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.
Wednesday, October 26, 2011
Monday, October 17, 2011
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)
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.
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.
Sunday, October 9, 2011
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
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
Monday, October 3, 2011
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.
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.
Monday, September 26, 2011
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!
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!
Tuesday, September 20, 2011
Diseases and Low Sodium Diet
Taken from MayoClinic.com, written by the Mayo Clinic staff.
There are many diseases and conditions that can benefit from consuming a low sodium diet. I will try to hilite one of these each week in the following posts.
1) Acute kidney failure.
During your recovery, your doctor may recommend a special diet to help support your kidneys and limit the work they must do. Your doctor may refer you to a dietitian who can analyze your current diet and suggest ways to make your diet easier on your kidneys.
Depending on your situation, your dietitian may recommend that you, a) Choose lower potassium foods at each meal. High-potassium foods include bananas, oranges, potatoes, spinach and tomatoes. Low-potassium foods include apples, cabbage, carrots, green beans, grapes and strawberries; and b) Avoid products with added salt. Lower the amount of sodium you eat each day by avoiding products with added salt, including many convenience foods, such as frozen dinners, canned soups and fast foods. Other foods with added salt include salty snack foods, canned vegetables, and processed meats and cheeses.
As your kidneys recover, you may no longer need to eat a special diet.
NOTE: I have also found that boxed mixes in the store, such as as well as items with baking powder, such as biscuit dough, are generally higher in sodium as well. Start by reading labels of the foods you eat and then look for a lower sodium version. Usually, eating plain meats, vegetables and fruits are the best diet to consume when you are limiting your sodium; but watch out for the added "injected brines" in many of your fresh and frozen meats, especially poultry, which we all think is the healthiest protein.
Have a great week, and I'll have more next week!
There are many diseases and conditions that can benefit from consuming a low sodium diet. I will try to hilite one of these each week in the following posts.
1) Acute kidney failure.
During your recovery, your doctor may recommend a special diet to help support your kidneys and limit the work they must do. Your doctor may refer you to a dietitian who can analyze your current diet and suggest ways to make your diet easier on your kidneys.
Depending on your situation, your dietitian may recommend that you, a) Choose lower potassium foods at each meal. High-potassium foods include bananas, oranges, potatoes, spinach and tomatoes. Low-potassium foods include apples, cabbage, carrots, green beans, grapes and strawberries; and b) Avoid products with added salt. Lower the amount of sodium you eat each day by avoiding products with added salt, including many convenience foods, such as frozen dinners, canned soups and fast foods. Other foods with added salt include salty snack foods, canned vegetables, and processed meats and cheeses.
As your kidneys recover, you may no longer need to eat a special diet.
NOTE: I have also found that boxed mixes in the store, such as as well as items with baking powder, such as biscuit dough, are generally higher in sodium as well. Start by reading labels of the foods you eat and then look for a lower sodium version. Usually, eating plain meats, vegetables and fruits are the best diet to consume when you are limiting your sodium; but watch out for the added "injected brines" in many of your fresh and frozen meats, especially poultry, which we all think is the healthiest protein.
Have a great week, and I'll have more next week!
Saturday, August 13, 2011
Summer's end
Where did the summer go? It was definitely a HOT one this year, so these past 70-80 degree days have seemed cool around here. I am glad though, because it gives me nicer days to work on my garden weeds. Why can't they create garden seeds that grow as well as weed seeds? I have kept up with the weeds somewhat, but then I planted my second garden in mid July for fall harvest and I have to wait until the veggie seeds sprout to weed the rows. It will taste so good having fresh garden lettuce, cucumbers, radishes, peas, green beans, tomatoes and corn next month. I just hope I can keep ahead of the pests.
My flower bed is looking terrific with most things in bloom right now. Soon the mums will be in full bloom with their fall colors, and then we'll all know cooler days will be on their way. I always have a hard time transitioning from shorts to jeans, but in the cold of winter those covered legs will appreciate the warm denim.
Our fields of corn and soybeans are looking very good on the surface right now. Bill is checking his equipment and storage bins and making the necessary repairs and tune-ups before we begin. Then in about a month the combines will be humming as the harvest gets into full swing. Soon after harvest is finished (and sometimes before), we will be celebrating Thanksgiving with family with Christmas and a new year soon to follow.
I always have a list of things I want to accomplish before the cold weather sets in and before we get into harvest, such as tightening up the house windows and doors, cleaning up trash that has blown in around the buildings, and cleaning up the gardens as they finish producing. This year's list also includes some painting projects - the outside doors on the garage, the basement bedroom doors, some planters, and the machine shed, if time. We also need to repair some shingles on the house and the tin on some buildings; never a dull moment around this farm. I do love the fall weather - I guess maybe that's because I was born in November. I love to hang out the laundry to blow in the fresh wind while my hair blows freely. The sun is warm on my face with a golden glow for fall. Then when the day is done, we retire to the house for an oven casserole and our warm fire before bedtime. It feels so good to snuggle under a light quilt at night with the harvest moon glowing outside. Feels like heaven!
I hope you all enjoy the change in seasons as much as we do. There is no better place on earth to live but IOWA.
My flower bed is looking terrific with most things in bloom right now. Soon the mums will be in full bloom with their fall colors, and then we'll all know cooler days will be on their way. I always have a hard time transitioning from shorts to jeans, but in the cold of winter those covered legs will appreciate the warm denim.
Our fields of corn and soybeans are looking very good on the surface right now. Bill is checking his equipment and storage bins and making the necessary repairs and tune-ups before we begin. Then in about a month the combines will be humming as the harvest gets into full swing. Soon after harvest is finished (and sometimes before), we will be celebrating Thanksgiving with family with Christmas and a new year soon to follow.
I always have a list of things I want to accomplish before the cold weather sets in and before we get into harvest, such as tightening up the house windows and doors, cleaning up trash that has blown in around the buildings, and cleaning up the gardens as they finish producing. This year's list also includes some painting projects - the outside doors on the garage, the basement bedroom doors, some planters, and the machine shed, if time. We also need to repair some shingles on the house and the tin on some buildings; never a dull moment around this farm. I do love the fall weather - I guess maybe that's because I was born in November. I love to hang out the laundry to blow in the fresh wind while my hair blows freely. The sun is warm on my face with a golden glow for fall. Then when the day is done, we retire to the house for an oven casserole and our warm fire before bedtime. It feels so good to snuggle under a light quilt at night with the harvest moon glowing outside. Feels like heaven!
I hope you all enjoy the change in seasons as much as we do. There is no better place on earth to live but IOWA.
Friday, February 18, 2011
Spring Fever
Well we certainly are into the spring fever big time this past week! We've had above freezing temps most days of the week, and the snows has melted by the bucket. Sidewalks and porches are dry now so I can get out and check out the damage. Not looking too bad this year - yay!
I have been working on updating my WMSY Acres labels, brochure, etc. If you haven't checked out our website, you need to do that. It's wmsyacres.com. There was a glitch when forwarding the recipes so that needs to be fixed. The lasagna doesn't go in a pie crust. :)
I have 15 of my products listed there with pictures - taken by my friend Roxy Stevenson with Stevenson Studios in Holstein. She did an excellent job, and it was so much fun doing that.
We are still adding things to that website, so check back often to see the updates. I have plenty of ways and recipes to use the mixes. If you have a request before we get that all online, just send me an email and I'll get that to you.
As of today, my computer is falling apart, so I will be looking for a new one. It's hard typing with keys missing - ughhh. And it's slow as molasses which drives me nuts. I'm kind of an impatient person, in case you didn't know that, especially when I have a lot of work to get done. Seems like the past week or 2 has been my yearly time for Dr. appointments which always lead to more appointments to check things out. Then after Feb. we hope to get away for a few weeks for a winter vacation before Bill starts the spring fieldwork. He is anxiously watching the builders construct his new machine shed so he can get all his equipment inside. It's big! The grandsons can't wait to see it too, so hoping they can come for a visit one of these weeks.
Better get things cleaned up from supper (dinner to those of you who live in town and call your evening meal dinner). We eat dinner at noon. :)
Thanks for checking in. Look forward to hearing news from some of you! Sue
I have been working on updating my WMSY Acres labels, brochure, etc. If you haven't checked out our website, you need to do that. It's wmsyacres.com. There was a glitch when forwarding the recipes so that needs to be fixed. The lasagna doesn't go in a pie crust. :)
I have 15 of my products listed there with pictures - taken by my friend Roxy Stevenson with Stevenson Studios in Holstein. She did an excellent job, and it was so much fun doing that.
We are still adding things to that website, so check back often to see the updates. I have plenty of ways and recipes to use the mixes. If you have a request before we get that all online, just send me an email and I'll get that to you.
As of today, my computer is falling apart, so I will be looking for a new one. It's hard typing with keys missing - ughhh. And it's slow as molasses which drives me nuts. I'm kind of an impatient person, in case you didn't know that, especially when I have a lot of work to get done. Seems like the past week or 2 has been my yearly time for Dr. appointments which always lead to more appointments to check things out. Then after Feb. we hope to get away for a few weeks for a winter vacation before Bill starts the spring fieldwork. He is anxiously watching the builders construct his new machine shed so he can get all his equipment inside. It's big! The grandsons can't wait to see it too, so hoping they can come for a visit one of these weeks.
Better get things cleaned up from supper (dinner to those of you who live in town and call your evening meal dinner). We eat dinner at noon. :)
Thanks for checking in. Look forward to hearing news from some of you! Sue
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