Monday, November 4, 2013

I'm Not 10 Foot Tall And Bulletproof Any More

The joy of trying to meet my nutritional needs and the totally opposite needs of my husband have defeated me. I require high fiber, complex carbohydrates, he requires low fiber, low residue carbs. Since I work and have other responsibilities I'm usually too tired at the end of the day to cook meals for both of us and I tend to eat what he's eating. Also, it takes more money than I can muster to buy what we both need. I try, but I'm doing it in a way that forces me sometimes to make a choice between what I need to eat and what I need to take for medications.

If I buy every one of the nutritional supplements plus my blood pressure medications I don't have enough for all the high fiber products like quinoa that I really need. I tend to stretch the supplements by not taking them as often as I should. I know better than to skip the beta blocker or the Lisinopril that I need to control hypertension. I don't take, as often as I should, the supplement that acts like a diuretic nor the one designed to keep the arteries and veins flexible.

The weight loss has come to a standstill because I'm not eating the higher fiber, and my smaller size clothing has become snug because I'm not taking the diuretic supplement. I know it's water gain since my right foot and ankle blew up last night. Potato chips. I'm thinking it's the potato chips and the failure to take the diuretic for a week.

Since August of 2012 when Hubby wound up in the hospital I haven't been taking very good care of me. I've been buying only the veggies he can eat, and eating applesauce along with him instead of the apples. I stopped buying quinoa since it's $6 for a small amount at the health food store. I've been eating white potatoes, white bread and pasta instead of the whole grains and brown rice. This has to stop. I'm not sure I know how. I'm also pretty sure I need to learn how.

Fortunately I have enough of the diuretic supplement to tide me over for awhile. Picked up the large bottle at the doctor's office last week. I took a dose last night when I found my foot and ankle swollen up like that and another one this morning after breakfast. The first dose took more than half the swelling down.  It's supposed to be taken twice a day. I think if I get my food intake where it needs to be, once a day will be enough, but for right now, I'll do the twice a day the way the doctor ordered.

I'm on a 4 day work week. I may need to switch grocery shopping day to Saturday instead of Monday. That will give me Sunday and Monday to prep what I need to eat and store it in single portion size with my vacuum sealer. Then all I'll have to do is take out of the freezer what I need to add to whatever I'm making for Hubby's supper.

Today I'll crunch the numbers and see if I can't find enough to stop at the health food store. If Brenda is there, I'm sure she can help me with some ideas. If I could pick up 4 more hours at work, I'd be pretty well set and could shop there every week for what I need. We'll see how things go.


6 comments:

  1. Try millet and lentils. Both are low price (in bulk) very high in protein and fiber and both cook in a sort time. With millet simmer it in 2.5 times the water as millet, it takes about 25 minutes, Lentils, 3 kinds, red cooks in 10 minutes, green about 15, brown about 25.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. http://nutritionfacts.org/video/lifestyle-medicine-treating-the-causes-of-disease/

      Delete
    2. Brenda wasn't in the store today and the new cashier isn't as informed as I need. I looked around on my own and ended up buying Basmati brown rice and Adzuki beans. I figure the Adzuki's can be both cooked and sprouted. I can use them to make Red Beans and Rice.

      The hypertension is being caused along with some other mineral problems by my overworked adrenal glands. The water retention is happening because of the beta blocker. My doctor doesn't like using it but since we've had so many stresses and financial problems lately she decided to use it to protect my heart. She's cut the dosage in half to help with some of the other problems it's causing but it still whips my ass. I hate it but it did stop the anxiety attacks. It slows my heart rate up too much, although not as bad as it used to.

      The diuretic she sells me is a plant based liquid from Germany that works without causing the problems that Lasix and other diuretics do. It's only available from health professionals. Can't even get it at a health food store.

      Life would be so much simpler if Hubby could eat the same things I need. Thanks for your help, I'm sure I'm going to need more of it in the future.

      Delete