Posts filed under 'Food As Medicine'
In response to a news item I read this morning, I am re-posting an article from nearly two years ago.
Here’s the article: Low Potassium linked to High Blood Pressure
And below you can read my thoughts on high blood pressure and its link to potassium:
I DON’T have high blood pressure. Really. I’ve never gotten a high reading, every single time it’s been checked (even during pregnancies) it’s been fine and dandy. So, I have no reason whatsoever to be concerned about my blood pressure. Right?
Wrong! Almost every one in my family seems to be pre-disposed to high blood pressure. Grandparents, parents, etc. So, should I wait until some doctor says, “Oh, by the way, your blood pressure is high and we’re going to have to put you on some medication for it.” No thanks. Instead of waiting for that unhappy day, I’m going to do a little research and see if I can’t delay my fate with high blood pressure and the meds required to control it.
This is the very beginning of a new brainwave of healthcare coming to be known as nutrigenomics. Find out what diseases and illnesses, genetically, you are predisposed towards and how to battle them with diet and exercise. Prevention is the key here. And individualism. Everyone’s wired differently. My husband may have IBS, and can’t handle too much fiber in his diet, but I need more of it.
In my research this week, I discovered the DASH diet. This diet is specifically designed (and it’s been researched) to lower blood pressure. To read more about the Dash Diet, click here.Or here. Or here.
Apparently, some people are born with a salt-sensitivity that eventually leads to high blood pressure. Because of my family history, I have to assume I am in that category, even though my blood pressure remains in a good zone. Now, besides eating a generally healthier diet, I am going to cut back on the salt and add potassium-rich foods, plus more calcium and magnesium.
The first foods to come to my mind when I think of potassium are bananas and sweet potatoes.
I actually prefer sweet potatoes boiled until soft and eaten with butter, salt, and pepper. For variety, I’ve been searching for other ways to prepare sweet potatoes. Following are four sites I found with a large selection:
Louisiana Sweet Potato Commission
North Carolina Sweet Potato Commission
All Recipes
Recipe Zaar
Sorry no recipe today. I’m going to try out one of these sweet potato recipes.
Eat Well to Live Better
November 10th, 2008
My daughter has decided she wants to go to culinary school in France. Don’t you love the high hopes of youth? This is the dinner she made for us tonight — Lemon Basil Salmon. I served it with a lightly-seasoned linguine in olive oil and lemon. (check back tomorrow for the linguine recipe)
When we eat salmon, which is rare, I buy the Wild-Caught Alaskan Salmon. At best, it is usually $8.99 per pound at the Seafood Counter of HEB. I’ve read too much about fish farms to get excited about farm-raised salmon.
So, Sarah begs me to buy salmon and fresh basil and I have to indulge my chef-to-be. She got the idea on a cooking show but failed to write down the exact recipe. She improvised and this is what she made for us:
Lemon Basil Salmon
serves 6-8
1 1/2 lb. salmon filet - skin off
several leaves of fresh, chopped basil
2 t. lemon juice
dash of salt and pepper
1/3 c. lemon juice plus the same amount of water
Cut the salmon into 3 pieces, and place each piece on a square of foil large enough to wrap it up in. Combine the lemon juice and basil and drizzle over each piece of salmon. Next, sprinkle with salt and pepper and wrap it up tightly.
Place the packets in a baking pan and pour the lemon juice and water into the bottom of the pan. Place this into a 450 degree oven. We tried baking this for 10 minutes and it was only done in the center — we ended up baking it for a total of 18 minutes. Try not to overcook - our thickest piece was about 1 inch thick, adjust your cooking time accordingly.
Enjoy!
March 10th, 2008
As part of our continuing fruits-and-vegetables experiment, I made some pinto beans for supper last night.
I often throw beans, meat, and tomatoes together, add spice and call it supper. Usually I serve it over cornbread or with grilled sandwiches. If it’s thick enough, we put it into taco shells or burrito wrappers. Part of the joy that I get from throwing things together haphazardly is the slight differences that occur each time. Part of it is simply leaving the cookbook on the shelf and using my own imagination and creativity.
For dinner last night, sticking to the no-meat, no-oil, no-dairy, no-grains plan, we had a crock pot full of beans and put some lettuce, avocado, and cilantro on the side. This was really delicious and probably the best thing I’ve had so far on this diet. Here’s the recipe:
Jazzed-up Pinto Beans
1 can pinto beans
1 can white hominy
1/2 c. frozen corn
2 cans diced tomatoes
1 packet taco seasoning mix
8 oz. chicken or vegetable broth
3 oz. Soyrizo (soy substitute for chorizo)
1/2 medium sweet onion, chopped
1/2 poblano pepper, chopped
Basically, there are no cooking directions other than dump everything into the crockpot and let it cook for several hours. I’ll add a few notes of explanation:
Chorizo is a Mexican spicy sausage that is very tasty. If you read the label, you may not want to eat it. This is what goes into authentic refried beans. If you’re not too sure about the Chorizo but want some meat in this soup, add a bit of browned burger or sausage. If you use any meat, it has to be browned first. The Soyrizo I used is like tofu and doesn’t need to be cooked. The package told me to quick fry it in a hot skillet, but I think this wasn’t necessary.
If you want your soup extra spicy, consider using a jalapeno or two instead of or in addition to the poblano. If you want it less spicy, use a green or red bell pepper. Or, use all three.
So the kids (who are not subject to the current diet) would have something to go with this, I fried some cheese-tortilla foldovers to go with their soup.
Enjoy!
December 6th, 2007
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