Is It Good News Or Bad News?

December 29, 2021 / healthbuddymelissa / Leave a comment

Hello, and welcome to another Humpday post. If you read here often then you already know a few things about me. One is that I have CKD and get lab work every 6 months, but I have been stage 2 for two cycles now. I had my lab work for both doctors done on Monday. Lipid panel for my GP and a renal panel for my Nephrologist. I have been feeling kind of yucky since I got the Covid booster and was thinking maybe I was slightly anemic. However, I am under a great deal of stress right now with my nursing job. I am thinking that is some of the reasons I am so tired. Anybody who has CKD knows stress is not a good thing. Anyway, I have a plan for that, it just will take some time.

My Lipid Panel has come down significantly. I have been fluctuating quite drastically. Whenever I try to lose more weight, by decreasing carbs, it shoots up super high. Then I modify my diet and increase my fiber intake, and it comes back down. This time was no different. I increased my carb and fiber intake and decreased fat and meat sources, and it came down, though not to normal. So, I still have to tweak my diet some. Statins will kill my kidneys for sure and I do not have any intentions of taking one if I can avoid it. So far my GP has been really good about monitoring the labs and not nagging about a statin. I have no symptoms of any heart disease so that is why she is probably not pressing the issue.

My renal panel I was slightly disappointed, but only slightly. Before January of last year’s first set of labs for 2021, I was hovering around 47-49 with my eGFR. So for 4 years that was my baseline after I recovered from the left kidney failing. I worked very hard in 2020 to lose weight, modify my diet, even more, deal with stress, and manage my CKD. The results were that in 2021 I was able to get my eGFR to 60 and 61, putting me at stage 2 for two cycles, or 12 months. I just had it done Monday, which would count for January 2022 and my eGFR had slipped to 57 and my creatinine was only very slightly above normal. Even though I had hoped it obviously was still above 60 I can live with 57 because that means that is my new baseline, 57-60 which means I still have room to improve. One very important correlation I have noticed is that when my urine Albumin is below normal is when my eGFR improves. Even though my urine Albumin was in the normal range this time, the last two times it was below normal, my eGFR decreased. This tells me having Albumin in my urine, even at normal levels is harmful to kidney function. The way to solve this is to decrease my protein intake, especially from meat sources, and processed foods, back down to 10-15% of my daily intake. I have been talking about this for some time how these foods are detrimental to the kidneys, possibly. I think the correlation is very strong in my case. Over the holiday week, I ate things I would not normally eat, prime rib, donuts, bakery bagels, chocolate, cookies, etc. My fiber intake decreased and my intake of beef and processed foods went up. Now, I am not saying I will never eat these things, but my moderation was not moderate enough. Plus, these foods are high in Phosphorus and Sodium. I think I have narrowed down the correlation between too much Phosphorus intake and how my body responds, my eyesight is worse, and my tastebuds are affected. I do not drink enough either, this time of year because it is not hot and I am not as thirsty. I have to work on this more. These types of foods are also generally void of potassium. I typically eat a lot of potassium. Typically at least a banana or potatoes every day. I have not been doing that for the last two weeks due to trying to follow a lower-carb diet. How do I know when I am not getting enough potassium? I get leg cramps, terrible annoying leg cramps. I had no bananas or potatoes in the house, but I did have mandarins. One of those relieved the leg cramps in a matter of minutes. Learn to know your body signals that something is amiss.

So, all in all, I am pleased with my labs, but I realize it could have been better if I had eaten better, exercised more, drank more water, and dealt with my stress levels better. I am sure my kidney doctor will want to repeat them in 6 months, so there is that.

Please note I am stage 3A to 2, not on dialysis, not a diabetic, controlled blood pressure without medication, take only Vitamin D and Sodium Bicarb. How I eat and manage my CKD may not be what you need. We are all different, however learning to manage your CKD, is vital to your wellbeing. If you would like to learn about how a health coach can help you, please use the contact form at the end of this post to send me an email, or you can just email me at melissa@healthbuddymelissa.coach or you can simply click on one of my available plans below to learn more.

Tomorrow, I will share my top posts for 2021, things I will be doing with this blog in 2022, changes to my life I will be making, and so much more for the new year. Be sure to come back and read all about it. If you like this content please like and share to help increase my views and search engine ranking. I will also be discussing topics for monthly posts. Next week I have a super packed week, so I am unsure how much blogging I will get done.

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Meatless Meal #3

December 22, 2021 / healthbuddymelissa / Leave a comment

Hello, and welcome to another Humpday! I hope this Christmas week 2021 is seeing you healthy and merry! I had shared a couple of weeks ago that I was skeptical about getting the Covid booster shot. I got Moderna, and my daughter got Pfizer the first two shots. I listed why I was skeptical, but on a spur of the moment yesterday, I had to go to Walmart anyway so I decided to see if they could do them. They got us right in and we are both now boosted. I knew I was going to spike a high temp, I always do, my immune system is hyper-responsive apparently. But, I knew some of my friends who don’t usually get high temps did with the booster. So, I was prepared for it. It took about 8 hours but at bedtime, my temp was 103. With CKD you aren’t supposed to take Ibuprofen, and Tylenol is pretty useless against a fever that high. So, instead, I took a baby Aspirin and 2 Extra Strength Tylenol and went to bed. I kept water by my bedside for hydration, which is important with a fever. I woke up once to use the restroom and my temp was still 102 so it didn’t do much. I put a cool cloth in my armpits and went back to bed. This is an old trick we old nurses know. You can put them in the groin area as well and on the forehead. I still had a low-grade temp when I got up this morning, but it is now gone. I had little nausea and a lack of appetite for lunch and dinner yesterday. Interestingly I did not get a sore arm this time. All in all one day of feeling cruddy for extra protection against the scourge of society was worth it.

One of our Christmas week traditions is we drive around and look at Christmas lights. I hope my husband will still want to do this once our last child leaves the nest. We go out to dinner first, and if you have CKD like me, that is always a challenge. This year I am going to eat salad, a meat source, and veggie. I will steer away from potatoes and bread, I hope, lol.

If you were here last week then you know that I am trying to encourage my family to eat two meatless dinners a week. My husband is less than enthused, and my daughter is OK depending on what the nonmeat is. For example, she isn’t going to eat beans plain and simple. So, today I decided to do a meatless lunch. Yes, I am the only one that ate it, but oh well, hopefully, they will come around. I am trying to eat beans at least a few times a week. Lunch is a meal I can make and they can have it or make their own, so they had their own, lol.

My lunch consisted of beans on toast. This is something that a lot of people in England enjoy for breakfast. I always thought what a strange breakfast and for people to actually want it seemed strange to me.

My lunch consisted of 1/2 cup of pork and beans with a sprinkle of brown sugar, Dave’s 22 seed thinly sliced bread, 10 red grapes, 1 cutie mandarin, and a tablespoon of Cool Whip topping. I warmed the beans with the brown sugar then I kind of mashed most of them down like a refried bean consistency. I then spread some of the bean mixture onto the two slices of bread and put them together like a sandwich sliced in half. You can see I sampled it before I took the picture. I have to admit this was very good. I was totally surprised. The rest of the beans I just ate on the plate. I cut all the grapes in half and put the mandarin in the bowl. I sprinkled one sprinkle of salt on them and then the Cool Whip. There is nothing better than sweet and salty. It is a very light salty taste as it is just one shake of the shaker. The bread and cuties were both organic. The grapes are really not that good, probably because they are out of season, but I won’t waste them. This was very filling and should hold me until dinner. If it doesn’t I will have one of my favorite snacks salt and vinegar almonds. If you are a potato chip lover give them a try.

Nutrition info for the above meatless meal: Calories 351, total fat 5 grams, saturated fat 0.5 grams, sodium 641 mg, total carbs 65 grams, fiber 11 grams, net carbs 54 grams, protein 14 grams, vitamin a 10%, vitamin c 33%, calcium 18%, iron 17%

As you can see this is a higher sodium meal if you have CKD try and buy beans with no sodium added. Organic beans should be lower in sodium than non-organic varieties. Or, you could make your own from scratch. Beans and whole-grain slices of bread are higher in phosphorus, so if that is a concern for you be sure and take your phosphorus binders or consult with your doctor about eating these foods first.

I am going to try to avoid any more carbs for today. We will see how that goes. Some days are better than others. I am not Diabetic but I do have a goal to lose baby belly fat that I have been carrying around for many years. Reducing sugar and carbs is the best way to do that.

Let me know what you think. Do you do meatless meals to try to cut down on meat consumption and or your grocery bill? Maybe for better health or environmental reasons.

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What Exactly Is A Buddha Bowl?

October 4, 2021 / healthbuddymelissa / Leave a comment

Hello, and Happy Monday! I see videos and articles about Buddha Bowls all the time. I thought to myself what is a Buddha Bowl, and why is it called that? Keep reading, it is kind of neat.

I really couldn’t find the original intent of the Buddha Bowl. But, according to Wikipedia, the Buddha Bowl became a big food concept in 2013. It apparently started as a Vegan movement way of eating, but can now be Vegetarian, as it the concept has spread. Vegetarian means lots of veggies with some small amounts of meat sources also. It is intended to be healthy, however, so using the freshest, organic if possible, least processed food items would be best according to the Buddha Bowl concept.

Why is it called a Buddha Bowl? Well, there are some theories but no one seems to exactly know for certain.

These bowls are meant to have lots of color with a variety of colored veggies, and wholesome whole grain foods, which may imply balance, and wellness. I can see that for sure.
The bowl should be really round with high edges, possibly a reference to Buddha’s famous belly.
Buddha would, apparently, carry his bowl through the village for villagers to put Vegetarian food items into for him to eat.

I have never actually created a Buddha Bowl, but I love the concept. Especially for taking a meal to work when I work my long 12 hours and it is so easy to just eat garbage food. I will certainly be doing this, and from a meal prep point of view it would be so easy to have already made grains in the fridge with chopped veggies and a protein of my choice. Just the dressing would be an issue, but making my own might be fun. A lot of the dressings use Tahini. I have never tried Tahini, but I know it is made of Sesame Seeds. If you have CKD, or need to watch your Oxalates, Tahini could be a problem for you. As with any dressing, or sauce, use it sparingly. You do not have to use a Tahini based dressing. Be sure and check out the video below with 5 different dressings for your Buddha bowl, to make at home.

How do you make a buddha bowl. First pick a nice, big, round dish with high lips. For work mine will be rectangle, so oh well. I guess I could just leave all of the ingredients separate and put it together at work. That would work. Your cooked grains should go on the very bottom. Some examples are rice, barley, quinoa, etc. Try for whole grains, but again with CKD whole grains may not work for you. I personally love Jasmine Rice. Next would be all of your colorful fresh veggies. These bowls are typically cold, like a salad, but I could see a warm Buddha Bowl being lovely. Don’t forget fresh herbs, and I don’t ever really see fruit, but hay I love fresh fruit. Then your protein would go on. If you want to use a mixture of plant-based, ie beans, lentils, legumes, and or nuts, with a meat source, I say go for it. Make it your own, and whatever will encourage you to adopt a healthier eating lifestyle is fine. Don’t make something you won’t like, or at least make a small amount of it when trying something new. I don’t really see where there is dairy involved in these bowls either. So, no cheese. Last, but not least, the dressing. If you really just can’t make your own, use whatever kind you like from the store. Just be Mindful of portion sizes. Do not mix the Buddha Bowl, presentation is everything. You want to savor the beauty, balance, and health of the bowl.

Of all the food concepts I have read, and studied, I like this one the best so far. From a Mindful Eating perspective you can enjoy putting your Buddha Bowl together, the beauty of all the colors, the amazing smells from fresh herbs, and then the enjoyment of eating it. Just the concept brings peaceful wellness to mind. I think just a plain old salad can be very boring, and unappealing. Buddha Bowls sound amazing!

What do you think? Would you try one, or have you already? Let me know in the comments.

I am going to meal prep some for this next weekend when I work. I actually have some organic barley in my pantry that I need to cook and use. Other than soup, not cold enough for that yet, I wasn’t sure what I should do with it, spur of the moment buy, lol. But, now I know. I shop on Friday, so I can get tons of fresh veggies, chop and have everything prepped. Plus, I got these delicious garlic pepper pistachios from Trader Joe’s that I think will be amazing. My garden has produced a ton of Basil, too, so I might make that Basil dressing in the video below.

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Meatless Monday: Greek Spaghetti

September 20, 2021 / healthbuddymelissa / Leave a comment

Hello, Hello! As I try to work back more towards a Vegetarian type of eating pattern, I have discovered this wonderfully delicious recipe. If you have read any of my posts on Oxalates this month, then you know why I have steered away from strictly Vegetarian eating.

We actually had this on Friday, but I am sharing it today on Meatless Monday. I did not remember to take pics, but you will get the idea. It is a very simple and delicious meal. The video below is the original recipe, and I will share how I tweaked it for my family, and our preferences below.

Greek Spaghetti:

Ingredients: Penne Pasta, Feta cheese, Pepper Jack cheese, onions, black olives, butter, garlic, cherry tomatoes.

For starters I used mostly organic products, as that is my preference. I do not always get my preference, but I try. I also do not mix everything together, as I do not eat Feta cheese, and my daughter will not eat olives, or tomatoes.

To make my version put in your hot pan a half of a stick of real butter, or the whole stick as the original recipe calls for. Add fresh minced garlic, and chopped onions. I like Vidalia. I don’t think her recipe had onions, but I include onions in almost everything I cook. Just let that cook gently on low, while your pasta cooks. After the pasta is cooked, and drained, toss it in with the butter, onions, and garlic. You have to be fast here, and serve it quick. It is not as good once it starts too cool, and I would not like this leftover, so be sure and cook only what you are sure will be eaten. I had the olives sliced, cherry tomatoes sliced, and the cheeses all shredded up so each person could add whatever they wanted to their pasta. I also added some fresh chopped Basil to mine, and a little garlic salt. This really was so super delicious, and everyone loved it. It is also relatively inexpensive. Of note, black olives are very high in Oxalates, so use them cautiously if this is an issue for you. Pasta, can also be moderate in Oxalates, especially if you are using a whole grain pasta. I used just regular white organic pasta.

Try this and let me know if you like it. Try my version, and the original below. They are pretty much the same, but just a little bit different.

Come back tomorrow to see my 6 dollar meal that I am making today. I don’t want to give it away, so no hints. I will also be sharing a new family together time challenge.

Are you trying to eat more meatless meals? Let me know what your biggest struggle is to achieve it.

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Taste Test Tuesday: Trader Joe’s Italian Meatballs

September 14, 2021 / healthbuddymelissa / Leave a comment

Whoa a new featured topic! I think it is fun to share the perspective of different tastes for different food items. So, I am starting a Taste Test Tuesday topic. I don’t know if every Tuesday will be this topic, because I have others for Tuesdays, but if it is really popular I will just do it.

If you read here you know I love Trader Joe’s. I also don’t get to shop their often because it is not close to me. We had never tried the meatballs, but in the Summer having something quick and easy is nice. So, I bought the Italian Style Meatballs. I am going to say right off the bat I wish I had read the ingredients better, see below. There is soy in these meatballs, way at the bottom of the list, but still, and it is probably why I have GI upset today. I don’t tolerate soy well. On the other hand, my husband will usually not eat meat with soy in it, but he didn’t even notice, and he loved these meatballs!

Me: I thought they had great flavor, were a good size, and overall were quite good. I did not care for the texture, however. They were affordable and convenient. There was way too much fat, however, and I think in the future I will just freeze some of our homemade meatballs for the summer months. They also have quite a bit of sodium in them for a serving size of 2 meatballs, that are really not that large.

Husband: Liked them a lot, and ate the rest for lunch as a meatball sub. Trust me when I say that is a good thing. He had no complaints or issues.

My daughter did not try them this time around.

Would I buy them again? Absolutely! I just wouldn’t eat them. They are great for when I work and the hubby, and daughter can make a quick easy meal.

There are about 6 servings in the bag, and if I remember correctly they were right around 5 dollars. Do you need help meal planning, or following a diet? Check out Meals with Melissa.

Have you tried these? What do you think?

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what Should I eat with diverticulosis?

August 11, 2021 / healthbuddymelissa / Leave a comment

A quick note before I begin. I was going to talk about Fiber and how it helps prevent someone from getting Diverticulosis in the first place. However, I have been studying this topic for over a week now and there are very conflicting opinions, and test results for fiber as a preventative to getting Diverticulosis, and whether it may actually increase one’s risk of getting Diverticulosis. For that reason the fiber issue, here, will only be discussed in relation to people who already have Diverticulosis.

If you want to learn more about preventing Diverticulosis discuss with your doctor about a diet that would be best. Studies are showing that a job where you sit a lot may actually be the highest risk factor for getting Diverticulosis. More about activity in a later post So, what if you already have Diverticulosis? What should you eat? Well, some of that is a loaded topic because it probably will depend on some other factors such as other illnesses, medications, activity level, etc. But, in general if you have Diverticulosis your doctor most likely is going to advise that you avoid processed foods, eat a more plant-based lifestyle, and of course increase your fiber intake. Be sure you drink enough water, or you may end up constipated from too much fiber. This goes for anyone who eats a high fiber diet. Start slow, don’t go from 10 grams of fiber per day to 50, your gut will not be happy at all.

How much Fiber? First let me say you need to know how much fiber you are already consuming, before you decide if you need to eat more. A food diary, for a week or so, will help you decide that. Be accurate and consistent with your food dietary intake. There are apps that can help you. I use one called Track-Nutrition Calculator. If you are a female under age 50, and have Diverticulosis 25 grams of fiber, if over 50 then 21 grams of fiber per day. If you are a male under age 50, and have Diverticulosis 38 grams of fiber, if over 50 years of age 30 grams of fiber. These number recommendations are from 2012, so they may be different, or the same in 2021.

Why is Fiber Important for Diverticulosis? It keeps food and waste moving through the digestive system, not allowing backups and waste from getting into the pouches in the intestines that define Diverticulosis. It is when these pouches get food, or waste in them, that they become inflame or infected causing Diverticulitis. If you have a bout of Diverticulitis you will be told to eat a low fiber diet. That is for next week ‘s topic.

Foods High in Fiber: Fruits and Vegetables are going to be your first thought most likely. There are other foods high in fiber, that are also plant-based such as: beans, peas, nuts, seeds, legumes, brown and wild rice, whole grain breads, whole wheat or whole grain pasta. Get used to reading labels and calculating fiber per serving. Most processed, and fast food options are going to be very low in fiber if it has any at all.

I know I say this in almost every blog post that has to do with diet modification: learn to cook and eat more at home, then out. It is cheaper and healthier. You can control the fat, sodium, sugar, and fiber of each meal you eat. Check out Meals with Melissa, if you need help with meal planning, cooking, prepping, etc. If you have any other medical issues that require diet modification, be sure and speak to your health care provider before making any drastic changes to your diet.

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my #1 Tip for meal prepping

July 21, 2021 / healthbuddymelissa / Leave a comment

Hello, and welcome to Wednesday! Today, I am going to discuss my #1 tip for meal prepping that I use every week. If you want to learn more about meal prepping check out Meals with Melissa. This post may contain affiliate links.

I am a Certified Health Coach, with a background in nursing. I am accepting new clients at this time.

What is meal prepping? So, this may look differently for different people. But, for me meal prepping consists of having a plan, and then preparing for that plan. I do my monthly menu plan in six month sessions. Six months for hot weather, and six months for cooler weather. Here in Florida cooking is not fun during the hottest months of the year, which is August and September. Cooking really just heats up the house. Once I know my meal plan, then I can prepare or prep. Prepping begins with inventory and a grocery list. Don’t buy stuff you don’t need if you are trying to stick to a meal budget. I shop weekly, but you certainly could shop bi-weekly, or even monthly. Buy what you can afford. If you can’t afford organic, then buy the healthiest option you can, but for optimal health you should be trying not to buy highly processed or pre-made meals. If you can’t eat fresh foods fast enough, buy frozen fruit and veggies.

So, what is my #1 tip? Pick one day, or like for me 2 days, to wash, peel, chop, and even cook some foods ahead of time. Some people will make freezer meals for the week, or even month. I find my family does not like frozen meals and they do not work for us. But, I can cook a large batch of rice that can be used through the whole week. Rice is very versatile and healthy. Organic Brown Rice is best, but my husband can not have all that fiber, so we use Organic Jasmine Rice. You could pre-cook pasta, but I don’t like it pre-cooked. However, I can make a large macaroni salad, pasta salad, or potato salad and it can be eaten all week for lunch or dinners. If you know you are going to use ground beef for several meals cook it all in one day, and store it in the fridge for the meals during the week. The same can be done with chicken and turkey. Hard boil eggs on prep day for use during the week. I tend to pick meals that are large and can be used as leftovers for a day or two. My family does not mind eating a meal a few days in a row, as long as it is one they like. If you like a fresh meal every night then pre-portion the items you need for that meal on prep day. I saw a lady on Youtube actually put everything in a Ziploc bag, for that meal, in portions she needs to cook it. The ingredients are in their own bag or container. She puts what it is and the date and puts it in the fridge for later use.

Picking one day to do all your prepping will save you a ton of time, especially if you work full time and have kids going here and there. I do two days because I can’t seem to get it all done in one day. Or, maybe I don’t want to, lol. Prepare for breakfast, lunch, and dinner. That way you will avoid eating out, or grabbing vending machine items.

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funny friday: scare pranks!

July 16, 2021July 16, 2021 / healthbuddymelissa / Leave a comment

Why do we find it so funny when someone is scared? I don’t know but we do. Today, is Funny Friday. That means it is time to relax and laugh out loud. Laughter is an important part of a Health and Wellness plan. You should get at least 15 minutes of good laugh out loud laughing a day. I hope you love the video below. Be sure and tell me in the comments if you laughed out loud, and why you think we laugh at other people being scared. I would love to hear from you.

Join my Mailchimp mailing list where every Wednesday I send out my newsletter with all kinds of stuff in it. Next week, here on the blog I will be talking about Night Blindness and Macular Degeneration.

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I am also working on updating my Walking Buddy Plan, Guided Imagery, Aromatherapy, Mindfulness, and I think I will be announcing a general healthy cooking option. So, be sure and watch for all of those. I already have Reiki, and Meals with Melissa updated. So be sure and check them out if you are interested in better Health with any of those topics.

is this a healthy food? Mindful eating

July 5, 2021 / healthbuddymelissa / 1 Comment

Hello, and welcome back to Mindful Monday. As part of my Mindful Monday and Mindful Monday posts I will be sharing some of my families favorite food items, and some that I just want to talk about, as to whether these are healthy food items, or food at all. Before I get into it I need to make any potential new customers aware that I have a Tropical Storm heading towards me. The weather will start to go down hill tomorrow. For the most part we will get heavy rain, wind, and possible tornadoes. I may lose power, but obviously I am hoping not. Unless the system rapidly intensifies in the Gulf evacuation will not be needed. We woke up yesterday morning to a leak in our roof from the already heavy rains we have been experiencing for a month now. I noticed my neighbor also has a tarp on their roof, so all this rain is starting to affect us all. Keep us in your thoughts and I will try to keep posting every day. Next week I really am hoping to do a live video shot to put up on Youtube, but maybe you will get to see some Tropical Weather instead, lol. I am glad that I got to eat all of my fresh peaches, straight off of my peach tree before these high winds come. You may see affiliate links in this post.

Today, I am going to discuss Smartfood White Cheddar Popcorn. It is my all time favorite popcorn of any popcorns. I am ashamed to say I could eat this whole bag if I didn’t have portion control. But, beyond my personal love for this popcorn is it a healthy food. The definition of a healthy food is: healthy foods provide nutrients to sustain a bodies well being and energy levels. Water, carbs, fats, protein, vitamins, and minerals are the key nutrients in a healthy food. So, lets look at the label of Smartfood popcorn and decide if I think it is a healthy food.

There are 7 servings in one bag and 160 calories per serving. A serving is about 2 1/2 cups, so that is a nice generous serving size. If you ate the whole bag you would consume 1120 total calories. So, yes it definitely will give you energy.

Each serving contains 14 grams of carbs. So if you are a Diabetic and have been told your snack should be 15 grams of carbs or less, one serving of this popcorn could be a snack for you. However, if someone consumed the whole bag it would be 98 grams of total carbs. There are 2 grams of fiber per serving. So, technically you could subtract 14 grams of carbs to get a net carb total of 84. So, yes it contains carbs for energy and even some fiber. Not too bad.

Fats: There are plenty of fats in here, but you could say it is probably too much to be considered healthy. Each serving contains 10 grams of fat, and 2 are saturated fats. There are no trans fats so that is good. If you ate the whole bag you would get 70 grams of fat, and 14 grams of saturated fats. That is not so great at all.

Protein: There are 3 grams of protein per serving and if you ate the whole bag it would be 21 grams of total protein. If you have CKD this could be a dangerous snack, especially because it is so easy to over eat it. On the note of CKD. There are no PHOS additives listed on the label, so that is a positive for this snack food. However, popcorn naturally has some Phosphorus and milk products are used, and that also contains Phosphorus. So, don’t be tricked into believing there isn’t any. Phosphorus is not a required item on food labels, something to lobby for if you have Kidney Disease.

Other Vitamins and Minerals: Sodium 200 mg per serving, that makes this a high Sodium food. Potassium 50 mg per serving which states is 0 percent of RDA. I find that strange since milk and popcorn both contain Potassium naturally. Calcium 2% of RDA. Iron 2% of RDA for one serving.

Ingredients: You can see the label below, but you will see they are not awful. There is some maltodextrin in there ie sugar and that would be why there is 2 grams of sugar per serving. In all there are 8 ingredients and as far as processed foods go I don’t find that to be incredibly horrible. There is milk used in this product so if you have issues with milk this won’t be a good option.

So, all in all what do I think? I think if you eat one serving that this could be a Healthy Food snack option. It is kind of high in fat so eat some veggies with it to help absorb the vitamins and minerals in your veggies. A win win. I certainly would try not to eat the whole bag, but like I said it would be very easy to. So, if you don’t have portion control this could be very unhealthy. , and would be more of a meal than a snack.

Do you love White Cheddar Popcorn, or do you have another favorite snack food. Obviously, air fried popcorn is the healthiest type of popcorn. Stay safe if you are in the path of Tropical Storm Elsa!

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work your bum and get smarter!

June 27, 2021 / healthbuddymelissa / Leave a comment

Just in case you don’t know your Bum, is your buttocks. This post is all about exercise and how it effects your memory, and overall Brain Health. There are only two more posts in this series on Brain Health. They will come on Tuesday, and Wednesday. You may see affiliate links in this post, or any of my posts. Be sure and check out all of the series on Brain Health in the archives.

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Online CPR and First Aid Certification!

So, what does working your Bum have to do with being smarter? I am so glad you asked. Studies show that exercise, not just your Bum, improves Brain Health, and function. It helps memory, stress related issues, Depression, school, emotions, and so much more. Read more about this great information, here.

So, if you want to keep your memory young, learn new things, avoid Stress and Depression, then start working your Bum!

Below are some very interesting videos on the topic of exercise and Brain Health. They are short, so be sure to watch them.

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