Still learning...heart problems aren't fun!
By Loverbear
@Loverbear (4918)
United States
April 11, 2013 1:14pm CST
As most of my MyLot friends know, I have a myocardial bridge. I did the research so I can inform my doctors who have NO idea of what a bridge is. The bridge is where the arteries that carry the blood to the heart grow through the myocardial sack. It is a birth defect and usually is discovered at birth, which wasn't my case. If it does manifest itself it is at a younger age, and not at my age. So, as the cardiologist at Stanford University told me, I am a very rare and special case.
The day before yesterday Bill and I went out collecting wood for my heating needs. We stopped for awhile to have lunch. I opted for Chief Boyarde ravioli...it sounded so good in the commercials. It was okay but not as great as it was when I was a kid. We went back to work and came home for the rest of the afternoon. I started feeling "odd" later that night but didn't think anything of it...until yesterday. I started having chest pain and hallucinations and odd thoughts. I thought it was totally the heavy lifting that we did but I discovered otherwise. I decided to check the sodium content on the ravioli and about had a fit! The sodium content of the ravioli is 35%!!! That is a LOT!!! No wonder I was in such bad shape. I now have to remember to read the contents labels on the foods I buy... tough lesson learned.
The interesting thing is that an acquaintance of mine keeps yelping about the bad condition her heart is in...she has a bundle branch blockage...and she sucks down potato chips and tortilla chips like a vacuum cleaner! I spoke to my Stanford cardiologist and people with heart problems, any heart problems, really need to cut out as much salt in their diets as possible that ingesting large quantities of salt increase their blood pressure (which this woman also suffers from high blood pressure) and can cause strokes or heart attacks. I am in awe that the woman is still on her feet and trucking around doing her thing if she has such a bad heart problem. I was nearly in the ER yesterday from the sodium I consumed from the ravioli.
5 people like this
7 responses
@ElicBxn (63594)
• United States
11 Apr 13
Ya know, its not so much a matter of how much sodium you eat as it is how much sodium you are used to.
Obviously, you take care of yourself and avoid it, she doesn't. Her body is used to the high sodium, and that's what its dealing with - imagine how GOOD she'd feel if she STOPPED!
3 people like this
@GardenGerty (160697)
• United States
11 Apr 13
Yes, I work with two people who should be restricting sodium. One of them buys a huge load of heavily salted foods like vienna sausages every shopping day. It is his right to do so.Over a holiday he seemed to be having a heart attack, but all that was noted was extremely low potassium. . . can be caused by eating too much sodium. These are mentally handicapped individuals. His room mate does not, but you know, they both like hot dogs, and the second man has a kidney problem and his urologist says he should never eat hot dogs. He does not want to drink water. Hmmmmmm.
2 people like this
@Hatley (163776)
• Garden Grove, California
11 Apr 13
higarden gerty I get the most horrendous leg cramps if I have a lot of salt on my food or I do not drink enough water.The funny thing is they here at Gold C rest told my doctor the food is not salted but they use canned ravioli and canned sauces and gravies which are all salty. I scrape off all I can and also do take my calcium every
evening so have not had leg cramps for a long time.They also use canned ravioli here which I bypass
now that I know its heavily loaded with salt.
now that I know its heavily loaded with salt.@GardenGerty (160697)
• United States
15 Apr 13
Canned ravioli has sodium, salt and possibly msg as well. It is also full of sugar in the sauce. A lot of pasta sauce is. The dough is also a refined carb. None of that is good for you. Now a hand made fresh or frozen ravioli could be a real treat and not too bad if sauced appropriately or not at all.
@carmelanirel (20942)
• United States
11 Apr 13
Oh Loverbear, I don't have health issues, yet I have been reading labels for years, I am a BIG promoter of label reading. I mean really, how can I trust what is in the product I am buying to consume? This will be even more important if America ever decides to label GMO on our products, like other countries do, because you want to avoid that as well. So from now on, read those labels, and as you do, get curious about what some of the ingredients are. I try to avoid canned food, most of my food is frozen or fresh and even then I read the label on the frozen items.
@wilsongoddard (7291)
• United States
11 Apr 13
Stick to real food, and you will be fine. Heavily processed faux foods shouldn't even be in your pantry.
Your acquaintance is like all of the people who whine about needing to lose weight and then complain that eating healthfully is "so hard" and "not tasty" and pop diet pills and do weird programs bought through infomercials to try to lose weight.
2 people like this
@lovinangelsinstead21 (36850)
• Pamplona, Spain
11 Apr 13
Hello LB.,
We all love to eat foods that we know are not that good for us. I don´t like Ravioli much unless its more or less that fresh type it does have way too much salt and way too many sorts of bad fat in it too.
However over here there are at least two companies that have been named publicly and since then I have noticed that people sit up and take notice and avoid the bad stuff if they can.
Its a question of not really knowing sometimes.
I have cut out buying their hamburgers and minced beef however at one time it was good quality.
You take good care of yourself and try to stay away from all those things that wreak havoc for you if you can.
I knew a diabetic woman that had her blood sugar through the roof, high blood pressure and plenty of stress from her kids and husband just the right recipe I would say and yet nothing has ever happened to her.
It could be like someone else says I think its elixbn its probably how much you are used to eating and nothing else.
Have known other people with very high blood pressure and they eat way too much grease and salt and smoke as well what fantastic recipes and yet they have never had anything go wrong at all.
Don´t know how they do it.
xxx
@jenny1015 (13366)
• Philippines
12 Apr 13
I am happy that you are safe. And now that you know what you are supposed to stay away from, I hope you'd eat healthier and completely stay away from food that would not help you in any way.
@MoonGypsy (4606)
• United States
11 Apr 13
i know things are yummy, but you have to watch out. we don't want to hear about you in the hospital. take care, friend.
