Good Mood Foods

"Good mood foods" can leave you less irritable and cranky because they stabilize your blood sugar. High quality carbs, like oatmeal (a slow-release carb with soluble fiber); as well as proteins, like lentils (a good carb and protein), are on this list. Try our Wholesome Chicken Soup and Beef 'n' Bean Soup, both loaded with lentils and other good proteins and carbs; and Good4You Oat Pancakes and Any Fruit Crisp, for a low fat dessert that is loaded with oatmeal. Sounds like a simple, good meal on a cold, snowy night! Check out wmsyacres.com.

It's a New Year!

Welcome to 2012!
I am posting today because it feels like a Monday. We are officially done with the holidays, spent time with the grandkids, put away the Christmas decorations (most), finished up checks and deposits for 2011 for the farm, and now we move onto tax preparation and a new month.
What lovely weather we've been having with record highs this week - above 60! It's so nice not to have to deal with snow and ice, but I am getting concerned over the serious lack of moisture and the impact on this year's crops and water supplies. Pray for rain.
I am in the process of vamping up for the Women in Denim seminar at the end of this month. If you live near the Storm Lake, IA, area, you should check it out! We have a great time - just us women, and we get pampered. I may even stay over this year instead of driving home at night; we'll see if my daughter can come to help me out with the show.
Enough about me. This week I'd like to talk about getting through the holidays, or just plain eating out at restaurants, and dealing with watching your sodium in foods. I overdid this season with too many meals out in a short time, and I am paying for it now. I've felt awful - plus I picked up a virus which lead into sinus infection; and I am making an effort to get back on track now that I'm feeling better. I am proud to say I survived the holidays this year without gaining any weight and continuing on my weight loss. It's very suttle - 1 pound - but it means a lot to me to break through a plateau I've been sitting on for several months. Yay!
Do you weight yourself every day? When I was diagnosed "sodium sensitive", I was told to weight myself every morning before I got dressed in order to keep track of my fluid accumulation. So, I get up, go to the bathroom, weigh, then get dressed. It's my marker for the day as to how close I need to watch my diet and fluid. It's a habit now for me, which I find keeps me on track. You should try it. I've been doing it so long now that I know when I've eaten out I can plan on a weight increase of a few pounds in a couple of days. It takes my body 2 days to show the extra fluid from a bad day of eating, and you will notice your body's schedule if you do this every day.
So now I don't even have to use the scale to know I have extra fluid on my body - my clothes tell me! I have also learned to keep some clothes that are a little looser for those days, so I don't feel stuffed into my clothes.
I don't have as many of those days as I used to a few years ago since I learned the foods to avoid and/or limit. I make a rule that I can cheat at 1 meal as long as I make up for it at another meal that same day - for instance, eat plain oatmeal and fruit for breakfast and a very low sodium lunch if you plan to go out for a steak that evening (since those are loaded with sodium).
As for eating fast food - I like to use McDonald's (yes, McD's) where I get a plain hamburger, and sometimes fries if I've been good that day. That plain hamburger has way less sodium than anything else on their menu - unless you like to eat lettuce with no dressing. A salad with their dressing is pretty high in sodium compared to the sandwiches, so don't assume salads are always better for you. You can pick up their nutrition information at their locations or check it out online before you go to eat. You'll be surprised, and so will they. I had a worker at an Arby's discuss that with me when they were having a slow day. He was amazed at the difference in sodium levels, and had never even thought they were so unhealthy. By the way, the Arby's roast beef, smaller size, isn't too bad for sodium either.
All this talk about food has made me hungry for lunch! Have a great weekend. Until next time - Sue

The end of Fall

Hello,
This is my last Blog for October - hard to believe. Then November comes and we move fast into the holidays before the real winter sets in. I am definitely not ready for that but thankful we've had great weather to finish up harvest. We should be done by the end of the week!
This week I will conclude my series on Diseases and Low Sodium Diet.
(taken from Mayo Clinic)
Cancer - Stomach
Cardiomyopathy
Cirrhosis - If you have cirrhosis, take precautions to limit additional liver damage.
Don't drink alcohol. Whether your cirrhosis was caused by chronic alcohol use or another disease, avoid alcohol. Drinking alcohol may cause further liver damanage.
Eat a low sodium diet. Excess salt can cause your body to retain fluids, worsening swelling in your abdomen and legs. Use herbs for seasoning your food, rather than salt. Choose prepared foods that are low in sodium.
Choose a healthy diet full of fruits and vegetables. People with cirrhosis can experience malnutrition. Combat this with a healthy plant-based diet that includes a variety of fruits and vegetables. Choose lean protein, such as legumes, poultry or fish. Avoid raw seafood.
Edema
Edema is swelling caused by excess fluid trapped in your body's tissues. Although edema can affect any part of your body, it's most commonly noticed in your hands, arms, feet, ankles and legs.
Edema can be the result of medication, pregnancy or an underlying disease — often heart failure, kidney disease or cirrhosis of the liver.
Taking medication to remove excess fluid and reducing the amount of salt in your food usually relieves edema. When edema is a sign of an underlying disease, the disease itself requires separate treatment.
The following may help decrease edema and keep it from coming back -
Movement
Elevation
Massage
Compression
Reduced Salt Intake
Diabetes
The term "diabetes mellitus" refers to a group of diseases that affect how your body uses blood glucose, commonly called blood sugar. Glucose is vital to your health because it's an important source of energy for the cells that make up your muscles and tissues. It's your brain's main source of fuel.
Manage your diabetes
Choose healthy foods and maintain a healthy weight
Physical Activity
Interstitial Cystitis
a chronic condition characterized by a combination of uncomfortable bladder pressure, bladder pain and sometimes pain in your pelvis, which can range from mild burning or discomfort to severe pain.
Lupus
Lupus is a chronic inflammatory disease that occurs when your body's immune system attacks your own tissues and organs. Inflammation caused by lupus can affect many different body systems — including your joints, skin, kidneys, blood cells, brain, heart and lungs.
I hope this helps explain some of the diseases that can be affected by the sodium in your diet.
Have a great week!
I'll be back next week.

Diseases and Low Sodium

Hi!
Hope you are enjoying your fall.
We have had some busy days this past week with corn harvest in full swing and 5 grandchildren running around our house. It's been fun!
This week I am continuing my series on Diseases and Low Sodium (taken from the Mayo Clinic website, by the Mayo Clinic staff)

Primary Aldosteronism

(a type of hormonal disorder that leads to high blood pressure)

Your adrenal glands produce a number of essential hormones. One of these is aldosterone, which balances the sodium and potassium in your blood. In primary aldosteronism, your adrenal glands produce too much aldosterone, causing you to lose potassium and retain sodium. The excess sodium in turn holds on to water, increasing your blood volume and blood pressure.
A healthy lifestyle is essential for keeping blood pressure low and maintaining long-term heart health. Here are some suggestions:
Follow a healthy diet. Limit the sodium in your diet by focusing on fresh foods and reduced-sodium products, avoiding condiments, and removing salt from recipes. Diets that also emphasize a healthy variety of foods - including grains, fruits, vegetables and low-fat dairy products - can promote weight loss and help to lower blood pressure. Try the Dietary Approaches to Stop Hypertension (DASH) diet - it has proven benefits to your heart.
Achieve a Healthy Weight. If your Body Mass Index (BMI) is 25 or more, losing as few as 10 pounds (4.5 kilograms) may reduce your blood pressure.
Exercise. Regular aerobic exercise can help lower blood pressure. You don't have to hit the gym - taking vigorous walks most days of the week can significantly improve your health. Try walking with a friend at lunch instead of dining out.
Don't Smoke. Quitting smoking will improve your overall cardiovascular health. Nicotine in tobacco makes your health work harder by temporarily constricting your blood vessels and increasing your heart rate and blood pressure. Talk to your doctor about medications that can help you stop smoking.
Limit Alcohol and Caffeine. Both substances can raise your blood pressure, and alcohol can interfere with the effectivenes of some blood pressure medications. Ask your doctor whether moderate alcohol consumption is safe for you.

We hope this gives you some guidelines if you are diagnosed with any of these diseases that can be controlled by reducing the sodium in your diet.
You will feel better!
Have a great week and enjoy the beautiful fall weather.

Harvest Time

Welcome from the farm!
We are in the midst of our fall harvest here on our grain farm. The soybean harvest was completed Friday, and then we moved on to the corn yesterday. It's been a fairly good harvest so far, except for the terribly dry weather which produces much more grain dust as the combines roll through the fields. At least it's a short season.
We escaped any fire hazards so far this year, but I did purchase another fire extinguisher for my husband to carry along.
As for my garden harvest, it's been an abrupt end to the garden with a good frost a few weeks ago. I didn't get too many tomatoes and no sweet corn or peas from my 2nd plantings; I was being overly optimistic planting so late in the season. Just the way my gardening has been going this year. I'm hoping for a much better garden next year. I did, however, get my share of canning - 21 pints of peaches, 7 jars of strawberry jam, 14 jars of pears, 7 jars of pickle relish, 1 gallon of bread and butter pickles (no salt just for me!), as well as green beans, corn and strawberries in the freezer. I pretty much used all my empty canning jars and filled the deep freezer to the top, so I think we'll be eating well this winter.
Now I have to concentrate on my flowers before the winter covers them with snow. I have been collecting seeds from Bill's ISU marigolds, and flower petals from the roses and other flowers for potpourri. That should keep my house smelling sweet until next spring!
I may bring in more flowers to dry and fresh fall bouquets while I can still enjoy them. That should make for a beautiful table next weekend when we have our children and grandchildren here from southern Kansas and eastern Iowa. They may notice briefly before head out to ride in the big combine!
Here's hoping you all have a wonderful week and enjoy these last warm days of fall.
Bye for now,
Sue

Low Sodium Diet and Meniere's Disease

This week we will focus on Meniere's Disease; a disease which can cause an annoying and sometimes debilitating spinning and off balance feeling.

Modifying your diet can reduce your body's fluid retention and help decrease fluid in your inner ear. Your doctor may suggest you follow these dietary changes to lessen the severity and frequency of Meniere's disease symptoms:
• Eat regularly. Distributing evenly what you eat and drink throughout the day helps regulate your body fluids. Eat approximately the same amount of food at each meal. You may also eat five or six smaller meals rather than three meals a day
• Limit Salt. Consuming foods and beverages high in salt can increase fluid retention. Aim for an intake of 1,500 milligrams (mg) or less of sodium each day.
• Avoid monosodium glutamate (MSG). Some prepackaged food products and prepared restaurant foods contain MSG, a type of sodium. MSG can contribute to fluid retention. Check ingredient labels or ask your restaurant server if the food you’re considering ordering contains MSG.
We hope this helps in your battle with Meniere's disease.

Follow us each week for continuing education on the benefits of a low sodium diet.

Good morning!


This week I will continue my blog on Diseases and Low Sodium Diet.


Taken from Mayo Clinic website.


Heart Disease can be improved - or even prevented - by certain lifestyle changes:


Stop Smoking.


Control Your Blood Pressure. If you are on medication to control your blood pressure, get regular check-ups with your physician. For everyone else, do occasional blood pressure checks at your local retail locations that offer that service - some free of charge.


Check Your Cholesterol. Many areas offer free or reduced price screenings on a regular basis. Check with your local hospital or clinic.


Keep Diabetes Under Control. Work with your doctor and/or dietitian to manage your diet and exercise, weight, blood sugars, and medications to attain optimum control of your diabetes.


Keep Moving. Even as little at 10 minutes a day is a good start! Find ways to work in more walking, such as parking farther from the stores, gardening, or walking around your lawn to check the flowers every day.


Eat Healthy Foods. A heart-healthy diet based on fruits, vegetables and whole grains - and low in saturated fat, cholesterol and sodium - can help you control your weight, blood pressure and cholesterol. Eating one or two servings of fish every week also is beneficial.
*Read labels on the products that you buy and purchase the lower sodium option - sometimes that can be the store brand or plain label.


Maintain a Healthy Weight. Losing as little at 10 pounds can make you feel better and reduce stress on your heart.


Manage Stress. This is a hard one, but find a way that works for you to reduce the affects of those stressful moments. A daily walk outside, weather permitting, does wonders. Also, they say laughter is good for stress - and good for our mental health in general!


Practice Good Hygiene Habits. Did you know that unhealthy dental hygiene can contribute to heart disease? Wash your hands, brush your teeth, and take regular showers or baths - what your mother always told you. :)


Get a Flu Shot. This one simple thing you can do each year can make such a difference in your life! We all have read the deaths that have occurred due to flu outbreaks in our states, so please get vaccinated.


This is all I have for this week. I have a busy week as I prepare for my last Farmers Market of the season, and as we prepare for harvest of the crops on our farms. Please stay healthy and drive safely!