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.