Donors Save Lives

This post is dedicated to the memory of Tye Husbands and the Husbands family.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

(Aaron Milton (l) and Tonya Spencer (r)

I remember when I first obtained my driver's license; I was faced with the decision to be an organ donor or reject the opportunity to save a life. At first, it seemed a bit creepy to have my body parts living beyond my expiration date. However, I felt it was the right thing to do to support the life of someone who remained long after my physical body retired from this earth. If I could give my blood to someone, I could give a perfectly good organ to someone who needed it to live. It seemed a bit wasteful to leave the earth with something I could no longer use.   

Since starting the Hold the Salt Campaign, I searched for support groups that could benefit from the articles. I was blessed to be added to a group for the chronically ill. Aaron Milton's invitation to Peer to Peer allowed me to share the information about the dietary campaign to better health, but I was gifted with a chance to learn about his journey to life; he suffers from *Chronic Kidney Disease (CKD).

Milton was first diagnosed with CKD in 2000 and had lost two-thirds of his kidney's functioning capacity by 2003. He had to undergo **dialysis while waiting on a kidney donor. Milton lives in Michigan where one in eight people are diagnosed with CDK. According to a 2011 Wood TV 8 interview with Missi Ostapowicz, kidney donor coordinate at Saint Mary's Kidney Transplant Center, Michigan was the 42nd lowest state in the country with registered donors. No matter the low numbers, Milton still signed up with Saint Mary's in 2006, but there was a four to five year wait as there are more patients needing transplants than there are donors. 

The Donate Life America web site claims that every 10 minutes a new patient is added to an organ transplant waiting list. There is an extensive screening process for donors to be matched to patients. The site also reports that an average of 18 people die per day because there are no available donors. Milton's journey extended to that fifth year on the waiting list until an anonymous donor responded to classified ad from St. Mary's for donors in the Grand Rapids Press. Milton's donor did not stay anonymous for long; he and Tonya Spencer eventually met to help encourage others to donate. Spencer is a living donor who wanted to help extend a life with a gift of life.

Both Milton and Spencer had to recover several weeks after the transplant. Six months following the transplant, Milton followed-up with physicians and continued to get regular check-ups. Milton is still maintaining his health with the support of his wife, takes daily medication, drinks plenty of water, exercises, and follows a healthy diet to prevent recurring kidney failure.

Aaron Milton and Tonya Spencer are Hold The Salt Campaign heroes. To see Milton and Spencer, please check out the following video link:

http://www.woodtv.com/dpp/eightwest/Learning_About_Kidney_Disease#.UTyM9OwLSEJ.facebook

If you want to learn more about donor information, please visit http://donatelife.net/understanding-donation/ The site also provides you with local contacts for ways you can support donor efforts.

Did you know 90% of Americans say they support donation, but only 30% know the essential steps to take to be a donor.  Click to read more statistics about organ donations. http://donatelife.net/understanding-donation/statistics/

*Chronic Kidney Disease - The gradual loss of kidney function over a period of time
**dialysis - The clinical purification of blood thus, as a substitute for the normal function of the kidney.

Here's to your continued health.

-Y

Hold The Salt Is Coming Back!

 

Happy Memorial Day Weekend to all active and former military men and women! Remember to eat in moderation and HOLD THE SALT on those chicken and ribs!

 

Check out www.lowsodiumcooking.com for some of your bbq favorites and sauces.

 

In the meantime, check out any missed articles in the archives as you await the updates for the Hold The Salt Campaign.

New Recruit Stories:

Tilea Coleman makes pizza at home in an effort to reduce the salt in her family's diet.

Latoya Strain has gone a week without adding salt to her meals.

 

If you have a Hold The Salt Campaign story to share, please send it to yolondabody38@gmail.com or feel free to share a better eating or healthy living tip to share with our audience for consideration.

 

Hugs and smiles,

Y.

 

 

P.S. Above is the site's official logo! Logo design by Barron Steward at www.barronsteward.com.



I ate the pizza (I need rehab)!

A special note of THANKS to our international readers in Germany, Niger, the UK, Mexico, Venezuela, Sweden, Iceland, Canada, United Arab Emirates, Mongolia, Peru, and Romania! Keep spreading the word!

I'll be the first to admit that I wanted to kick and scream when I saw the sodium content in just one slice of pizza. Pizza Hut's nutrition facts report that 1/8 of a pizza is between 440 (med. cheese) and 920 (lg. stuffed crust pepperoni). A frozen pizza, well...it's truly a wrap with those things. For one slice of my favorite brand of pepperoni pizza, the sodium content comes in at a whopping 910 mg. of sodium (smh...whoa is me). Still, I just wasn't ready to give up the taste of the ooey gooey goodness of melted mozzarella and pepperoni on a buttery crust. Instead of cheating, I researched ways to make my guilty pleasure fit into my new eating plan.

While on a Target field trip, I found a low-sodium pizza crust under their Archer Farms brand. My eyes buldged, almost out of their sockets when I saw 1/3 of the crust was only 85 mg. of sodium. The crust I selected is the fire roasted thin crust. It comes in a resealable package, so I could cut what I needed without being wasteful. In the basket the package plopped!

I waited a week before making and consuming my sinful pleasure (oxymoron alert). I knew I would have to make the pizza on a day where I had a moderate breakfast (cereal and an apple = 248 mg) and water for lunch (10 mg). It was going to be game time after 4 p.m.! I left myself about 900 mg. of room in my body to account for the madness I'd get at home (It's about planning). Before you judge me, please do the math. The goal is for me to consume at or close to 1500 mg. per day.

I measured everything and even counted my pepperoni slices. Each slice is about 35 mg. of sodium (10 slices when I should have stopped at 8, but it looked weird without the other two). The pizza sauce, which I'll learn to make to cut the sodium content down even further after this post, is 250 mg. per 1/4 cup. The cheese is 200 mg. of sodium per 1/4 cup. I was too excited to think. I grabbed my water, served my husband his traditional slices, and served myself two slices of my special treat.

Instead of looking like a lost puppy at the dinner table as I watch my husband eat just about anything without adverse effects, I couldn't wait to sit adjecent to him and indulge in our favorite cheesy delight. We said grace, I popped open my bottled water, and I ATE THE PIZZA! It was soooooo good! Put me in the corner for consuming those little temptations, but I have to get a hall pass for resisting the temptation of the all you can eat Chinese buffet that was served at my office meeting the week prior (I really wanted that egg roll).

After a good, "AAAAH! That was yummy" exclamation, I did some reflecting for the next time I indulge (Oh! There is a next time. I will just be more responsible so I don't starve at lunch time).

Modifications for future pizza making:

1. Make my own sauce. I can get rid of 249 mg. of salt doing so
http://www.lowsodiumcooking.com/free/PizzaSauce.htm (Join me in thanking Angel Fears for this lovely site).

2. Limit my pepperoni slices to 8 for the entire pizza (from 350 to 280)

Hold the salt savings: 315 mg. of sodium and I can eat a moderate lunch (a salad and fruit).

So, campaign folks, I took a calculated plunge for the first time since January 8, 2013. I reflected on my practices, and now I'm off to the next journey to support my health and encourage you to do the same. The moral of the story: If you're going to salt it up, hold it in another area. Plan your salt intake to 1. minimize the guilt and 2. justify the guilty pleasure (smile).

Until next time, let's continue to hold each other and ourselves accountable.

-Y

Chef Sara's Table

Let's welcome Chef Sara Simmons to the Hold the Salt campaign (Clap! Clap! Clap!). This Detroit native is honest in her commentary on her salt experience. She also provides us with ways we can limit our salt intake while enjoying good food. Here we go...!

I am admittedly a salt addict. I’m not quite as bad as Chef Anne Burrell who puts a handful of salt into any given meal, but I love salt so much that I want to actually feel the crunch of it under my teeth. True, I eat it like it’s a crust topping. However, I have adopted some eating/cooking practices that can help you curb big sodium pitfalls:

1. Explore other ethnic cuisines: I've found that American fare is notoriously overly dependent on salt to coax out flavors, so I enjoy eating ethnic foods that utilize a variety of flavors and seasonings. One great example is Indian. Any given dish will have at least 10 spices, and the food is often braised and stewed to really concentrate the flavors. They also tend to use a balance of acid (sour cream, citrus) and sweet fruits like raisins and currants so that your palate is full. Another BIG flavor coaxer is Ethiopian food. Are you seeing a theme? Braised foods, cooking in their own juices for hours, will enhance the flavors of the ingredients. You just have to have a little “Big Mama” patience.

2. Use kosher salt instead of table. I’ve read that it is lower in sodium, and because the granules are bigger, you get more bang for your buck.

3. Introduce foods into your meals that you hadn’t considered before….like sweet potatoes in your stews. Veggie up your meals; truth be told, most meats are seasoned to taste like vegetables anyway (ketchup, anyone?). I was inspired by Indian food to incorporate fruits into my savory dishes; now my 3 year old thinks that all rice dishes, stews or soups are supposed to have raisins in them!

4. Don’t even donate those canned vegetables—they are cooked TO DEATH and way too salty. Buy frozen vegetables instead and steam them until they are just tender.

5. Avoid store bought salad dressings: They have not only a lot of sodium, but an obscene amount of sugar as well. If you have one-part acid (vinegar, citrus) and two-parts olive oil, you have a delicious salad dressing. I invite folks to play with variations (adding herbs, honey, Dijon mustard) to figure out what your personal favorite is—mine is balsamic vinegar and olive oil.

6. For that matter, don’t buy store bought sauces of any kind: That includes pasta sauces. All you need to make a great spaghetti sauce is crushed tomatoes, Italian seasoning, garlic and olive oil. And it costs about the same too.

7. Don’t kid yourself: Processed foods have a bunch of sodium—no getting around it. And the faster the food, the higher the amount of sodium in it (why do you think those kids at Chipotle hustle your little carton of burrito down that line so fast! Guilt, I tell ya!). So if you’re serious about reducing your sodium intake, you must call on the will-power gods and divorce yourself from all eateries with the two-window-on-the-side option. But also, if you are an“everything in moderation” type, forgive yourself for making a visit once in a blue moon. Or at least, once in a full moon.

8. Remember, we need a bit of salt. There’s a reason why the Spice Trade was so lucrative—salt triggers flavor. And not just in your food, but in life. In Matthew 5:13, Jesus offers to his disciples: “You are the salt of the earth; but if the salt loses its flavor, how shall it be seasoned?”

Thanks, Chef Sara for sharing your culinary wisdom with us. In the meantime, eat well, live better, and feel better.

-Yo!onda D. Body (c)

Guest Feature: 30/30 Challenge

by Byron Johnson (BJ)

 

Each year since moving to Niger I feel like my life as a husband, father and educator has improved. I'm working hard at making 2013 an even more successful year in regards to all facets of my life. I kicked off this year's health and wellness push by completing a "30/30" challenge. For the last 30 days I made sure to complete some sort of heart rate elevating activity for at least 30 minutes. Walking the dog, Jogging, Jiujitsu, Softball, Karate, Circuit Training, Zumba, Wii games... Much of what I accomplished I did in the company of my supportive wife, incredible son, some awesome coworkers and even (amazingly) a few students. So now I'm throwing the challenge out there. Who's got 30 minutes in their day to start building a better you? 1 sitcom? 1/2 an episode of Scandal? 1/6 of the time your average sporting event where you watch someone else be active?

Any day can be your January 1st! (mine was the the 7th)

Trust that if Byron "Regular 2:00 A.M. run to 7-11 for a beef patty with chili and cheese cause they're open, I'm awake and why the hell not? " Johnson switched his game, then anybody can!

The Blessing In It All

When I first began the Hold the Salt campaign, my intent was to increase awareness regarding salt intake to prevent kidney or heart related illnesses. I wanted to encourage people to live better and more healthy lives. What I have come to realize that is that salt has been the enemy of my kangaroo pouch that took out a mortgage in my body. In other words, I gained weight that would never leave.

Michelle Kulas reminds us in her article on Livestrong.com that "...eating salty food can cause water retention, bloating, and weight gain." She further explains how our kidneys regulate the intake and output of salt. According to her article, our kidneys are not able to handle the large amounts of salt we sometimes intake; so our body holds excess salt in our bloodstream as it attracts water causing our blood volume to rise.

I was holding at 180-182 pounds with a height of 5'4 and some change (not quiet 5'5). I began my journey to feeling healthy on January 8, 2013. In my third week of recovery from the kidney stone scare, I was cautioned by my urologist to watch my sodium intake, decrease the amount of beef I eat, and be mindful of my calcium intake. The 15 bags of IV I went through and the constant vomitting for seven days was enough for me to jump on the "read all labels" band wagon.

I recently started wearing high-heeled boots to work and was shocked that my feet no longer caused me pain. On Monday, I could barely keep my pants up and had to constantly excuse myself in front of my students. So, finally, I decided to go into a closet with items long forgotten because one thigh struggled to get in them, and I tried on a pair of pants given to me by Ms. Marie, a mother figure. In my mind I said, "I know I can't wear these. It will hurt to even zip up." I rolled the dice and tried them on anyway. Voila! They fit! THEY FIT!

I quickly ran to the bathroom to hop on the scale. The red digital numbers blinked, "165." I had seen that same number in the previous week, but I didn't know what 165 looked like or felt like since...well...a long time. I found a shirt to match the pants and claimed victory over unexplained weight gain. It was the SALT! The issue with my feet hurting was a result of the weight pounding on them. It was the SALT.

Ladies and gentlemen, I know that every body type is different and what works for one might not work for others, but what I know for sure is that I feel better, my feet don't hurt, and I'm on my way to reducing a lot of the problems I just chalked up to the universe. The problem was me and my long standing relationship with salty foods.

What now? I'm going to keep pushing for you to get on board, and then add 30-minutes of exercise per day to my new lifestyle (check out Byron Johnson's guest feature coming soon), and buy a few pairs of stelletos that I'm sure will prompt two snaps and a "GO 'head Colie" from my good sister-friend Nadine Jeanty, and, and, and...because I get a lot more ands now that I've pushed back from the buffet table of SALT.

So I am thankful the kidney stones disrupted my life. I would have continued down a path that may not have allowed me to return. The blessing in the stones is that I have a healthier me. The smaller me was just the result of my self-discipline in HOLDing THE SALT!

To read more of Michelle Kulas's article visit http://www.livestrong.com/article/543921-does-high-salt-cause-bloating-and-weight-gain/

Here's to your journey and your goals in health!

-Y

Salt Support

Two weeks into my new eating habit I asked my husband to run to the store to get vegetables he wanted with his meals. I knew my low to no salt diet would be a bit extreme for him, so I never asked him to change with me. He brought home some corn, peas, and green beans. I simply stored them in the cabinet until it was time to prepare them with his meals.

Two weeks since his purchase, I grabbed a can of green beans and a tear dripped from my heart. I read the label, "No Salt!" It was a welcomed surprise to see his support without me asking.  This small gesture deserved a big hug and kiss. The kicker: he ate them even when they were only covered in Mrs. Dash seasoning.

:-)

It's one thing to struggle with change by yourself. It's another thing to have a support system along the way. The journey is easier when you know you're not alone. My challenge for you, this week, is to encourage you to find an accountability partner as you change and redefine the way you eat.

Happy Eating!

-Y