I had a general doctor's checkup and probe around my girly bits on Thursday - always so much fun lol!
She's sending me for some general blood tests as I'm forty and have vitiligo (white patches on the skin - what Michael Jackson supposedly had). It's has some possible links to autoimmune diseases so she wants to check things like my thyroid function, B12 levels etc. I'm not too worried about it - apart from the fact I have to fast first! I blame my mum for that one as she has it as well as her sister and niece. I've had it since I was in my early 20's so it's nothing new..
I can blame my dad for the next one - I have borderline high blood pressure. It's been at the top end of normal (around 140/90 or higher) the last few times I've been to see her, so this time she's sent me home with a blood pressure machine to check it twice a day myself.
So I've been reading up on high blood pressure, as I do. I don't drink, don't smoke, now exercise regularly and am losing weight so the only thing it leaves is cutting down salt. We don't eat a lot of take-away or pre-packaged meals, but more convenience food has been creeping into my freezer lately. I went on a pantry search though, reading the nutritional labels and have been stunned at the amount of salt in basic food ingredients. The tin tomatoes I've been using, for example, were packed full of salt! And who knew milk had salt in it?!
I'm going grocery shopping today - it'll take longer than usual as I'll be scrutinising labels of everything that goes in my trolley trying to find the lowest salt version...
Wish me luck! And if you've btdt and have any tips for me - leave a comment..
6 comments:
Yikes! I sometimes wonder if ignorance is bliss. There's so much hidden salt and sugar everywhere I look too. Take care dearie!
Sounds like you're really getting on top of your health, good one!
Sleep deprived confession ... I had to look up btdt ... momentarily thought it was an acronym for a disease!
Salt must be the one thing I haven't tried to cut down on ... dairy, wheat, sugar, phenylalanine, salicylates ... those I can help with. Sorry!
Best of luck with your testing. Wow - I never knew milk had salt in it either - that's crazy. I always buy the low salt option if one's available and if you use stock powder - get the low salt Massel - one of the lowest - some of those are VERY scary.
A great reason to avoid convenience food. Good luck with the bp.. I'm battling high blood sugar levels and high cholestrol.
Sadly salt is is everything we eat. My friend with kidney disease has had to cut salt back too. Her blood pressure has lowered so that is good.
Wishing you luck with your tests and sorting the blood pressure problems out.
Linkin has those white patches on his skin, wonder if it is symptomatic of other issues?
Anyway, homebrand crushed tomatoes are usually just tomatoes with nothing added if that helps...
Best of luck!!
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