O/T: Trying to plan a heart-healthy menu
So, DH went to the doctor last week for a physical, knowing there was something going on with his heart. He's overweight (now trying to lose), a smoker (now trying to quit). His EKG showed slight abnormalities & his chest x-ray showed an enlarged heart. His dad died at 62 from heart disease & was an insulin-dependent diabetic. His mother has heart disease, suffered a stroke 4 years ago, & is diabetic, though not insulin-dependent. Needless to say, it's been enough to scare us into changing our eating habits, & for him to want to quit smoking. I've been doing searches for heart-healthy recipes & am finding that many of them are chicken based, & a lot of the side dishes have sweet potatoes. I've never tried sweet potatoes...mostly because they're orange. For some reason the color is incredibly unappealing to me. LOL! But I like the smell of sweet potato cassarole...with the marshmallows, etc. Of course, these recipes are minus the marshmallows. So, my question...do sweet potatoes taste the way they smell? Anyone have tried & true heart-healthy recipes they'd like to share?
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I think the hardest part of
I think the hardest part of this is going to be in learning what to eat & being open to trying new things. We've been a rut of eating the same things week-after-week & as the main cook, I really have no idea how to cook anything outside of our norm. After his appointment we wandered through the grocery store & left with dog treats & a gallon of milk. LOL!
We're just going to have to learn new menus & recipes & probably make ourselves learn to like new things...or at least accept them. I guess a lot of it will be not putting so much thought into what we really prefer in taste, but maybe more into what is better for our bodies. I think as we try new things we'll (I'll...as it's mostly me with the issue) learn to like different, healthier foods.
We went to the farmers market
We went to the farmers market here for the first time a couple of weekends ago. There were a lot of different veggies, etc there. That's a good idea, because most of what I wasn't familiar with, I just passed by. Thanks for your input.
So, I guess the retraining
So, I guess the retraining the palate is what I'm thinking the hardest part will be for us (me).
I feel like a picky kid.
I feel like a picky kid. LOL! The thought of soy-anything gets me. Like you said, it's not something anyone has every directed me to along with "Try this. It tastes great!". I've only ever heard, "Soy??? Ewwww!!!". DH's niece told us last night that she tried soymilk (Silk, I think she said). It was chocolate. She said she really liked it. DH's sister said she tried it but couldn't drink it because it has a thicker texture. Of course, being soy MILK, she drank it expecting it to have the consistency of milk. I know the majority of my issues with food are in my head. DH thinks it's crazy. He likes most anything you put in front of him & is excited about trying new things. I'm good with cheese pizza 5 nights a week & a hamburger the other 2. I am at a point now, though, where I can be open to the changes. Even if I don't necessarily like them, I can accept them, & hopefully over time learn to like them.
i LOVE sweet potatoes.... i
i LOVE sweet potatoes.... i was a skeptic b/c i didn't think they looked appealing either... but they are awesome... baked, sliced and fried in the pan with pam spray...
the casseroles can be made w/out mm's, i use splenda in my recipe,smart balance butter.... and i get RAVE reviews and people don't even know i substituted all the bad stuff.
I'll try the turkey burger.
I'll try the turkey burger. We eat a lot of ground beef, so that would be something I could substitute in a lot of our meals.
i use ground turkey, too....
i use ground turkey, too.... in tacos you can not tell the difference... spaghetti, lasagna, baked ziti....
stirfry is another healthy option for chicken...
blackened chicken is good..
i've been trying to incorporate more chicken/pork/turkey in my menu vs all the red meat... it's so hard..
good luck..... my dh has heart problems in his background, too. his dad died in his late 40's early 50's... his dad's brother died young.. both of his mother's brothers have had heart attacks (but still alive)... i'm so scared that he will follow the same fate.
It worries me too. DH seems
It worries me too. DH seems certain he will die young because his dad did. I told him I felt it was selfish & unfair to me & his kids for him to maintain that mindset instead of doing something about it. Sitting on the table hooked up to the EKG machine, he was in the same position he'd seen his dad in a number of times. It scared him enough to take it seriously. His mom is going on 71. He doesn't have to die young because his dad did, & he's fortunate to have found the problems before they did irreversible damage. Weightloss is difficult for me. I have about 40 pounds to lose, where he has 60-70. I also don't have the issue of having to quit smoking. I know it will be challenging for him, but I will do all I can to support him, & if that means me losing the weight I need to lose & make my heart healthy, then I can do it.
I'm a fan of sweet potatoes
I'm a fan of sweet potatoes mashed with either a.) chipotle peppers and sauce or b.) cinnamon and brown sugar. A little bit of cinnamon a day (cinnamon not mixed with sugar) can help your body regulate glucose. There haven't been enough studies for this to be stated as total fact, but it has been shown as possible, so we tried it on my diabetic dad. Seems to be helping. If you like the food network, check out some of Giada's recipes. Her recipes that involve meat and not pasta are pretty good, actually. Her pasta recipes, for the most part, are pretty good in the healthy department, too. If you're looking for a specific recipe or type of food, I may be able to help. I don't often cook the same thing twice and remember most of what I've made. I think every meal should be a new taste experience.
Good luck and good for you. And, quitting the smoking will be one of the biggest things he can do. We have this patient at work who keeps coming in for some part of his body to get re-vascularized. The surgeons are running out of other vessels to use for this. We're at 7 surgeries that I know of, and all he can say is, "I don't understand why this keeps happening. I can't wait until I can have a smoke." I want to face-palm.
Oh, and go for walks. Use the
Oh, and go for walks. Use the time to reconnect with each other. I agree with starfish, too. You can put ground turkey so many places and not notice, including chili. I'm off to make pork and pumpkin chili from the latest food network magazine, now.
The doctor gave him 2 options
The doctor gave him 2 options for meds to help him with the smoking. It was between Wellbutrin & Chantix. He mentioned the commercials we've seen with the lawyers saying, "If you or a loved one has ever taken Chantix & experienced...". Doc mentioned that in spite of the commercials, he'd never personally witnessed the effects mentioned in the ad. He did mention that Wellbutrin has a 74% success rate if it's adhered to & the effort is made, & insurance would cover that, where they wouldn't touch the Chantix, so he opted for the Wellbutrin. I don't know if the meds are taking effect already, or if it's DH's wanting to stop, but he came home from work Friday & mentioned that certain times had passed where he'd actually forgotten to smoke.
We watched his stepdad go through surgery for cancer from smoking. They removed his voicebox & has a hole in his throat. I thought that'd be enough to make DH think twice, but every time we went to visit him in the hospital, DH & SIL would leave for smoke breaks...
When I was doing Weight
When I was doing Weight Watchers...I LOVED spaghetti squash in place of pasta. You do have to season it some, but not overly much that I can remember. I would top it with whatever sauce the rest of the family was having and I really enjoyed it!
And, I have taken the (vitamin)B12 shots and used to get remarkable energy from them. Unfortunately...after a couple years...the shots don't seem to work as well and I do have a "hit bottom" feeling when I quit taking them..so that may not be a good suggestion.
Lots of luck with quitting smoking. Next month is 6 years for me. It wasn't that hard, though. I had just reached my time to quit and that was it. My dad died suddenly just a couple months before at the age of 59 and he was a heavy smoker and over weight. I guess I looked at my young daughter and made that choice...not that easy for everyone, I was truely blessed.
Quit Smoking i tried
Quit Smoking
i tried wellbutrim -- didn't work.
i got the shot.... celebrated 7 yrs no smoking in april.
costs about $400, but pays for itself in no time.
What kind of shot was it?
What kind of shot was it?
1 shot in the ass and one
1 shot in the ass and one behind each ear.... worked on me...
the old website was: www.nosmoke2000.com
it's difintely worth a try if he is ready & willing to quit..
i am a huge supporter.. and have several friends/family who have also been "successful quiters" with the shot.
good luck and let me know if you decide to try it.