Another Recipe!

Ok...after a long busy weekend away with family, I thought I'd post another low sodium recipe. I spent this weekend in Cincinnati with my mother-in-law, whom I just don't get to see often enough. We attended a 80th birthday party for my husband's Uncle, Hal. Boy....I sure hope I make it to 80! The party was nice and it was nice to get to see some of my husband's side of the family. We've been married 7 years and this is only the 2nd time I have seen most of his cousins. We stayed at my mother-in-laws Saturday night and went to visit old friends we have in Cincinnati that we used to attend church with. We don't get to see them near enough either! We had hoped to see our dear friend, Bill Wegman and his family but he was off camping. The NERVE of him! So, we'll just have to make another trip down at some other time. Jocelyn, my daughter stayed with my sister-in-laws, Teresa and Connie. They are animal lovers and have several cats and a couple dogs. Jocelyn is a cat lover so she was in cat heaven this weekend! She said she woke up to a cat staring at her right in her face! I don't think she got much sleep due to cats runnig all around during the night and one particular cat that just kept trying to persuade her to play. So, it was a fun weekend and I enjoyed getting to see family that we don't get to see very often. Family is important! Enjoy yours and love them while you can. Ok....on to the recipe. Hope you enjoy.

Baked Pork Chops with Apple dressing.......I love this in the fall!

Apple Dressing:
2 slices light whole wheat bread, torn into bite size pieces
1 medium apple, such as granny smith, gala, fuji or golden delicious, peeled and finely chopped.
1 medium rib of celery, finely chopped
4 medium green onions (green and white parts), thinly sliced
1/4 cup of low sodium chicken broth
Egg substitue equivalent to 1 egg or 1 large egg (real eggs have less sodium)
1 teaspoon dried sage
1/4 teaspoon pepper

***4 bonless pork loin chops (about 4 ounces each), all visible fat discarded. Make sure your pork chops say minimally processed or they will be very high in sodium

Preheat oven to 375 degrees

In a medium bowl, stir together the dressing ingredients until the bread is moistened. Spoon half the dressing into an 8-inch square baking pan, smoothing the surface. Place the chops in a single layer on the dressing. spread the remaining dressing over the chops.

Bake, covered, for 30 minutes (pork will be slightly pink in center). Bake, uncovered for 10 to 15 minutes, or until the pork is no longer pink in the center and the dressing is golden brown.

Sometimes I double the amount of dressing just because we love dressing! I also use the Kroger low sodium wheat bread in my dish.

Hope you enjoy. Apples are especially delicious this fall!

Medications for heart failure

When I was diagnosed in 2001 with heart failure, I went from taking 1 allergy pill per day to taking 7 pills each day. I fact, when I started my cardiac rehab program earlier this year, one nurse joked that with all my medications I didn't really need to eat breakfast! I've never been one that liked taking medications but with CHF, it's essential. Since there is no cure for heart failure, these medications help you to live a longer life with a better quaility of life also. It can be overwhelming at first. What I did was get myself a pill box that had slots for the entire week. At the end of one week, I would fill it up for the next week with morning, noon and evening pills so that I was sure not to forget to take them. For me, it was new so it would have been very easy for me to forget to take something! Now that I've been on them for 7 years, I am so used to it I don't set them out in my pill box anymore. At first, it really helped me to remember so it might be something you want to do when first getting started. Here are the medications I take and these are pretty standard for anyone with heart failure.

Coreg-I take the generic, but they now have Coreg CR that is time released throughout the day and is a once a day pill. I take 37.5 mg now twice a day, which is currently keeping my blood pressure very low! My doctor wants to get me to 50mg twice a day to try and improve my heart function but I do believe I'm at my limit for this drug. At times, my bp runs 88/48 so I have no room for anymore drops in my bp! Coreg is a beta blocker. It helps lower the heart rate and helps the heart pump stronger. Coreg is also used to treat high blood pressure. I remember my doctor when I was first diagnosed saying to me, "I wish you had high blood pressure so we could get you on a high enough dose to do some good." High blood pressure does run in my family, but not for me! Be sure to monitor yourself when on this medication. Take you bp often when first getting started so you know how it affects you. Tell your doctor if you get dizzy often or if you ever pass out while taking this. Make sure to only take this drug when you eat! I take mine at breakfast and at dinner. It's important you eat when you take this so it doesn't get into your system too quickly and cause a sudden unsafe drop in your b/p. My doctor may try me on Coreg CR to see if my system tolerates it better since it is time released.

Lasix-I take 40 mg per day. Lasix is a diuretic. It is used to treat execessive fluid accumulation and swelling of the body caused by heart failure. It's important to be monitored on this drug also as it can cause body water and electrolyte depletion. I've had to use potassium a few times with lasix but do not take without a doctors prescription and without being monitored!


Adlactone-One of the main functions of the kidneys is to retain salt (sodium chloride) and water. In patients with heart failure and cirrhosis, increased levels of a hormone produced by the adrenal glands, called aldosterone, causes salt and fluid retention by the kidneys. Spironolactone inhibits the action of aldosterone causing the kidneys to excrete salt and fluid while retaining potassium. Therefore, spironolactone is classified as a potassium-sparing medication that promotes the output of urine. I take 25 mg per day. Watch getting too much potassium while taking this. This is a potassium sparing drug so don't over do the potassium. Getting too much potassium is also dangerous!

Zestril-I take 2.5 mg twice a day of Zestril. This is an Ace Inhibitor. Angiotensin is a chemical that is made by the body continuously. It narrows blood vessels and thereby maintains (elevates) blood pressure. When the enzyme is blocked by Zestril, angiotensin cannot be converted into its active form. As a result, blood vessels dilate and blood pressure falls. This is another reason my blood pressure is very low!

These drugs are very common for those with CHF. I also take simvastatin for my cholesterol and am now once again on coumadin. Coumadin is important in preventing the formation of blood clots. It is also important to prevent extension of clots already formed, and to minimize the risk of blood clot embolization to other vital organs such as the lungs and brain. With Coumadin, make sure you are carefully monitored. Keep your diet regular and update your doctor on any new medications you are taking as all this can affect the level of coumadin in your system. Make sure to get all blood work on time when taking Coumadin. My first go round with Coumadin was not pleasent. I had complications and had to be taken off for a while but since starting it again this year, I had not had any problems. It's important to do as instructed with this drug!

Ok...that's an education on the types of medicines used to treat heart failure. If you take as directed, you can live a longer life without lots of trips to the hosital. These medications along with a sodium restricted diet are essential. Don't get discouraged! I can remember my doctor also saying to me, "If you're going to get heart failure, now is the best time to do so." Not that anyone wants it but now the treatments are much better and because of that, people are living longer, better lives. I'll be back tomorrow to post another recipe. I think it's about time for that! We've had enough education!

education is key and Heart Walk Thank yous!

Ok...I've overloaded everyone with knowledge about heart disease and what you can do to help prevent. I hope you all use this information and take it to heart.

Last week I had particapted in our local heart walk. We had a beautiful sunshiny day! We couldn't have asked for more perfect weather. It was nice to see such a wonderful turn out too. With all the problems people had the week before with the "hurricane in ohio" and the electric being out, etc, we had a great turnout. It is touching to hear the stories of others. Todd Bell's family was there and told everyone about the dangers of not knowing your cholesterol numbers. Todd Bell was a professional athlete and was in great physical shape but he didn't know he had high cholesterol. He died of a heart attack caused by high cholesterol. He didn't know his numbers and had no clue of the hidden danger within his own body. That's why I have this blog......that's why I'm so passionate about this. so, the education is so vital and that's why there is so much of it here on my blog.

Getting back to the walk. I an so thankful for all the volunteers that showed up to help. Our church youth group came to hand out water along the route. Nathan....you will never know how much that means to me! Thank you! We've never had this before and you were at the perfect spot. Everyone I have talked to appreciates what the youth group did and said it was just when they felt like they needed something to drink!

Thank you Judy Pochard for volunteering your time to take team photos. This means more than a simple thank you can express! Everyone should check our her work. She does awesome work and I highly recommend her. She did our family pictures! Check it out at www.pbase.com/jpochard

I didn't quite make it the entire 3 miles, but I did my best and I'm just glad that I'm able to walk! I was fine on where the route was flat, but when we had some incline coming back, I got a bit winded. Those of you with CHF know what I mean! So, I cut off probably the last 1/12 mile of the route and headed back to the school. I get a bit frustrated when I get winded and can't quite make it all the way but then I'm reminded of how much God has done for me and I forget about it! I'm just happy to be able to go to the event and walk for a cause that matters so much to my heart. So, for everyone that was there and participated in some way.....Thank you from the bottem of my heart. You are world changers!

An Ounce of Prevention!

Today, I want to talk about steps every one can take to prevent heart disease. Heart disease is largely preventable and there are things you can do but you have to use the knowledge you have about heart disease. I've heard so many people say that knowledge is power. Knowledge is nothing unless you act. You can have all the knowledge in the world and do nothing with it and then what good is it? Knowlege is powerless. The power comes in the acting and taking the knowledge to heart.

Each factor below contributes to your overall risk of developing heart disease. If you have 2 or more together, your risk is even greater.

***High blood pressure causes your heart to work harder then normal. Both the heart and arteries are more prone to injury. High blood pressure increases your risk of heart attack, stroke, congestive heart failure, and buildup of plaque in your arteries. KNOW YOU NUMBERS! The goal is less than 120/80

**High levels of LDL cholesterol in your blood can increase the buildup of plaque on the inner walls of your arteries. This narrows the arteries and reduces blood flow. If plaque ruptures, it triggers a blood clot to form. If a clot forms where the plaque is, it can block blood flow or break off and travel to another part of the body. If blood flow to an artery that feeds the heart is blocked, it causes a heart attack. It the blockage occurs in an artery that feeds the brain, it causes a stroke. Many people that now suffer from congestive heart failure, do so due to a heart attack caused by high cholesterol. YOU CAN DO SOMETHING ABOUT THIS! Once again: KNOW YOUR NUMBERS! You want a total cholesterol of less than 200. You want your LDL (bad)cholesterol to be less than 160 mg if you have no heart disease or diabetes. You want it to be less than 130 if you have no heart disease but have 2 or more other risk factors. If you have existing heart disease you want it to be less than 100.

HDL or good cholesterol you want to be 50 or higher. Triglycerides should be less than 150.

**another risk factor is diabetes. Diabetes is a major risk factor for heart disease and people with diabetes are more likely than those without it to have a heart attack or stroke. KEEP IT UNDER CONTROL! You want a blood glucose of less than 100.

**Too much body fat, especially at your waist, means your heart has to work harder, and your risk increases for high blood pressure, high blood cholesterol, and diabetes. That's why it's so important to watch your weight and be physically active. For women, you want a waist circumference of less than 35 inches.

**Consistent physical inactivity increases your risk for heart disease and stroke even more. 30 to 60 minutes of exercise on most days of the week can actualy help control high blood pressure, high blood cholesterol, diabetes and obesity. Aerobic physical activity can also help reduce blood pressure.

**smoking and constant exposure to secondhand smoke greatly increase your risk for heart disease, stroke and other illnesses. However, when you stop smoking-no matter how long you've smoked--your risk starts to drop. In fact, one year after quitting, your risk is cut in half. Fifteen years after quitting, your risk is similar to that of someone who has never smoked. BE A QUITTER! That's the only time you will hear me say that!

These are all risk factors that you can control. Get a checkup. Know your numbers. If you have high blood pressure, get it under control with the help of a doctor. There are medicines that will keep this under control. There are so many cholesterol medicines today that will keep your cholesterol levels where they need to be. If you can't get it down by diet and exercise, get on a medicine that gets it under control. I know people don't like to take medicines, but when you think of what this is preventing, I'd much rather take the medicine than to suffer a heart attack that does damage to your heart or causes death.

**You should also be aware of your family history. You can't do anything about what you inherit from your family members but you can be aware and get under a doctors care.


In my case, I could not have prevented CHF but I could have prevented it from becoming as bad as it has if I had known the signs and symptoms of CHF. I would have pushed for testing on my heart and got on the proper medications before my EF was 5%! Once you have heart disease, it never goes away so an ounce of prevention goes a very long way! Don't let your knowledge go to waste, use it!

What is YOUR EF?

I wanted to talk about an important number for anyone to know, even those with a healthy heart. Still, most people have no idea what their EF is or even what it means. Everyone should know this number!

When I was first diagnosed, my heart function was only 5%. My cardiologist actually told my family for me, that meant my heart was functioning at 1/16th. They were told I could die at any moment unless they could get this number up. So what is an EF and how is it tested?

Ejection fraction is a test that determines how well your heart pumps with each beat.

Left ventricular ejection fraction (LVEF) is the measurement of how much blood is being pumped out of the left ventricle of the heart (the main pumping chamber) with each contraction.

Right ventricular ejection fraction (RVEF) is the measurement of how much blood is being pumped out of the right side of the heart to the lungs for oxygen.

For people with heart failure, your EF number will be your left ventricular ejection fraction. This is where most people have a problem. I don't think my doctor has ever told me what my right vntricular ejection fracion is.

Ejection fraction is expressed as a percentage. No one's heart pumps 100%. There is always some blood that stays behind. A normal range would be 50%-70%. With my last echo, my range is 20%, which means I basically have 1/3 of my heart function. My doctor is currently working on trying to get this up to 30% but for some reason, my heart function just doesn't seem to go any higher than 20%. A MUGA scan actually states my heart function to be 16%. Right now, Dr. Abraham has increased my Coreg more in hopes to bring up this number. The Coreg, however, lowers my blood pressure so that I don't think I'll be able to take much more. Last night my BP at one point was only 88/48! So, as you can see, I don't have room for it to drop much more. Right now my current dose is 37.5 mg twice a day. This is higher than most as the optimal dose is 25mg twice a day. Since my heart function did not increase with that, we are trying a bit more.

36%-49% is considered below normal
35%-40% may confirm a diagnosis of systolic heart failure
below 35%-increases risks of a life threatening irregular heart rhythm. That is why I have a defibrillator!

Your EF can go up and down based on your heart condition and therapies prescribed. We had also hoped the bi-ventricular pacemaker would improve my heart function but after 4 1/2 years with one, it has not. I'm not giving up hope though! I've heard of it happening just all of a sudden in people and I believe in miracles so I still have hope!

Having testing done to measure your EF is painless. These tests can be done in the doctors office. Here are some typical tests that are done to measure EF.

**Ultrasound of heart (echocardiography). Used most often.
**Cardiac Catherization-for this one it means an overnight stay in the hospital.
**MRI of the heart
**Nuclear medican scan (MUGA)
**CT scan of the heart.

For anyone with heart failure, this is an important number to know. I also believe healthy individuals should know this number and I really recommend that everyone have either an echo or a ct scan of the heart. My brother just recently had one due to some cholesterol issues. His test came out great so it was a relief to him. I think it's better to know about a problem and face it head on than to wait until your heart is in trouble or damaged to try and fix a problem. The new heart scan they are doing now costs at $99.00 and it quick and painless. Money well spent!

Symptoms of Heart Failure

Ok....today I'm also posting the symptoms of heart failure since many of these can be different than the symptoms of a heart attack. If you have any of these symptoms, please don't wait........Go to the doctor! I had symptoms for 2 years and didn't realize they were symptoms that something was wrong with my heart. I was actually misdiagnosed with asthma. That's why it's important to know these symptoms can be related to a heart condition so you can push for testing to be done on your heart. I know I would have if I had known the symptoms. You really have to be your own advocate and push for answers and tests sometimes. Don't be afraid to stand up for yourself until you get answers! Here are the symptoms:

**Shortness of breath. This can occur with exercise or rest or when lying flat in the bed!

**Fluid backs up in the lungs causing shortness of breath and often a hacking cough.

**Dizziness-less blood to the brain causes dizziness.

**Tiredness-less blood to the major organs causes fatigue.

**Rapid or irregular heart beats-The heart beats faster to try and pump enough blood throughout the body.

**Swelling in ankles, legs and abdomen. Weight gain-less blood to the kidneys causes the kidneys to retain water.

**nausea, palpitations, chest pain, waking suddenly feeling unable to breathe, changes in sleep patterns

You may also have a loss of appetite.

My symptoms were being extremely tired, sudden weight gain, waking in the night feeling unable to catch my breath, and nausea. If you experience any of these symptoms, go to your doctor right away.

I look back on the days before my initial diagnosis and remember my mom saying she didn't think I had asthma. She kept telling me it was my heart. I wish I had listened to my mom but I thought the doctors had to know what they were talking about. The sad thing is, they never checked my heart. They thought I was too young for heart disease. NEVER let a doctor tell you that you are too young for heart disease. It does NOT discriminate! I've learned to always listen to my mom too!


In the future, I'll also be posting information about a number we all should know: ejection fraction (EF) and information about drugs used to treat heart failure.

Do you know your answers?

Do you know the answer to these questions? If not, you need to schedule a heart check up and learn. Heart disease is largely preventable but only if you are armed with information and do something about what you know. Here are 10 questions every woman should know the answers to. ok....all you men out there, all but number 3 apply to you!

1. What are my risk factors for heart disease?

2. Am I at risk for stroke?

3. What should I know about the effects of menopause on my health?

4. Do I need to lose or gain weight for my health?

5. What is a healthy eating plan for me?

6. What kind of physical activity is right for me?

7. What is my blood pressure? Is that healthy for someone my age?

8. What are my blood cholesterol levels? Are those healthy levels for someone my age?

9. What is my blood gluose level? Is that a healthy level for someone my age?

10. Based on my history and risk factors, what can I do to lower my risk of heart disease and stroke?


Ok.....today, do something good for your heart!

Take a moment

Sit quietly and feel your own heart beating.

Appreciate that one heart, that it is beating and pumping your life blood through you.

Think of your love for your family, your friends.

Make a simple promise to do something good for your heart today.

Eat well.

Exercise more.

Kiss a loved one.

Laugh a little more.

Learn how to keep your heart healthy.

Take a moment to love your heart.

**Taken from the Love Your Heart cookbook from the American Heart Association's Go Red for women movement. Ok, now here's my favorite motto from the Nike ads......
JUST DO IT!

Low sodium food finds!

Ok, I'm going to post a few of the things that I have found on the market that fit into a sodium restricted. You really have to take your time in the grocery and real lots of labels. If anyone out that knows of some, please feel free to respond and let me know about them. I'm sure there are things I have not run across yet.

For some general information, be careful when you buy pork or chicken. Most brands have a salt solution added to them. Tyson adds sodium to their chicken so I never buy Tyson. A chicken breast or a pork chop with added salt solution can have up to as much as 600-800 mg of sodium in them. Be very careful! Purdue brand adds no sodium to their fresh chicken but watch out......they have one that is frozen that they have added sodium to and it's very high in sodium. Also, look for Amish chicken in your grocery. They add nothing to it so the only sodium that is there is what is natural in the chicken. Look for the words, minimally processed when purchasing pork or chicken. I have even found some free range chicken that has the added sodium so read the labels very carefully. I have to drive about an hour in order to buy pork that doesn't have the sodium added to it but my local grocery does carry chicken without the sodium added. They do not add sodium to beef products but get the 96/4 ground beef. It's much healthier for your heart!

Watch out for pork or chicken or anything that says "natural". This does NOT mean they are low sodium and better for you. Salt is a natural perservative and most products that say "natural" are very high in sodium.

Here are some things I have found in my search:

Chicken of the sea has a very low sodium tuna. The words are very small on the can so you really have to search for it.

Hunts and Heinz makes a no salt added ketchup. They also have a no salt added tomato paste on the market.

Frog Ranch Salsa is very low in sodium.

Wing Time has a very low sodium wing sauce and purdue carries chicken wings without added sodium. These wings are delicious!

There is a low sodium barbecue sauce that I find a Kroger Marketplace. It's Lum Taylor and it's very good. We make pulled pork and chicken with this all the time. If you can't find it in the grocery, check out www.healthyheartmarket.com. They carry it. I used to order lots of things from there but now my grocery is carrying most of the same things they carry.

Campbells has a very low sodium soup. They have chicken noodle that is 140 mg of sodium in the entire can. It's bland but it's good if you add no salt added spike. Make sure you get the no salt added version. If your grocery doesn't carry it ask them to start. Campbells also has a very low sodium cream of mushroom soup that is great to make casseroles with. They carry a very low sodium chicken broth soup also. They used to have a very low sodium tomato and beef vegetable soup but took them both off the market to make room for other soups that have sea salt.

Be aware of the sea salt.....these are touted as lower sodium soups but they are not! Sea salt is more highly concentrated and you can have much less of it than regular salt. My doctors office was very upset when they first saw the commercials about the new soups with sea salt. If you have CHF, stay away from the sea salt!

Mrs. Dash has some excellent spices. The ones I love are table blend, original blend, hamburger spice and lemon pepper. Mrs. Dash also has several marinades that are excellent too.

Mikesell has a no salt added potato chip. I have also seen a no salt added barbecue chip which is excellent. If you can't find in your grocery, www.healthyheartmarket.com carries it and I believe www.salthwatcher.com also carries them.

Look for no salt added nacho chips. My store does carry them. They are bland by themselves but with the Frog Ranch salsa, they are yummy!

Kroger carries a no salt added wheat bread. If you store doesn't, ask them to start!

You can aso find no salt added canned vegetables. At least, corn and green beans. You can find just about any vegetable in the frozen foods that don't have added sodium. Be careful though as there are those that do add sodium to frozen vegetables. Always check the label.

There are low sodium beef broths and low sodium chicken broths on the market now that are excellent. Make sure to check the labels on these because there are some that are extremely high in sodium.

Ok...I love french fries but it is very hard to find those in the frozen food section that are not high in sodium. Meijer carries their store brand that is very low in sodium. Ore Ida french fries are high in sodium so I would avoid those. If you have a Gordon Food service, they have a brand that is very low sodium. You just have to check the labels.

There are some spaghetti sauces out there that are low in sodium but they are very hard to find. I've had to order mine in the past from speciality markets but now have found one that is low. It's Disalvos' but you may not be able to find it as I believe it is just a local product to the Cincinnati/Dayton area. It's from a local resturant.

Kroger carries a foccica pizza crust that is very low in sodium but watch the amount of cheese you use. I use my low sodium spaghetti sauce as the pizza sauce.

Ritz carries a low sodium cracker that you will never miss the salt on.

www.heartwisefoods.com carries some real good chili mixes. They also carry a no salt added chili bean.

Simply Jif is a low sodium/low sugar peanut butter. I love this with my chili. By the way, my husband thinks it's weird to eat peanut butter sandwiches with your chili. Give it a try.....it is yummy. Dip it in the chili and the peanut butter melts.....oh....I can taste it now. YUMMY! I think my husband is weird.....those Cincinnati folks just don't know how to eat!

I know there are more things and I'll post them as I think of them. Right now, that's what I can remember off the top of my head.


I do supply low sodium food baskets to anyone that needs to start a sodium restricted diet. Just reply and let me know and I'll get one out to you. I want to make the search easier for others because it was overwhelming to me at first.

Change of Seasonings!

When you have CHF, or any other medical condition that requires you to stick to a sodium restricted diet you really have to "experiment" with other spices to flavor your food. A few spices I have found that I really love in food are No Salt added spike, Mrs. Dash original blend and table blend. Mrs. Dash original blend can be used on just about anything! Remember, eating salt substitues is not always good. They do contain sodium and usually potassium chloride, which your doctor may want you to avoid all together. Garlic is great too.....I use it just about daily! Here are some tips on different things you can try to flavor your foods in a different way:

**Dry roast seeds, nuts and whole spices to bring out their full flavor. Use a skillet over moderate heat or a baking sheet in a 350 degree oven, stirring frequent to toast evenly and prevent burning. Your nose will know when they are ready!

**Buy the best and the freshest whole spices and grind them in a spice grinder. You'll taste a big difference compared to already ground or dried spices. In most recipes, fresh herbs provide more flavor than dried. A little goes a long way too!

**If you buy spices and herbs already ground, buy them in small bottles. You'll need to replace those more often but they will be fresher that way.

**Use dry mustard instead of high sodium prepared mustard. You can also try honey mustard, which is very low in sodium.

**For a little kick, add fresh hot chile peppers to your dishes. Raw peppers are very low sodium and have alot more flavor than the pickled kind. A small amount goes a long way!

**Use a food processor to grate fresh horeradish, which packs more punch than the salted bottled kind.

**Experience the flavor of fresh ginger. Peel it, then grate with a microplane.

**Use citrus zest being careful not to go down to the pith. The peel of citrus holds the true flavor of the fruit. Grat it with a microplane.

**Vinegar or citrus juice sprinkled on foods is a flavor enhancer, but add it at the last minute. Vinegar is wonderful on vegtables such as greens. Either is great on fish.

**Some vegetables and fruits, such as mushrooms, tomatoes, chiles, cherries, cranberries and currants have a more intense flavor when dried. If you recnostitute them in water, you will have a natural "broth" to work with as a bonus!

**Roast vegetables in a hot oven to carmelize their natural sugars.

Here is a Herb, spice and seasoning guide:

Beef: allspice, bay leaf, cayenne, cumin, curry powder, garlic, green bell peper, marjoram, fresh mushrooms, dry mustard, nutmeg, onion, rosemary, sage, thyme, red wine.

Pork: apple, applesauce, cinnamon, curry powder, garlic, ginger, mint, onion, sage, savory, red wine.

Poultry: basil, bay leaf, cinnamon, curry powder, garlic, green bell pepper, fresh lemon juice, mace, marjoram, fresh mushrooms, onion, paprika, fresh parsley, lemon pepper, poutlry seasoning, rosemary, saffron, sage, savory, thyme, tarragon, white wine.

Seafood: allspice, basil, bay leaf, cayenne, curry powder, cumin, fennel, garlic, green bell pepper, fresh lemon juice, mace, marjoram, mint, fresh mushrooms, dijon mustard, dry mustard powder, green onion, paprika, saffron, sage, sesame, tarragon, thyme, tumeric, white wine.

Salads: basil, chervil, coriander, dill, fresh lemon juice, mint, oregano, parsley, rosemary, sage, savory, sesame seeds, turmeric, vinegar and oil.

Bean soup: dry mustard powder

Chowders: bay leaf, peppercorns

Stews: basil, bay leaf, cayenne, chervil, chili powder, cinnamon, cumin, curry, fennel, garlic, ginger, marjoram, nutmeg, onion, parsley, saffron

Vegetable soup: onion, vinegar, garlic

Asparagus: garlic, fresh lemon juice, onion, vinegar

Beans: caraway, cloves, cumin, mint, savory, tarragon, thyme

carrots: cinnamon, cloves, mint, sage, tarragon

corn: allspice, cumin, green bell pepper, pimento, fresh tomato

cucumbers: chives, dill, garlic, vinegar

Green beans: dill, fresh lemon juice, marjoram, nutmeg, onion

Greens: garlic, fresh lemon juice, onion, vinegar

Peas allspice, green bell pepper, mint, fresh mushrooms, onions, fresh parsley, sage, savory

potatoes: chives, dill, green bell pepper, onion


you really just have to play around and experiment until you find something you like. Don't give up! You will come to love food without all the added salt!

Ok...tomorrow, as I promised in an earlier post, I'll list some of the low sodium products I have found on store shelves.

Hold the Salt and the fat!

While eating a very low sodium diet, it's important to find new spices and new ways to flavor your food. Remember, as I've said before, it does take about a month for your taste buds to adjust to your new way of eating but you will end of loving low sodium foods. Also remember, we were not born with a taste for salt, we "acquired" it! My food tastes so much better now because I actually taste the "food" and not the "salt."

Here are some tips for sorting out sodium on nutrition labels. Food labels use certain names or blurbs to describe the sodium content of the food. Each has a meaning defined by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration. Knowing what each means can help you make the best choices.

"Sodium free" means 5 mg sodium or less per serving.

"Very Low Sodium" means 35 mg sodium or less per serving.

"Low Sodium" means 140 mg sodium or less per serving.

"Reduced Sodium" means the usual sodium level is reduced by 25 percent. (hint: many items that say reduced sodium are still extremely high in sodium!)

"Unsalted" or "No Salt Added" means no salt added during processing.

These terms refer only to sodium content and do not mean the product has less fat or saturated fat. It's important to read labels carefully since somes foods that are low in sodium but high in fat.

Here are recommended fats: canola oil, olive oil, safflower oil, sunflower oil, corn oil, sesame oil, soybean oil, poyunsaturated margerine.

Here are some fats for occasional use only: vegetable shortening ( I NEVER use shortening!), regular stick margerine, butter, bacon, chicken or turkey fat, meat fat. Use this list sparingly!

Look for the American Heart Association's white check mark on labels. These foods meet the food criteria for saturated fat and cholesterol for healthy pepole over age 2. Be sure and check the sodium though....these do not always fit into a low sodium diet! For more information on certified products, visit www.heartcheckmark.org.

I'll be back tomorrow to post some seasonings you can use to help flavor your food so you don't even miss the salt!


WATCH OUT for salt substitutes, most doctors DO NOT recommend them because they have potassium chloride and some salt in them. Make sure you check with your doctor before using. With some meds you may be one, this could cause you to get too much potassium, which is very dangerous for your heart! Be smart.....check first!

Watch the Go Red for Women TV Special

Ok....this isn't showing in my area tonight and I'm bummed! It will eventually but for those of you able to watch it tonight, I would highly recommend it. Rmemeber, Heart Disease is the #1 killer in America and it's especially important for women to realize, it's our #1 killer. Heart disease kills more women than all forms of cancer combined, yet many women still do not know this! If this is on in your area and you have a chance to catch it, here is the info:

Beginning Sept. 20, Go Red For Women will be in living rooms across the country

One woman dies almost every minute from heart disease. Yet studies show that only 21% of women view heart disease as their greatest health threat. That's why the American Heart Association's Go Red For Women is bringing the faces of heart disease into living rooms across the country in a new NBC television special, Untold Stories of the Heart. The show, featuring Marie Osmond and hosted by Hoda Kotb, raises awareness through the personal stories of women living with heart disease.


The special will premiere in a limited number of markets on September 20, and will air across the country in the weeks to follow. Here's what's scheduled to date:

Market Station Date Time
Albany, NY WNYT 11/11 1:00 PM
Albany, NY (second run) WNYT 12/27 1:00 PM
Biloxi, MS WXXV 11/10 5:00 PM
Boston, MA WHDH 10/25 3:30 PM
Chicago, IL WMAQ 9/20 6:00 PM
Chicago, IL (second run) WMAQ 10/5 Noon
Dallas, TX KXAS 9/20 6:30 PM
Hartford, CT WVIT 9/20 7 PM
Lima, OH WLIO 10/5 12:30 PM
Los Angeles, CA KNBC 9/20 5:30 PM
Miami, FL WTVJ 9/20 7:00 PM
New York, NY WNBC 9/20 7:30 PM
Philadelphia, PA WCAU 9/20 7:00 PM
San Diego, CA KNSD 9/20 6:00 PM
San Francisco, CA KNTV 9/20 7:30 PM
Washington, DC WRC 9/20 6:00 PM


Check GoRedForWomen.org/watch_our_show for schedule updates.


The women chosen to be the Heart of Go Red will be featured on this program. I tried out, but wasn't chosen but I'm sure these women will represent everything my heart has a passion for!

I'm off to walk in my area Heart Walk this morniing also. That's another great cause to get involved with. Not only do you help raise money for much needed research, you do something healthy for your own heart! WALK!

Nutrition in the Fast Lane!

I thought I would give you some information about sodium content in some fast food menu items. This will help you to make wise choices when you have to eat out. You can find information for some places online so it doesn't hurt to check this out before going out to eat. Remember on menu items that are cooked to order, tell the waiter to "hold the salt!" I even carry my own low sodium bread and ketchup when I go out so I can swap the bun for my bread and bring down the total sodium quite a bit. Remember it's best to keep each meal at around 500-600mg sodium. I'll post some sodium content for one fast food place just to give you an idea of how hard it is to stay within your limit while eating out. More information can be found at www.fastfoodfacts.com

Arbys:

Biscuit with margerine: 780 mg sodium
Croissant (plain): 300 mg sodium
French toastix (6 piece order): 440 mg sodium
Biscuit with ham: 830 mg sodium
egg portion: 70 mg sodium

Regular roast beef: 950 mg sodium
Giant roast beef: 1440 mg sodium
Jr roast beef: 740 mg sodium
Beef N Cheddar: 1240 mg sodium
Arby's melt with cheddar: 890 mg sodium
Arby-Q: 1530 mg sodium
Chicken breast fillet: 1160 mg sodium
Grilled chicken deluxe: 1050 mg sodium
Roast chicken club: 1440 mg sodium
Hot ham n cheese: 1450 mg sodium
French dip sub: 1680 mg sodium
Roast beef sub: 2230 mg sodium
Turkey sub: 2170 mg sodium
Caesar Salad: 170 mg sodium
Grilled chicken Caesar salad: 920 mg sodium
Chicken finger salad: 1300 mg sodium
Remember salad dressings are hidden sources of sodium!

Here are sodium contest for just 1 packet of salad dressing:

bbq vinaigrette: 660 mg sodium
Bleu cheese: 580 mg sodium
Buttermilk Ranch: 490 mg sodium
Lt btrmlk ranch: 750 mg sodium
Caeser: 470 mg sodium
Honey French: 410 mg sodium
Italian: 1030 mg sodium
1000 Island: 480 mg sodium


Here are some of the sauces< These are also 1 packet:

Arbys sauce: 180 mg sodium
BBQ sauce: 350 mg sodium
Bronco Berry Sauce: 35 mg sodium
Horsey sauce: 150 mg sodium
marinara sauce 260 mg sodium
Tangy SW sauce: 290 mg sodium

Side items:

Homestyle fries (4 oz order): 570 mg sodium Arby's does not salt
Curly Fries: 770 mg sodium
Curly cheddar fries: 1290 mg sodium
Potato cakes: 490 mg sodium
Jalapeno bites: 670 mg sodium
Mozzarella sticks: 1330 mg sodium
Onion petals: 300 mg sodium


As you can see, it's very hard to stay within you sodium limit for a meal while dining out. You can easily go over your limiti for the entire day eating one meal at Arby's! Tomorrow, I'll post some places that have menu items that are within the limit for a day. It's a challenge, but there are some! I am amazed at the sodium content at many places. It's not healthy for anyone, not just for those of us with heart failure. It's something we all need to look at and take control of.

Information about sodium

For your reference:
1/4 teaspoon salt = 575 mg sodium

1/2 teaspoon salt = 1,150 mg sodium

3/4 teaspoon salt = 1,725 mg sodium

1 teaspoon salt = 2,300 mg sodium

1 teaspoon baking soda= 1,000 mg sodium

Those with congestive heart failure need to eat less than 1 teaspoon a day. In fact, my limit is less than 2,000 mg a day. This is very important! Salt goes hand and hand with heart disease, high blood pressure and stroke. The USDA recommends sodium intake that totals no more than 2,400 mg of sodium per day. The body only requires 500 mg per day! Most Americans consume well over 4,000 mg of sodium per day. Cutting out the excessive salt is good for anyone. Eating too much sodium causes water to build up in your body. This makes the heart work harder. By choosing foods and drinks that have less sodium, you reduce the water held in your body. This reduces the amount of work your heart does and helps you to feel better.


Be aware of both natural and added sodium content in the foods that you eat. The Nutrient Facts Labels found on food products will list the total sodium content of the item per serving. Pay attention to serving sizes as many salty snack foods have a very small serving size. Sodium is found naturally in small amounts in many foods, or it can be added to foods as a food additive-monosodium glutamate (MSG), sodium bicarbonate (baking soda or powder), sodium sulfite, and sodium benzoate. Look at labels for these additives.

When dining out, ask for food prepared without the salt. I've found most places to be very accomodating. If they are not, don't eat there! Watch out for already prepared casseroles dishes such as lasagna and choose dishes that are prepared on the spot so you can control some of the sodium. Ask your server if they have nutrition information available. Some places this is available, and some it is not. Keep portions small and don't cheat. Eating too much salt can mean a trip to the hospital for those with congestive heart failure.

Here are some basic do's and don'ts.

D0

-ask the wait person to remove the salt shaker, so you are not tempted, but leave the pepper for a little zest!

-Request unsalted butter or margarine, it's usually available.

-Enjoy a tray of crispy fresh vegetables

-Help yourself to bread occasionally. Most breads are good choices, but limit yourself to one or two slices.

-Indulge in shrimp coctail---just dress it up with lemon.

-Order salad, but try it with vinegar and oil.....most salad dressings are very high in sodium content.

-Ask your server to prepare your food without salt.

-Order a plain baked potato, rice or pasta---top them with chives, plain yogurt, or no-fat sour cream.

-Choose grilled and broiled meats, fish and poultry; they are easy to make to order.

-Order fresh fruits, fruit ices, or sorbet for desert


Ok, now for some

DONT'S

-Don't have cheese, olives, pickles or pickled vegetables

-Don't have coleslaw or other creamy salads

-Don't have soup! -it's usually a source of hidden sodium. Stay home and make your own if you want soup! Later, I'll post some yummy low sodium recipes.

-Don't have salt sticks (salt-topped soft rolls) or salty crackers.

-Don't have corned beef, pastrami, salami, sausage, jerky, ham, cured or kosher meats, franks or weiners (check out www.saltwatcher.com for a lower sodium hot dog!)

-Don't have sauerkraut

-Don't have croutons, cheese or bacon bits on your salad.

-Don't have salad dressing, another source of hidden sodium (ask for vinegar and oil)

-Don't have cocktail sause, barbecue sauce, ketchup, soy sauce, steak sauce when dining out. There is a no salt added ketchup available in the grocery. I take this with me! There are some low sodium barbecue sauces also available in some groceries.

-Don't have battered or fried main dishes.

-Don't have gravy, cream sauce, or cheese sauces.

-Don't have cakes or pastries---both have hidden sources of sodium.

Menu tips-These danger words mean high salt and/or high fat

Au Gratin, buttered, butter sause, buttery, casserole, cheese sauce, creamed, cream sauce, creamy, crispy, escalloped, scalloped, fried, deep fried, pan fried, gravy, in it's own gravy, hash, hollandaise, parmesan, potpie, prime (the grade of meat with the most fat), sauteed, stuffed.

Ok this is a good start on what to look for when dining out. I'll be back tomorrow to post more tips!

Adventure!

Ok....I haven't been back to post since last Friday. I was out of town over the weekend with a group of teenage girls from church. We went to the "revolve" tour for girls and had a great time. With teens, it's always an adventure! I don't think any of us got more than 3 hours of sleep, if that.

Then, on Sunday, we got hit with hurricane force winds. A level 1 hurricane in Ohio of all places! I have never seen anything like it. I lost electric on Sunday around 1:00 pm and didn't get it back until yesterday at 8 pm! Needless to say, we lost around $250.00 dollars worth of groceries! Monday, I was unable to work from home so Tuesday I go into the office to work and their system goes down all day. So, today, I've got some catching up to do with work! We had losts of down trees in the area and my Dad lost about a 9 foot blue spruce. He came down in his back yard but thank God did not hit their house! So, we've been cleaning up most of this week. There were over 500,000 people without electric. Schools have been closed and my daughters is still closed today. They still have no electric! Even with things as bad as they were here, we had it mild compared to those in Texas. Remember them in prayer and help out if you can!

I'll be back to post more about heart disease later!

Catching up to the present

Alright, today I wanted to just try and kind of catch up to present day. For the last 6 1/2 years, I really had felt great and had no major problems. Ok....maybe that isn't quite true. I did have a couple of "adventures" along the way. In December of 2003, after having an echo done to check for any changes in my heart condition, I got a call that the doctors office wanted to start me on Coumadin (blood thinner). The office didn't tell me why but I do know that Coumadin is usually given when someone has a blood clot. The office had "accidentally" given me a copy of my echo I had done the week prior to this call. It's funny, I had just come from the office and the doctor didn't say a word or mention I needed to go on Coumadin. The whole thing kind of aggravates me! You really have to be you own advocate! Anyway, I started reading my echo and it mentioned in it I had a "thrombosis". Since I know medical terminology, I knew that I had a blood clot in my heart. I called to speak to the doctor just to confirm this but he was already gone for the day. I got the doctor on call and read my report to him and he said..."yep, that's what that means." like it was nothing. I guess for him it was nothing! I would say this was the first time since my diagnosis that I really felt anxious about things. I wondered why I was not in the hospital to keep an eye on this and I wondered if it would move. If it moved, that wouldn't be good! I broke down in tears and I have to say I was very scared. I started calling friends to pray for me and then I realized, I had not even prayed about it myself! I was reminded by one friend that God had already brought me through so much and that he could bring me thru this. It was then I realized the reason I felt so anxious.....it was because I went to friends instead of going straight to God with my concerns.

I had also started feeling tired and run down all the time, so my heart failure specialist suggested I get a bi-ventricular pacemaker. The device was pretty new at that time but had done great things for other patients. My doctor said it could really improve my heart function and also help decrease the size of my heart. I remember him say if it were him, "he'd run naked to get it!" I told him he wouldn't see me doing that but I would consider getting one. So, In January 2004, I had a Medtronic bi-ventricular pacemaker implanted and I have to say I have had no regrets about doing so. The left and right side of my heart does not beat together like a healthy heart does. This pacemaker is different from other pacemakers because it is constantly working. It doesn't just kick in when your heart slows down or speeds up, it constantly works. It keeps the left and right side of the heart in synch. It did amazing things for my energy level. I could really do anything, hike, shop all day, etc and I never felt run down. If you're reading this and a doctor has suggested this to you, I highly recommend it. The procedure itself is not that bad. The doctor did "nick" an artery while putting mine in but it healed fine so I had no problems from that. You are awake while they do it but you don't feel a thing. The hardest part for me was lying still in the hospital bed for 6 hours afterward since the procedure was done thru a cardiac catherization. That was my second time having a cardiac catherization and let me tell you, lying still wasn't any easier the secone time! Other than that, it was pretty easy.

With that device, I felt great. It was really back to the life I love doing more with my family. Then, in February 2005, I started having problems with my Coumadin. I started having some bleeding issues and ended up have a 14 day long, extremely heavy menstrual cycle. I called the doctor on about day 8 because it was just so heavy and I was feeling so weak due to this. They couldn't get me in for 6 more days so I had to wait and endure. By day 14, I couldn't even walk on my own because I was so weak. Steve had to put me in a wheelchair and wheel me into the doctors office that day. They ran some tests and sure enough I was extremely anemic........(I could have told them that without the lab test!). They also did a biopsy just to make sure I had no other problems other than the Coumadin causing this. Biopsy was negative so they were pretty sure the Coumadin had caused this. I ended up spending a night in CCU getting a vitamin K injection and a blood transfusion. They had to keep a very close watch on my heart to make sure it was not "overloaded" by the blood transfusion. When I went to the hospital this day, I felt 10 times worse than I did when I was intially diagnosed with heart failure! After my release, it took me 3 or 4 days before I felt "normal" again. They did also take me off the Coumadin!

After that episode, it was life as normal. I felt great and spent my time with family and friends and pretty much did whatever I wanted without feeilng run down. I had several echos over the years but the bi-ventricular pacemaker had done nothing for my heart function or the size of my heart. My echo's results have stayed with a heart function of 15-20%. What it did was give me energy and allowed a better quality of life, so for that I am thankful.

Now, to go to October 2007. I had just come back from a wonderful vacation in Nashville, Indiana. My family had gone and rented a cabin and we fished, hiked, shopped, etc and just had a great time. I felt great while on vacation but had noticed I was getting a little more out of breath than normal. About 2 weeks after vacation, I came down with bronchitis. I got over this bout fine and bounced back as I always had after a bout with bronchitis. I seem to get it every fall. Well, 2 weeks after getting over the first bout, I came down with bronchitis again. This time, I never bounced back. My heart rhythm wasn't right and I could feel my heart skipping beats, beating fast, etc. So, I went for a check of my pacemaker and while I was in the office they told me my hear was in V-tach, which is ventricular tachycardia (rapid heart beat). I felt miserable. The doctor suggested it was time for a new pacemaker, one that included a defibrillator. I wasn't "in the mood" was another surgery but I knew I had to get this. I didn't want it, I had heard horror stories of them going off when not needed, etc and I just didn't want that happening to me. I have a dear friend, Julie Werling, whom I have never actually met yet! We had come to know each other thru email after an article ran in the Dayton Daily News about my heart condition and my experience. In the article, I had them include my email. I look back at this at something God put together in advace for me once again. Julie also had a heart condition and she has a defibrillator. Her's has saved her life! So, I wrote to her and told her what was going on with me. She wrote and told me her experience with the defibrillator and she really helped me make my decision. I decided to take my own advice.....BE HEART SMART, and get the new bi-v pacemaker with defibrillator. So, In January of this year I had this procedure done. I am so glad I did! Now, the nurses try to scare you to death by telling what it will feel like if it goes off, but don't let this keep you from getting it! They told me right after surgery it would feel like I had been kicked in the chest by a horse. TMI! Too much information! The way I look at it though, if it saves your life, what's a little pain! I continued to feel bad for a couple months after my new device was implanted but then I started feeling much better again. Tests indicated at the time of my surgery that my heart was in failure so it's no wonder I felt as bad as I did. My doctor told me my new device has more progamming that can help my heart and so now my heart is beating much more like it should be! It's amazing how good that can make you feel!

During that time period, another doctor had also run a MUGA scan on me. During this test, you are given a series of 2 injections and then you lay on a table with a large x-ray machine moving around you and snapping pictures. It's a very easy test to endure. This scan told them my heart was functioning at 16% and they felt the bronchitis had weakened my heart some. At this time, they felt I needed to be worked up for a heart transplant. Once again, I was on that roller coaster. It was a very up and down time for me and my family emotionally. I had never experienced bouts of depression, but this time when I didn't feel well, I did. I hated feeling that way but was reminded by a friend, I had every right to feel that way! I didn't let it keep me down for long though! Steve and I had come to terms with what the doctors wanted to do and really felt a peace about things. We could look back once again and see how God had worked things out in advance for me. I had met a new cardiologist at a speaking engagement I had done about heart disease. I heard from another doctor how "bright" she was so decided I wanted to see her. So, now I see Dr. Monica Hunter with Ohio Heart and Vascular and Dr. Chung from the same group. Dr. Hunter referred me to Dr. William Abraham from Ohio State University. From everything I have heard about Dr. Abraham, he is tops in the field of heart failure and is internationally known. Once again, I have been blessed to be treated by some top notch doctors! I am so thankful for that. None of this would have happened had I not met Dr. Hunter!

So, I began the process of seeing Dr. Abraham and discussing possibly being placed on the heart transplant list. Dr. Abraham ordered a metabolic stress test to see just where I stand in that regard. During this test, you wear a mask and they collect your oxygen. You are on a treadmill that increases in speed and difficulty. I felt fine during this test and was able to endure so they could collect all the information needed. I went back in a couple weeks to get my results and from that test, Dr. Abraham said my heart is keeping up during exercise so for now, I do not need to be on the heart transplant list! Yay! That was a very good day!

After this, Dr. Chung (heart failure specialist) wrote me an oder to do a cardiac rehab progam to get me exercising again. Since my bout earlier on, I had been afraid to exercise on my own. So, I did this program and I can't tell you how much of a difference exercise makes in the way you feel. If you have been told to exercise.......do it! It makes you feel so much better. I have finished that progam and joined the YMCA so I can keep it up. Dr. Abraham has also suggested to me a procedure that is still in the experimental stages. It's a procedure where they place a mesh heart net around your heart. It is showing promise in some that have had it done. It helps the heart function better because it gives the heart a squeeze and it also has helped decrease heart size in some patients that have had it done. After my stress test though, he has decided to wait on that. So, my Coreg dose was increased and I was to have an echo to check for improvement in my heart function this September.

This brings me to the present. I had the echo last week and got my results this Tuesday. Unfortunately, there has been no improvement. I feel great though and that counts for a lot! So, once again my Coreg dose has been bumped up. Coreg drops my b/p so I have to bump it up slowly. Eventually, Dr. Abraham wants me up to 50 mg twice a day. Right now I'm on 25 in the AM, and 1 1/2 of the 25mg tablets in the evening. So far, no problems with how I feel. If I continue feeling ok with it, he will continue increasing in small increments. In another 6 months he will check for improvement once again. If he doesn't see improvement, he wants me to seriously think about the heart net. So, if you believe in prayer like I do, I'd appreciate prayers for improvement in my heart function! Until then, I'll contine to live the great life God has given me and not worry about things!

So, I hope I haven't bored anyone and if there's anyone out there that wants to share their story of heart disease with me.....Please do! We all NEED each other.

Ok....this weekend I'm off to a Revolve tour with a bunch of teenage girls! When I post next, I'll talk about some of the opportunities that have come my way because of heart disease.

I'll leave you with a quote I love: "Only passions, great passions, can elevate the soul to great things." (Denis Diderot)

Be Heart Smart!

Knowledge is dangerous unless it goes through the heart. (celtic saying)


Ok, since just in the last 2 months 8 people I know have been diagnosed with some type of heart problem I thought I would post some warning signs. In those 8 people, there was 1 death from heart disease and 1 newborn baby that had open heart surgery less than a week after it's birth. Some of these could have prevented their heart problems, some could not. I want to arm you with knowledge that you will take to heart so today, I'm posting some warning signs and symptoms. Keep in mind, for women the signs can be different or not quite as intense as in a man but the damage is the same left untreated.

Heart Attack Warning signs:

Some heart attacks are sudden and intense, such as the "movie heart attack," during which someone dramatically gasps, clutches her heart and drops to the ground. No one has any doubts about what's happening. But most heart attacks start slowly, with mild pain or discomfort. Often the people affected aren't sure what's wrong and wait too long before getting help. Here are some of the signs that can mean a heart attack is happening. (taken from material from the American Heart Assoc)

**Chest discomfort. Most heart attacks involve discomfort in the center of the chest that last more than a few minutes, or that goes away and comes back. It can feel like uncomfortable pressure, squeezing, fullness or pain.

**Discomfort in other areas of the upper body. Symptoms can include pain or discomfort in one or both arms, the back, neck, jaw or stomach.

**Shortness of breath. This feeling often comes along with chest discomfort, but it can occur before the chest discomfort.

**Other signs: This may include breaking out in a cold sweat, nausea or lightheadness.

If you or someone you are with has chest discomfort, especially with one or more of the other signs, don't wait longer than 5 minutes before calling for help. Call 9-1-1!

Physical inactivity is one of the biggest risk factors for heart disease. It's best to exercise at least 30 minutes every day! Heredity plays a big factor also so know you family history. If you smoke, quit! Also, try and maintain a health weight (preaching to the choir here!). Some things you can't change, but some things you can.

Remember, heart disease doesn't care what you wear! It's the #1 killer of women. Go to the link at the top of the post to learn more. Sign up for the Go Red for Women newsletter and get your free red dress pin. The national symbol for women and heart disease awareness.

Men, you're not off the hook......heart disease remains your number 1 killer also, it just it's not that well known among women!

Low Sodium Beef Stew Recipe

As I said earlier, following a strict sodium restricted diet when you have heart failure is so important. This one is yummy and you won't even miss the sodium. In fact, members of my own family love this one and they don't add any salt when they eat it. Since it's close to fall and we've already had some chilly weather, I'm in the mood for soups and stews! Enjoy. Remember, your taste buds really do adjust if you give it a good try. It takes about a month and then you really do not miss salt at all anymore.

Old Fashioned Beef Stew

1 lb lean beef chuck, trimmed & cut into 1 inch cubes
2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
2 teaspoons vegetable oil
2 cloves garlic, minced
2 large yellow onions, thinly sliced (about 3 cups)
2 cups sliced mushrooms (optional)
2 teaspoons reduced-sodium tomato paste (I use 1 small can!) ( Hunts also has a no salt added tomato paste on the market)
2 cups reduced-sodium beef broth (I use wylers sodium free instant bouillon powder to make my beef broth) (There are some no salt added beef broth in cans also. check out www.healthyheartmarket.com or www.saltwatcher.com or even check in you local grocery. Many of them do carry it now.)
4 cups sliced carrots
2 medium russet potatoes, thinly sliced (about 2 cups)…..I use more and keep them chunkier.
1 cup 1-inch green beans (fresh or no salt added)
1 tablespoon cornstarch
1 tablespoon cold water
¼ cup chopped fresh parsley

I also add more vegetables than recipe calls for. I add corn and some mixed vegetables also (no salt added). Add to suit your own taste.

1. Coat beef with flour, shaking off excess. In a large non stick pot, heat oil over medium-high heat. Add beef; sauté until browned, about 6 minutes. Place on a plate.

2. Add onions and mushrooms to pot; saute for 6 minutes. Add garlic; sauté, stirring for 1 minute. Pour off fat. Return beef to pot; stir in tomato paste, then broth. Add enough water to just cover; bring to a boil. Reduce heat to low; simmer until beef is tender, about 1 ¼ hours. Skim off any foam.

3. Add carrots, potatoes and other vegetables. Cover partially, simmer for 15 minutes or until potatoes are tender.

4. In a small bowl, mix cornstarch and cold water; stir into stew. Increase heat and boil uncovered for 1 minute. Sprinkle with parsley and serve.

Cooking tips

Browning beef before simmering it in a stew produces juicy, extra-flavorful meat. Pat the meat dry with paper towels before adding it to the hot pan.

When sautéing onion and garlic, sauté the onion first. Onion needs a longer cooking time, and garlic may burn if cooked for too long at too high a heat.

Wedding vows

Ok...since I talked about our wedding in the previous post, I wanted to share with you the vows I wrote to Steve. This is what I wrote and spoke to him that day:

Today is a celebration of life and love. We also give praise to God today for all he has given to us. We are so blessed to be able to share this day with family and friends. God truly has blessed us today and in the days before and I am so thankful.

I want to start out by giving you a definition of Love. Love is patient, Love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. It is not rude, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no records of wrongs. Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth. It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres. Love never fails. These are the things your love gives me. I have protection, I have hope, and I have trust in you. I have seen how your love perseveres. Your love did not fail me when our love was put to the test exactly one year ago today. It was June 21st, 2001 that I was admitted into the hospital with heart failure. When we met on November 21st, 2000, just 7 months earlier, there was no way for us to know what was in store for us, but God knew. When he brought us together he knew what I was going to go through. He knew exactly what I needed and when I needed it. He is always on time.....never too early, never too late, but always right on time. He will always supply our needs. I believe God uses people and situations to help us make it through, to bring us healing and to show us just how much he truly does love us as if dying on the cross for us wasn't enough. That gift of salvation is all any of us ever truly needed but God gives us so much more. God has used you to help heal my heart and to bring me a love I needed. A love that doesn't run away when things get tough. A love that trusts in God for everything. God also made it possible for me to love you in the way that you need to be loved, for love is of God. God is love. Love is so powerful and I knew how much you loved me when you looked at me in the hospital with tears in your eyes and told me that you would give me your heart if the doctors would let you. What you didn't know is that you already had. You didn't walk away. You stuck with me and you helped me more than you will ever know. You pushed me when I needed it, supported me when I needed it, cried with me when I needed to cry but most of all you loved me and you kept your faith and trust in God. God used a bad situation to his good. He used me to talk to people about him that I otherwise would not have met. He continues to use my situation to open doors to tell others about his love. He showered me with his peace and he showed me all his promises are still true today. One year ago today, God gave me the security in you that I needed. You are truly my best friend. I wouldn't change the past for anything. I don't know what God has in store for us in the future but I know with trust in God, we can weather any storm. And we know that all thing work together for good to them that Love God, to them who are called according to his purpose. I pray God uses us for his glory and grants us many years together. I can tell you today that I'll love you more with each new day and I'll always be thankful for this gift that God has given me. I love you....

I believe because of my health situation, Steve and I grew closer and stronger than we would have if I had not been diagnosed with heart failure. I treasure my gift.

I wanted to also post the letter I wrote to Steve's mother. She gave it to Steve some time afterward. I can't find it! If I find it, I'll post it. I believe if you have someone that treats you the way Steve treats me, there are parents that need to thanked!

Sweetest Days!

Some of my sweetest days were that first year after my initial diagnosis. I had my ups and downs along the way, but you really learn to appreciate each day you are given after a diagnosis like mine. I remember 7 years ago when I went for my first check after I was released from the hospital. My cardiologist at that time was excellent and had the expertise I needed but really lacked in bedside manner. On that visit, he said to Steve and I, she has about 4 1/2 to 5 years to live. He was very blunt and very cold. Now, I for one like to have my doctor at least look me in the eyes when he delivers bad news! When I left that office that day, I never felt hopeless and I never thought I only had 4 1/2 to 5 years to live. Steve and I just looked at each other and said, "what was that?" I never let it bother me or worry me because I never believed it! I am NOT a statistic and I refuse to let statistics rule my life. If you are reading this and you have a terminal disease.....you are not a statistic either! Doctors do not know everything and I knew that I was in God's hands. I will leave this world when God says it's time and not a minute sooner! I was thankful for a doctor that was top notch in his field but I was not going to let his prognosis get me down. There is no cure for my disease, unless God decides to heal my body completely, I will live with this the rest of my life. I will have to follow a strict sodium restricted diet and exercise and remain on cardiac medications in order to "manange" my disease. Right after coming out of the hospital, I started this and I was serious about my disease management. You have to be if you want to live. I had lots of prayer too and I believe in that power. I absolutely believe that is why I am still here today. So, during those first few months I slowly regained my strength by making myself get up and do things every single day. I couldn't walk far at first, but I made myself walk a bit further each day. Within a couple of months, I was back to walking 3 miles at a time and really feeling very good again. Just 2 months after getting out of the hospital, Steve and I were back to hiking! Each day was and is a celebration of what God has done for me. I did have my struggles and oddly enough, one of them was 9/11. That happened just 3 months after my diagnosis and although I was not directly involved in that, I struggled. When I sat and watched those buildings just crumble to the ground like they were made of paper, I was deeply saddened for all those involved. When I saw the tears shed by my fellow Americans and felt the heat of my own tears, I struggled. I have an Uncle that is an airline pilot and I was worried that he may have been on one of those flights or maybe another that day. It was a day I will never forget, just like the day of my diagnosis. It was filled with all the same emotions I went thru but mostly survivors guilt. I know that sounds weird but as I watched my fellow citizens go thru such a tragedy, I began to wonder why God allowed me to live and allowed so many people to die on 9/11. My daughter still had her mother and so many children lost one or both parents on that day. I will never undstand that and from time to time, I still wrestle with that. I wrestle with the same thing whenever I hear of a very young person that has died. I will never understand why people have to go thru what they do but I have learned to be grateful for each day God gives me. I knew this already, but 9/11 reinforced in me that none of us are promised another day. Life is certainly a gift and we all need to live every day to it's fullest. Don't sweat the small stuff! Hopefully, everyone got that from 9/11. It's hard to understand why things like this happen. I had to mourn for us as a country and come to terms with my own survivors guilt..........I came to realize, evil made that happen and that God was with those people that were directly involved, just like he was with me in my hospital bed on June 21, 2001.

That following year, I celebrated my 40th birthday. Most people dread turning 40. 40 was the sweetest birthday for me. There was a day when I didn't know if I would make 40 and I can think back to others that didn't make it to 40, so to me it was a celebration of life and each birthday since has been a celebration of life. Every holiday that year was sweeter and my daughters birthday that following March was one of the happiest. I remember being so thankful that God allowed me another year with her. She was so young when I was diagnosed and so many children have lost a parent at early ages. I knew I had so much to be thankful for. The feeling inside of me on my daughters birthday is hard to explain. It's a feeling of so much joy you feel like at any moment you could burst! I hope I'm not boring anyone with these details but I wanted to write about that first year after my diagnosis because I just want others to know to not take a day for granted. Life is a gift, be thankful for each day you have and LOVE your family. One of the very sweetest days was June 21,2002. This was one year from my initial diagnosis and one of the happiest days of my life. It was such a celebration of life. It was a milestone for me and also the day I married the love of my life. Steve did stick around! we were married on June 21st, 2002. We wrote our own vows and there wasn't a dry eye in the place that day, including our own! I remember in my prayer I asked God for many years with Steve and my daughter. In his vows, he told me that if he could, he'd give me his heart. I know he meant that and I know that if he could, he would. What he didn't know was, he gave me his heart when I saw how he cared for my daughter when I was so weak, I couldn't. He did so much for me when I came home from the hospital. HIs momma raised a good son and I wrote her a letter thanking her for doing such a good job with him! One of the songs I chose to have played right after my vows to Steve is a song called "God knew that I needed you." I look back on the events that took place 7 months before my diagnosis. God knew I would need a man like Steve and that's why I met him on November 21, 2000. I can see how God set everything in motion and worked those things out in my life. Some of you reading this can relate, and some of you can not but I know now that God was just in time. My God has been right on time, never early, never late so many times in my life since that time. It's awesome to look back on your life and be able to say, yep.....that's why that happened and to see how God WAS and IS working things out in advance for those that love him.

Ok, I know this may have bored some of you today but I just wanted to some how get across that life is a gift. Never take it for granted. Cherish it and live each day to the fullest. You never know when your 9/11 will come.

Just one little side note skipping to the present day. My doctor has been trying now for about 9 months to get my heart function to improve. He increased my drug Coreg, which is supposed to help. This drug has given me so many problems in the past with making my blood pressure drop so I wasn't sure I'd be able to take the increased dosage. However, this time it did not affect me in that way and I was able to tolerate the increased dosage. Now, that being said my b/p runs about 90/60 at all times but I don't have any symptoms of low blood pressure. So, last week I had an echo done to check for improvement and I got the results yesterday. I was somewhat bummed at the news but I'm not going to allow it to get me down because I know I'm in God's hands and he is still in control. The results showed no improvement. My heart function is at about 20%. So, now he is increasing my Coreg once again. So, hopefully it will not drop my b/p any lower and it will work this time! He'll check for improvement in about 6 months and if there is none this time, he wants me to seriously think about having a procedure that is still experimental. It's where they put a mesh net around your heart to help decrease the size of the heart and improve it's function. Now, I'm not jumping up and down with glee thinking about this! I did tell him to leave that option on the table but to put it last on the list! So, if you are a praying person and you want to pray for improvement in my heart function, I would deeply appreciate it! They would like to see at least 30% or even higher.

Ok...I'll be back tomorrow to talk about some of the procedures I have had done and getting to the present! I'll also be talking about the low sodium diet and posting some recipes that I have found to be pretty tasty, even without the salt. If this helps just one person going thru the same thing, I'll be happy!

Continuing Life Changing Expeience

Ok.....I'll try to finish as much of my initial diagnosis story as possible this morning.

June 21, 2001 is the day my world should have been falling apart. I know this won't make sense to some, but I had complete peace. I never felt afraid, shock yes, but never afraid. I never "thought" I was going to die. I just knew that God was going to take care of me and bring me through this. Doctors in the ER immediately put me on an IV of lasix and with that comes the lovely catheter. My lungs were so filled up with fluid that I was basically drowning. That's why I couldn't breath! I had a handful of doctors come in and listen to my heart beat and they would all say, "You have an interesting beat." Most of them were interns and I guess I was an excellent "case study" for them to learn from! In the ER they did a chest x-ray and a echocardiogram. Both of these tests showed them my heart was extremely enlarged and that my lungs were full of fluid. My heart was pumping so poorly it was causing the fluid to back up. So, from there the only place to go was to CCU. There was no way I was leaving the hospital! Once there, they started me on so many different heart medications. I kept the IV lasix and was started on Coreg, zestril, aldactone and of course the occasional potassium pill. They had to keep a very close watch on my potassium since they had all the fluid coming out due to the lasix IV. OH...I almost forget. They kept giving me nerve pills which did nothing but make me sleep! The funny thing was, I was not distressed, excited, or upset in the least bit. I was joking and cutting up with my family and the nurses but they still made me take those things! Finally, about my third day in the hospital one of the nurses said to me, "They have these nerve pills on your order but you don't look like you need it." Finally, one that didn't make me take it! Once they got a lot of fluid off of me, I started feeling much better and started getting hungry! They finally allowed me to eat something around dinner that evening. I'll never forget what they gave me to eat. That first meal was turkey, mashed potatoes, gravy, stuffing, bread, corn and pumpkin pie! I was having a Thanksgiving meal in June! I had so much to be thankful for too! I was alive and I was feeling better just a few short hours after being admitted. At least, good enough to have my appetite back. I couldn't run a marathon or anything. I was admitted on a Thursday and on Monday they did a cardiac catherization to check to see if they could figure out what caused this in me. I remember during the test the doctor kept saying things like, "I've never seen anything like this, and this beats all I've ever seen." I also remember him saying, "We can't do that because it just won't help her." Those were not comforting words! After the test was over, the doctor came to talk to me. The news was, there was nothing that could be done surgically to help me. My condition was not caused by a valve problem or by clogged arteries, etc. My condition was most like cause by a virus that damaged. Although, now they are not quite sure. They believe my condition could also have been hereditary. The doctor actually said my arteries were the cleanest he had ever seen. He then told me science wasn't looking good for me. I asked him if he believed in God and he said, "yes." but "science isn't looking good." Well, I said, "My God is much bigger than your science." and "that God was going to heal me." I don't think he liked my response but my faith was all I had and I had this strength that could have only come from God. That kind of strength is not naturally in a person! So, I ended up staying in the hospital until Tuesday. The day I was released, I was weighed and I had lost 30 pounds of fluid during my hospital stay. I was weak but had been up walking a few laps around the hospital hallways with Steve by my side holding me up. He was an absolute "rock" for me during this time. Once home, (which at that time was my parents house), Steve made sure I took all my meds on time and made sure I just didn't go home and become a couch potato! He walked with me a little each day. I was so weak at first and could feel my heart skipping beats, etc but I didn't focus on that. I had to focus on the days ahead and how I needed to be there for my daughter. Each day I would walk a little bit further and had to challenge myself every day to continue but it paid off in the long run. One of my biggest challenges was the strict sodium restricted diet I had to follow and will follow the rest of my life. My Mom at that time would go to the grocery for me and spend hours there trying to find something I could eat. It was amazing to find out how much sodium was in things once you really started looking at the labels. I had to keep my total sodium for the day under 2000 mg's and we found that was going to be extremely difficult. Food companies just don't realize how all this sodium is affecting people and don't seem to realize there is a whole population of people out there that have to follow a sodium restricted diet. So, in the beginning I had a lot of fruit, baked potatoes and noodles! The taste is something to get used to but if you are reading this and you need to be on this samee diet, let me tell you that in about a month your taste buds adjust and the low sodium food tastes real good. I can't stand anything that has a salty tast now! Let me encourage you to stick with it, don't give up, exercise as your doctor says and you'll be amazed at how you feel, even with a heart functioning at less than 20%! Also, for anyone reading this no one's heart functions at 100%. Normal is around 55%. My heart function went from 5% while in the hospital to around 15% on first echo after I was released. I was thankful for that improvement! I know prayer got me to where it did. I never felt sorry for myself and never questioned God why this happened to me. I believe everything happens for a reason and that God has a plan. This may not have been the plan I would have chosen for myself, but I have trust that God knows what he is doing. I always thought it would be silly for me to feel sorry for myself and ask "why me?" I remember telling my Dad this one day and I said Dad, the way I look at it is, "why not me?" I'm no different than anyone else and others have suffered far worse or the same so why should I be spared? I believe attitude is half the battle so being mad at God or questioning things would only serve to drag me down and hinder any progress I needed to make. I had and still have an excellent support system in my family. That is so important. I know it may be hard at times but I would say to others keep a postive attitude and do what the doctor says! You'll be amazed at how much better you will feel!

To be continued.......

Life Changing Experience

Have you ever had a life changing experience. Have you ever felt like your life was perfect? On June 21st, 2001, I felt as if I were living the perfect life. At least for a few moments that morning but unknown to me that day, my life was about to change forever. Just to take you back a few months before that day to show you why I felt I had the perfect life. I had gone thru a divorce a few years earlier and never thought I would meet anyone I could "trust" again, let alone fall in love with. Watch out when you're not looking girls! On November 21st, 2000 I met my best friend, Steve. Steve and I talked for hours the first night we met and I felt like I had know him forever. When I left after dinner that night, I knew in my heart I was going to marry him. Steve didn't know it, but he soon would! I was also a single mom raising my 6 year old daughter. Things were going so well, I didn't think life could be any more perfect. I had no idea at that time what I was about to face on June 21, 2001. On that morning, I woke up to find myself extemely bloated. I had been off work that entire week due to what doctors said was a bad "asthma" attack. That morning, however, things felt different. My face was puffy, I was extremely tired and I could not walk across my parents living room floor without needing to sit down and rest. I couldn't fit into my own clothes that morning as I was extremely bloated. I knew something wasn't right so I had my Dad take me to the emergency room. In the emergency room, I was greeted by a physician that I had worked for at one time. I'll never forget his words that day. He took one look at me and said, "Has anyone ever checked your heart?" I thought he was kidding. I mean, come on, I had been to doctors several times over the past 2 years with complaints of being tired and short of breath. Doctors told me I was doing too much and advised me to slow down. They also said I had asthma. I just "assumed" they knew what they were talking about and that they had covered all possible avenues. Sadly, I was mistaken. I had no idea at that time that fatigue and shortness of breath were symptoms of heart problems. If I had, I would have insisted they do a thorough check of my heart. That is what I advise anyone to do today! I told the ER doctor no one had ever checked my heart and that I was pretty sure I was just having a bad asthma attack. He knew better. After a few quick tests, he came in to my room with a look that said it all. I knew the news was not going to be good. Since I work in the medical field, I know medical terminology and once he told me the diagnosis, I was in shock. I thought he had to have gotten my results mixed up with another patient in the ER. This couldn't be me, could it? Up to this point, I had done everything right. I ate right, I exercised, I was at my best weight ever. I was fit and I was young. I learned very quickly that heart disease does not discriminate! The ER doctor told me I had congestive heart failure and cardiomyopathy. My heart funtion was 5% at the time of my diagnosis and I was told I needed a heart transplant. The ER doctor asked me which cardiologist I would like to use and I didn't even know the name of one! I had never had to use a cardiologist. My perfect world quickly changed in just a few short minutes that morning. I felt as if I had stepped onto a roller coaster. I was being tossed from side to side and felt a rush in my face that made it difficult to breath. I never liked roller coasters! I remember calling Steve at work that morning from the ER and telling him I needed a heart transplant. Needless to say, he was in shock too. We had only been dating for 7 months so I realized at that point that he may not stick around for this. This was not the life neither of us had signed on for! I knew I needed him, but didn't know what he would do. My family was told, I could die at any moment and I was given just days to live.

To be continued......