heavy hedonist
02-18-2010, 10:19 AM
Well, my drug habit finally got the better of me!
After being on prednisone (and occasionally other things, currently methotrexate) for the better part of the last 5 years since my onset/diagnosis with Dermatomyositis, my blood pressure has gotten high. I'm certain the only reason it hadn't happened already is because I eat so well-- a basically lowfat, wholefood vegetarian diet with some eggs and cheese. It's also helped keep the usual weight gain down, till now. Just in the last 2 months, battling a respiratory infection, i've been eating some junkier foods (and more salty things) and bang! high blood pressure.
So my rheum is standing there telling me to avoid canned soups, processed meats etc-- things i already do. I cook beans from scratch, eat no flesh processed or otherwise, make oatmeal from plain oats, don't do alot of desserts or snacking etc. Now I have to go the no added salt route (ick-- salty tangy foods are my faves). But my Mom has hypertension, and I'm wanting to go gung-ho and avoid all the possible problems by lowering this thing right away. But I still have to eat, and live, and cook on a tight budget. I can face cutting down on cheese and salt in cooking, i can banish chips from the house (they're not a regualr anyway) and stop using salty condiments. But I'm swimming upstream, 'cause I still need the prednisone or i lose my ability to walk. I'm already sort of a shut-in, as it is, since i can't go farther than the corner without getting tired.
Anybody got any tips that have worked for them? good sites? I've been trolling the net, and not found much except the suggestion that having a banana helps in tandem with lowering salt. I've come across some pretty poorly written articles, too. But most doctor's advice is for people who eat so differently than me, it just doesn't help.
After being on prednisone (and occasionally other things, currently methotrexate) for the better part of the last 5 years since my onset/diagnosis with Dermatomyositis, my blood pressure has gotten high. I'm certain the only reason it hadn't happened already is because I eat so well-- a basically lowfat, wholefood vegetarian diet with some eggs and cheese. It's also helped keep the usual weight gain down, till now. Just in the last 2 months, battling a respiratory infection, i've been eating some junkier foods (and more salty things) and bang! high blood pressure.
So my rheum is standing there telling me to avoid canned soups, processed meats etc-- things i already do. I cook beans from scratch, eat no flesh processed or otherwise, make oatmeal from plain oats, don't do alot of desserts or snacking etc. Now I have to go the no added salt route (ick-- salty tangy foods are my faves). But my Mom has hypertension, and I'm wanting to go gung-ho and avoid all the possible problems by lowering this thing right away. But I still have to eat, and live, and cook on a tight budget. I can face cutting down on cheese and salt in cooking, i can banish chips from the house (they're not a regualr anyway) and stop using salty condiments. But I'm swimming upstream, 'cause I still need the prednisone or i lose my ability to walk. I'm already sort of a shut-in, as it is, since i can't go farther than the corner without getting tired.
Anybody got any tips that have worked for them? good sites? I've been trolling the net, and not found much except the suggestion that having a banana helps in tandem with lowering salt. I've come across some pretty poorly written articles, too. But most doctor's advice is for people who eat so differently than me, it just doesn't help.