MID WEEK CRUNCH

PLANS FOR TODAY ARE SIMPLE ONES made easy by design.  Woke up, bathroom break, hands washed, grabbed my 1.5 liter of spring H2o, blood pressure taken, BP diary updated, prayed, blood pressure videos watched, prayed, now blogging.  Day being figured out.

I have got to lower blood pressure and get some weight off my body.  If I know eating vegetables and fruit is my magic bullet, then why aren't I staying with it?  I just heard that CHEESE is terrible for BP cause of its EXTREMELY HIGH sodium content.  I love cheese, but will take a break from it.  In fact, I am going to take a break AGAIN from much.  Upping the water intake, exercising, distressing, no alcohol, no smoking, resting, decluttering...what else?  Keeping a blood pressure journal.  I have no problem with the not smoking and no alcohol.  Working at decluttering and distressing.  EXERCISE is a stumbling block to me.  I have a very bad attitude about it.  Resting is something I have mastered.  

Will be taking BP on left wrist, right wrist, sitting, standing, lying down several times a day.  Best to take BP when bladder is empty.  Feet flat on floor.  No moving, no talking, after having sat 5 minutes or more. Arm level high with heart.

This health journey is altogether different than ever before.  Looking for ways to lower blood pressure, lower blood glucose levels, lower cholesterol, lower weight.  It seems like I am in some kind of cycle that is spiraling downwards.  Hate that and I owe it to myself to be as healthy as I can be for all kinds of reasons and for the glory of GOD.  Lord Jesus, I pray for help to live the right way.

As of August 2020 when I tipped the scales at the endocrinologist appointment, I became more serious about doing things different.  Then in April 2021, I took a nose dive into eating the Daniel Diet way.  Which actually helped me shed some weight.  

I believe I've got off the wagon.  Climbing back on the wagon.

Nothing like the present.  Not waiting for a MONDAY to start.  WEDNESDAY WILL DO.  I will cut way back on the cheese.  CHEESE.  I can do this.  I must.  I want to.  I must.

Here it is WEDNESDAY.  Middle of the week crunch.  Blink and the week is disappearing.

Working at improving the STORAGE in KITCHEN.  Hubby had to go to the storage unit to get a metal rack.  He managed to get one HOME, cleaned up and has it sitting in the utility room. That's the way.  I have to do a major shuffle to clear a path to where the rack will sit along the wall with a window.  As I have been going through boxes to get the Kitchen settled, stuff has been placed on the floor under the portable table being used for a work station.  What a mess I have.

I'll have to shuffle this stuff to open up that path then I can begin placing the bakeware/cookware on it and make sense out of this chaos.  This will help lift my spirits and get on with this messy move.  SO do it.

As I look out the window, the skies are extremely gray and it looks like fog rolled in.  Temps are 47 degrees expecting it to hit 60 mid afternoon.  That will be awesome.  I have some grocery shopping I want to do today.  Lots of veggies and berries.  The fridge is ready for more of these nutritious things to be placed inside.  

BEING EDUCATED ABOUT WHAT NOT TO STORE IN ONE'S FRIDGE  SURPRISED ME. 

DON’T STORE IN FRIDGE:

APPLES

GREEN AVOCADOS UNRIPE BANANAS FRESH BASIL BREAD CHOCOLATE CITRUS FRUIT COCONUT OIL ROASTED COFFEE CUCUMBERS GARLIC

HONEY

JAM AND JELLIES KETCH-UP

UNCUT MELONS

NUTS OILS

DRIED ONIONS

PEACHES PEANUT BUTTER AND SPREADS TOMATOES

HOT SAUCE 

SOY SAUCE

SPICES STRAWBERRIES

MOST of what's on this list I was storing in my fridge.  OOPS.

I thought storing coffee in the refrigerator preserved the beans, but come to find out it isn't good for the beans as the moisture does a number on them.

Apples put off ethylene gas that causes other produce to age faster.  Store these on the counter away from sunlight.

I need to move the jarred nuts I have in the fridge to the freezer.  Refrigerating them causes them to lose their flavor.  

I have small MOSER chocolate bars that I'll take out and place in the pantry.  Storing chocolate in the fridge gathers too much moisture to it.

I don't think I'm comfortable with not storing the cucs, ketch-up (vinegar in ketch-up prevents problems), tomatoes, strawberries, jams, jellies in the fridge.  I'll have to adjust to the idea.  No problem with the other things on list though.

Refrigerating panty hose and batteries isn't necessary.  I remember storing rolled film in fridge when it was suggested for some reason.  Can't recall why.  No need for this now as it's outdated. On the other hand, storing plastic credit cards in the freezer is something you might want to do. Some freeze the cards in water to discourage using them.  In case of an emergency, they have to thaw the card out before using.  Gives you time to decide, do I really want to charge?  If you place a quarter on top of a cup of ice and place in the freezer, the quarter will indicate if the power has gone off.  If power went off and things THAW OUT in freezer, the quarter will sink in the cup.  If it has sunk and refreezes then you know the power was off.  Then you decide if food needs thrown away or not. 

I'm thankful I have a refrigerator and freezer, aren't you?  As the years have passed, the ice box has morphed into a larger one with all kinds of bells and whistles making the modern day KITCHEN a more sophisticated space.  Shape and sizes of fridges has changed through the years, but the idea of food storage remains important.

Wednesday.  I think I will take some time today to meditate on how to simplify and organize my KITCHEN.  

HOME LIFE is for me,

~d