Hypertension is a major cause of heart disease and death in America, and on Maui, a good percentage of our local people have hypertension, including this writer, the cause? High in sodium chloride foods.
It is easy to get hypertension down, all it takes is to stop eating foods that are high in sodium and other preservatives. Hawaii people in general grew up on canned foods, it was common for a family to go shopping and come back home with cases of canned meats such as corned beef, Vienna sausage, tuna, crab meat, Spam luncheon meat, and other canned goods, all packed with too much sodium.
The best way is to be strong and not give into temptations that cause harm, hypertension patients listen good, stay away from high sodium foods. If you are craving a few slices of canned food like Spam, be tough mentally and ask yourself, "Do I want to end my life sooner by eating this?" If you love yourself, then you don't need to eat like you used to. Stay off of the bad stuff.
Look for low sodium foods at the market, there's some good quality frozen foods that are healthy, or have someone cook for you. It is cheaper to cook for the week, buy foods in bulk, cook it and freeze it for the week, portion all of it out.
Most people will eat about 4 to 8 oz. of protein for their meals, if you purchase meat or chicken or even seafood in bulk you're dollars will go a long way. If you are struggling and can't even do this, and all you can afford is those canned foods, stick it in boiling water to remove as much sodium as you possibly can. For instance, if all you can afford is canned foods such as sausage or even Spam, open the can and boil it for several minutes to remove the salt. At least you'll cut the sodium in half at most.
If you can afford to cook your own, and have no idea how to buy items, here's a tip.
For a whole week, that is 7 days. If you will have only dinners at home with the family of say 4, here is the calculations.
4 people: total protein per person 8 oz. that's 32 oz. of protein by 7 days that is 224 oz. or 14 pounds of protein a week.
Days 1-3 (3 days) prepare a beef stew with lots of veggies, and very little or no salt at all, use peppers, vinegar, fruits juices, wine or other herbs to make it happen. So you'll need to purchase about 6 lbs. of beef, look for lesser grade beef such as chuck portions, or briskets trim off fat. Ask the butcher if there is any chuck roasts in the back or any tough meats he wants to sell you for cheap. These tougher cuts are really good for stewing and braising, the slow cooking makes these hard to chew meats really soft and succulent.
Days 4-7 (4 days) you can purchase 4 days worth of chicken frozen, such as thighs or drums, or combination pieces. So for 4 days you'll need to get about 8 pounds of chicken, and if you buy 5 lbs boxes frozen chicken parts it is really inexpensive. You can make some baked chicken, or grilled chicken, or soups. When you do your calculations, it will save you a lot of money.
As far as other ingredients, it is up to you what you want, fruits veggies, it's all up to you. If you are not a good shopper, hang out with a friend who is and learn from them, take cooking classes in your area, look in local newspapers, or online to find good nutritional information.
Good luck
Ron
It is easy to get hypertension down, all it takes is to stop eating foods that are high in sodium and other preservatives. Hawaii people in general grew up on canned foods, it was common for a family to go shopping and come back home with cases of canned meats such as corned beef, Vienna sausage, tuna, crab meat, Spam luncheon meat, and other canned goods, all packed with too much sodium.
The best way is to be strong and not give into temptations that cause harm, hypertension patients listen good, stay away from high sodium foods. If you are craving a few slices of canned food like Spam, be tough mentally and ask yourself, "Do I want to end my life sooner by eating this?" If you love yourself, then you don't need to eat like you used to. Stay off of the bad stuff.
Look for low sodium foods at the market, there's some good quality frozen foods that are healthy, or have someone cook for you. It is cheaper to cook for the week, buy foods in bulk, cook it and freeze it for the week, portion all of it out.
Most people will eat about 4 to 8 oz. of protein for their meals, if you purchase meat or chicken or even seafood in bulk you're dollars will go a long way. If you are struggling and can't even do this, and all you can afford is those canned foods, stick it in boiling water to remove as much sodium as you possibly can. For instance, if all you can afford is canned foods such as sausage or even Spam, open the can and boil it for several minutes to remove the salt. At least you'll cut the sodium in half at most.
If you can afford to cook your own, and have no idea how to buy items, here's a tip.
For a whole week, that is 7 days. If you will have only dinners at home with the family of say 4, here is the calculations.
4 people: total protein per person 8 oz. that's 32 oz. of protein by 7 days that is 224 oz. or 14 pounds of protein a week.
Days 1-3 (3 days) prepare a beef stew with lots of veggies, and very little or no salt at all, use peppers, vinegar, fruits juices, wine or other herbs to make it happen. So you'll need to purchase about 6 lbs. of beef, look for lesser grade beef such as chuck portions, or briskets trim off fat. Ask the butcher if there is any chuck roasts in the back or any tough meats he wants to sell you for cheap. These tougher cuts are really good for stewing and braising, the slow cooking makes these hard to chew meats really soft and succulent.
Days 4-7 (4 days) you can purchase 4 days worth of chicken frozen, such as thighs or drums, or combination pieces. So for 4 days you'll need to get about 8 pounds of chicken, and if you buy 5 lbs boxes frozen chicken parts it is really inexpensive. You can make some baked chicken, or grilled chicken, or soups. When you do your calculations, it will save you a lot of money.
As far as other ingredients, it is up to you what you want, fruits veggies, it's all up to you. If you are not a good shopper, hang out with a friend who is and learn from them, take cooking classes in your area, look in local newspapers, or online to find good nutritional information.
Good luck
Ron
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