Originally published in the Hideaway Lake News November 1, 2019
Hospital admissions for heart failure routinely go up right after the holidays. This is because of the major salt load to your heart during those giant holiday meals. The little extra salt in each dish adds up fast and before you know it you’re in the hospital with swollen legs and difficulty breathing.
You most certainly don’t have to eat grilled chicken and steamed broccoli for Thanksgiving. No, you can indulge in some goodies too, just be cautious. Most heart patients are already on a salt restricted diet, but many may get carried away when surrounded by loved ones and great food. The easiest way to cut back on salt in a dish is to jazz it up with herbs, spices and homemade broth, all of which add a lot of flavor without adding sodium.
The turkey is the healthiest part of the Thanksgiving meal. So pile up your plate with lean cuts of turkey, season it with some spices instead of salt. And go ahead and drizzle, yes drizzle, not ladle, some gravy over it. Instead of the classic green bean casserole swimming in a river of sodium with cream of chicken soup and fried onions, try making green beans sauteed in olive oil with some herbs. The other sodium bomb is dressing, but it too can be modified by using homemade broth and getting heavy handed with onions, garlic and spices. If you must have grandma’s traditional dressing, then just eat a small serving.
If you’re a diabetic, you need to pay attention to those carbs too. Sugar free pie is not truly sugar free, it is just free from added sugar. It is often made with fruit and fruit juice which are just really all sugar. And some of us forget that all the breads, rolls, crusts, potatoes, dressing… they all turn into sugar in the blood. So remember, just because it doesn’t taste sweet doesn’t mean it won’t raise your blood sugar! High sugar in diabetics increases the risk of a heart attack, so watch out for those hidden sugars this holiday season.
Here’s to a happy and healthy Thanksgiving!