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Food (Diet)

How to eat deliciously with less salt, potassium, glucose.

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Overview

Control

While it’s convenient to have food delivered by PrimeNow, Walmart+, DoorDash, GrubHub, Uber Eats, Postmates, Instacart, Zomato, etc., getting food from others (restaurants and markets) means losign control of what that we have less control of what we eat. And that means the level of sodium, sugar, and unhealthy chemicals. We are also at the mercy of waiting for trucks from UPS, FedEx, and USPS trucks to deliver packages.

Foods from covenience stores and market freezer are manufactured for shelf life, which means unhealthy levels of salt, sugar, and other presevatives.

Sodium

Food labels percentages are based on 2300mg (one teaspoon) of Sodium as the recommended consumption per day.

PROTIP: To reduce sugar in canned fruit, drain the sugary juice and rinse in water the fruit through a colandar.

Potassium

kidney.com notes that I can protect my kidneys by watching how much I consume potassium.

A potassium level of 5 or higher detected in the blood, called hyperkalemia, means the kidneys are not able to remove excess potassium. That can cause irregular heartbeat or a heart attack.

REMEMBER: 5175 mg/day is the basis for percentages of daily on US food labels. 1 Potassium point = 39mg for 132 points/day.

That means avoiding what are high in potassium: red meats, dairy, black tea, coffee, molassas, coconut, tomatos, bananas, mushrooms, spinach, all nuts, etc. Substitutes:

Low potassium fruits (fresh or dried):

  • Apple 1 medium
  • Applesauce ½ cup
  • Apricots, canned in juice ½ cup (drain liquid first)
  • Blackberries ½ cup
  • Blueberries ½ cup
  • Cherries ½ cup
  • Cranberries ½ cup
  • Fruit cocktail ½ cup (drain liquid first)
  • Grapes or grape juice ½ cup
  • Grapefruit ½ whole
  • Mandarin oranges ½ cup
  • Peaches 1 small fresh or ½ cup canned
  • Pears 1 small fresh or ½ cup canned
  • Pineapple ½ cup
  • Pineapple juice 4 ounces
  • Plums 1 whole
  • Raspberries ½ cup
  • Strawberries ½ cup
  • Tangerines 1 whole

  • Watermelon Limit to one cup

Low-potassium vegetables:

  • Grilled Vegetables

  • Alfalfa sprouts ½ cup
  • Asparagus 6 spears
  • Beans, green or wax ½ cup
  • Broccoli (raw or cooked from frozen) ½ cup
  • Green cabbage ½ cup
  • Red cabbage ½ cup
  • Carrots, cooked ½ cup
  • Cauliflower ½ cup
  • Celery 1 stalk
  • Corn?
  • Cucumber ½ cup
  • Eggplant ½ cup
  • Kale ½ cup
  • Lettuce
  • White mushrooms, raw ½ cup ???
  • Onions ½ cup
  • Peas, green ½ cup
  • Peppers ½ cup
  • Yellow squash ½ cup
  • Zucchini squash ½ cup
  • Radish ½ cup

  • Water chestnuts, canned ½ cup

  • Beets ???
  • Watercress ???
  • Pumpkin ???
  • Tofu?

Canning, Leaching out potassium

Reduce the potassium in spinich and carrots by leaching the vegetables.

Canned or cooked mushrooms (generic) typically have around 100-277 mg per 1/2 cup. CAUTION: Dried and cooked mushrooms are higher potassium per serving because water is lost and weight decreases, concentrating the minerals. Maitake mushrooms have 204 mg per 100 grams fresh to an extremely high 2625 mg per 105 grams dried.

American supermarkets such as Walmart and Albertsons display isles and isles of packages from the industrial food complex of over-processed food.

I get the “No salt”

Cooking

Combine with spices in Recipies from kidney dietitians:

From among On Amazon: Low-Potassium cookbooks:

Cooking eggs

To cook hard-boiled eggs, steam them ensures uniform cooking, preventing rubbery whites. Using a steamer removes the guesswork of timing that comes with boiling. In a steamer basket, cover, and cook 6 minutes for soft-boiled eggs or 12 minutes for hard-boiled. Alternative: air fryer 8 - 12 eggs at 275 for 12 mins.

Rapid cooling in an ice bath halts the cooking process, preserving the ideal texture and preventing overcooking.

Remove shell under a thin stream of running water. (The water helps get under the shell and lift it off the egg.)

Dairy

Get all 3 in Kerry Gold Butter buscuits, mailed from Caroll’s Gifts in Ireland. $10 US for two boxes.

Washington State Univerity’s Cougar Cheese got a Highly Recommend” rating on Bon Appetit! “Refrigerate upon arrival” $25.00 per 30-ounce can (plus shipping) in 8 flavors: Cougar Gold® (aged 14 months), Natural Cheddar (aged at least a year), Smoky Cheddar, Viking (similar to a Monterey Jack), Dill Garlic, Sweet Basil, Hot Pepper, Crimson Fire

Sugar & Carbs: Glucose

Our pancreas produces insulin that travels through our blood to break down sugar. So low insulin is called Diabetes disease.

Our bodies convert carbohydrates to sugar.

The “Hemoglobin A1C (HbA1c)” blood test measures the average blood sugar (glucose) based on the percentage of hemoglobin (a protein in red blood cells) that is coated with sugar, known as glycated hemoglobin. levels over the past 2 to 3 months.

  • Normal: below 5.7%
  • Prediabetes: 5.7% to 6.4%
  • Diabetes: 6.5% or above

A1C of 7% roughly corresponds to an average blood sugar level of 154 mg/dL (8.6 mmol/L).

The glucose test at the doctor’s office identified a calibrated level that is 10 points above what my Stelo Continuous Glucose Monitor (CGM) reported at the same time.

So when the CGM identified a baseline of 104 mg/dL (milligrams per deciliter)after fasting (waking up after 8 hours sleep), I’m realy at 94 mg/dL, which is within normal glucose levels for a healthy adult of between 70 and 99 mg/dL. A fasting level higher than 126 mg/dL suggests diabetes.

The Stelo CGM issues a notification to my phone above a set threshold. That enables me to see to what level different foods spike my blood glucose level:

  • A can of peaches took me to 140 mg/dL.

Sustained high readings above 140 to 199 mg/dL (7.8 mmol/L and 11.0 mmol/L) suggests prediabetes. Levels above 200 mg/dL or 11.1 mmol/L (millimoles per liter) suggests diabetes. *

Normally, two hours after eating, levels should be back to baseline.

REMEMBER: Eating protein before sugar intake and exercise after eating helps to reduce levels.

The pancreas does not differentiate between natural vs. artificial sugar (Sucralose).

“Regular” canned fruit:

  • $0.64 per oz. ($0.64/oz.) The Amish Made brand of Bartlett Pear Halves canned fruit (in 2-32 oz. jars). DO THE MATH: In 113g are 17g (15%) carbs.

“No Sugar Added” and “100% Juice” does not mean “low-sugar”!

  • $2.44 per 15 oz Can (16.3 ¢/oz) Del Monte “100% Juice” Yellow Cling Sliced Peaches also has 17% carbs. The 434g in each can (124g per 1/2 cup serving * 3.5 servings/can)

  • $29.28 (12 pack) at Walmart = $2.44 for each 14.5 oz can of Del Monte “No Sugar Added” Sliced Peaches has 6g of carbs (when drained of juice).

  • $1.98 per 14.5 oz can Del Monte No Sugar Added Bartlett Pears is “immersed in artificially sweetened water”.

  • Costco peaches

References:

  • https://www.ynhhs.org/articles/what-is-healthy-blood-sugar

Uric Acid

Normal value: 3.7 - 9.2 mg/dL

Too much leads to painful gout.

Dash Diet

They say blood pressure is low by eating lots of whole grains, fruits, vegetables, and low-fat dairy. Look for foods that don’t have much fat or cholesterol. This approach has a name: the Dietary Approaches to Stop Hypertension (DASH) diet. It includes lean meats, poultry, fish, and nuts. It’s also high in protein and fiber and avoids sugary drinks, sweets, and red meats.

NEW: The amount of potassium is now required to be on food labels.

Grow your own

When you grow veggies from seen, you’re assured of the lack of pesticides (because you didn’t put it there).

(But what about the dirt?)

Here are the veggies:

  • Rashishes are among the shorting growing time, and thus the first harvest in the Spring. If you find them bitter, see how they taste fried in button.

  • Snow peas

  • Potatoes

  • Red Bell Peppers

  • Bush beans

  • Snap peas

  • Beets. Its leaves takes like spinich.

  • Cucumbers

  • Catelupe

  • Corn

  • Carrots

  • Mushrooms

  • Watermelon

  • Stinging Nettle

  • Bok choy (Chinese cabbage)

Can

https://canninglids.com/

Big on-line stores

Amazon.com has a “gourmet” section. Using the Amazon Visa card gets us 5% back. PROTIP: Beware that some items are marked up by those who resell stuff from elsewhere.

If you like Whole Foods for their wokeness but hate Amazon, ThriveMarket.com carries many of the same shelf items. Note they ask for $60/year membership.

Walmart.com also has a 5% rebate when using their credit card. They actually have healthy stuff among all that junk and over-processed food, such as No salt added cans of corn and beans:

Target, surprisingly, has great prices on many items despite their “bougy” vibe. They have a gluten free food section online.

(Cost Plus) worldmarket.com has food from around the world. Note their SMS coupons exclude discounts on food items.

Costco.com Grocery delivers free over $75, even with their membership at $60-$100/year. But, as you know, selection is limited and even more so online.

Specialty on-line stores

goldbelly.com is the e-commerce platform for 1,000 restaurants. They now has a deal with videos on QVC.

Handshake on Spotify has salt-free rubs and USA seasonings

CucinaAndAmore.com creates the foods they sell online ($35 shipping). They invented shelf-stable Quinoa & cauliflower meal kits, tomato-free salsas, pasta, pasta sauce, pesto, artichokes, fruit jams, balsamic vinegar, wafer rolls.

ShopMove.co offers cooked meals and snacks “from Michelin chefs and celebrity bakers”. Free shipping over $35. Their $6 Lemon Rice is lemoney. I think there’s too much dough for me on ther $6 Hong Kong Pineapple Buns. Their $12 Chicken Tikka Masala has a bit of hot spice.

JustAsianFood.com has snacks from China, Japan, Thailand, etc.

Balduccis.com offers top brands from Europe

igourmet.com

mouth.com snacks, drinks, bacon, jerkey

foodzie.com

MarketHallFoods.com

ImportFood.com

Zingermans.com tinned fish, $200 packaged DIY ruben sandwich (too expensive)

TasteOfSpain.com sells J. Vela thick white asparagus

kayanoya.com has Japanese yuzu citrus juice and peel preserve, unique sweet and sour flavor. They also have low-sodium stock powders.

The duo of $74 olive oil bottles from Brightland are based on heirloom Arbequina and Arbosana olives harvested from a single-family farm in California’s Central Coast. no fillers or artificial preservatives. Founder Aishwarya Iyer’s ancestors were salt farmers in South India. A drizzle of “Awake” accentuates pasta, roast chicken, and crusty bread. “Alive” evokes a vibrancy in vinaigrettes, raw vegetables, and, something sweet and bitter like dark chocolate.

Fortnum and Mason is a large department store in London and throughout the UK (since 1707). They are famous for their “hampers” (baskets) containing their biscuits, preserves, candies, teas, coffees, and wines. Their $18.95 Piccadilly Biscuit tin contains butter biscuits: Stem Ginger (my all-time favorite), Salted Caramel, Macadamia Nut, Lemon Curd, Fruit & Nut Flapjack and Chocolate Pearl (a cut above your regular chocolate chip). $25 for delivery to the US.

MyFitnessPal rates 100g of Stem Ginger at 470 calories and 66g carbs (burned off by 1.2 hours of cycling or 48 minutes of running).

Waters

Good water makes for better-tasting tea, coffee, rice, etc.

Alkaline water (above neutral pH of 7) is better for you than acidic water.

NOTE: There are 33.814 fluid ounces in a liter. 25.36 fluid ounces in a pint = 750 ml. A half-liter bottle contains 16.9 fluid ounces.

Among all brands:

Glass bottles:

San Pellegrino (green bottles) are my favorite (with alkaline pH: 7.7 and high TDS: 1109 and no sodium). It has what’s described as “medium bubbly”, which is supposed to enhance taste. It’s offered at many fine (especially Italian) restaurants because it’s from the San Pellegrino Terme (baths) area in Val Brembana area in the Lombardy region in the Italian Alps, since 1932. Now available in both glass and PET plastic bottles, in a variety of flavored and unflavored varieties.

Hildon water from a chalkly aquifer in Hampshire (south of England) are what is served in the UK Parliment and in Royal household (by Royal Warrant). Each liter contains 7.7mg of sodium, Nitrate level of 6 ml per liter, and TDS of 312 in 11.1 or 25.3 fluid ounce (.75 Liter) glass “Bordeaux” bottles. Its pH is a neutral 7.2.

Plastic bottles:

Icelandic I think is best due to its naturally highest (most alkaline) pH of 8.4 from the pristine Ölfus Spring in vulcanic Iceland.

Fiji water (slightly Alkaline at pH: 7.7 with TDS: 222) was filtered through vulcanic rock. It comes only in thicker plastic bottles.

Voss (acidic pH: 5.5 ) still and processed sparkling waters come in heavy glass bottles (designed by the former Creative Director for Calvin Klein). Despite its name, the products are not bottled in the municipality of Voss in Norway but in the pristine wilderness of Southern Norway. Low TDS (total dissolved solids) level of 44.

Perrier sparkling Mineral Water is well-known (advertised). Unfortunately, the water from Les Bouillens is Acidic at pH: 5.5 with TDS: 475. It now comes in flavorless and fruity variants. Commonly used in cocktails and drinks, it contains total dissolved solids of 475 mg/L of water, which provides extra carbonation to create strong bubbles in mixed drinks.

Saint-Geron lightly carbonated pH: 6 (very hard/acidic) water with TDS: 1158 comes out of a spring in volcanic Auvergne, France. Dubbed “The Queen of Mineral Waters”, has been bottled since Roman days. While the water contains carbonic acid, its sparkling water is not overpowering.

  • from Amazon $0.31 / Fl Oz at $95.59 for pack of 12, 25.3-oz bottles.

Meats

Many wild game meats (venison, pheasant, quail, rabbit, etc.) are known to be high in purines which cause gout inflammation.

That’s also the case with organ meats (“sweetbreads”) such as liver, kidney, tongue, heart.

Salmon seems to be an exception to fish with high purine levels, in that most gout sufferers don’t have a problem with it.

Veggies

REMEMBER: Beets, okra, rhubarb, turnips contain high levels of oxalates (which increase uric acid levels that trigger gout).

Articles

https://www.mofad.org/events/2020/0820/chopsueysupperclub

http://www.oprah.com/food/the-best-online-grocery-shopping-websites/all 2010

https://www.bonappetit.com/story/online-specialty-food-stores

https://www.thespruceeats.com/gourmet-specialty-food-shops-1666059

http://www.tullabs.com/cicadaworld/cicadarecipes.pdf Recipies for Cicadas

Food (Diet) was published on .