Facing death.

@Diane,

Re the orange juice, you might want to skip anyway diane.

From the testing they did, it only had an effect on your numbers when you had a total of three 8 oz glass a day. 2 glasses did not have an effect.

Personally, I think the main thing that changed the numbers were the sardines.

I eat them mixed up with saltines for breakfast. It has the secondary results of holding off hunger until lunch time.
I figured it was the high oil, high protein content.

oh....and don't forget the walnuts. Get yourself a bag of walnuts.

1 Reply

@chai2,

Walnuts, blueberries, things like that. Looks like a lot of considerably less-processed foods should be on the menu. Not necessarily vegan (most fish is good), but less beef, pork, that kinda thing. Probably very little dairy unless it's low- or non-fat. Whole grains, etc.

1 Reply

chicken - not fried of course.
any fish with scales. I am not sure about shellfish.
almost any nuts, especially walnuts, almonds, hazelnuts - not peanuts
olive oil in everything
avocados - great spread on multigrain toast
vegetables the richer in color the better - not potatoes
high fiber fruits like blueberries, apples
whole grains - buckwheat, popcorn, oat groats, wheat berries, rye, bulghar, etc.
beans

Vegetables should amount to half of the food that's on your plate.

Drink LOTS of water. Water makes your blood thinner and sugar in excess makes it thicker. Thinner blood is better. It makes you feel less hungry especially if you drink a glass before you eat. Of course, you shouldn't limit yourself to three glasses of water.

So, breakfast could be:
a glass of water - can be hot, with lemon, whatever
whole grain toast spread with half an avocado (the other half can wait until tomorrow if needed)
a handful of blueberries
a handful of nuts
coffee if you must

Lunch:
glass of water
mixed greens salad with bell peppers, olives and a hard boiled egg, walnuts, sardines (no opaque dressings)
another slice of whole grain bread
a small square of bitter sweet chocolate

Dinner:
glass of water
broiled chicken breast marinated in lemon, olive oil and what ever spice suits you
bulghur wheat dressed with something that makes it palatable to you
broccoli, kale - some dark green vegie
apple for dessert

1 Reply

@jespah,

fresh blueberries and walnut pieces in low fat yogurt.

yum.

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@Diane,

Diane wrote:

I can modify most of that in a way that would be good for a low cholesterol diet and a diet for diabetics.

Diane, would it be possible for you to get a referral to a nutritionist?

you've got a variety of diagnoses and medications that need to be kept in balance - diet can definitely help, but it's a bit tricky sorting it all out independently.

i.e. some of the foods that are good re improving/controlling cholesterol are contraindicated by the diabetes

we've seen on other threads where the diets that have been recommended for people with diabetes are contraindicated if they have high blood pressure (i.e. the dark leafy greens are out in those cases)

there are tremendous resources out there - I hope you access them and choose to apply them

lotsa luck kid!

1 Reply

@littlek,

wow, that sounds like a great menu.

I love avocodo and tomato sammiches.

Here's a meal I really like diane...

prepare bow tie (or any other kind of pasta, whole grain would be good) and while it's cooking make the following

Sautee some diced tomato in olive oil and garlic, when it's reduced a little bit, add in a big bunch of arugula and let it wilt, stirring it once or twice. Only takes a couple minutes. Turn off heat
Add in your pasta, and more oil if needed.

Sprinkle a little cheese on top, close the lid and let it melt.

I'll bet this would be good done with other grains too.

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@ehBeth,

Dark leafy greens are out for high BP?

1 Reply

@littlek,

Can be deadly depending on meds that might be in use.

1 Reply

@ehBeth,

ehBeth wrote:

Can be deadly depending on meds that might be in use.

interesting.
I just read this....

There could be several reasons why dark, leafy greens could affect blood pressure -- and thus blood-pressure medications.

For example, some dark, leafy greens contain relatively high amounts of calcium and potassium -- two minerals that can affect blood pressure. For example, spinach, kale, turnip greens, and beet greens contain significant amounts of calcium, which might boost blood pressure above normal levels, "outgunning" the blood-pressure medication.

Some leafy greens also contain magnesium, which can lower high-blood-pressure.

Much depends on how the plants are grown, the mineral content of the soil, and the rest of a person's diet. Obviously, a person who consumes dairy product will get even more calcium. And of course the rest of the diet could contain nutrients that will affect blood pressure.

Obviously, if dietary changes can produce a healthful range for blood pressure, the need for medication should be reassessed. But of course the person should go slowly in dietary changes so that effects could be well monitored and medication adjusted accordingly. Personally, I'd be much more concerned about these possible side effects of blood-pressure medications than side effects of a healthy diet. ;-)

1 Reply

@chai2,

chai2 wrote:

Personally, I'd be much more concerned about these possible side effects of blood-pressure medications than side effects of a healthy diet. ;-)

Me too in most circumstances, but Diane has a history of critically high blood pressure and I'd be wary of making changes without the consult of a nutritionist and her dr.

http://able2know.org/topic/18871-183#post-3906546

1 Reply

I want to let you know I'm thinking of you both and hoping that you follow the good advice of these fine people and your doctors.
Dys looks so much like my grandfather, I'd hate to lose that connection again. Much love...

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I don't know if anyone has mentioned it, but anyone who is taking statin medications (Lipitor, etc.) for cholesterol should avoid grapefruit.

http://www.mayoclinic.com/health/food-and-nutrition/AN00413

Quote:

Yes, grapefruit juice, other grapefruit products and certain other citrus fruits can interfere with several kinds of prescription medications. Don't take these interactions lightly, as some can cause potentially dangerous health problems. Check with your doctor or pharmacist before consuming any grapefruit products or citrus fruits if you take prescription medications. You may need to eliminate grapefruit products from your diet. Simply taking your medication and grapefruit product at different times doesn't stop the interaction.

Certain chemicals that grapefruit products and citrus fruits contain can interfere with the enzymes that break down (metabolize) various medications in your digestive system. As a result, more medication stays in your body. This can increase the potency of your medication to potentially dangerous levels, causing serious side effects.

2 Replies

@Phoenix32890,

Quote:

I don't know if anyone has mentioned it, but anyone who is taking statin medications (Lipitor, etc.) for cholesterol should avoid grapefruit.

And I highly recomend taking CoQ10...I had some trouble going on statins with joint pain and lack of energy..I almost stopped but instead added CoQ10 and have had no further trouble.

3 Replies

@JPB,

JPB wrote:

chai2 wrote:
Personally, I'd be much more concerned about these possible side effects of blood-pressure medications than side effects of a healthy diet. ;-)

Me too in most circumstances, but Diane has a history of critically high blood pressure and I'd be wary of making changes without the consult of a nutritionist and her dr.

http://able2know.org/topic/18871-183#post-3906546

BTW, that was the comment in the article, not mine.

1 Reply

@Phoenix32890,

Phoenix32890 wrote:

I don't know if anyone has mentioned it, but anyone who is taking statin medications (Lipitor, etc.) for cholesterol should avoid grapefruit.

http://www.mayoclinic.com/health/food-and-nutrition/AN00413

Quote:
Yes, grapefruit juice, other grapefruit products and certain other citrus fruits can interfere with several kinds of prescription medications. Don't take these interactions lightly, as some can cause potentially dangerous health problems. Check with your doctor or pharmacist before consuming any grapefruit products or citrus fruits if you take prescription medications. You may need to eliminate grapefruit products from your diet. Simply taking your medication and grapefruit product at different times doesn't stop the interaction.

Certain chemicals that grapefruit products and citrus fruits contain can interfere with the enzymes that break down (metabolize) various medications in your digestive system. As a result, more medication stays in your body. This can increase the potency of your medication to potentially dangerous levels, causing serious side effects.

Oh, yeah. I take a different medication and didn't realize grapefruit interacted with it.
That was a roller coaster day all right.

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@farmerman,

If you participated in a Siva--shive--for god's dake, whatever it is, I'd up and die right then. Besides, most foods contain so many preservatives that I plan on lasting until the goddam "safe at picnics" date. Mayonnaise is a good example. But only the light, tastes awful, ****.

You are a breath of fresh air, even though it comes from the barn.

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Hi Diane,
I'm here to help if I at all can!

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@hawkeye10,

I also take CoQ10. Thanks for reminding me why, Hawkeye!

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Diane (or anybody)

in case this helps, I'm eating this brand of sardines (which I never tried before) as we speak.

http://img2.prosperent.com/images/250x250/www.luckyvitamin.com/images/product/xlarge/101997.jpg

This is the least fishy (as in strong) tasting sardines I have tried yet.

Whole Foods, $1.69/can

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@hawkeye10,

hawkeye10 wrote:

Quote:
I don't know if anyone has mentioned it, but anyone who is taking statin medications (Lipitor, etc.) for cholesterol should avoid grapefruit.

And I highly recomend taking CoQ10...I had some trouble going on statins with joint pain and lack of energy..I almost stopped but instead added CoQ10 and have had no further trouble.

Thank you for this! I was put on a statin, a bp med and a blood thinner all at once last March. Since then I can barely move, I've gained 15lbs (instead of losing 15 as I'd hoped), and my normally painful joints have become excruciating. I just read up on CoQ10 and not only might it help with my joint pain, it also appears that it may help with the gingivitis I've been fighting since taking the drugs.

0 Replies

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