Happy Almost Wednesday!
How's everyone doing? I am good. I had a therapy appointment today and we are really happy with my progress. I am working very hard - especially with my diet. Everett (the husband) wanted pizza tonight and I said no. Yay me! I haven't noticed a huge increase in my swelling when I have had it so far but I want to be really good this week. Plus pizza ordering has gotten so complicated now. Say goodbye to pepperoni and sausage.
But let's not emphasize the negative - accentuate the positive! Who coined that phrase? Anyone remember?
But anyway - next to pizza, Everett and I love sushi. And thank God, sushi is one thing I did not have to give up or even drastically modify. I am not a huge soy sauce person so that worked out well because soy sauce is a major No-No. And don't be fooled by the green cap Low Sodium variety. It still has way more sodium than anybody with a swelling condition should consume. But the problem arises when healthy dishes have a soy sauce component. There has to be an alternative - right?
Thanks to my good friend Google, I found one. I actually found several. Here is one from Food.com:
Ingredients:
Yield: 2 cups Units: US | Metric
1 1/2 cups water
1/4 cup beef bouillon
1/4 cup cider vinegar
1 tablespoon molasses
1 teaspoon sesame oil
1/4 teaspoon pepper
Directions:
1. Boil water.
2. Stir in rest of ingredients. Note: Don't substitute anything for the sesame oil.
3. Store in fridge.
87mg of sodium! Compared to 575 mg in Kikkoman Low Sodium Soy Sauce. That is amazing. And one article I read states you can jar it and it keeps for a month in the fridge. I found a recipe, Quinoa Fried Rice with Shrimp and Green Peas, that now I can have. We'll probably make this the weekend after Easter.
Speaking of Easter - now the tough part comes. Do I suck it up and just eat what I usually have, even though I know it has high sodium? I don't think so but I am going for something better. No ham for me, but lamb is also popular on Easter and can be made without salt. But we're eating out so I need to make sure that I tell the waiter to order without extra salt. It will at least cut down on a little bit.
I hope you all make smart choices but if you do have a lot of salt, remember to drink alot of water. This will flush it from your system faster.
I wish you all a good rest of the week and a Happy Easter to those who celebrate. Please feel free to comment on your choices for the week. We can all learn from each other.
Tuesday, March 26, 2013
Sunday, March 24, 2013
My New Life Sans Salt
Hi!
My name is Sue Soares and I am a publicist in the comic book industry. I also have Spina Bifida and am wheelchair bound. About 2 months ago, I was diagnosed with a condition called Lymphedema. Lympha what? That's what I said. So the Google addict I am, I immediately started to research.
Lymphedema is a condition of localized fluid retention and tissue swelling caused by a compromised lymphatic system. It is common in people with Spina Bifida. According to Wikipedia, there are several stages and grades. I am lucky to have a lower stage case. But I still have to go through therapy and most importantly, change my diet significantly.
Before being diagnosed, I ate out a lot. Fast food, Subway, etc. Aside from that though, every day I took for lunch what I thought was a healthier option - a turkey sandwich on whole wheat with light mayo. Then a diet coke. I literally was making myself sicker without even knowing it.
The purpose of this blog is to share with you my journey to healthier eating. I will share the tips and tricks I am discovering along the way. I will share recipes I have found and how we modify them, because even recipes labeled as healthy aren't always sodium healthy.
I encourage you to share your thoughts, tips and recipes of your own.
Here is tonight's recipe, care of Smart Balance.com:
Chicken and Spinach Casserole
Recipe Ingredients
1/2 cup Smart Balance® Light Mayonnaise Dressing
1/2 cup fat-free sour cream
1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
pinch of black pepper
1/3 cup grated parmesan cheese
1/4 cup reduced fat shredded mozzarella
2 cups diced cooked chicken breast
10 oz frozen spinach, thawed and drained well
Smart Balance® Non-Stick Cooking Spray-Original
Recipe Steps
Preheat oven to 350°F. Spray a 9” x 9” baking dish with Smart Balance® Omega Non-Stick Cooking Spray.
Combine Smart Balance® Light Mayonnaise Dressing, sour cream, garlic powder, pepper, and Parmesan cheese and shredded mozzarella in a medium bowl.
In another bowl, toss 1/3 of the sauce with the chicken and spinach and spread in the casserole dish. Pour the rest of the sauce mixture over the chicken and spinach.
Bake, uncovered, 40 minutes or until top is golden brown.
Nutrition Facts
Serves 6
Nutrition per serving
Calories 213
Fat 11g
Saturated Fat 2g
Poly Fat 3g
Mono Fat 4g
Trans Fatty Acids 0g
Cholesterol 56mg
Sodium 364mg
Carbohydrates 9g
Dietary Fiber 1g
Protein 21g
Some changes we made to the recipe included omitting the Parmesan cheese and the chili powder. Both are high in sodium. The other change is we used fresh spinach and added broccoli. Check out this website for sodium content in various foods. Very comprehensive.
My name is Sue Soares and I am a publicist in the comic book industry. I also have Spina Bifida and am wheelchair bound. About 2 months ago, I was diagnosed with a condition called Lymphedema. Lympha what? That's what I said. So the Google addict I am, I immediately started to research.
Lymphedema is a condition of localized fluid retention and tissue swelling caused by a compromised lymphatic system. It is common in people with Spina Bifida. According to Wikipedia, there are several stages and grades. I am lucky to have a lower stage case. But I still have to go through therapy and most importantly, change my diet significantly.
Before being diagnosed, I ate out a lot. Fast food, Subway, etc. Aside from that though, every day I took for lunch what I thought was a healthier option - a turkey sandwich on whole wheat with light mayo. Then a diet coke. I literally was making myself sicker without even knowing it.
The purpose of this blog is to share with you my journey to healthier eating. I will share the tips and tricks I am discovering along the way. I will share recipes I have found and how we modify them, because even recipes labeled as healthy aren't always sodium healthy.
I encourage you to share your thoughts, tips and recipes of your own.
Here is tonight's recipe, care of Smart Balance.com:
Chicken and Spinach Casserole
Recipe Ingredients
1/2 cup Smart Balance® Light Mayonnaise Dressing
1/2 cup fat-free sour cream
1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
pinch of black pepper
1/3 cup grated parmesan cheese
1/4 cup reduced fat shredded mozzarella
2 cups diced cooked chicken breast
10 oz frozen spinach, thawed and drained well
Smart Balance® Non-Stick Cooking Spray-Original
Recipe Steps
Preheat oven to 350°F. Spray a 9” x 9” baking dish with Smart Balance® Omega Non-Stick Cooking Spray.
Combine Smart Balance® Light Mayonnaise Dressing, sour cream, garlic powder, pepper, and Parmesan cheese and shredded mozzarella in a medium bowl.
In another bowl, toss 1/3 of the sauce with the chicken and spinach and spread in the casserole dish. Pour the rest of the sauce mixture over the chicken and spinach.
Bake, uncovered, 40 minutes or until top is golden brown.
Nutrition Facts
Serves 6
Nutrition per serving
Calories 213
Fat 11g
Saturated Fat 2g
Poly Fat 3g
Mono Fat 4g
Trans Fatty Acids 0g
Cholesterol 56mg
Sodium 364mg
Carbohydrates 9g
Dietary Fiber 1g
Protein 21g
Some changes we made to the recipe included omitting the Parmesan cheese and the chili powder. Both are high in sodium. The other change is we used fresh spinach and added broccoli. Check out this website for sodium content in various foods. Very comprehensive.
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