A Visit to the Heart Doctor {plus 30+ Healthy Comfort Food Recipes}
This post about our most recent visit to the heart doctor, featuring 30+ Healthy Comfort Food recipes, is sponsored by Foodie.com by Glam. All stories and opinions are my own. The recipes…well, I’m learning so they’re from other people.
Meet Howard, my happy husband. He’s a big man and I love him with all my heart. He’s been big most of his life, but he’s been able to diet and exercise from time to time and lose some weight. He was big when I met him (so was I) and he is big now (so am I). He’s been through his fair share of illness and heart disease in the years before I met him. You see, he was a big drinker and drugger before I knew him. He says he went to college on a football scholarship and majored in beer and drugs. He basically drank himself into heart failure at the age of 24. When I met him at the age of 33, he was on the mend and taking all the medicines to improve his heart function. We’ve managed to get his heart health under control in the past seven years of marriage…until now.
About six months ago, Howard was having a lot of congestion and having a hard time breathing. He was getting winded just getting out of bed and having “episodes” where he just couldn’t catch his breath at all. We figured he was having allergies or just chest congestion, but when he started coughing up blood, we went to the doctor. After a chest x-ray and an EKG, we quickly learned that he had an enlarged heart and was headed down the road to Congestive Heart Failure…again.
After many delays and putting off tests because of insurance or money or time or the holidays, and last week we finally finished up the last test, the stress test, last week and this week we headed to the cardiologist to find out the results. Howard has likely had a small heart attack in the past six months to a year. His heart is functioning at 34%. He is basically in heart failure. And we have to take him in a for a heart cath next Monday, February 16.
Y’all, I am scared. He is scared. Even Benjamin has started asking about daddy’s heart from overhearing us talk about doctors and tests. It’s time to make some serious changes in our life!
We know that we need to quit smoking. Howard has stopped taking the appetite suppressants that we take to help lose weight. We need to stop drinking energy drinks. And, most importantly, we need to eat better and exercise.
So, you know we’ve been on this journey to eat better for years, but stuff’s gotten serious now. We will take care of this. We will commit to living healthy. We will heal his heart once again…and for good, this time!
You all know that Howard is a chef turned butcher and I’m no whiz in the kitchen, so I’ve pulled together some comfort food recipes that are healthy and easy to make (either quick & easy for me or just easy for a chef, at least) and we’ll be trying some of these out in the coming weeks and months. Check out this collection and let me know in the comments if you have a heart healthy comfort food recipe that you can share with us. We’ll be sharing our recipes as we make them as well. Come along with us and let’s all get heart healthy together!
Check out Comfort Food Made Healthy
by Janet Pike Krugel at Foodie.com
This is a great round up! My husband and I are trying to get on the same path to lose weight. It can be so hard.
Stephanie Pass recently posted..Grow Your Facebook Reach by 1000s
I love comfort food. I love it even more when it is a healthy version!
Debra recently posted..Penguin Valentine’s Day Box
So sorry to hear you all are going through this. But am so excited to hear your journey together. You all are so strong and know what you need to do and I applaud you sharing it on here and making it fun along the way!
I love me some comfort food, but it’s so important to make sure we’re staying healthy, too!
Holly @ Woman Tribune recently posted..Heart on a Plate: 14 Heart-Shaped Chocolate Desserts
That is a lot of great recipes. I hope your husband can get his health under control. Prayers for you and your family.
Mistee Dawn recently posted..Nothing says Happy Valentine’s Day like flowers from Florists.com!
Supporting and joining him in this journey to get healthier is the best thing you can do for him!
Kristin recently posted..BonBon Deal of the Day: Glamour Girl
I am definitely sending lots of positive health vibes towards your hubby and your journey together. I am definitely trying to remake some of my meals to be healthier.
Jaime recently posted..Chinese New Year Chicken Fried Rice and Egg Rolls
Wishing you the best to the road to a healed heart. We’ve got a close family member here dealing with a severe heart issue too…though he did get finally leave the hospital and go home yesterday!
Praying for your family!
Lisa Weidknecht recently posted..10 Reasons to Love the ASUS MeMO Pad 7 Tablet
Oh my, praying for you both. I quit smoking 5 years ago – best thing I EVER did. Life is SOOOOO much better without those things – it very very honestly is so so much better. My husband and I both quit and I never look back. You do get to the point where you don’t even think about them. I never want one anymore. Never. Do that – NOW. They are NOT worth it and quitting will make such a dramatic difference in health for both of you. You can do it
Wow I’m so sorry to hear about your husband. I hope he is able to get the treatment he needs and combined with your lifestyle changes you’re able to help his recovery.
My husband I are on a path to weight loss. It’s hard but it’s great that you both have each other. Those recipes look delicious too.
I love cooking healthy when I can. Awesome roundup