Less hypertension with kitchen magic - includes recipes - Hypertension

Vegetarians lead again! Those who choose vegetarian meals tend to have a lower salt intake than those who eat meat. Most scientists agree that less table salt (sodium chloride) will lower blood pressure. The bottom line is: In order to reduce hypertension, cut the salt!

A number of nutrients influence blood pressure. For saltsensitive people, sodium increases blood pressure. Three other minerals decrease it. People who consume less than adequate amounts of potassium, calcium, and magnesium seem to have higher than the desired blood pressure levels. Not surprisingly, diets for people in the United States tend to be high in sodium and low in the other three.

Most Americans consume more sodium than they need. The minimum need is around 500 milligrams for an adult, yet usual consumption is between 2,400 and 7,200 each day. At present 75 percent of that sodium comes from salt added in the processing and manufacturing of food. Only 10 percent of the sodium in our diets is found naturally in the foods that we consume. The balance, 15 percent, is added from the saltshaker at the table. The American Heart Association recommends limiting the sodium intake to three grams (3,000 milligrams) per day.

Vegetarians probably fare so well because their diets include many servings of fruits and vegetables, which are outstanding sources of potassium and magnesium. Lactoovovegetarians will meet the recommended dietary allowance for calcium with two cups of milk per day. Total vegetarians will need to read labels to find adequate calcium.

Salt does make food taste good, but the amount used is a learned behavior. Try cutting back on the amount of salt you add in cooking or at the table. Stick with it for two months, and you will notice that the former amounts will taste much too salty. See page 19 for a list of seasonings and suggested uses.

Labels can help you identify the amount of sodium in a serving. Look in the ingredient list not only for salt, but also sodium bicarbonate (baking soda), monosodium glutamate (Ac'cent), most baking powders, disodium phosphate, sodium alginate, sodium benzoate, sodium hydroxide, sodium propionate, sodium sulfite, and sodium saccharin. These do not add a salty taste to food, but do add sodium.

To substantially reduce dietary sodium, avoid some of the very high sodium foods. Such foods are: pickles, olives, sauerkraut, salted or smoked meats (bologna, frankfurters, etc.), salty snack items (chips, salted nuts, pretzels, crackers, salted popcorn), boullion cubes, seasoned salts (sea salt, garlic salt, onion salt), barbecue sauces, cheeses, canned and instant soups, and condiments (ketchup, mustard).

In general, you can use dietary Practices to control hypertension by:

* Eating five to nine servings of fruits and vegetables daily. (They are rich in potassium and magnesium.)

* Eating a variety of foods. (Be sure to include calcium sources.)

* Avoiding obesity. (It is linked to hypertension.)

* Using the new food labels to keep track of daily sodium intake.

Very little sodium comes from fruits and vegetables. Breads and milk may have around 100 milligrams per serving. Entries should contain no more than 400 milligrams. The following recipes represent appropriate choices for someone on a 3,000- to 4,000-milligram sodium diet recommendation.

Lima Bean and Tomato Casserole

1 lb. dry lima beans

2 cups tomatoes, cut up 1/2 cup celery, diced

2 medium onions, sliced

1 T. olive oil

2 tsp. sugar

1 clove garlic, diced 1/2 tsp. oregano

salt to taste

Wash the beans. Soak the beans overnight, and remove any debris. Boil beans in the soak water until tender (approximately one hour). Add remaining ingredients, and place in a casserole. Add more water, if necessary, and bake slowly for one hour. Servings: 8 (3/4-cup). Calories per serving: 85; protein: 3.0 grams; fat: 2.0 grams; sodium: 17 milligrams (plus to taste); calcium: 27 milligrams.

Pineapple-Tofu Stir Fry

1/4 cup water

2 T. cornstarch 1/4 cup honey 1/2 cup water

2 T. peanut oil

1 medium onion, cut in wedges

1 lb. firm tofu, cut into 3/4" cubes

3 T. lite soy sauce

1 5 oz. can water chestnuts, sliced

and drained

1 15 oz. can unsweetened pineapple

chunks, drained (reserve the juice)

1 green pepper (cut in 1" triangles)

1 sweet red pepper (cut in 1" triangles)

rice to serve six

In a small saucepan, stir together 1/4 cup water and cornstarch. Add honey, 1/2 cup water, and reserved pineapple juice. Cook and stir over medium heat until clear and bubbly. Set sauce aside. In a skillet, heat oil. On medium heat, stir in onion and tofu. Cook for 2 minutes. On high heat, stir-fry the remaining ingredients (chestnuts, pineapple, and peppers) for about 1-2 minutes; add sauce. Serve hot on cooked rice. Serves: 6. Calories per serving: 270; protein: 13 grams; fat: 11 grams; sodium: 99 milligrams; calcium: 177 milligrams.

Vegetable Kabob

1 cup zucchini, sliced diagonally

3 carrots, cut into 2-inch pieces

4 small red potatoes 1/2 cup water

Alternate vegetables on bamboo skewers or toothpicks, and place in large kettle with 1/2-cup water in bottom. Steam for 20 minutes or until tender. Servings: 6 (one vegetable skewer each). Calories per serving: 100; protein: 2.3 grams; fat: .2 grams; sodium: 17 milligrams; calcium: 17 milligrams.

Date Squares

3 cups quick-cooking oats, dry

1 cup whole-wheat flour 1/2 tsp. salt 1/2 cup vegetable oil

1 tsp. vanilla extract

3 T. water

3 cups dates, pitted and diced

2 cups water

tsp. salt

1 tsp. vanilla extract

Combine oats, flour, and salt in a large mixing bowl. Add oil, vanilla, and water to the dry ingredients and mix together. Divide mixture in half. Press half of the mixture into the bottom of ungreased 10" x 12" (or 9" x 13") pan. For filling: combine all the remaining ingredients in a medium-sized saucepan. Cook until mixture is soft, thick, and mushy, and water has evaporated.

Fill crust with the date filling. Spread the other half of the oat mixture over date filling. Press down evenly. Bake at 350 [degrees] F (180 [degrees] C) for 35 minutes. Cut into squares. Let cool before removing from pan. Serves: 24. Calories per serving: 160; protein: 2.6 grams; fat: 5.3 grams; sodium: 57 milligrams; calcium: 15 milligrams.

Wheat-Oat Crepes

3/4 cup whole-wheat pastry flour 3/4 cup quick rolled oats

2 cups soy milk

1 T. oil

1 tsp. salt

confectioner's sugar

Mix all ingredients except confectioner's sugar in a blender; let stand 5 minutes. Heat a small nonstick skillet or crepe pan; oil lightly for first crepe only. Spoon in about 3 tablespoons of batter; tilt skillet to spread batter evenly over bottom. Brown lightly on both sides. Fill with two tablespoons of apple filling (recipe below). Roll up like a jelly roll. Dust crepes with confectioner's sugar. Serve immediately. Yield: 16 six-inch crepes. Calories per 2 crepes: 101. Protein: 4.3 grams; fat: 3.5 grams; sodium: 75 milligrams; calcium: 17 milligrams.

Apple Filling

2 1/2 cups green apples, pared, cored,

and chopped

1 cup brown sugar

1/3 cup margarine

1/2 cup raisins

1/4 tsp. cardamom

1/4 tsp. coriander

1/8 tsp. salt

Combine all ingredients in medium-sized saucepan, and boil for 4 minutes. Cool slightly and place 2 tablespoons of filling in middle of crepe. Roll crepe. Yields: 4-5 cups. Calories per 1/4 cup serving: 108; protein: .2 grams; fat: 3.8 grams; sodium: 71 milligrams; calcium: 16 milligrams.

Georgia Hodgkin, Ed.D., R.D., is associate professor, Department of Nutrition and Dietetics at Loma Linda University's School of Allied Health Professions.

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