Low-sodium recipes for high blood pressure
Regina Murphy
Wednesday, May 9, 2007
May is National High Blood Pressure month.
We’ve all experienced spikes in our blood pressure, say, when you step in the neighbors dog’s poop or a driver cuts you off on the interstate.
But real, daily high blood pressure is hard to recognize — until something goes wrong. It might be as simple as a dizzy spell or it might be as serious as a stroke or heart attack. High blood pressure is called “The Silent Killer” because most people don’t know they have it until it’s too late.
According to the National Institute of Health nearly one in three Americans have high blood pressure. Over half of Americans older than 60 have high blood pressure. A majority of the time a single specific cause is not known. It can’t be blamed solely on weight, or stress, or smoking, but seems to be different combinations of different things, including genetics or even the side effects of medications.
How do you know if you have a problem? Lynn Bridge, an ARNP at Flint Hills Community Health Center, had this advice. Have your blood pressure checked once a year. You should do it three days in a row at the same time every day. It’s good to check it mid-afternoon, say around 2 p.m., when the daily blood pressure is at its highest.
Normal blood pressure should be below 135/85 (some say 120/80). If it’s above those numbers you should tell your doctor. There are many places to have your blood pressure checked for free: some local pharmacies, the fire department, Newman Hospital emergency room, and the public entrance at FHCHC are all available.
Lynn said that if you don’t have insurance to help treat your high blood pressure, don’t worry: there are programs to help cover costs. Just remember that most often there are absolutely no symptoms! You ought to just check it once a year and make sure.
The Mayo Clinic recommends the DASH diet (Dietary Approaches to Stop Hypertension), which emphasizes fruits, vegetables, whole grains and low-fat dairy foods. I wonder if that’s where “Mrs. Dash” gets their name? Although 2,400 milligrams (mg) of sodium a day is the current limit for adults, the Mayo Clinic says that limiting to 1,500 mg will have a more dramatic effect on your blood pressure. A certain local lunch combo contains 1,590 mg of sodium for just one meal! Add about 1,200 mg at breakfast and a good 2,000 for dinner and you’ve ingested 4,790 mg without even picking up a salt shaker. In fact, the average American consumes between 4,000 and 6,000 mg each day.
Now, you may ask, “Why is Murphy worrying about all this?” Well, as my friends down south would say “We aint’ any of us getting any younger.” So, in order to enjoy the occasional brie, Beef Wellington, or Ben & Jerry’s, it would behoove us to sometimes eat something that didn’t supply our daily caloric needs in the first two bites. The web site www.mayoclinic.com has tons of recipes that have 140 mg or less of sodium per serving. The www.mrsdash.com web site and American Heart Association all do, too!
This recipe has some nice whole grains and only 37 mg sodium per three cookies (as well as 79 calories). Biscotti are so nice with coffee! Or cocoa! Or wine!
ALMOND & APRICOT BISCOTTI
3/4 cup whole-wheat flour
3/4 cup all-purpose flour
1/4 cup brown sugar, firmly packed
1 tsp. baking powder
2 eggs, lightly beaten
1/4 cup 1 percent low-fat milk
2 1/2 Tbsp. canola oil
2 Tbsp. dark honey
1/2 tsp. almond extract
2/3 cup dried apricots, chopped
1/4 cup almonds, chopped
Preheat the oven to 350 F. Sift together the flours, brown sugar and baking powder in a large mixing bowl. Add the eggs, milk, oil, honey and almond extract. Stir until the dough just begins to come together. Add the chopped apricots and almonds. Flour your hands and mix until the dough is well blended. Place the dough on a nonstick baking sheet and shape into a flattened log 12-x-3-x-1 inch.
Bake until lightly browned, 25 to 30 minutes. Transfer to another baking sheet to cool for 10 minutes. Leave the oven at 350 degrees.
Place the cooled log on a cutting board. With a serrated knife, cut crosswise on the diagonal into 24 slices 1/2-inch wide. Arrange the slices, cut side down, on the baking sheet. Return to the oven and bake until crisp, 15 to 20 minutes. Transfer to a wire rack, let cool completely, and store in an airtight container.
Here’s an antioxidant-rich, potassium-rich salad for you. Five grams of fiber and only 135 mg sodium per serving (serves 4).
SPRING GREENS WITH BUTTERNUT SQUASH
2 small acorn squash
2 Tbsp. brown sugar
2 Tbsp. trans-free margarine or olive oil
4 cups mixed leaf lettuces
2 Tbsp. sunflower seeds
4 tsp. honey
Pierce the squash several times with a sharp knife to let the steam escape during cooking. Microwave each squash on high until tender, about five minutes, turning after three minutes.
Cut the squash in half. Remove and discard the seeds. Scoop out the pulp and measure 2 cups into a mixing bowl. Sprinkle with the brown sugar and add the margarine, mixing until smooth. Set aside to cool slightly.
Divide the lettuce amongst four salad plates. Top each with 1/2 cup of the squash mixture, 1/2 Tbsp. sunflower seeds and 1 tsp. honey. Serve immediately.
Just in case you didn’t get enough peach recipes the other week, here’s a tasty low-sodium one. Only 40 mg per serving, 140 calories, 1 g fat and 3 g of fiber.
PEACH CRUMBLE
8 ripe peaches, peeled, pitted and sliced
Juice from 1 lemon
1/3 tsp. ground cinnamon
1/4 tsp. ground nutmeg
1/2 cup whole-wheat (whole-meal) flour
1/4 cup packed dark brown sugar
2 Tbsp trans-free margarine, cut into thin slices
1/4 cup quick cooking oats
Preheat the oven to 375 F. Lightly coat a 9-inch pie pan with cooking spray and arrange the peach slices in it. Sprinkle with lemon juice, cinnamon and nutmeg.
Whisk together the flour and brown sugar in a small bowl. Crumble the margarine into the flour-sugar mixture with your fingers. Add the oats and stir to mix evenly. Sprinkle the flour mixture on top of the peaches.
Bake until peaches are soft and the topping is browned, about 30 minutes. Cut into 8 even slices and serve warm.
Fight the odds on high blood pressure! Maintain a healthy weight. Increase physical activity. Limit alcohol, fats and sodium. Don’t smoke. Manage stress. Getting plenty of sleep can help, too. As they say at the Mayo Clinic, high blood pressure isn't a problem that you can treat and then ignore. It's a condition you need to manage for the rest of your life. Reducing the amount of salt you eat is one way to help do that.
Next week I’m so excited to have some tamale recipes for you (especially a new, lard-free batter). Your challenge is to share some yummy recipes involving a vibrant veggie which is Bugs Bunny’s favorite meal: the Carrot! From deep under ground, this slender yet firm root is great raw or cooked. Send that recipe to murphysmenu@yahoo.com or The Emporia Gazette, P.O. Box C, Emporia, 66801. Let’s get cooking!