Yeah…I’m 32 and I’ve always been about 100+lbs overweight and previously had the “Doctor was shocked to see my BP so low” readings. By the time I hit 30, my BP still wasn’t “OMG HIGH!” but the doctor decided that since
I am (was) a smoker
I take birth control pills
I am overweight
Everyone (and I mean everyone) in my family died from heart disease and the living ones - even the skinny ones - have high blood pressure.
It was no longer down in the 110/70 range all the time
…it was a no-brainer for her to start bitching at me about sodium intake. Quitting smoking, exercising and losing weight help with everything overall, but watching your sodium is just never a bad idea.
If you’re 150 lbs overweight, but your blood pressure is 110/70, you are still 150 lbs overweight. The notion (that we see expressed here again and again) that because your hp is within normal bounds it somehow means you’re healthy is just silly. A broken clock is still ‘right’ twice a day, but that doesn’t mean it isn’t broken.
I disagree that low-sodium diets are necessary or beneficial if you have normal blood pressure readings. High-sodium diets can push already high blood pressure even higher. But there is no evidence that eating a low sodium diet will help prevent you from developing hypertension, unless you have a diagnosible sodium sensitivity. It’s an important part of the treatment of an existing condition, not a preventative measure.
Now, being sedentary, smoking, excessive alcohol intake, obesity (especially a big belly as opposed to big hips and thighs), insulin resistance, potassium deficiency, and vitamin D deficiency are all risk factors for developing hypertension. It’s much more produnt to focus on any of these if you don’t want to end up with high blood pressure.
Actually, there is some evidence that sodium causes problems for everyone, not just people with high blood pressure. According to studies done in Finland salt intake is a major factor in lots of health issues including a factor in levels of obesity. There was a huge initiative in reducing sodium intake population-wide that has been going on for more than 30 years there and they have had some interesting results from the change.
<Cite-free post> I remember reading somewhere that what’s more important than a low-sodium diet is having a diet with enough potassium and calcium to balance your sodium intake. But obviously, if your sodium intake is off the charts, it’s going to be difficult to maintain that balance. </CFP>
Personally I’ve looked a little into the whole sodium issue and studies on the subject (not saying I’m an expert), and I’m not convinced that positive results from deliberately lowering sodium intake isn’t just correlation; people trying to eat a low-sodium diet have to turn to a lot more fresh, home-made foods by default because every. single. packaged processed food is so damn high in sodium. It’s not necessary the lack of sodium in fresh home-made foods that is making people attempting this lifestyle change healthier, though!
Rachel, since you’re still in good general health and not looking to lose weight, I think it makes a lot more sense to think of adding a couple foods that pack more of a nutritional punch than it does to counsel eating a low-sodium diet across the board, eliminating sugary drinks, etc (not that people in this thread are going to convince you, one thing I can say for sure about you is you know your own mind). This is your first step into caring WHATSOEVER what you eat, and I’m really glad you’re making it! I think it’s smarter to ease into it slowly, as you have been. Maybe think of trying a bit more cooking in the future; it doesn’t have to take much time or work (trust, from the laziest person out there, I cook three meals a day but I so rarely spend longer than 5 minutes preparing a meal - some microwave dinners take more time than I do, although I do have to do a bit more work), and it can taste amazing.
Ramen, avocados, fresh vegetables, bread, lunch meat, rice, peanuts, and hot dogs is a HELL of a lot better than McDonald’s or whatever 3 meals per day.
Don’t put in the whole pack. Start with about 75% of the pack and work your way down. It’s still not healthy, but every bit counts!
I am not sure how you eat your ramen (some like it drained and some like it in a soup form). If you like it in the drained format, another method is to sprinkle the packet as you would salt as you eat it. You get that initial salty taste which might be satisfying enough.
I don’t know if this will help you, but if you can get to an Asian market, they have ramen that are not fried in the palm type oils. I want to say I even got some that were baked or something but I can’t recall 100%. The taste was just as good. Honestly!
Rachelellogram, there’s a Japanese version with nonfat thicker udon noodles. They’re about a buck each, but they’re really good and filling and the noodles are chewier and more satisfying with a slightly tangy flavor. My kid likes them much better than ramen. They come in beef, chicken, mushroom, “oriental”, and several other flavors. It’s precooked but shelf storable. Here’s one: Asian Food & Grocery Store | Chinese Groceries | Asian Snacks Candy
It’s only 250 calories for the whole thing, but you’d never know it was nonfat. It just tastes very good. It’s faster to prepare than the ramen because it’s actually already cooked. Toss in a beaten egg if you want a more balanced meal.
Yeah the reason I gravitate toward ramen (for lunch) is because we have a boiling water tap at work, so I just break up the block into two rectangles and put them into a big cup. I cover it in the boiling water and go to the bathroom; when I come back it’s a nice drinkable hot soup that only costs 33 cents
I can’t really use a microwave at lunch time, there’s always like 5 people waiting because I have lunch at such a common time. I guess I could bring a cold sandwich or a couple cold hard-boiled eggs instead (and might start doing that as the weather gets hotter). But for now it’s chilly and rainy so I like having a hot lunch.
I realize that my BP will not stay low forever, which is why I said it was a function of youth and family history and NOT a function of my good health. lol
Frozen diced veggies or frozen peas and carrots could be put in the cup with your ramen before adding water, and they would cook just enough from the heat that they would still have a nice bite to them. Sure, you’d still have all the fat and sodium of regular ramen, but at least you’d have the added nutrition and fiber of some veggies!
If you’re willing to pay a few more for your lunch, there are much healthier options that only require boiling water. The basic Ramen noodles are awful as already stated - high in fat and sodium, just empty calories. Shop at a higher end grocery store or at Chinese markets (not sure if Stop & Shop Peapod will have them) and you can find low fat, lower sodium versions that also have fiber and some nutrients, as well as much better flavor IMO.
There are also many cup meals that just require hot water that are more healthy (although most still contain a lot of sodium) that are available through Peapod or in any supermarket. Try a few and see what you like, but they are better alternatives to Instant Ramen and taste much better.
Also, to get more veggies in your diet, eat them with dip. I use a low-fat creamy cucumber dressing, and it is really tasty. I would probably never eat raw vegetables (even though I like them just fine) because they’re so boring without dip.
Oh I love raw vegetables, as long as they’re juicy and/or flavorful (for instance, I hate celery). I had raw avocado the past 2 days… I ate a whole green pepper for dinner another night, and a whole pack of raw mushrooms (over 3 days) this week, too. I can pop cherry tomatoes like some people pop grapes. When I was growing up I ate whole tomatoes like apples.
I’m not a fruit person at all (I tend to dislike sweets in general and am not big on candy or ice cream; I prefer salty or savory snacks) but I kinda eat vegetables like fruit, when I have them.
I should start eating better myself. I already look good with my skinny genes. It’s not about weight loss for me. My old job was manual labor and I walked about a mile just to get to the bus stop every morning. I’ve gained about 5 pounds in 5 months of unemployment. I am living with my mom right now. Her boyfriend buys the food in the house and she cooks dinner most nights. I’d like to blame that for my lousy eating habits, but I eat a lot of fast food and drink a lot of soda pop that I buy on my own.
