consistency, really?

[MNmom]

How comsistent does one really need to be with their diets? Because I am not a consistent eater, and the thought of it bores me to tears. I encourage my kids to have variety, so we rarely eat consistently. I dont drink wine every night, but would love to have a glass now and then. I dont have tea every day, but maybe will start drinking some tea to combat my coffee. I know I have been told to eat what I want, as most of you do, but do you really have to be so consistent? Am I just being overparanoid again? Some days I have more veggies than others. I would love love love a spinich salad, or spinich in my egges, or spinich in anything- but fear if i have it once i will need to eat it every day, which exhausts me.
Thanks in advance- feel free to poo poo me if you need to.

 

[Freddie]

Yep, you sound exactly like I was. Until I finally said to myself "screw it". And I now eat what I want when I want. If I'm gonna indulge in spinich I'll take an extra 1mg or 2 to even things out - I just watch the quanity - portion size.

Yep, your being over paranoid........take it from one who's been there done that.

Live Well and Enjoy

 

[Lisa in Katy]

Consistent doesn't mean that you must eat 6 oz. broiled chicken, a side salad with no fat Ranch, and white rice every day.

To me, consistent means "don't go crazy". Some spinach in your eggs is fine. If you follow it with a huge spinach salad for lunch, and spinach and liver for dinner, it's probably too much.

A glass of wine every now and then is okay. A couple of pitchers of margaritas is probably too much. Besides, you'll probably fall down or run into something and end up with really ugly bruises that last a long time!

A little bit of something every now and then is okay. A lot of something all of sudden is not.

 

[Ross]

I'm anything but consistent, though I do eat about the same amount of vegetables every week, the rest of the diet is all over the place. Sometimes those Veggies aren't green either, so just eat like you normally would, and dose that diet.

 

[Ross]

Yep, you sound exactly like I was. Until I finally said to myself "screw it". And I now eat what I want when I want. If I'm gonna indulge in spinich I'll take an extra 1mg or 2 to even things out - I just watch the quanity - portion size.

Yep, your being over paranoid........take it from one who's been there done that.

Live Well and Enjoy

Don't go taking extra unless your INR test says you need too. You can get into some real trouble that way.

 

[Cooker]

I eat and drink what I want when I want it..........it's a Chimp thang

 

[dick0236]

NWmom
Your doing fine. Unless you go off on a tangent, nothing you eat or drink will probably affect your INR a great deal. Just do not go on a spinach only diet or eat nothing but non-green vegs. Over time you will see if you need to make any small dietary adjustments. This upcoming week will test my "consistancy". We are going to Florida with our kids and grandkids. I guarantee that my usual diet will change. I'll just try not to go overboard....literally or figurativly(sp?). See ya'll in a week.

 

[Karlynn]

Just know that many pre-package or easy-mix diet foods use soy as their main protein source - so just be watchful of your INR if you start using them regularly. (Instant Breakfast, many protein bars and diet bars etc.) Other than not using those things I don't give a moments thought to what I eat in relationship to being a Coumadin user.

Why do most diets fail - because people can stay with the consistency. Same for dieting the dose - doom to fail because you can't be that consistent.

 

[Susan BAV]

Here's another somewhat recent thread sort of along the same line; hope you find it helpful also: http://valvereplacement.com/forums/showthread.php?t=25267

 

[Ross]

Like the Coumadin Cookbook. It is totally dedicated to dieting the dose your on. Read that book only for recipes, but don't ever start trying to regulate things like that book would have someone do. I was at my cardiologists appt one day and the girls up front asked me about the book because someone wanted it to control their vit k intake. I told them to forget it and don't use it. Who ever this person was would only frustrate themselves and Dr. Cogswell, just to eat like they normally do and dose that diet. This made sense to them and my cardio too.

 

[Freddie]

OMG Ross, I JUST received that cookbook from a member. Too uncannie that you would mention it.

 

[catwoman]

MNmom:

(Are you in a Twin Cities suburb? Seems that I've stayed at a hotel near your city when I've been up there.)

I'll echo what others have said -- just be consistent over a week to 2-week period.

This follows what I've read about the RDA requirements for nutrition. You don't have to get all your fruits/veggies, fiber, calcium, protein, etc., each and every day. If you only get 2 or 3 servings of fruits & veggies on one day -- because you're traveling or vacationing -- but go to town on them the next day and then settle back down to a "normal" pattern of intake, that's OK.

Think of the green veggies and other foods that are high in vitamin K as also providing other nutrients (heart-healthy fats, fiber, etc.) that your body needs.

Unless you're testing your INR every day (and that's paranoid and probably OCD!), you don't need to worry about being consistent each and every day.

What I enjoy is being able to vary my source of vitamin K. I have become a connoiseur of cole slaw, of all things. I try to remember which restaurants have crappy slaw (finely shredded, flavorless or too heavy of a dressing) and which ones have great slaw (chunky, with carrots, bell peppers, red cabbage); don't overcook broccoli; have good spinach salads; etc., etc.

 

[Ross]

OMG Ross, I JUST received that cookbook from a member. Too uncannie that you would mention it.

It's got good recipes, use it for that only, but don't start reading the silly things they have you do like putting your oil in sunlight to cut the vit k and that kind of crap. They are totally dedicated to controling your vit k intake which is exactly the same as dieting the dose rather then dosing for what you eat.

 

[MNmom]

Catwomen- yes- Im in an eastern suburb of the twin cities
Nice to see that everyone seems to be realistic eaters here- I need to start eating more fruits and veggies- period. So soy lowers INR...I got a ton of protein bars containing soy from my aunt- and I have them on occasion- will try to eat more when I start getting serious about dieting again- which I have probably avoided for long enough