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.