Blood pressure: low- sodium living

Well, the doctor has threatened me again with medication for my blood pressure. I had made some effort since my last check- up, to get exercise more frequently and to watch my sodium intake. Although I have done both of those (kinda; sometimes), it has not been enough. I need to include more “aerobic” forms of exercise and need to be stricter about my sodium consumption. The good news is that my efforts seem to be paying off; pressure is almost down to what it should be. It looks like CampDaddy must continue paying more attention to Sodium content of foods. I have had some worry about leg cramps resulting from diminished electrolytes, though. Working and playing outdoors in the summer heat have given me trouble, before, with charlie- horses. Salty snacks and lots of water had helped with cramping muscles, but that was way too much sodium. Discussions over on WhiteBlaze forums have given me some ideas about warding off those potential issues: treating with quinine, even tonic water, seems to stop the cramps; increasing other electrolyte minerals, especially potassium, should offer some protection. So, CampDaddy will explore camp foods and trail snacks and beverages with reduced sodium, along with increased potassium and other minerals. The sodium problem is going to require some study and planning, especially with my camping foods. It seems everything that is convenient and quick is also loaded with sodium. Right off the bat, items that must be eliminated are:

Ramen noodles (at least drop the salt- bomb packet)
Pancake mix (substitute using Lo-Na biscuit mix)
Biscuit mix (work up my own Lo-Na version)
Stuffing mix (maybe I could dry and season cornbread crumbs or find a low- salt version).
Bouillon granules are high- Na, but there are some Lo- Na cubes (maybe I could crush or pre- dissolve)
Milk and cheese are Hi- Na but good protein and calcium sources... weigh pros and cons.

Although I get some walking- exercise, not much of it qualifies as “aerobic”. Googling for exercise recommendations, I found that I should try to get my pulse rate up to 120 for about 20 minutes. Recommendations are for aerobic workouts 3- 4 days per week, not every day, and once or twice per week is not enough. Warm up 5- 10 minutes at 50- 60% maximum heart rate. Exercise 20 minutes at 70- 80% of maximum and cool down 5- 10 minutes at 50- 60% maximum. As best I can figure, excercising heart rate for me should get up to 100- 122. I tried for that with some rapid walking, and it is not difficult to attain… I just need to consciously include some speed sections or uphills in my strolls.

Outdoor enjoyment should, itself, reduce stress and hypertension, so more playtime, too, should be just what the doctor ordered.

Corn chowder

This is a quite versatile recipe; I’m giving the corn variation, but it can be adapted to a variety of add- ins; just leave out the corn and substitute whatever. Preparation is super- simple, too: just add a cup of boiling water, stir, let set to re- hydrate, and chow down. I use reduced- sodium bouillon and choose add- ins which are low in sodium. Note that bouillon powder can be combined in the dry mix, but bouillon cubes must be dissolved in the water prior to mixing with the other dry ingredients. Using the cubes means a dirty pot anyway, so I just boil to dissolve, stir in the dry mix, set in a pot- cozy and eat from my camp cup. Corn takes about 15 minutes or more to re- hydrate so start the chowder early and finish your camp chores while it “cooks” in a cozy.

1/4 C Instant potato flakes
1/4 C Whole- milk powder
1/4 C Dehydrated corn (home- dried: canned may have salt, frozen takes longer to re- hydrate/cook)
1/2 tsp Chicken bouillon powder or 1 cube
1/8 tsp Celery powder (optional; and it’s high in sodium)
1 tsp Coffee creamer
1 Tbsp Margarine or olive oil

Pepper to taste

Ramen again

Low- sodium camp meals are challenging. Ramen noodles, the mainstay of college students and backpackers, come with a flavor packet that is a sodium bomb. But Ramen is cheap, easy to find, and convenient to prepare, so it is worth some experimenting. Package instructions say to limit sodium by reducing the amount of flavor packet added to the pot. That gives a washed- out flavor that I don’t like; I have resorted to the following:
Add 1 C water, crushed noodles, and half of the flavor packet to pot. Bring slowly to boiling and set for 5 minutes. This yields full- strength flavor, but is not a soup… it’s noodles. Need more fluid? Make some tea.
Scrounging around the camp- yard for something to go in my Ramen, I was hoping to enhance the flavor but still keep down the sodium. I found a few collard leaves, a small turnip and one of those weeds that smells like onions. I started the chopped vegetables simmering in 1.5 C water and added the crushed noodles. Still using half of the flavor packet, I brought the mix back to a boil and set for 5 minutes. The flavor was good and the 1.5 cups of liquid was enough to be considered a soup.