When you’re faced with lifestyle changes due to cardio-health concerns, the first line of attack is diet. It’s the easiest to change, it’s the easiest way to make an immediate impact on your overall health and well-being. That and taking medications. Medications that come with their own diet and alcohol restrictions.
So what? Can I (we) do the DASH diet?
Hell yeah – that’s mostly what we’ve been eating all along. We can always add more veggies and fruits. Bring on the greens, salmon, and grilled veggies.
But we live in Wisconsin. Ah, yes, Wisconsin, good ol’ Wisconsin. What are the obstacles to cardio-healthy diets in Wisconsin?
Cheese and Beer (alcohol) aka, cruciferous (fermented) hops!
In Wisconsin, we’re cheeseheads and beer bottle-fed from the moment we can hold a bottle. If you consume too much cheese, well, that’s not a fun life to live needing a daily enema, so at least for me, it’s easier to avoid eating too much cheese. But alcohol, that’s a whole different story.
We’re the state that has over half of the heaviest drinking cities across the US (according to USA Today). My birthplace of Eau Claire is a perfect example of ‘it’s okay, it’s our lifestyle’. Way to bring in #2 on the list!
I now live in Chippewa Falls, which is within a 30-40 mile radius (give or take 10 miles), of 212 establishments with bars serving alcohol according to Volume One.
We’re the hometown of Leinenkugel’s Brewery, and Brewster Brothers Brewery and Distillery, and River Bend Winery and Distillery, and Autumn Harvest Winery…and…numerous bars and restaurants that serve alcohol.
Wisconsinites like their alcohol. I’m no different, I enjoy a hearty hoppy beer and a dry red wine to accompanying a meal. It’s fun to visit breweries and wineries and taste all the options available. I was raised with a family that drank with every supper, our friends and family did so, too. It was ‘normal’ and almost expected. We’re exceptional hosts, we greet every person who joins the gathering with, “What can I get you to drink?”
Shouldn’t we be saying, “What can I get you for your cruciferous veggie to eat with your dinner?”
Well…Wisconsin, you’re gonna have to watch out – we’re on a mission to find the path of “Can a Wisconsinite live a cardio-healthy-alcohol-free existence?”
Post Inspiration: Linda Hill’s Stream of Consciousness Saturday – Can
PS – Where does the city you live rank in alcohol consumption? What is your favorite non-alcoholic activity? What’s your favorite cruciferous veggie? What’s your favorite cardio-healthy recipe?
Great job with the prompt. As for your questions, hmmm. I got nothing. Still like beer. I could go without a lot of cheese, but I couldn’t give it up. I do like fermented foods.
On another note, WordPress seems to have disconnected us 🙁 – trying to fix. I think I can.
Thank you, Dan. I know…everytime I see the fun drinks you share and your prompts, I smile. I don’t eat enough of the fermented foods, but we’re looking into them, that’s for sure! I hope you’re able to fix our disconnected WordPress issue!
I signed up again – I’m looking forward to your next post.
Thank you, Dan, much appreciated (I love genuine followers ;-)) I follow your posts, I’m the follower that has time limitations, but your blog is definitely top on my list to read!
Thanks Shelly. I understand about time and I always appreciate it when someone stops by.
I like Wisconsin because when I go there I feel skinny, especially looking at all the other overweight people there.
LOL! Now that’s a fact jack! We definitely have redundant fluffy going on here!
Glad that everything is going on well. Interesting article on change in lifestyle pattern …regardig diet,chesse,alcohol. As an Indian, always wonder how you guys consume beer/wine everyday as a routine ?Here,we are shit scared.May be the cold conditions makes all the difference.I am not sure.
My city is not even there in the ranking of alcohol consumption ( may be 40 ml of beer per week).We have plenty of areated stuff .
We love Brocolli,cauliflower & cabbage
Go vegan,avoid fried items,avoid junk food,less of salt….burn atleast 300 calories per day….there you go.
Being from Ohio, I like beer. I’m like you–the hoppier the better. I’ve been trying not to drink any through the week and save the couple for the weekend. I do try to remember that that’s “normal” for most people. Non-alcoholic activity: writing. I’d make a terrible Hemingway. Veggie: broccoli’s alright, kraut (on a brat, of course!) Cardio healthy recipe. I could do soups and stews all winter. Cincinnati chili with gr. turkey instead of beef–I can do that. But my kids don’t like soup or stew. Nothing touching and no tomatoes. And I refuse to make different meals for all. I’ll tell you, your salmon up there looks wonderful! For a while I started branching out with different grains–quinoa, amaranth. But, ya know, kids. Good luck. I’ll be interested to hear how it goes!
Yes, us Midwesterners like our beer! I love your non-alcoholic activity of writing. Hemmingway and King created some great works while intoxicated. I just listened to a Ted Talk by Anne Lamott and she indicated she had been 20 years sober – her great works came after sobriety. Our writing drafts, sober or under the influence do reflect ourselves and that is important – I’m positive you’re going to find the best writer in yourself! I love soups and winter is a great time for those, so I appreciate your suggestion to go with them. I’m sure I’ll share updates as we discover ways to embrace this new journey. I appreciate your encouragement, it means a lot to me!
My dad was born and raised in Green Bay. I remember him drinking beer regularly when I was a kid. I didn’t know it at the time but it was a problem when he came back from Vietnam. But he pretty much quit drinking alcohol by the time I was in high school when he had major cardiac issues. He lived to be 82, so maybe diet and lifestyle changes helped. Best wishes! You CAN do it!
Green Bay, the Packers and drinking all go together here in Wisconsin! It’s nice to hear that a change in lifestyle does prove to help with cardiac issues. Thank you for sharing your words of encouragement, I so appreciate hearing it!
You’re welcome!
That’s one yummy looking DASH diet example – salmon too! It is really hard to change lifelong eating (and drinking!) habits.* It looks like you made a good start with that meal. The alcohol part – that’s gonna be harder. My favorite cruciferous veggie is a tie: broccoli and cauliflower. My favorite recipe is a cauliflower cheese soup (I know…cheese…but it’s low fat cheese! Let’s not get crazy here!). I don’t know the local stats on alcohol consumption although the number of craft beer based restaurants keeps going up.
*full disclosure – in my former life I was a registered dietitian 🙂
Yes, the dish was a great example for the DASH diet (thank you for confirming from a dietitian perspective!!!). It is amazing how much alcohol is incorporated in advertising, in meal planning, in lifestyles on social media. Going against what appears ‘normal’ will be challenging. If you write a post about your soup, and I miss it, please share, I’d love to try it!! The craft beer industry along with wineries is growing, that’s for sure! Thank you for your encouraging words, I appreciate hearing from you!
Here is a link to the soup recipe: https://www.cabotcheese.coop/creamy-cheesy-cauliflower-soup It is linked to a brand name, but you can use any brand low fat cheese. Yes, I agree about the alcohol – in our culture it is everywhere. And it is challenging to go “against the grain” – but I would bet you have more company than you might imagine! You are not alone!
Thank you for the recipe!! I can’t wait to try it. I’m looking forward to finding ways to go against the grains (hoppy, wheat, etc. ;-))!
I’m kind of out of the drinking loop; I quit about 20 years ago when I learned I had high blood pressure and had to take meds, most likely because of all the drinking I did before I quit.
As for the rest, I’m not really sure…
Yep, taking blood pressure meds is a great reason to kick the drink – I appreciate you sharing the 20-year inspirational news that it works!
My husband is from Eau Claire! Maybe that explains some things 🙂 I can deal with all the veggies except Brussels sprouts. Cheese is another story. I love my cheese but lately I’ve been doing the reduced calorie/fat version. Good luck with the lifestyle changes!
Yes – Eau Claire and Water Street and Barstow street (and numerous streets in-between) in Eau Claire, it’s a “thing” in that town! I never liked Brussels Sprouts until my hubby made the dish in the picture, now I love them and the recipe is good for the heart too! Thank you for your encouraging words, I appreciate hearing from you!
One of my best friends lives in Wisconsin. She owns a cheese store!
Yay – I’m sure she’s wise to know that not all cheese is bad for us, and I’m sure she has many fans – we do love our cheese here in Wisconsin!
That’s a lot of “boozeries” My town used to have 27 places that served alcohol. Not bad for a smallish City where the population is now about 18,600.
I would have to go with Cauliflower followed by Broccoli, cabbage and sprouts.
Eat on Shelley, it will be good for you 🙂
That’s a small number of places – so Australia isn’t like pictured in Crocodile Dundee?? 😉 Thank you, Brian, I appreciate your encouraging words!
How can I say this………….no. Perhaps a small part in the Never Never may have a vague similarity. It’s like US hotels have cages where the band plays and people throw bottles at them as in the Blues Brothers. I shall be the one who will drink to your health Shelley
LOL – thank you for clarifying it. That makes me want to keep Australia on my bucket list to visit!! Thank you for the good cheers, I appreciate them! 🙂
Do I have eating issues of certain foods, yes but cheese is not one of them, although Wisconsin cheese is the best. It doesn’t like me. And I have never been a beer drinker so I have no advice for you, but if you come over we can share pie and ice cream…probably just as bad a diet. I do wish you the best in finding the answers that work for you. It hard.
Yes, Wisconsin cheese is great…especially our cheese curds (deep fried is extra fun…!). You’re right, sweets, while tasty isn’t the ‘healthiest’ answer – many people advise that sugar is just as, if not more, bad for us as alcohol. But that’s everywhere too! Oh…my…! This journey will be interesting! Thank you, Anita, I appreciate your words of encouragement!
Hi Shelley,glad that things are fine.As an Indian always wonder how you guys consume beer/wine/cheese daily.I feel weather makes the difference.Hope you are getting used to the new diet.Take care.
My city is is no where in the ranking.Average consumption is 40 ml of beer per capita.
We love non alcoholic areated beverages.
Broccoli.cabbage and cauliflower
Go vegan and do exercises,shed atleast 300 calories is my recipe.Thanks for keeping us updated.
Thank you for sharing your thoughts on what works for you! I appreciate hearing your words of encouragement, thank you so much!!
The answer is yes, Shelley, but there’s work involved. Plenty of smart shopping and food prep. I’ve been trying to live dairy and gluten-free for some time now, with my latest adventure into cutting back on sugar carbs. Oh my, living in the dairy state where they put cheese on everything is tough! I miss my cheese! Anyhow, I’m living a part Keto, part Paleo, part Mediterranean lifestyle at the moment to get glucose under control and lose the extra 10 pounds that have been hanging on forever.
I joke about Wisconsin – where every unincorporated town has at least one bar and a church. We are the state of brandy old fashioned’s and beer. While I have one or the other every so often, I don’t imbibe regularly, so it’s not as tough to stay away as with the cheeseI keep trying.
You’ll find, at some point, that you feel so much better, lighter, healthier. Good for you both – keep eating those brussel sprouts!
Ah, yes, spoken like a Wisconsinite gone rogue :-)! I like your inspirational spunk and spirit about how to overcome the cheesehead in me! Thank you for sharing your tips, and ditto right back to you on the sprouts. The winter is coming…hopefully we’ll all be able to abstain from the sweet treats and warming beverages and…warm cheese curds…………I digressed, good thing it is only in words I type so far! I wish you well on your diet adventures too!
I would think our area is very low in alcohol consumption. The Amish and Mennonites don’t drink at all (theoretically), and other very conservative churches in the area frown on drinking. Our neighboring town is dry, because the Church of the Brethren bought up all the available liquor licenses! I like a dry red with dinner. I love cruciferous vegetables too!
Yes, sounds like you’re in an area where consumption is low. Dry red wine with dinner sounds nice, especially with the cruciferous veggies! Thank you for sharing your feedback, much appreciated.
Right there with you! (Just, in LA, where I bet produce is sometimes easier to come by)
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http://www.areweadultsyet.com
Ah, I’m in great company then! Yes…I bet your produce is easier to come by!
Great info!
I knew Wisconsin folk were cheese heads but I didn’t know about the beer, so I learned something here. My grandmother and her 8 siblings all had heart disease – my grandmother had a massive heart attack and died enroute to the hospital. My mom had an arrhythmia so I am careful and gave up red meat three or four years ago, and can’t say I miss it. I gave up sweets in 2011 but this past week for the first time in seven years, I bought some cookies for the holidays. I miss something little for a treat at night … I tried cashews and peanuts, supposed to be heart healthy, but they were too delicious and I downed too many of them – expensive and fattening!
Yes, we’re beer lovers here, especially in Leinie’s town of Chippewa Falls. You’re doing something extra special to ward off heart disease – you exercise regularly. That’s the BEST defense for all of the heart stuff, including brain disorders like dementia. Keep that up and skip the sweets, too! One here and there won’t hurt you! 😉
I am trying to beat any odds Shelley and I just heard this morning that 2 1/2 hours of exercise is recommended for adults and even 3-year-old kids should start exercising, or at least get exercise. When I was young, we were out in the sunshine playing with other kids all the time. It is sad that kids are tied to their devices too much and not out enjoying nature. I just heard this morning that fish oil and Vitamin D are useless to ward off heart disease. I’ve been taking fish oil (cod liver oil) for decades … now I find out it is useless. I think I will enjoy those little treats … hopefully I can eat them in moderation and not go off the wagon. 🙂
The one thing we can count on is that the ‘recommendations’ will change. WTH? 2 1/2 hours in a week or in a day? Yikes – but with your walks around the park, you’re doing well to get in a good amount of time each day. Yeah, I just heard some ‘news’ (I say that lightly because it ended up being non-news) that cholesterol recommendations had changed too. To what? That’s the mystery. Enjoy in moderation that’s the key!
That’s for sure Shelley. Just a few years ago fish oil was important to ensure we got Omega 3 in our systems. Now it is a wasted effort. My friend suffers from dry eye syndrome and was told to use Krill Oil by her eye specialist. She’s been on it for years and sees no difference at all. Sorry, I should have clarified better … 2 1/2 hours of exercise per week! For a week is not a lot at all because if you were sedentary at a desk job for instance, you would walk 2 1/2 hours a week just walking from your desk to colleagues’ desks, the break room, the bathroom and to/from your car or taking public transportation into the building. And it is incredible how many steps you garner in your house, even in a small house. I was surprised how many steps I take in a day and I have a very small house. I hadn’t heard the newest “news” re: cholesterol I have eaten a bowl of oatmeal 365 days/year for decades. Before I shopped at Meijer, I only got Quaker Old-Fashioned Oatmeal. Now I hear all the issues with Cheerios, Triscuits and Quaker Oatmeal with the pesticide glyphosate … nice! Eating oatmeal to stay healthy (plus it tastes good) and then hear this. You’re right, enjoy in moderation.
Thank you for clarifying the exercise per week – you’re right, that’s not a lot, and I agree, you can get a lot of steps in the house. I’m a huge fan of oatmeal too, love it, especially in the winter months. Enjoying treats in moderation, lots of fruits & veggies, daily exercise, and our genes all stirred together make for the length of one’s life. Oh, and decreasing stress, and not watching the news to hear what you shouldn’t or should do…I could go in circles forever…done…time to take a walk! 😉
I am guilty of not getting enough sleep – that is so important. Last night I went to bed at 9:00 p.m. I have to tell you that before the blogging took off at Thanksgiving last year, I was often in bed by 9:30-10:00 p.m. I went to bed early last night as I was exhausted from staying up til midnight and getting up early the next day and working in the house all day Saturday. I told myself there should be more early evening – the cold and flu season is already running rampant in Michigan.
Yikes – get your sleep! Stay well. I’ve heard the cold and flu season is here in WI too, it makes me SO glad I work from home! Hope you slept well last night.
I know, I went to bed a little later last night, but have to bulk up on the sleep – I am glad I work from home as well, especially after that terrible flu season last year. I’ve had my flu shot back in mid-September already … clementines are my friend as soon as they are in the stores, in the meantime canned pineapple and canned mandarins and Vitamin C 500 mg several times a week. Must. Stay. Healthy.
You’ve got a great plan for staying healthy!! Way to go!