with "reduced fat" on the box or package, may not be reduced if it contains 'bad' fats. 

We can all have a healthier heart and live a long life.  We have one heart, we should be taking care of it.  With just a few life style changes, eating a healthier diet and getting exercise everyday, we can live a life full of energy and happiness.

Time To Move

We're moving!  Not the blog.  Not US.  I'm talking about getting off the sofa and move a little...or a lot.

http://www.bhrec.org/rec/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=165&Itemid=106

According to uwhealth.org, "After a heart attack, the damaged heart muscle needs time to heal.  This involves allowing scar tissue to form.  The scar from a heart attack needs about 6 weeks to become strong enough to handle moderate to heavy work."  This also depends on how sever the heart attack was.  Obviously, the more sever the heart attack, the longer it will take.

WHY should I do any exercise?  There are many reasons you need to move after a heart attack.  It decreases the heart's need for oxygen.  It reduces your triglycerides and bad cholesterol and INcreases the good cholesterol.  It lowers blood pressure.  It helps your body create tiny new blood vessels which bypass clogged vessels.  It reduces the amount the blood clots and plaque build-up. It helps you lose or manage your weight.  It also reduces stress and helps improve your emotional state of mind.

But what about those of us who despise exercise?  Okay, maybe 'despise' is a strong word.  Exercise doesn't mean yoga, or aerobics.  It can be a nice walk after dinner.  It can be cleaning your house.  It can be raking the leaves.  Mowing the grass.  Throwing a ball with the kids outside.   It can be swimming, rafting, anything that gets you and your heart rate up

You want to start out slow, though, and work your way up.  You don't want to over do it.  And, if you have pain in your chest, by all means, sit down and take a breath.  Drink a LOT of water, too.  When you become dehydrated, it makes the heart work harder than it should.

http://animationsa2z.com/gym-physical-health-club3.php

After my heart attack, it was hard for me to get up and exercise.  It still is.  I hate walking.  It makes my back hurt and now, with a torn ligament in my foot, at times, almost impossible.  It's boring.  So, I have found other things to get this heart rate of mine up....cleaning my house, for example.  I turn up the music and get after it!  I move my hips when I am dusting.  I dance when mopping the floors (the mop IS my partner).  I reach high to clean the trim and squat low to clean the base boards.  I work in my yard.  I move blocks. I rake leaves.  I plant flowers.  I trim the edging, fence line and ditches.  I take the dogs outside and play with them.  And, when I get tired, I rest.

Things take a little longer than they used to before my heart attack.  I get tired more easy now.  This has taken me a little longer to accept and I get aggravated about it more.  However, I know I have to do it.

SO, let's get up and move a little today.

BBQ Chicken Sandwiches

I went to see my Chiropractor this morning.  As I lie upon the 'adjustment' table, he says, "Are you losing weight?"  Made my day, it did.  Then, he asked me what I was doing to lose the weight.  Here is what I told him: "I'm eating."  WHAT????  Yes, before my heart attack, I was only eating one meal a day, mostly in the evenings (dinner).  Now, I eat breakfast, lunch and dinner and maybe a snack before bedtime.  I am also on my treadmill 2-3 times a week.  I have lost, to date, 15 lbs. since December 24th!  Pat me on the back!!!  I realized that by eating one meal a day, my body was in a constant state of 'stravation mode".  It was creating fat to supplement what I was not eating.  It's a vicious cycle.

I have tweaked my food.  I use olive oil now.  I eat more fresh fruit and veggies.  I broil, bake, poach, or grill my food.  I do NOT, however, buy 'low fat' anything.  Like Mrs. Paula Deen says, it's better to eat the real thing, just less of it, than that fake stuff.  I do look at the labels when I buy food and opt for NO trans fats and either zero or low Cholesterol.  And, to my great surprise, it isn't costing me MORE to eat more healthy.  And, of course, I watch the amount of food I eat.  Yes, portion control in vital.  I still eat ice cream.  I eat ONE scoop, instead of half a pint.  I still eat pizza, which I make myself.  BUT, I eat a very small slice with a huge salad.

Just making a few adjustments in what I eat, and how I prepare it has made a huge difference.  I also use my crock pot a lot more. 

I am making these pulled chicken sandwiches for dinner tonight.  Unfortunately, until I am able to purchase another laptop, I can't post photos. :(  Come on, tax refund!!!  Being unable to post photos really puts a damper on things for me.  Bear with me, folks.  I will be posting photos in a few weeks.  Until then, this is what I do to make a health version of BBQ Chicken Sandwiches.

You will need the following:

4-6 boneless, skinless chicken breast.
1/2 of a red onion, sliced and cut in half
5-7 button mushrooms, diced
2 tablespoons minced garlic
1 tablespoon Kosher salt
1/2 tablespoon black pepper
1/2 tablespoon Old Bay Seasoning Mix
1 bottle of BBQ sauce, I only use 1/2 the bottle.

Chop and diced the onion and mushrooms. Place in the bottom of the crock pot.  Add, the garlic, salt and pepper, and seasoning mix and give it a good stir.  Place chicken on top of veggies, set on high, cover, and walk away for 4-6 hours.  Take out the chicken and shred it up using two forks.  Take the veggies out, place in a blender and blend until smooth.  Add the now blended veggie and the BBQ sauce in the crock pot, add the now shredded chicken and stir to mix.  Cover and walk away for 1 hour.

Meanwhile, open up a bag of cole slaw mix and add 1/2 cup of cole slaw dressing and mix it up. Place in the fridge to chill. 

When ready to chow down, take onion rolls, put a scoop of cole slaw mix on the bottom bun, top with BBQ chicken and eat!  You can put the slaw on the side if you want.  Serve with chips, pickles, bake black beans, etc.

One sandwich is enough to fill you up.  Using the left overs, open a can of black beans, or cook them up, add in some corn and the chicken, top this on a corn tortilla and YUM!

Until next time, when I am praying I have a new laptop and photos.

Gershelda

Chicken and More

How’s your New Year going?  So far, mine has been uneventful.  I like it that way.  As I said in my last post, we have a new puppy.  Think we’ll name her Freckles.  She seems to like that name.  

I have been trying a few new recipes since my heart attack. I tried this chicken breast recipe from The Recipe Crayon Box and fell in LOVE.  Normally, I hate skinless, boneless chicken breast, but this one is to die for!  I followed it to the letter and it was so moist and tasty.  You HAVE to try this.  I won’t ever cook chicken the same again.  Hubby and son LOVED it, too, so BONUS!! 

Another thing I have been doing is keeping serious track of what and how much I am eating.  I am using SuperTracker through the USDA website.  The thing with this is you have to be honest about what you eat.  NO CHEATING!  This is a great way to see which food groups you need more of, how much fat and salt you are consuming, and which foods you need to cut back on. You put in all your information and it automatically gives you the details of calories needed to lose or maintain your weight, which foods you need, everything.  

There is also a fitness tracker.  You put in the amount of exercise you do each day and what type you do, walking, running, yoga.  The downfall to this is if you do less than 10 minutes a day of exercise, it will not count it.  As it is, I’m doing 10 minutes a day on the treadmill but it’s not counting it.   Bummer!

This is a great way to keep healthy, but, as I said, you have to be honest about it.  Nothing helps you if you can’t be honest.  Lying never produced anything helpful or positive. 

I weighed myself this morning.  I have lost 4 pounds since my heart attack.  Not bad, and a great start to this new life.  Adjusting to this new life style has not been as hard as I had once thought.  The eating 3-5 meals a day is the hardest, but I figured I just eat less each time.  There have been some great benefits to this, as well.  My blood sugars are lower (sometimes too low) so, I am cutting back my insulin.  This is a GREAT thing!  I am drinking more water, something I would not have done in the past, and I am finding I’m not as swollen. This means I do not have to hit the water pill as often.  Another GREAT thing! 

If you are trying to live a heart healthy life, keep up the great work.  And try out that chicken recipe.  You will not be disappointed.

Gershelda