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South Beach Blues

Following

monshu's recent checkup (wow, I didn't know human blood pressure readings went up that high!), we have become the latest bears to adopt the South Beach diet--or we will, starting next week; I think this is going to be Binge Week until we get rid of all the nasty things lurking in his larder. He was telling me that I don't have to eat as many twigs and nettles as he does, but frankly I need the external pressure to change my diet.

I think the biggest bummer will be cutting down on the East Asian food, with its high sodium and hidden sugars. Any suggestions for tasty, heart-healthy substitutes will be much appreciated!

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I think the biggest bummer will be cutting down on the East Asian food, with its high sodium and hidden sugars.

Hey, I'll take those off your hands. It's kind of like bass-ackwards Passover. ^_-

Seriously, I'm really sorry about your nena's blood pressure -- I wish you luck with this diet... (HUG)

I like to take a nice little piece of tilapia or sole, cook it gently in a TINY BIT of sesame oil, and then eat it with rice and soy sauce. Ah, the virtue ...

(I know nothing about the South Beach diet. This is just one of my favorite plain, healthy meals.)

I just emailed you the article from the NYT about "garbage-fed bears". Thought of you.

p.s. Vinaigrette is going to be your best friend this summer.

Tim has been growing very fond of grilled vegetables. Colored bell peppers, mushrooms, zucchini, broccoli... grill 'em for a few minutes and their natural sugars come out.

My friend's mother's bp reached 260/117 last week. You can imagine why she's been in the ICU for 6 days now.

The good thing about Hypertension is that its a stress damage over time kinda thing, not a "your heart explodes next week thing" it is entirely treatable, and caught and treated is not going to kill you.

The bad thing is that it's mood-altered. Getting angry, stressed, or anxious increases it, so consciously backing away from these emotions becomes a survival skill. I drive less, for instance, since my genetics kicked in and launched my diastolic pressure into the low 100s, because driving in traffic stresses me the fuck out.

Sugar=carbs, so your approach is a smart one, I think. Have the labs indicated that either sodium or cholesterol are the problem?

My condolences to Monshu about having to deal with high blood pressure. You might want to check out the DASH (Dietary Approaches to Stop Hypertension) diet guidelines, since they are specifically aimed at reducing high blood pressure. Here's a PDF file:

http://www.nhlbi.nih.gov/health/public/heart/hbp/dash/new_dash.pdf

My suggestions: beans (with chili peppers, cumin, other spices), fruits and vegetables. Go to the farmer's markets and see pretty colors and fun veggies! Whole grains -- whole wheat bread (not the phoney stuff with the molasses in it to make it brown), bulgur, brown rice, oatmeal.

Watch out for the sodium in canned food. There are salt-free options.

Let us know the parameters, and we'll fix you up a meal!

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