Dietary questions and answers

Shermie said:
Do you have atril fib? If so, then you must be on a blood thinner. I am. I had to stop taking it enough to be able to have the surgery, so that I won't bleed too much. I, also, had a tumor in the front of the brain. The hospital was going to do surgery, but it had shrunk & went away. But because of it, I have to go have an MRI done every year to scan the brain, making sure that it doesn't come back. :eek:
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Who is this question for? Me?

I'm not on blood thinners. I drink too much alcohol so it could cause bleeds.
 
I spend a long time in supermarkets checking the ingredients and nutritional values of foods as I have high blood pressure, chronic kidney disease, afib and also get migraines if I don't avoid certain foods and ingredients. The practice nurse monitors my health and gives me good advice about diet. The only dietary advice she gave me regarding my afib was to avoid eating a lot of sugar. With the high blood pressure and ckd she strongly advised not to take the LoSalt product, potassium chloride or honey. The only nutritional values I've checked in foods for several years are the salt and sugar, but the last time I had a check-up with the practice nurse, she told me I should also be limiting my carbohydrates. That confuses me as I always thought carbohydrates were ok, provided they were complex. I avoid cereals with too much salt and sugar, but I have no idea how much carbohydrate is too much. I looked at two products today - one had more carboydrate than the other, but the one with more carbohydrate also had less sugar. My head can't get around that.
 
Naillig said:
I spend a long time in supermarkets checking the ingredients and nutritional values of foods as I have high blood pressure, chronic kidney disease, afib and also get migraines if I don't avoid certain foods and ingredients. The practice nurse monitors my health and gives me good advice about diet. The only dietary advice she gave me regarding my afib was to avoid eating a lot of sugar. With the high blood pressure and ckd she strongly advised not to take the LoSalt product, potassium chloride or honey. The only nutritional values I've checked in foods for several years are the salt and sugar, but the last time I had a check-up with the practice nurse, she told me I should also be limiting my carbohydrates. That confuses me as I always thought carbohydrates were ok, provided they were complex. I avoid cereals with too much salt and sugar, but I have no idea how much carbohydrate is too much. I looked at two products today - one had more carboydrate than the other, but the one with more carbohydrate also had less sugar. My head can't get around that.
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I am on a low salt diet, and your nurse was right about not using the salt substitutes (potassium chloride). Since I cook most of what I eat, I can control how much salt I use. Restaurant chefs use way too much, IMO. There are some good and some bad low sodium foods in the supermarket. The best is that I found low-salt potato chips (crisps) that ware quite good. Same with low salt "Saltine" crackers, so I can have cheese and crackers or some kind of homemade spread on crackers as a snack or light lunch.

Complex carbs are healthier in general, because of how they digest. More calories go "out the other end," so fewer calories get stored as fat.

My ex-wife had horrible migraines, and nothing she eliminated from her diet seemed to have any effect.

CD
 
Naillig said:
I spend a long time in supermarkets checking the ingredients and nutritional values of foods as I have high blood pressure, chronic kidney disease, afib and also get migraines if I don't avoid certain foods and ingredients. The practice nurse monitors my health and gives me good advice about diet. The only dietary advice she gave me regarding my afib was to avoid eating a lot of sugar. With the high blood pressure and ckd she strongly advised not to take the LoSalt product, potassium chloride or honey. The only nutritional values I've checked in foods for several years are the salt and sugar, but the last time I had a check-up with the practice nurse, she told me I should also be limiting my carbohydrates. That confuses me as I always thought carbohydrates were ok, provided they were complex. I avoid cereals with too much salt and sugar, but I have no idea how much carbohydrate is too much. I looked at two products today - one had more carboydrate than the other, but the one with more carbohydrate also had less sugar. My head can't get around that.
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Are you comfortable giving your stats? Age, weight and sex. Also someone with CKD is associated with insulin resistance. Are you diabetic or been diagnosed with pre diabetes? Carbohydrates are positively associated with CKD and good that you were finally made aware.
 
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caseydog said:
I didn't have gall stones, so I didn't feel bad at all. I had a "spot" that "might" be a tumor. The surgeon weighed the chance of cancer against the chance I'd bleed to death on the operating table, and decided not to remove the gall bladder. Not every "routine" surgery is actually "routine." My situation was unusual.

CD
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My doc years ago said to me he could teach me to take appendics out in a few hours, but if something goes wrong, that's what the 5 years is for.

Russ
 
garlichead said:
Are you comfortable giving your stats? Age, weight and sex. Also someone with CKD is associated with insulin resistance. Are you diabetic or been diagnosed with pre diabetes? Carbohydrates are positively associated with CKD and good that you were finally made aware.
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I'm a 72 yearold female, weighing about 11 stone and am neither diabetic nor pre diabetes. On the carbohydrate thing, does this mean I shouldn't eat cereal? I generally go for those low in salt and sugar, but do I need to look for ones that are also low in carbohydrate? I love my cereal and always have fruit with it. I am also rather fond of milk puddings, having grown up on them.
 
Naillig said:
I'm a 72 yearold female, weighing about 11 stone and am neither diabetic nor pre diabetes. On the carbohydrate thing, does this mean I shouldn't eat cereal? I generally go for those low in salt and sugar, but do I need to look for ones that are also low in carbohydrate? I love my cereal and always have fruit with it. I am also rather fond of milk puddings, having grown up on them.
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You should really talk to your physician about it. As food forum members, we can tell you what works/worked for us, but that doesn't replace the advice of a medical doctor.

CD
 
Naillig said:
I'm a 72 yearold female, weighing about 11 stone and am neither diabetic nor pre diabetes. On the carbohydrate thing, does this mean I shouldn't eat cereal? I generally go for those low in salt and sugar, but do I need to look for ones that are also low in carbohydrate? I love my cereal and always have fruit with it. I am also rather fond of milk puddings, having grown up on them.
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Without knowing the exact foods you eat week after week it's difficult to suggest what might be an appropriate amount of carbs or the type of carbs. I suspect your nurse suggested to be mindful of your carb consumption because of the link to heart disease when someone has CKD. Sugar and heart disease is common knowledge because of the effect it has on our very low dense lipoproteins which is our serum cholesterol and is very atherogenic. Carbs also increases our serum triglycerides and lowers our HDL, which is again atherogenic and increases blood pressure and also increases inflammatory markers. If your concerned I would seek out a good dietitian that has a good understanding of the subject. Losing weight, doing a little exercise everyday and keeping your sugar consumption very low. Cereal is basically sugar so it would depend on the cereal, some are better than others but it's mostly about how long during the day your in a fed state and basically anabolic from a diet high in carbs. Lowering carbs will improve pretty much all heath markers. Take care and talk to your Dr about a dietitian. This is not medical advice, just my opinion.
 
caseydog said:
I am on a low salt diet, and your nurse was right about not using the salt substitutes (potassium chloride). Since I cook most of what I eat, I can control how much salt I use. Restaurant chefs use way too much, IMO. There are some good and some bad low sodium foods in the supermarket. The best is that I found low-salt potato chips (crisps) that ware quite good. Same with low salt "Saltine" crackers, so I can have cheese and crackers or some kind of homemade spread on crackers as a snack or light lunch.

Complex carbs are healthier in general, because of how they digest. More calories go "out the other end," so fewer calories get stored as fat.

My ex-wife had horrible migraines, and nothing she eliminated from her diet seemed to have any effect.

CD
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Yeah definitely for normal people restaurant chefs use way too much salt to take as an example for home cooking.

I do salt my own food generously, but that's because I have the opposite condition of you guys. Due to having no colon and only the small intestine left, my system flushes everything out fast including liquids which are normally absorbed by the large intestine/colon. I need to drink at least 2.7 litres of fluid a day (normal recommendation is 1.5 for an adult) and watch my electrolytes and salts just not to get dehydrated. I always used to eat a low salt diet until my colon was removed. Now I eat a high sodium diet which translates in normal intake for my body. My kidneys get checked regularly, and so far they're fine.

When there's a heatwave I am at risk of dehydrating anyway despite these measures and I have been on the ER once already for dehydration.
 
caseydog said:
You should really talk to your physician about it. As food forum members, we can tell you what works/worked for us, but that doesn't replace the advice of a medical doctor.

CD
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I totally agree. I have worked in the medical profession for nearly 40 years and I have given advice/my opinion on various health issues over the years, but always, always with the advice to seek out a professional opinion.
 
Morning Glory said:
I've been in hospital several times in recent years with atrial fibrillation (a long standing condition). Each time I'm found to be lacking in potassium and magnesium and they've put me on drips to supplement. I'm eating a banana every day (and I'm not that keen on bananas!) for potassium. I'd welcome any (non calorific) ideas for increasing potassium and magnesium intake in my diet.
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Try this book "Foods that Harm Foods that Heal" on Foods That Harm, Foods That Heal: What to Eat to Beat Disease and Live Longer : Editors of Reader's Digest: Amazon.co.uk: Books
Page 12 lists some items rich in potassium eg avocadoes and citrus fruits together with magnesium eg whole grain cereals
 
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