HEALTHY WHITE

Rabu, 09 September 2009

Heart failure: Heart pumps help keep the beat

If you have heart failure, a heart pump may improve your quality of life.

When you have heart failure, your heart can't pump enough blood to meet your body's needs. Treatment is directed at the underlying cause, such as high blood pressure or coronary artery disease. Lifestyle changes and medication often help, too. If heart failure progresses, an advanced treatment such as a heart pump may be recommended.

A heart pump takes over the function of one or both of the heart's lower chambers, with the potential to improve your symptoms and quality of life. Once considered a last resort for prolonging life until a donated heart became available, heart pumps have become a possible long-term treatment for selected people with heart failure.

How does a heart pump work?

A heart pump replaces the work of one or both of the heart's lower chambers (ventricles). The pump — often about the size of a personal compact disc player — is implanted in your upper abdomen through open-heart surgery. Blood from the supported ventricle flows through the pump, into the aorta and then to the rest of your body. You'll feel the pump beat beneath your skin. The pump is connected to a battery pack worn outside your body, often in a small shoulder bag or fanny pack.

Some heart pumps are designed to support only the heart's left ventricle. These are known as left ventricular assist devices (LVADs). Other heart pumps support the right ventricle (RVAD) or both ventricles (biventricular assist devices).

A bridge to recovery

Sometimes a heart pump temporarily supports the heart as it heals from a massive heart attack, an episode of sudden heart failure or complications from open-heart surgery. In other cases, a heart pump works along with medication to improve heart function until transplantation is possible. With the help of a heart pump, your heart may even perform at normal or near-normal levels — alleviating symptoms and perhaps eliminating the need for a transplant. Occasionally it's possible to be weaned from the pump until it's no longer needed.

Or sometimes a destination

If your heart failure can't be appropriately managed with medication or special pacemakers and you're not a candidate for a heart transplant, a heart pump may offer promise as a long-term treatment. This is known as destination therapy — an option approved by the Food and Drug Administration in 2002.

When used along with medication, a heart pump doubles the one-year survival rate for people with end-stage heart failure. This remarkable benefit was first noted in a 2001 landmark study in which researchers confirmed the benefits of heart pumps compared with medication alone. A heart pump also improves the signs and symptoms of heart failure — such as breathlessness and fatigue — which can improve your quality of life.

Understand the risks

A heart pump can be a lifesaving treatment. Yet the potential risks are serious, including:

Infection
Blood clots
Stroke
Bleeding
Device malfunction

Some complications associated with a heart pump are life-threatening.

Living with a heart pump

Whether your heart pump is a bridge to transplant or your destination, you'll need to adjust to life with the pump.

Follow the instructions from your medical team. Specific precautions may vary depending on the specific type of pump.
Take your medication as prescribed. Your doctor may prescribe various heart failure medications, including anticoagulants to help prevent blood clots.
Anticipate the battery life of your pump. You may need to change the pump's batteries once or even twice a day. Store extra batteries in a cool place.
Keep it clean and dry. To prevent infection, carefully cleanse the area where the battery wire is implanted. Make sure your battery pack and the wire connecting the pack to the pump stay dry — even when you bathe.
Avoid magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) exams. These imaging studies use a strong magnet, which may interfere with the pump.
Watch for mechanical problems. You'll have regular check-ins with your doctor and device technician. Report any changes in the pump's sounds or motion immediately.
Be prepared for emergencies. Your doctor will provide a hand pump and emergency power pack in case the implanted pump fails. Make sure you and your caregivers know how to use the hand pump.

A heart pump can offer a second chance at life. Work with your doctor to make the most of it.

Tuesday Megalinks: Lunch Lady Land Edition

Parents! You’re gonna dig the roundup today, as a ton of posts and articles focus on feeding your brood. In tribute, here are the two most adorable things the Husband-Elect and I heard at the Bronx Zoo yesterday:

1) SIX-YEAR-OLD BOY: (to his mom) I am deliciously hungry.

2) FIVE-YEAR-OLD GIRL: (to a statue of a lemur) Hello, friend.

And with that, the links!

Boston.com: Early On, Parents Form Habits of Healthy Eating
The Age of the Fishstick (it was right after the Bronze Age, see) has passed parenthood by. Apparently, y’all are making fresh food from scratch nowadays. Mama likes.

Casual Kitchen: Scarred for Life by a Food Industry Job
Once upon a time, a very talented and extremely pleasant food blogger (Dan) spent a summer slinging Quarter Pounders at Burger King. Since then, he's been unable to eat anything but the fries. But don’t be afraid, gentle reader – just head on over and share your favorite I Survived a Year Working for Wendys stories with him. All will be well.

Eat Me Daily: Flags Made Out of Food in Advertising for the Sydney International Food Festival
Ooo, this is neat. I’ve never wanted to eat Greece’s national emblem so badly. A flag made of olives and feta? Yes, please.

The Epi-Log: The Mediterranean Diet Scores Again
Speaking about olives and feta, the good news about Mediterranean menus just won’t quit. Not only does Greek food keep blood pressure down, but it could help increase bone density and reduce the risk of Alzheimer’s. Pass the kalamatas, yo.

Food Politics: What’s New in Obesity Prevention
I like this article for two reasons: A) much of it focuses on heading childhood obesity off at the pass, and B) the title sounds so casual, like it should be sitting on a magazine page next to “Don’t Fall Out of Style: Oprah’s Autumn Colors!”

Grub Street: The Grub Report - Critics and Commentators Survey the State of Our Food Union
GS interviewed Bourdain, Gael Greene, Ed Levine, and Regina Schrambling among others for this quick, fun How Do You Feel About Restaruants Right Now? piece. Take five, sip some seltzer, and learn a lot about David Chang.

The Kitchn: 10 One Dish Dinners
All this month, The Kitchn’s having a Quick Weeknight Meals contest. This lovely and useful post kicks everything off.

The Kitchn: 22 Fast, Fresh Pasta Dishes for Weeknight Suppers
Oh, and while you’re there, check this out, too. WANT.

LA Times: Making Healthful Eating Fun for Kids
LAT takes the Boston article one step further, with neato suggestions about getting the little ones involved in their own meals. An elementary-aged Iron Chef competition is my absolute favorite idea, ever. In life. I mean it.

LA Times: Sweet stuffed - We eat lots (and lots of kinds) of sweeteners. What's in them?
In which many things ending in “ose” are chronicled. Also, agave nectar.

Money Saving Mom: Q&A - Feeding Babies Nutritiously and Inexpensively
This should have another part to its title: “…and Without Ever Buying a Jar of Baby Food.” I’m kind of amazed, but everything Crystal suggests makes sense.

Mr. Free Stuff: 101 Restaurants Where Kids Eat Free
Whoa. Tremendous. And sad for us grown-ups. Remember when we got all that free food? I don't either. (Also: I walked uphill both ways in the snow to school.)

The Nation: The Food Issue
Man, this almost puts Mother Jones to shame. Along with the usual suspects (Pollan, Waters, etc.), there are dozens of columns, blurbs, and pieces about all aspects of our food system. I advise against taking a copy into the bathroom, because you may never leave.

Serious Eats: Serious Green – Freeze it Now, Eat it Later
This simple guide to freezing produce should be very useful tomorrow. See, Rachel just brought 30 yellow tomatoes by for us to keep. And one can only have so much Caprese Salad. Now … I research.

Serious Eats: Serious Green - Upgrading School Lunch
Every single cultural issue with school lunches, summed up in one glorious manifesto. If you want your kids to live a Cheez Whiz-free life (and you should - that stuff's gross), there’s no better place to start.

Time Magazine: The Social Side of Obesity - You Are Who You Eat With
Heavy kids eat more when they hang out with heavy kids. Adults are more likely to become heavy if they hang out with other heavy people. Why? Well, when you’re heavier, socializing revolves more than usual around food. Plus, you’re more relaxed eating in front of someone who’s already a bit heavy. Heavy stuff.

Wall Street Journal: Restaurants Look Beyond Chicken Fingers
Forget school cafeterias – for some real grub, take your kids out to eat. Restaurants are stepping up their children's menus, and Junior may dig arugula more than you think.

Washington Post: Too Many Cooks? No Such Thing. Online Clubs Share Rises and Falls In Photos and Posts.
A rising number of folks are learning to cook and bake online, with help from people from all over the country. If you’re too shy to get into a classroom, this could be the perfect way to partake in some secret culinary magic. Whee!

(Photos courtesy of Creative Loafing, Walking Spree, and The Bobcast.)

Tuesday Megalinks: Lunch Lady Land Edition

Sabtu, 05 September 2009

Maple Morning Polenta, Chili Corn Pone Pie, and a Review of Mary Ostyn’s Family Feasts for $75 a Week.

(Sorry for the late post, folks. Um ... I kinda bought my wedding dress today. Squee!)

Mary Ostyn has ten children, and has managed to shelter, educate, and feed them all on her husband’s $56,000 salary. She blogs regularly about her experiences at Owlhaven, and on September 1st, she released her second book, Family Feasts for $75 a Week. Last week, I got my hands on a (full disclosure:) free copy. I read it and tried two recipes, wondering all the while if a cookbook intended for large families could also help a pair of veggie-lovin’ Brooklynites.

And ladies and gentlemen, we have a winner. Family Feasts keeps food healthy, inexpensive, and real without resorting to semi-homemade-esque measures. I’m more than happy to recommend it here, and to sound off on the top ten things I liked about the book:

1) This quote from page 8: “At its heart, frugality isn’t about deprivation. It’s about taking control of your resources. It’s about making the most of what you have.” Bingo.

2) Mary speaks often from personal experience. As she has ten kids and I have difficulty keeping my ficus alive, this is helpful.

3) No coupons necessary. (Thank Gilbert Gottfried.) These are real-life foods with real-life prices, purchased strategically.

4) There’s a sweet tip about checking dollar stores when you’re food shopping on vacation. I just got back from North Carolina, where our rental was ACROSS THE STREET from said store, yet I never even thought to do this. Duh.

5) Of the book’s 300 pages, about 75 are full of tips, and 200 include a diverse cross-section of recipes with tips interspersed. It never seems to run out of information.

6) There are no processed foods, lots of whole ingredients, and absolutely zero Cream of Whatever soups. Which is great, because I freaking hate those things. They feel like cheating, look like freshly poured concrete, and taste like death. (Um … but that’s just my opinion.)

7. There are quite a few Korean and Ethiopian dishes, because Mary adopted children from both countries. As a fan of kimchi and injera bread (which ... seriously, you gotta try it), I appreciate this.

8. This tip: “The rule in the canned food aisle, in general, is, if the item is an ingredient for cooking, we buy it, but if it’s something ready-made in a can we probably do not buy it.” YES. WHAT SHE SAID.

9. For each meal, she preps only 1 to 1-1/2 small servings of meat per person, but makes extra side dishes and veggies. This keeps meals healthy and costs down - a great tactic in general.

10. Chili Corn Pone Pie and Maple Morning Polenta.

Okay, that last one’s actually two things, but they’re the recipes I tried. Both were aces. The Polenta was unorthodox yet tasty, while the Pie was a big hunk of hearty Man Food that can easily be scaled down for caloric needs. (Which I did down below.)

Both recipes are listed here, with minor changes made to fit the parameters of this blog (1% milk, ground turkey, etc.). There are little notes before every alteration, so you know what’s been switched around. Also, please note that I use regular Brooklyn prices, so your totals may vary.

In conclusion, if you get the chance, check out Family Feasts. It’s as handy for two clueless New Yorkers as any family of 47.

See you Tuesday, folks. Happy long weekend.

Mary Ostyn’s Maple Morning Polenta
Makes 6 servings

3 cups cold water
1-1/2 cups 1% milk
2 cups cornmeal
½ teaspoon salt
½ cup pancake syrup, plus more for serving
2 tablespoons butter
½ cup raisins or dried cranberries

NOTE from Kris: This is an easily scalable recipe. If you’re making it for one or two, however, the cooking time will be A LOT faster. Also, I used 1% milk (which worked well), but Mary’s original recipe calls for regular milk. Finally, I like Aunt Jemima Butter Lite syrup. It’s 100% chemicals, but I can’t help it.

1) Combine water, milk, cornmeal, and salt in a medium-size saucepan, stirring briskly to combine. Cook over medium heat, stirring frequently, until mixture reaches a boil, about 10 minutes.

2) Reduce heat to low. Cook 3 to 5 minutes, stirring frequently, until mixture thickens.

3) Remove from heat. Stir in pancake syrup and butter; ladle into bowls. Top with additional syrup and sprinkle with raisins just before serving.

Approximate Calories, Fat, Fiber, and Price Per Serving
296 calories, 5.4 g fat, 4.7 g fiber, $0.50

Calculations
3 cups cold water: negligible calories, fat, fiber, FREE
1-1/2 cups 1% milk: 158 calories, 3.7 g fat, 0 g fiber, $0.32
2 cups cornmeal: 1010 calories, 4.7 g fat, 20.4 g fiber, $0.90
½ teaspoon salt: negligible calories, fat, fiber, $0.01
½ cup pancake syrup, plus more for serving (I use Aunt Jemima Butter Lite): 200 calories, 0 g fat, 2 g fiber, $0.67
2 tablespoons butter: 204 calories, 23 g fat, 0 g fiber, $0.12
½ cup raisins or dried cranberries: 206 calories, 0.8 g fat, 5.6 g fiber, $0.96
TOTAL: 1778 calories, 32.2 g fat, 28 g fiber, $2.98
PER SERVING (TOTAL/6): 296 calories, 5.4 g fat, 4.7 g fiber, $0.50

~~~

Mary Ostyn’s Chili Corn Pone Pie
Makes 6 servings

Filling:
1 pound ground turkey breast (beef or regular ground turkey is fine, too - Kris)
1 teaspoon vegetable oil
1 small onion, chopped
1 (14.5-ounce) can kidney or small pink beans, drained
½ cup frozen or fresh corn kernels
1-1/2 cups tomato sauce (about 12 ounces of your favorite brand)
1 tablespoon chili powder
1 teaspoon ground cumin
1 teaspoon salt

Topping:
¾ cup cornmeal
¾ cup all-purpose flour
½ teaspoon salt
1-1/2 teaspoons baking powder
½ teaspoon baking soda
1 large egg, beaten
¾ cup 1% milk
1-1/2 tablespoons vegetable oil
½ cup 2% shredded cheddar

NOTE from Kris: I used turkey breast, but ground beef is what Mary cooked with originally. Also, if the dough topping is feeling a little thin, feel free to add a bit more flour. Finally, I used 1% milk and lighter cheddar (for that whole “health” thing), but Mary’s original recipe calls for regular versions of both.

1) Preheat oven to 350F.

2) Preheat a large heavy skillet over medium-high heat until hot. Add turkey and cook until no longer pink, breaking it into small pieces with the side of a spoon. Remove turkey from skillet, add 1 teaspoon vegetable oil and onion to skillet. (Note: if using beef, do not add extra oil - Kris) Cook onion until it begins to soften, 3 to 5 minutes. Add remaining filling ingredients; stir well to combine. Simmer until heated through, 5 to 10 minutes.

3) In a medium-sized bowl, combine cornmeal, flour, salt, baking powder, and baking soda. Add beaten egg, milk, and oil to flour mixture; mix well to form a soft dough.

4) Spread meat mixture over the bottom of a 9-inch pie pan. Drop tablespoons of the corn bread mixture all over the top of the pie, distributing it as evenly as possible. Sprinkle cheese across the top. Bake 45 minutes, or until cheese is flecked with brown and filling starts to bubble out the sides.

Approximate Calories, Fat, Fiber, and Price Per Serving
424 calories, 10.6 g fat, 6.8 g fiber, $1.58

Calculations
1 pound ground turkey breast: 502 calories, 3.2 g fat, 0 g fiber, $5.59
1 teaspoon vegetable oil: 44 calories, 5 g fat, 0 g fiber; $0.03
1 small onion, chopped: 29 calories, 0.1 g fat, 1 g fiber, $0.25
1 (14.5-ounce) can kidney or small pink beans, drained: 367 calories, 2.7 g fat, 19.3 g fiber, $0.80
½ cup frozen or fresh corn kernels: 66 calories, 0.9 g fat, 2.1 g fiber, $0.20
1-1/2 cups tomato sauce (I used Ragu Red Pepper & Onion): 292 calories, 8 g fat, 5.3 g fiber, $0.80
1 tablespoon chili powder: 24 calories, 1.3 g fat, 2.6 g fiber: $0.04
1 teaspoon ground cumin: negligible calories, fat, and fiber, $0.02
1 teaspoon salt: negligible calories, fat, and fiber, $0.02
¾ cup cornmeal: 379 calories, 1.8 g fat, 7.7 g fiber, $0.33
¾ cup all-purpose flour (plus more for dough, if necessary): 341 calories, 0.9 g fat, 2.5 g fiber, $0.07
½ teaspoon salt: negligible calories, fat, and fiber, $0.01
1-1/2 teaspoons baking powder: 4 calories, 0 g fat, 0 g fiber, $0.04
½ teaspoon baking soda: negligible calories, fat, and fiber, $0.01
1 large egg, beaten: 74 calories, 5 g fat, 0 g fiber, $0.33
¾ cup 1% milk: 74 calories, 1.8 g fat, 0 g fiber, $0.16
1-1/2 tablespoons vegetable oil: 185 calories, 21 g fat, 0 g fiber, $0.14
½ cup 2% shredded cheddar: 162 calories, 12.1 g fat, 0 g fiber, $0.62
TOTAL; 2543 calories, 63.8 g fat, 40.5 g fiber, $9.46
PER SERVING (TOTAL/6): 424 calories, 10.6 g fat, 6.8 g fiber, $1.58