The Silent Killer

I am not an expert with this subject AT ALL but what I can do is share something's with you that I have learned these past two months. Anyone that would like to add anything here is welcome to do so. When the doctor was talking to me he said: you need to lose weight, you need to exercise more, you need to give up caffeine, and you need to stop smoking. He was saying these things so fast that I actually felt like that cartoon character that says which way did they go George, which way did they go!

I knew I had a lot of changes to make and there was no getting around it, I had to do them! To do all of these things at once was like WOW and I have not done everything yet. I do not believe in Diets but I do believe in changing your eating habit. I know I need to exercise more but you have to work at your own pace and work up to what the doctor wants you to do. It is the same with smoking and the same with giving up caffeine.

I recently had my one month examine and yes, I am losing the weight- yes, I am exercising but not like I should be-and yes, the only caffeine I have I now have is one maybe two cups of coffee in the morning and that is it as far as the caffeine goes. The smoking, I have a lot of work to do but will get there because I know I have too!! I have brought my BP down to a good point and my doctor was impressed and said I did not have to go back for another six months.

I will admit I use to be a HUGE junk food junkie! I love sweets, I love eating potato chips with a slice of cheese. Today, I eat a lot of fruits and vegetables, no sweets unless I make a healthy snack and actually do feel better. Sometimes, even the fruits are a little too sweet to me, laughs I never thought I would say that!

To make any change in your life, you have to put your whole heart into it. You can never look at these changes as punishments because you are not being punished, you just let some things go and you need to fix them. I have never really given any thought to my situation as being Heredity Hypertension. But because I am fully aware of it now, I am able to share that with my siblings. I have learned a very important lesson about myself during this process, I have learned to stop beating myself up when things take a turn in life, but I have also learned that I have to work at my own pace in order for things to get done. Does that make sense?

This is the Breakfast Bread I mentioned earlier.

Soak 2 cups of crushed Fiber One Ceral in 3/4 cup of water and let it set for about 10 minutes and add to remaining ingredients.

Mix Together

1 tablespoon of orange zest
1/4 cup of orange juice
1/2 teaspoon of almond or vanilla extract
2 cups of whole wheat flour
1/2 cup of natural applesauce
1/2 cup of brown sugar
1 1/2 teaspoons of low sodium Baking Powder
Heart Market
1/2 teaspoon of low sodium Baking Soda
Heart Market
1/8 teaspoon of sea salt
2 tablespoons of canola oil
1 egg white
1 cup fresh or frozen (thawed) Blueberries

Spray a loaf pan with a non-stick cooking spray, bake on 350 degrees for 55-60 minutes. Remove from oven and pan and let bread completely cool. Make a glaze to drizzle over the top by: mixing together 1/4 cup of powdered sugar, 1/2 teaspoon of almond or vanilla extract and 2 tablespoons of non-fat milk (you may need to add a few more Drops of milk)

The best salad dressing to use are the ones you make yourself.

Green Goddess Salad Dressing

This is my favorite site: Sauces and Salad Dressings

SPECIALTY OF THE HOUSE

Ingredients

1 c. plain low-fat yogurt
1 tbsp. rice vinegar
¼ c. chopped chives
1/3 c. fresh parsley, chopped
1/8 tsp. garlic powder
1/8 tsp. pepper
Instructions

Mix and chill. Yields 10 (2 tablespoon) servings

Nutritional Information

Calories 17; Total Fat 1g; % Fat 21; Cholesterol 1mg; Sodium 18mg

Okay, you here information about eggs from both negative and positive-I personally choose to only eat egg whites, which has been really hard considering my favorite part of the egg is the yoke. None the less, today I only eat and use egg whites. Here is a really good site for egg white recipes: Egg White Recipes

CALIFORNIA WHITE OMELET

- 1 1/2 Tbsp olive or corn oil
- 1 cup Egg Whites
- 1 large mushroom (sliced up)
- 1 1/2 cup fresh spinach
- 1 Tbsp crumbled feta or goatcheese

1. Heat 1 Tbsp oil in a 9-inch frying pan.
2. Sauté spinach and mushrooms and then set aside.
3. Place 1/2 Tbsp oil into pan at medium high heat.
4. Pour in 1 cup Egg Whites.
5. As Egg begins to cook, lift sides to allow Egg Whites to set.
6. While omelet is still moist, place spinach and mushrooms on top.
7. Sprinkle on cheese, fold omelet and finish cooking.