Healthy You: Reducing Sodium in Your Life

Vitamin B and Getting Fit

2009-10-13T03:59:00.000-07:00

On Friday Oct. 9, I had my regular visit with my ENT. He is pleased with the progress that I've making. Since my last visit with him, I've been taking Vitamin B 50 a super stress vitamin. On the weekends I take one and during the week I take one or two, depending on the stress level for that day. I've been feeling great!

A week ago I also began putting in regular walking and jogging time on my treadmill. I'm working towards a 5 km run in May. My first day, I thought I was going to collapse but I kept going. 20 minutes was my maximum for that day. Since then I've been working up to 30 minutes on the treadmill with a 5 minute warm up and cool down at the speed of 3.6. The 20 minutes inbetween are spent power walking or jogging at the speed of 4.0. Then I check my distance.

The overall affect of starting off my day this way is this. I often find that by the afternoon I have a very tired "slump" which I find difficult to get over. On the days that I've gone on my treadmill, I don't seem to have that slump and I feel energized for the entire day.

How about you?

Vitamin B 50 Complex

2009-10-01T18:45:00.001-07:00

On one of my trips into the grocery store pharmacy to buy vitamins I picked up Vitamin B 50 Complex instead of Vitamin B 100 Complex. The mistake turned out for the best.

The label also indicates that Vit.B 50 super stress vitamin. I find it more effective than the Vitamin B 100 Complex. I had been taking 2-3 of the 100's and a bit more if I knew that I'd be facing extra stress on certain days.

Just a couple of the B 50's have been terrific for me. I love not feeling dizzy and I especially love the fact that I haven't experienced any spinning in awhile.

Give Vit B 50 complex a try. It may help you out too.

Where's the Salt?

2009-08-30T17:36:00.000-07:00

"Where's the beef?" was a popular Wendy's commercial years ago. My family often reminds me of this commercial when they make these comments.

"Where's the salt?"

"Ahh, you've ruined me mom, now everything tastes too salty!"

"I guess I'd better not add any salt to this pasta water."

"That's what this is missing, it needs some salt."

I grew up with my mom not adding salt to most of our food. No, she didn't suffer from meniere's but that she was advised not use excess salt due to her blood pressure. Of course, that didn't prevent me from adding salt to my food.

Now, I know better. Too much salt or sodium in a food can set off an attack. It does make going out for dinner, or going to a potluck a bit tricky but not impossible.

It has made me an avid label reader and let me tell you, there is a ton of salt or sodium being added to all processed food. Even meats that you think have nothing added will likely have sodium or a seasoning that has salt in it.

"Buyer beware" if the label says sodium reduced, it still may have more sodium than the same product with a different label. Both my husband and I have made this discovery as we've grocery shopped.

Read, read, read every label and compare the amounts of sodium before you make your purchase. Going with fresh food and frozen food is far safer and healthy than opening up a can. Do I still buy some canned items? Yes, but I read the labels and get the one with the least amount of sodium possible.

Sodium/salt are used for adding flavour but they are also used as a preservative. That's why we find it most processed food.

So, if someone comes to your place for breakfast, lunch or supper and asks,"Where's the salt?" just explain why you do not add any to your food, then hand them the salt shaker.

God bless each of you as you journey towards a healthier lifestyle and healthier eating.

Vitamin B 100 Complex Continues to Help

2009-08-30T17:25:00.001-07:00

In early July I had my regular 4 month appointment with my ENT. He had asked if I had any attacks of Menieres since I my last appointment. I told him that I had.

A month before my appointment I did have some dizziness and I was sick. It was a Friday evening and so I just put myself to bed with a bucket and I had also taken a gravol. It was a very slow moving attack and it never gave me any spinning.

My husband told me the next day that he wasn't surprised by the attack because it came during a stressful time. Writing report cards is a stressful time and it was that time of year.

I likely could have prevented the attack if I had taken more than more normal two Vitamin B 100 complex. My ENT agreed when I told him about it. Since I didn't have the spinning he didn't count this as an actual attack.

Stress was the cause because I had not gone overboard in eating excessive amounts of salt or sodium. I have tend to have decaf tea and herbal teas and very little alcohol. Aside from these three major food triggers, stress is another trigger for the attacks.

Meniere's Questions

2009-06-16T16:57:00.000-07:00

If you suffer from meniere's disease would you kindly answer these questions.

1) At what age were you diagnosed with the illness?

2) Did a family member suffer from this illness?

3) What did your ENT initially prescribe for you to take?

4) Was it helpful?

5) Do you still take the medication or have you switched to something else?

6) Has it made a difference when you reduce your sodium, alcohol, and caffeine?

7) How are you controlling your stress level?

8) Anything else that you would like to share?

Keep Taking Them

2009-01-28T12:07:00.001-08:00

Those words were uttered by my ENT when I told him about the Vitamin B 100 complex. He also asked me the brand that I was taking and I told him that it was Swiss. He told me that he'd likely recommend the vitamins to others as well.

Serc vs Vitamin B 100 complex. I found when I was on my prescription for Serc, that I really disliked the side effects. Sadly, the side effects were almost the same as the symptoms. When I take the Vit. B, I don't feel any side effects, just calmer.

So far so good

2008-12-29T15:57:00.000-08:00

Well, I've been taking the Vitamin B 100 complex for a few weeks now and it appears to be helping. I've stopped taking my medicine for Meniere's Disease and so far so good. No dizziness or attacks.

My ENT had told me that could go off my meds once things settled down and I'll be seeing him in a couple of weeks so I'll be able to let him know about my progress.

I enjoy these times when I'm not suffering from my illness. It tends to make me feel more "normal". I must admit though, that when the attacks do hit me that I end up being anxious and fearful.

I know, I know. When I'm fearful and anxious I'm letting go of my trust in God so I prayerfully acknowledge my need to keep my heart and mind focused on God rather than to worry about when another attack may occur.

I also took our dog for a half hour walk today. I'm certain that walk did both of us some good!

What about you? How is your health? Have you been able to reduce or eliminate your meds? Do you find that exercising and eating healthier are helpful?

Reduce Stress with Vitamin B 100 Complex

2008-12-22T05:54:00.000-08:00

Though I cannot speak on anyone's behalf but my own I want to share with you how I feel Vitamin B 100 Complex has helped me. A few months ago, a friend had been praying for me and God had urged her to tell me about Vit.B 100. At the same time, I had been looking into ways to relieve stress by researching which foods and vitamins would reduce dizziness. I learned that Vit. B and Vit. D rich foods and Vit.B 100 complex were ideal in accomplishing both.

Vit. D foods: milk, salmon, tuna, eggs, oragne juice,and sardines.

Vit. B 6 foods: bananas, bell peppers, spinach, fish, chicken breast, nuts, beans, eggs, whole granis and legumes.

Vit. B12 foods: milk, dairy, cheese, eggs and meat.

When my friend mentioned it to me I went out and bought a bottle of Swiss Vit.B 100 Comples, Time Release. From my first day I noticed a difference. I didn't think that I was anxious in the past but evidently I was. I haven't felt anxious since I've been taking them. I began with one a day and now I'm taking two.

With my Meniere's Disease, stress is one of my triggers for dizziness attacks. I have carefully been watching my sodium/salt intake over the last year and a half, reduced my caffeine intake,etc. Stress was the one trigger that I had left to eliminate. Unfortunately, stress is very much apart of life. Having my husband unemployed for the past two years, and me becoming the sole income earner have certainly added to my stress.

What about you? Have you found that certain foods or vitamins have aided in your attempt to reduce stress?

An Open Door....Finally

2008-12-22T05:38:00.001-08:00

Employment offers and interviews simply were not happening. So my husband started to look into taking a Master's Program at Carleton University. By September he was enrolled and he has now completed his first term. It's funny how God works things out. Presently, we are a one income family and my income is very modest however God has made certain that we have enough. It hasn't been easy for my husband to return to school after being away from the university scene for over twenty years but he is managing.

Writing doors are also slowly opening for me. I have a fun paid writing assingment as a "secret agent" for a Canadian Children's Site. I continue to write a column for the Fit Christian online magazine and in the summer I became the assistant editor for the magazine. I will soon begin my two year volunteer stint as one of three editors for Write! On a bi-weekly bulletin for The Word Guild. My full time job is teaching at Calvary Christian Academy, in Franktown, Ontario.

I just learned that another paid opportunity to write for children may work out for me. I'm feeling quite blessed right now.

Our Life Journey

2008-09-25T18:04:00.001-07:00

In March of 2007 my husband was informed that he was being laid off from Nortel in Ottawa. We both felt that we could handle this. I was to be returning to full time work in the fall and his lay off package was a year's salary. What we didn't know was the length of time that it would take for him to be directed towards what God had in mind for him to be doing.

It was getting time for Kevin to be making a job change and he was already considering leaving Nortel. Over the next year and a half a number of incidences occured that kept making us wonder what was going on and when would God answer our prayer for his employment.

Interestingly enough, Kevin had the feeling that we were in this for a long duration. I didn't have this feeling but I kept trusting that God would answer our need. He has but not quite in the way we expected.

Researchers Top Ten Life Stress

2008-06-27T05:34:00.000-07:00

According to The Holmes-Rache Life Stress Inventory these are the top ten stresses in life:

10) Death of a spouse 100
9) Divorce 73
8) Marital Separation or separation from a relational partner 65
7) Jail term 63
6) Death of a close family member 63
5) Personal injury or illness 53
4) Marriage 50
3) Fired from work 47
2) Marital reconciliation 45
1) Retirement 45

View the entire inventory at: http://www.bhicares.org/pdf/manual/indepthassessment/homesrahestressinventory.pdf

10 Stress Indicators

2008-06-13T03:03:00.000-07:00

Last Friday, I drove home from work, like usual. When I parked the van, I opened the sliding door and proceeded to remove my marking bin and bag from it. That was the last that time I remember seeing my keys.

I went into the house and set all my "stuff" down on the table. About 15 minutes later my husband and I needed to get ready to take our tent to our oldest daughter who was participating in the Relay for Life at her school. That's when I began looking for my keys.

I normally hang them on a key rack so that I always know where to find them. I retraced my steps from the van to the house. I picked up things and still I couldn't find them. My husband also looked outside in the grass but he wasn't able to find them either.

Fortunately, my husband still had his set of keys, so we could take the tent in town. As we drove I listed all the keys that I had on my key chain, that I would need to have copied. My husband reminded me that since I never lose my keys that they would probably turn up and he suggested waiting for a day or two before making duplicates.

After we did what we had to do in town we returned home and it was time for me to begin making supper. As I began to pull out ingredients and other items that I would need, I opened up the silverware drawer.

When I looked down to grab a spoon, I noticed something black and yellow. I had found my key chain! To this day, I cannot recall needing something from the silverware drawer when I first arrived home, but I must have and the keys and the yellow elasticized band that I keep them on must have slipped off of my arm and into the drawer without me noticing. I was so relieved to find them.

What was I stressed about? Report cards Knowing that I had all of them to do and just one weekend to complete what I could at home before copying and pasting them into the template at school.

I know that I am not the only one to "misplace things" when I am stressed. I also realized that others find themselves undergoing some changes in their "personality" when they are under stress, just as I do.

Here are some of my stress indicators.
1) Misplacing things
2) Qucik to lose my temper
3) Impatient
4) Feeling of being overwhelmed with so much to do and so little time.
5) A sense of loss of control
6) Overly sensative
7) Very emotional
8) Insomnia
89 Needing "comfort foods" more often than usual.
10) Extremely forgetful.

What are some of your stress indicators?

Stress Relievers

2008-05-25T05:16:00.000-07:00

What do you do to relieve stress?

I love to:
1. Curl up with a good book after I've finished writing my report cards
2. Write stories, facts, poems and blog my thoughts
3. Relax with a cup of tea
4. Have a visit with a friend or family member
5. Take walks and power walks
6. Watch a good movie - drama or a romance
7. Cook main courses or make salads
8. Go to a restaurant
9. Play minature golf
10. To shop when I have the money to spend

It's your turn. What do you do to relive stress in your life?

Stress and Health

2008-05-19T18:23:00.001-07:00

Stress takes a major toll on us. It affects us physically, emotionally, financially and mentally. Stress is a part of life. We can't seem to pass through a day, without having placed some stress on ourselves either intentionally or not.

I have been advised to reduce stress so that I can enjoy better health. While I can agree with the principal I have to admit that it is easier said then done.

I know that exercising is an optimal method for reducing stress provided I am not placing undue stress on my body as I exercise. I know that after exercising that I feel energized and more ready to continue on with my day.

It was my concern about losing some of my flexibility that made me begin to exercise. Also, I didn't like that weight that I was putting on either. So with both of these thoughts in mind, I signed up for Curves.

What I enjoyed about Curves was the fact that only women were at the fitness club. I ended up seeing some people that I knew, as well as meeting many women for my first time. It was a real sense of belonging. Although I didn't always want to go and exercise, I never regretted going once I was there. It was always fun. While I was busy moving about from one piece of eqipment to the next, Curves would have some games or activities to participate in for the 30 minute time frame of the workout. So....my brain was also getting exercised.

Sadly, after a year I could no longer be a member because my husband was laid off. (Another stress to discuss for another post.) What did I do? I have to tell you that I do not enjoy the cold winters of Ottawa, so I did not quickly get my snow gear on and go out and walk.

What I did do near the end of March was I began training with the rest of the school for our run. We did 6 weeks of intense training. I did not continue the training on the weekend but I hope that I will next year. I found that power walking with the rest of the staff and students for 3 lunch hours at 40 minutes each made a huge difference in my energy, my weight, and my muscles. I never felt better than I did during that time and although I did experience some dizziness I did not have a full blown "attack" of my meniere's while I trained.

In fact, when the 6 weeks stopped I found that I was getting a bit stiff so I have been doing a couple of laps 3 days a week just like the students do when we are not training for the run.

It's your turn. What have you been doing to reduce stress in your life?

The Facts: Meniere's Disease

2008-04-27T17:59:00.000-07:00

Meniere's Disease is an illness that affects the fluid level of the inner ear, which is related to balance. Excess fluid will cause an individual to experience a range of symptoms that may include all of the following or a portion of them. Tinitis, or a ringing or loud roaring in the ear, dizziness, spinning sensations, motion sickness, sweating, nausea and or vomiting.

People can experience these symptoms daily, every few weeks, months or on a yearly or every few years. They occur suddenly and without any warning. Some amount of hearing loss is associated with this illness.

Although there is no cure, some dietary changes can help reduce the frequency of the Meniere's attacks. Reducing sodium and salt, caffeine and alcohol will help. Also, reducing stress is important. Medication can be prescribed by a family doctor or an ENT to aid in making the illness more manageable.

Here are a couple of links that will provide you with more information about this illness.

http://www.nidcd.nih.gov/health/balance/meniere.asp
http://www.healthyontario.com/ConditionDetails.aspx?disease_id=180

Your turn. Do you have an illness that sometimes affects your day to day living?
Do you take your good days and enjoy them as much as possible?

Meniere's Disease: Part One

2008-04-20T16:50:00.000-07:00

As someone who suffers from Meniere's Disease I can tell you what happens to me.

Four years ago, I stood up and intended to walk back to my classroom, after my break. Instead of being able to walk a straight line, I zig zagged down the hallway. I felt a bit strange. I also felt nauseated. It was snack time with the children, so I thought that perhaps I was hungry. I only had a couple of spoons of yogurt when I knew that I couldn't eat anything more. The recess bell rang and after the children left the class, I zig zagged down the hall to the washroom. I ended up getting sick. I was also feeling quite dizzy by this time and perspiring.

I managed to get back to my classroom and I just put my head down to rest. When my students returned I asked one of them to go and find our principal for me. I asked the rest of the class to read quietly. My principal took one look at me and she knew that I was not well.

She drove me home and I spent the rest of the day in bed, getting dizzier because now I felt like I was spinning.

I returned the next day, feeling fine. I thought that I must have had a flu. A few weeks later, it happened again. Strange flu? Normally, I do not catch the flu so this was becoming a bit bizarre.

Then a few weeks after that it happened again. By this time I had made a doctor's appointment. I found that gravol kept some of it under control. After awhile my doctor suggested that I undergo some tests. By this time he had also prescribed an anti-vertigo (for the spinning) medicine for me to take. A CAT scan, a visit to a neurologist, and a seeing an ENT (Ear Nose and Throat specialist) were part of the testing.

The neurologist, my doctor and the ENT concluded that I likely did have Meniere's Disease. This process took about 8 months. Off and on during that time I suffered many times from the illness.

Part Two: Just The Facts Please
What is Meniere's Disease?

How about you? Have you or anyone you know had anything strange happen that took your doctor awhile to diagnosis?

It is Well

2008-04-15T01:30:00.001-07:00

How many of us can actually say I'm feeling well despite all that is going on in my life right now or with my health. During our times of trials, when everything seems to be out of control we may not feel like we can say that we're doing just fine.

One of the best ways that I know that I can do this is by praying and asking God to help me through my trials. The popular Hymn "It is Well" was penned by a man who knew about tragedy, and sorrow. Yet admist all the turmoil going on his life and with his his family he was able to write the lyrics for "It is Well."

gihttp://www.godtube.com/view_video.php?viewkey=3a0175c544b72e4861b9ves

Healthy Living

2008-04-12T15:53:00.000-07:00

Okay, how many of you really like to exercise and eat healthy food? If I were to ask this question to an audience there would certainly be a mix of reactions to this question. Those of us living in North America are truly blessed to be able to make wise healthy living choices as well as wise eating choices.

We seem to have all of the head knowledge but do we put into practice what we actually know? Personally, up until about three or four years ago I did not. Oh sure, I ate healthy foods but when I looked at some or many of my snack choices I tended to grab the ready made, junk food snacks instead of what was healthier.

What happened to change my eating and lifestyle pattern? An illness. For months I had flu like symptoms, dizziness, motion sickness and spinning sensations. After about 7 months of this, and various forms of testing my doctor was able to figure out what was happening to me.

Meniere's Disease was the prognosis. In another post I will explain more about this illness that is now very much apart of my life. I was sent to see an ENT (Ear, Nose and Throat specialist) who confirmed that I did have Meniere's.

Changes in my eating had to be made. I had to reduce the amount of sodium (and salt) that I was eating, reduce my caffeine, reduce my alcohol intake and reduce my stress. It was suggested that I read every food label and choose the item that had the least amount of sodium content in it.

Sodium is everywhere, especially in junk food and processed food. Naturally, my family has reduced some of their sodium intake along with me.

Stress has been the most difficult aspect to reduce. Working full time can be stressful, being a parent can be stressful, and life can sometimes be stressful.

Lifestyle changes were next. I have never been much of one to be physically active even though I know it is advisable. Aging, has certainly pointed this out to me. For a year I paid for a membership to Curves. Although I didn't always like going, I liked how I felt when I was there working out and I liked the energy I had when I returned home. If we had the finances I would have continued for more than a year.

Power walking is a very affordable form of exercise. Just like jogging or running are affordable. Since I don't like getting short of breath, power walking is the solution for me. Even for me to do this, seemed to be a big deal. What makes it easier is that the school where I teach has Running Club every Monday, Wednesday and Friday. Every student participates in this club. The school is now training for the, "Where's Franktown Run" which our school hosts. Instead of the typical two laps, we run, jog or power walk for 40 minutes.

All this movement is certainly helping me out. After the 40 minutes I feel energized for the afternoon. Also, it is a free physical activity. I'm out there with 140-150 other people of various age and size. I find it easier to exercise when I am with others. Physical activity is said to reduce stress. This is something that I will post about later on as well when I've researched it.

How about you? Are you making some healthy lifestyle and eating choices? What are they?