another low sodium find!

Click on the title of this post and it will take you to a website with no salt, no sugar seasonings. Think I'll give some of these a try! www.nosaltnosugar.com if the link doesn't work in the title.

Know your six!

Six Numbers That Matter Most for Your Heart

Cholesterol Total cholesterol of 200 mg/dL or lower.
HDL ("good" cholesterol) of 50 mg/dL or higher, if you're a woman, or 40 mg/dL or higher, if you're a man.
Optimal LDL is 100 or lower


Fasting Glucose Less than 100 mg/dL -- Optimal
100 mg/dL to 125 mg/dL -- Pre-Diabetic
More than 125 mg/dL -- Diabetic

Blood Pressure Less than 120/80 mm Hg – Normal
120/80 mm Hg to 139/89 mm Hg -- Prehypertension
140/90 mm Hg to 159/99 mm Hg -- Stage 1 hypertension
160/100 mm Hg or higher -- Stage 2 hypertension

Body Mass Index (BMI) Less than 18.5 -- Underweight
18.5-24.9 -- Healthy Weight
25-29.9 -- Overweight
30-39.9 -- Obese
40+ -- Morbidly Obese

Physical Activity 30 minutes of exercise 6x week

Sleep 7 to 8 hours of sleep a night
Too little sleep can promote calcium buildup in the heart arteries, leading to the plaques that can break apart and cause heart attacks and strokes

New Low Sodium Food find

Just a quick note to tell you of a low sodium food find that my Mom discovered. Mary B's open kettle dumplings. The package she had says zero sodium. They are in the freezer section and we've found them only at Walmart in our area. So, for all those that never thought they would get to enjoy chicken and dumplings because of the sodium, you now can! They are DELICIOUS. I've seen nutrition facts online that say 40 mg sodium per 6 oz but the package my mom had said zero sodium in the entire package. Not sure why the difference but wanted to pass this along to others on a sodium restricted diet. They are cholesterol free also and the package she had was low fat. So, look at your local walmart to see if they carry them. Mom said it's much easier than making dumplings from scratch and just as tasty! I can vouch for the taste!

Also, there is a product called Anne's flat dumplings that have absolutely no sodium in them either. Click on the title of this blogpost for their website. Looks like you can only order in bulk but they do have a list of stores that carry their products. I've never seen these in my local Kroger or Walmart but according to the website, some locations do carry these.

Interview with WCPO for the Go Red for Women Luncheon

Click on the title of this blog post if you'd like to see what aired on WCPO on Thursday, April 21. The Go Red for Women luncheon is coming up on May 5. If you have never been, you will LOVE it. There is so much information about heart health, shopping, educational sessions. You'll come away very empowered IF you take it to heart!

The event will be at Duke Energy Center from 9 am until 1:30 pm. Ginger Zimmerman, a heart transplant survivor will be this years keynote speaker. Details at: https://ahacincinnati.ejoinme.org/MyEvents/20102011CincinnatiGoRedLuncheon/YourEvent/tabid/242154/Default.aspx

Copy and past the link into your browser address.

Heart of Gratitude

Today, I am thinking of a friend I have never met. I prayed for her last year after hearing her story from our youth pastor. Her name is Megan Moss. What an awesome story of hope and faith she has to share. I remember being so thankful when the news came last year that she had a heart. This after being told she was too sick to receive one if in fact one did come. Her family prayed along with thousands of people all over the United States and God showed up right on time....after doctors had done all they could do and science said there was no hope God's healing touch came. God is always right on time, never too early, never too late. Her family has incredible faith and NEVER gave up praying or believing. God answered their prayers and today I am rejoicing with them. I remember praying for her all night when the news came she was too sick to have surgery if a heart came. I'll never forget the feeling I had the next morning when I checked her fathers blog and the post read: We Have a HEART! Megans temp went down from the pneumonia and she was able to have the surgery and receive the heart from her donor. This was an absolute MIRACLE. I'll never forger her story or the faith this family demonstrated in their darkest hour. So, Today, I just wanted to put a poem and a scripture to tell the world how grateful I am for the miracle he gave Megan Moss and for my own miracle. I will never forget what God has done. I remember telling my doctor when I was first diagnosed: My God is bigger than your science. Today, I am living proof and so is Megan Moss. Click on the title of this post to read her father's blog. You can also read her blog at www.meganrmoss.blogspot.com

Heart of Gratitude:

With a heart full of gratitude I want the world to know,
So I can share this feeling, you reap what you do sow.

For gratitude bubbles over when your heart appreciates,
Your prayer that was answered, even though you had to wait.

So count your many blessings. This we all must do.
For your new heart of gratitude will always carry you through.

Deborah J Birdoes

Quote from Scripture:
Come and see what God has done, how awesome his work
in our behalf. Ps. 66:5

Exciting News!

I have some exciting. On Wednesday, April 20, I will be interviewed by Carol Williams for WCPO, channel 9 Cincinnati. They are interviewing me about my story with heart disase. This will be used to promote the Go Red for Women Luncheon coming up May 5th. Not sure when the segment will air. Prayers appreciated! I am so thankful for this opportunity to support such a great cause. I am humbled by the opportunities God has given me because of heart disase. I'm a bit nervous too!

Reposting an old favorite recipe for heart healthy mac and cheese at 120 mg sodium per 1/2 cup!

I wanted to repost this recipe because I had a comment on an old post and someone misunderstood the nutrition contents of this recipe. They mistakenly looked at the nutrition info at the bottem of the page, which is for regular mac and cheese and very high in sodium. This recipe is a healthy version of an old favorite made so those on a sodium restricted diet can enjoy mac and cheese once again. This recipe contains 120 mg of sodium per 1/2 cup, not 1180 as one reader mistakenly thought. I just thought I'd sahre it again in case anyone might want this recipe.

Ok, all of us that suffer with heart failure know that it's impossible to find low sodium mac and cheese. The best thing to do is avoid this on buffets, socials, etc because mac and cheese can contain 800-2000 mg sodium in 1/2 to 1 cup! So, here's a recipe I wanted to pass along. It's low sodium and low fat....very heart healthy. You CAN enjoy mac and cheese again!

Makes 8 servings -serving size 1/2 cup

2 cups Macaroni ( I use whole wheat pasta to make this even healthier!)
1/2 cup chopped onions
1/2 cup evaporated skim milk
1 egg medium size, beaten
1/4 teaspoon black pepper
1 1/4 cups (4 oz) sharp cheddar cheese, finely shredded, low fat
nonstick oil cooking spray

1. Cook macaroni according to directions. (Do NOT add salt to the cooking water.)
Drain and set aside.

2. Lightly spray saucepan with non stick cooking oil spray and saute onions for
about 3 minutes.

3. In another bowl, combine macaroni, onions, remaining ingredients and mix
thoroughly.

4. Transfer mixture into casserole dish, sprayed with non stick cooking oil.

5. Bake at 350 for 25 minutes or until bubbly. Let Stand 10 minutes before serving.

Nutrition fats: Calories: 200, Fat 4 g, Saturated fat 2g, cholesterol 24 mg,
Sodium 120 mg

Compare this to a regular serving of mac and cheese which is for a 1 cup serving. Below represents what a regular "unhealthy" portion of mac and chees would contain. Above recipe is for a healthy version at 120 mg per 1/2 cup serving.

This is nutrition facts for regular mac and cheese, not the posted recipe.
calories 370, calories from fat 160, total fat 18 g, saturated fat 11 g, cholesterol 40 mg and sodium 1130 mg in 1 cup! That's twice what a healthy person needs in a day!

Just so thankful....

This may not seem like much to you, but today I am just so thankful. I got to take my 17 year old daughter to her drivers exam today. She was 7 when I was diagnosed and was told I wouldn't live thru the weekend and then told I needed a heart transplant. God has given me these last 10 years and today after coming home it just hit me....if the doctors had been right, it would have been someone else taking my daughter to get her drivers liscense today. I've been given the opportunity to watch her grow up and I know some mothers have not been given that opportunity. Some children have not had their mothers with them like she has. Just feeling so blessed. Remember to thank God for what he gives you and allows you to do. Don't take it for granted. That's really all I have to say today. Count your blessings and say thank you to God.

Oh, and she passed her exam!

Go Red for Women Luncheon 2011 Cincinnati

The Go Red for women Luncheon is coming up in Cincinnati. It's Thursday, May 5th at the Duke Energy Center. This is an AWESOME event you won't want to miss! This year my company sponsored a table and my table is full! If you are interested in going, click on the title of this post and it should take you to the website where you can learn more about the event. Its from 9am to 1:30 pm and it's jammed packed with educational information, shopping for the heart, healthy cooking demo's and inspirational speeches by survivors. I had the privilege of speaking at the first one in Cincinnati and sharing my story. This year I'll be participating in the Go Red fashion show where you'll get an update on my story! I promise, you'll love this event and will be so glad you came!

While you are on the website, click on the link of my friend, Bob Herzog from WKRC. The video will make you smile! He and John Lomax are wearing the Go Red neckties I sent them! It takes a real man to wear a red dress! LOL!

National Start Walking day!

Yesterday was National Start Walking day! I hope that you are all movitated to start! It's never too late to take care of your heart! Check out this website for walking paths, etc in your area.

http://www.startwalkingnow.org/

Do something good for your heart!

God of the Impossible

I've had so many people ask me how I knew that God was going to touch my heart and give me healing. Then they go on to to say, why are my prayers not being answered when what I'm asking for is something that can only be good for my family? Sometimes it's hard to answer questions as to why are my prayers not being answered in the way people want them answered but I have to remind someone whenever they ask me this, my healing did not come instantly. I've had my struggles over the last 10 years with my health and I've had my struggles with God. I've held onto things I needed to let Go off and for a time refused to let the refiner do a work in my heart that was different than what I thought I needed. God opened my eyes to areas in my life and in my heart that needed to change. I needed to get my heart focused on God's kingdom, no matter the cost and take my eyes off of Kim and what her wants and desires were. I had to learn to trust thru difficult times. I've had on more than one occasion life threatening situations come up with my health and it has not been an easy journey but it is one I would not change for the world. Sometimes I don't think I do very well at answering people when they ask me questions like that. My journey has not been easy but I have always believed God was there with me and moving in my life to bring about his glory but lots of things had to melt away before he could truly shine. The refiner had to chip away and I had to be willing to allow him to do that. In my devotional today by Chris Tiegreen, what he says kind of helps me and maybe it will help you too. It's about God being the God of the impossible. Here is what is says:

In word, God can do impossible things. Just look at the revealed testimonies to his power: "Is anything too hard for the Lord?" (Genesis 18:14); "Do I lack the strength to rescue you?" (Isaiah 50:2); "Is anything to hard for me?" (Jeremiah 32:27); "With God all things are possible" (Matthew 19:26); and "Everything is possible for him who believes" (Mark 9:23). We may pray and wonder what God's will is in a situation, but we should never--under any circumstances--wonder if God can meet our needs. The Creator of Heaven can do anything. As Jesus approached his passion, he had no doubts about the Father's power. The only question was God's will. In that situation, Jesus submitted willingly.

When we prayer we often times want God's power to be at our disposal. We want the power first, and our submission afterward. (been there, done that....doesn't work). That's not God's way, and that was not what Jesus did. He spent years demonstrating submission before he demonstrated miracles. Answers to prayer were not the ultimate goal for him; obedience was. God's will was. The plan of salvation and the Kingdom of God were. Miracles were only a small part of the bigger purpose.

Do we pray with that kind of focus? We sometimes seek answers to prayer without settling our commitment to Kingdom purposes first. But if we can be firmly allied with God's great plan--even when it hurts our short term interests--we can pray with the power of Jesus. We can call on the Father, knowing that he'll put angels and his spirit at our disposal.

(back to me now)
So, I have learned that obedience is more important to God than changing your circumstance, etc. He wants you to be his first.....completely his. He wants your whole heart. He wants you to love him with all your heart, with all your soul, with all your mind and with all your strength. He wants you to do his will no matter the cost. No matter what he asks you to give up, no matter the changes he's telling you to make. He's waiting for obedience. With obedience comes blessing. I've experienced this in my life. You ultimate goal should be to further God's kingdom. We have to be about our Father's business to reach this dying world. That's what he wants first.

Chris goes on to say: Have a firm commitment to God's kingdom at whatever cost to your agenda. Then pray. Pray with power and with faith. With God, nothing is impossible.

I'm nothing special. I'm just a girl that thru the trials of the last 10 years fell head over heels in love with Jesus and was finally obedient to the areas God was trying to change in me. To the areas he was telling me to give up. To the areas he was telling me to get out of my comfort zone and move. The refining process wasn't without pain but it was so worth it. Jesus is so worth it. I'm sure there is more refining to come too. Let him purge the junk out of your life.....I'll leave you with this quote. "God can never make us wine if we object to the fingers he uses to crush us with." Oswald Chambers

I truly want people to see Jesus shine in me and not Kim shining.

Opening Day Parade

I love meeting new people. Thursday I was blessed to be able to take part in the Cincinnati Reds opening day parade with a great group of ladies and one man! All of us have a passion for what Go Red for Women represents and that's getting the word out to women that heart disease is our number 1 killer and educating people of the importance of taking care of their hearts. This is definetely a passion of mine since my diagnosis with congestive heart failure and cardiomyopathy almost 10 years ago. I was dreading being out in the cold all that time but once I was there, I didn't even realize how cold it was! The entire time I walked in the parade, I just kept thanking God for all he's done for me because just 2 years ago there is no way I would have been able to walk as far as we did. I was pleasantly surprised by the comments from the crowd because there were lots of people that knew what we are about and it was nice to hear them cheering us on and taking the message to heart. It was fun interacting with the crowd and giving high fives to some kids and even one man who commented that I was awesome! No sir, I'm not awesome. If not for Christ, I would not have even been there to take part in that parade. I do nothing on my own power but thru Christ who gives me strength. I know that my strength comes from the Lord and that because of a healing touch on me being in the parade was possible I met several very strong ladies that also have a story to share. I love to people watch also and just looking at the crowd you could just imagine what their story could possibly be. I think so differently than I did just a couple years ago because I couldn't help but think when I looked at the number of people there, how many of them don't have the hope I do. How many of them don't have a deep, personal relationship with my Savior? How many of them were willing to spend hours in the cold all bundled to watch a parade and maybe take in a baseball game but would those same people be willing to bundle up and wait for hours to attend a worship service outside in the cold? Would you? I know that may seem strange to you but I just couldn't help thinking that. I wish I had time to sit down with every person and ask them what their story was but that was just simply impossible. Do you take the time to speak with someone you've just met and listen, really listen to their story? It's so important. I met several new people and heard parts of stories that really were inspiring. We've all been through something and we all have something to say and share that has the potential to inspire another soul along the way. When you ask someone how they are doing, do you really want to know? Are you prepared when they tell you truthfully how they are really doing? If you are in Christ, always be prepared to give an answer for the hope that is within you. Weird that parade gave me these thoughts! It was a pretty fun-filled day and I was blessed to be able to do it. I'm grateful for the opportunities that have come my way and forever thankful for what God has done for me. As most of you know, I'm not a big sports fan but I did come home and catch the game on tv that day and the ending was very sweet! I'll leave you with just one thought. Although they didn't Thursday, the Reds will disappoint but Jesus never will.