DIARY OF A KIDNEY LOVER
OK. Time for a change. After a very tasty Chinese dinner last week, I had one of the worst heartburn episodes I have ever had (and I don’t even get heartburn). I felt like I was going to die. Thinking about it, I’m sure that yoga move my Mom told me to try didn’t help any. There is a time and a place for yoga and this wasn’t it.
But here I am, alive and eager to turn over a new leaf, literally! I am a vegetarian, so I wouldn’t say that I am really unhealthy, but I do need more balance in my diet, less stress, less sodium, less restaurant meals, more exercise – the usual healthy stuff. And I should confess that I have had a few moderately high blood pressure readings at the doctor’s office. I attributed these to “white-coat” hypertension – blood pressure that’s only high when you’re in the doctor’s office. You can read more about that here. http://www.winnipegfreepress.com/life/ignoring-white-coat-pressure-dangerous-102324989.html. Although I really like medicine and enjoy talking to doctors if we’re talking about kidneys, I don’t like talking to doctors if I’m the patient. The possibility of pain, illness, the reminder of the high cost of my health insurance, not to mention the cost of the visit – no wonder my blood pressure is a little high! The whole doctoring experience makes me nervous. But I shouldn’t dismiss my previous readings, given what I know about high blood pressure and kidney disease. Kidney filtration is driven by our blood pressure and higher BP “slams” the kidneys, forcing them to work much harder. It can cause permanent scarring and damage.
I’ll be making my doctor’s appointment very soon (still need to work up to that, but it’s on the task list for Monday) and in the meantime, I’ll be making changes to my diet. The DASH diet (“Dietary Approaches to Stop Hypertension”) – a healthier way of eating that’s safe for nearly everyone – has caught my eye lately. I’ve seen news articles all over the web and even in the research project pages on the UKRO site. Check out this USA Today article for more info http://www.usatoday.com/yourlife/food/diet-nutrition/2010-09-03-dash-heart_N.htm and this research project abstract if you’re feeling a bit more ambitious https://ukrocharity.org/research/john-mckay-fellowship-grant/yang-full-project-summary/. The first few paragraphs describing the connection between low blood pressure and an optimal diet of more potassium vs. sodium are particularly interesting to me.
I can’t wait to dig into the DASH book on my desk. Once I’ve read the book (it’s quite short!), I’ll get out to the pharmacy for a few free blood pressure checks, and on to the farmer’s market for some leafy greens and other veggies, fruits, nuts. Now that the weather’s fine, there’s nothing stopping me from adding daily walks to my kidney lover regimen. Then, it’s on to the doctor’s office. I’ll let you know how it all goes.
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