Since my husband's heart attack, I have been focused more on health and our diets. The second day Bob was in the hospital a friend loaned us "To Your Health" by Dr. Hans Diehl and I started reading. A few days later, another friend gave me "Eat to Live" by Joel Fuhrman, MD. We also got a book when Bob got out of the hospital - "Living Well with Heart Disease" from the Heart & Stroke Foundation.
I won't go into details about what I read but it was enough to get me started on a new diet lifestyle. The goal was to reduce sodium, fats and sugars which would improve blood pressure and promote weight loss. Using the recipes in the books and from the internet, I have been including many more vegetables as well as beans and lentils into our meals. There have been a few "I can't eat that" meals but most have worked out well and I now have about 20 recipes that will become staples. I have also modified a number of our favourite 'pre-heart attack' recipes to meet with the changes in our needs.
I know how easy it is to slide back into old habits so I am keeping a record of almost everything we eat and the nutrition information - sodium, fibre, calories, fat, sugar. So far things seem to be working; Bob has lost 10 lbs and I have lost 6. And, we are both feeling good about the changes - so, here's to a better future!
And, to show that I haven't completely ignored my art, here are a few of my latest quilling projects.
I have a few other things on the go as well and maybe I will find the time to write about them soon . Now, I am off to figure out the nutrition for tonight's dinner - lol.
Good for you Val :) Glad you are both doing well, and seeing improvements. Makes it easier doesn't it? Here is something we enjoy. It is not spicy. We eat it in place of chili or beans. it is good for nights when you do not want to cook. I have not looked at the nutrition of it, may not suit. It is tasty. Love your hearts, glad for you that you can find some time for your art. Blessings to you both :) http://tastybite.com/products/madras-lentils/#facts
ReplyDeleteHi Sheila. You are right, seeing improvements does make it easier to keep going with the changes. I don't think that we can buy Tasty Bite products in Canada so I will have to look for them next time we go to the States. I checked the nutrition on the link you shared and it is pretty high in salt but I will check it out anyway. Thanks for the comment about the quilled hearts - I like them too. Take care and thanks for your comments.
DeleteGood for you, Val - those diet changes will be a boon in the years to come. And I'm glad to see that your artwork is still happening - lovely quilling!
ReplyDeleteThanks for stopping by Win. I always thought that we had a pretty good diet but once you start looking at how much salt and fats there are in so many foods I had to think again -better late than never I guess. Art may not be my focus but it is always in there somewhere - lol.
ReplyDeleteSounds like you are making the necessary changes. It is so hard when we are bombarded left and right with food to satisfy every urge. Glad you have still kept your art going a bit. That is necessary for your mental health too. Keep up the good work!
ReplyDeleteThanks Joan. You are so right about being bombarded with too many foods that are not very good for us making it tougher to keep up with better choices. I bet, with the amount of sketching you do that you don't have much problem with mental health - lol - I am keeping it all together somehow. Have a good night!
DeleteThat's a good reason for making art!
DeleteThanks you for commenting on my blog,(wellydog) I've been away sos long so good you remember me. So sorry to hear about your husband. Glad to hear he is recovering ad. It's a good reminder for us all to be on top of our diets. Good luck with it and love the quilling x
ReplyDeleteThanks Janice. I am having trouble finding your FB page but will persist. I am glad you wrote a blog because it is so easy to not think about people when you don't "see" them often.
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