RESULTS OF THE DASH DIET

DASH DIET

   We have been on the DASH diet for ten days.  Our first day was documented on Oma's Life, the other day's recommended diets were on Oma's Health.  My Significant Other has lost ten pounds since we started.  My blood pressure, without medication, was 121/87 today.  The diastolic (bottom reading) is still high, but I have prescriptions for two different blood pressure medications, so I consider this impressive.  My systolic (top reading) was running 150-over 160.  That is why I have the prescriptions.

   My biggest take away has been unsuspecting item that I have been killing myself with.  Things like bread.  I like to start my day with a little breakfast taquito.  Just consider the bread:  white bread:  115mg sodium, wheat bread:  DEPENDING ON THE BRAND Mrs. Baird's honey wheat: 100mg sodium, Nature's Own honey wheat:  120mg sodium.  THE SAME BREAD!  For my taquitos, one tortilla has 310mg sodium.  That is amazing!  The better choice is to have a fold over egg sandwich with the Mrs. Baird's honey wheat bread.  Not an entirely different meal, but a big difference in sodium.

   We have been eating more salads that we did before.  Look at the different dressings:  Italian, which contains vinegar, which is good for lowering blood pressure, has 340mg of sodium; Hidden Valley Ranch has 260mg sodium.  The ranch also has 1gm protein, which is good, but has 10 mg cholesterol and 14 fat grams.  The Italian has no cholesterol or protein, and only 7 fat grams.  He likes Catalina.  It is a trade off, and you can mix it up to keep interest high.  

   We have also incorporated ground turkey instead of ground chuck.  So far, we have eaten turkey burgers and spaghetti with the turkey.  I told him not to turn his nose up at the turkey.  After all, he has been known to go to fast food restaurants.  I told him he really didn't know if he was eating beef or camel!  The turkey has received no complaints.  I will make his meat loaf with ground chuck.

   We are also eating a lot of fruit.  I like bananas, pears, oranges and apples with cool whip on them.  I bought the sugar free cool whip.  It is like what we fix on Christmas.  Today, he added pineapple chunk to the mix.  I just don't eat pineapple.  The pineapple has no sodium, but also has no potassium.  Remember, we want to increase dietary potassium while we decrease the sodium.  Raisins have potassium, as does the banana and orange.

   Breakfast is oatmeal with a little cinnamon and some raisins, or Raisin Bran.  And we have fruit-on-the-bottom Oikos Greek yogurt daily with walnuts.  Walnuts have potassium, no sodium.  Pecans have no sodium, also, but have no potassium.  Walnuts are the better choice.

   How are you doing on the diet?  I'd love to have your feed-back.

You are also invited to join Oma at http://omaswisdom.blogspot.com/ for Bible reading, and http://omaspolitics.blogspot.com/ for Oma's take on current events.

TRIBUTE TO MY SISTER

THINKING ABOUT MY SISTER AND EGGS

   I can't help but think of my sister when I make scrambled eggs.  The only time I fry eggs these days is when I can find pastuerized eggs, because there is no reason to take a chance in contracting salmonella poisoning.  But when I scramble them, I think of my sister.

   I was 16 or 17, maybe 18 and she was in charge of taking care of me.  Now, understand that she is only two years older than I, but she was definately more mature.  I was very naive.  Anyway, she accepted the responsibility.  There was a time that we lived on what ever the milkman left at the front door.  That was eggs, butter, and milk.  That was mostly what we had to eat and were grateful for it.

   She is still like that today, all these years later.  She takes care of anyone that she thinks needs care.  How can you fault anyone like that?

You can also follow Oma at http://omaspolitics.blogspot.com/ for Oma's opinion on current events, http://omaswisdom.blogspot.com/ for Bible reading, and http://omashealth.blogspot.com/ for information on health issues.  Just click the names.  You are encouraged to leave a comment.

ONE OF THOSE DAYS

ONE OF THOSE DAYS

   This was just one of those days.  If it could be aggravating, it was aggravating.  It started out with a phone call in the middle of my S.O.'s sleep.  It was from my Mother, to wish him a happy birthday.  This is not a complaint about my Mother.  She is very dear to me and she did not know he would be sleeping in the middle of the day.  She thinks highly of him and wanted him to know she was thinking about him on his special day.  All I'm saying is that I have a problem with him not getting the proper rest, because I care about him, too.

   I drove to the grocery to pick up his birthday cake I had ordered yesterday, and I couldn't find my grocery card.  This grocery requires a card if you want to take advantage of their sales.  My card was no where to be found, so I left without the cake.  I went back to the house to look for that card.

   His daughter pulls into the driveway and the dogs go crazy with their barking.  It was a wonder the police didn't come to see what they were barking at.  Anyway, she and her toddler come into the house, bringing him a cake for his birthday.  I'm glad somebody has him a cake, because I'm definitely having a problem producing mine before he leaves for work.  He is too tired to get out of bed to visit with her, so she leaves.

   When he finally gets up, his sisters and brother-in-law come to wish him a happy birthday.  They bring gifts.  I was going to go to the local Harley shop and get him a pocket t-shirt as a gift, but he is going to leave for work before I will be going to the Harley shop.  I am rushing around, trying to put his meals together for him to take to work, so he has enough energy to work and come back home.

   Then, everybody leaves minutes before he leaves for work.  I take my paycheck down to another grocery store who requires a card to get cash to go buy that cake and his t-shirt.  The check was hand written, so they will not cash it.  So, I go back to the house on the verge of tears.  As I am backing into the driveway, the truck quits running.  Fortunately, when I turned the key, it cranked up and I was able to park the truck.

   That was it for me.  I put in to just have the day cancelled.  Maybe tomorrow will be better.

Please also visit me at http://omaswisdom.blogspot.com/ for Bible reading, http://omashealth.blogspot.com/ as we try to follow the DASH diet, and http://omaspolitics.blogspot.com/ for Oma's comments on current events.

  

DASH DIET DAY 1

DASH DIET     DAY 1

  Today we started our journey on the DASH diet.  Here is our menu:

breakfast:

3/4 C Raisin Bran

3/4 C milk

1 medium banana

lunch:

1 large bowl green tossed salad

2 T. Italian dressing

1/4 C cheese

1 C fruit

dinner:

1 large bowl chicken and dumplings

1 fruit on the bottom yogurt

1/4 C walnuts

For the chicken and dumplings, I used Cricket's recipe:

3 boneless, skinless, chicken breasts

2 T chicken bouillon

1/2 C heavy whipping cream

2 C bisquick

1/3 C milk

1/3 C heavy whipping cream

Boil chicken and bouillon in dutch oven for an hour or until done.  Remove from water to cool.  Shred chicken and return to water.  Bring to rolling boil.  Add 1/2 C heavy whipping cream.

Mix Bisquick, milk, and 1/3 C. whipping cream until soft dough forms.  Drop by teaspoonful into boiling water.  Cook uncovered over medium heat for ten minutes, then cover and cook another ten minutes. 

Thank you, Cricket.  This was the best chicken and dumplings I can ever remember eating.

My blood pressure without medication yesterday was 118/79.  I have been eating the yogurt as part of my regular diet.  Pretty cool, don't you think?  I have also started a job that is very low stress. 

My S.O.'s cholesterol is over 400, so we had to take matters into our own hands.  Every prescription drug on the market has side effects.  The news report this week is that statin drugs, which help lower cholesterol, may also be linked to type II diabetes.  He takes two meds for cholesterol, and three for blood pressure.
   Here is the menu from the DASH Eating Plan from Your Guide To Lowering Your Blood Pressure With DASH courtesy of the U.S. Dept of Health:

You can also follow Oma at http://omaswisdom.blogspot.com/ for Bible reading, and http://omaspolitics.blogspot.com/ for her comments on current events.  The DASH diet day 2 will probably be posted on http://omashealth.blogspot.com/

MY SUGAR COOKIE RECIPE

MY SUGAR COOKIE RECIPE

   Those of you who follow my blog deserve an apology.  When I posted the sugar cookie recipe previously, I indicated that it was CLOSE to the recipe I could not find.  Well, I baked a batch of those cookies.  As my Granddaughter would say, "that's nasty!"

  The following recipe is the real recipe.  Again, I apologize.  I hope you enjoy these:

6T         margarine, softened

1/3C     shortening

3/4 C    sugar

1           egg

1 T       milk

1 t        vanilla

2 cups  flour
1 1/2 t  baking powder
1/4 t     salt

  Cream margarine, shortening, and sugar together.  Add egg, milk, and vanilla and beat until creamy.  In separate bowl, combine baking powder, salt and flour.  Add to creamy mixture and mix well.  Divide the dough in half, cover and chill for about 30 minutes or until dough is easy to handle.

   On a lightly floured surface, roll half the dough at a time until 1/8 to 1/4 inch thick.  Using a 2-1/2 inch cookie cutter, cut the dough into desired shapes.  Place 1 inch apart on ungreased cookie sheet.  Decorate with colored sugar, sprinkles, cinnamon discs, etc. as desired.

   Bake in preheated 375 degree oven for 7 to 10 minutes or until edges are very lightly browned.  Transfer to a wire rack; cool. May frost after cooling with Royal icing if desired. 

   Personally, I like to decorate with sprinkles before baking them.  My oldest son likes red hots as decorations before baking.  My daughter likes colored sugar.

Dough may be refrigerated for a couple of days, or frozen for a couple of weeks.

What is your favorite way to decorate them?  You are encouraged to leave a comment.  We also encourage you to share this post on your favorite social media.  Thank you.

You are invited to join Oma for Bible reading at http://omaswisdom.blogspot.com/, and for information you don't get in the mainstream media at http://omaspolitics.blogspot.com/.  Just click the names.  And I invite you to leave a comment.