Most of the good foods I already eat and love...berries, cherries, apples, grapes, celery, garlic, yellow onions, red onions, green peas, cauliflower, grass fed meat (in small portions), organic blue corn, curries, ginger, lowfat yogurt, and green tea. Mmmmmmm....garlic.
The hard part is the foods I should avoid, and number one on the list is coffee. If you know me at all, you know that every morning I can be found either 1) at my desk with a cup of coffee within reach or 2) on the patio before Morgan wakes sipping a cup of coffee and listening to the birds. Now since the whole kidney thing started, I have made the noble switch to decaf. Giving coffee up altogether...now those might just be fighting words.
Ok, we'll back up. I am willing to do ANYTHING in my power to increase the odds that what I went through at the beginning of this year does not happen again. There are studies that show coffee can increase proteinuria. I will even admit that if I have multiple cups of coffee without drinking any water, I see an increase in bubbles...pee bubbles that is. For the people who aren't sporting a knowing smile at the moment because you've never had the pleasure of spending time examining your urine in hopes that it will just look normal for once...more bubbles equals increased proteinuria. It's just that I please want to have a cup of coffee in the morning. I really like the taste of coffee with just a splash of cream. It's good, and it is a taste I associate with both motivation and relaxation if that can even be possible.
Some of you may think I'm crazy, but I am going to continue to have my coffee. I will limit myself to no more than 1 cup per day with an occasional second cup only if separated from the first by a bottle of water. So there is my vow. Now I have to figure out a way to fill a couple more cups. This is where the recommended foods come into play. I've decided to give tea a go.
Green tea is the one everyone keeps telling me to drink. I think if you like the taste of a fresh cut lawn diluted in some water, green tea is where it's at! While I do get excited about rocks & soil, grass I prefer to smell rather than taste. Besides, it makes me itch if I roll around in it. I'm willing to do anything though, so I did a little research, got a cute little red tea kettle, and ordered a few different teas. You'll note there is a strainer. I meant to go pick up a tea ball infuser, but I forgot. I wasn't going to let a little thing like that stop my efforts at kidney therapy, so I pulled out the strainer, steeped the tea in a measuring cup, and strained it into my tea cup.
Remember the grass comment? I mean it even looked like I was brewing up a cup of lawn clippings.
Yep, tasted like grass in a glass. It's for my own good, right? Yes, good for me. Ok, whining over. I'm switching, I'm switching already. Ummmm...yum? At least I know I like chamomile.
You're hilarious! Dr. Henderson told me the same thing about the green tea. I tried it for a few weeks, but eventually gave it up and am sitting here right now enjoying a wonderful cup of coffee. I, unlike you, can't ever tell a difference in my foam because it's ALWAYS ALWAYS ALWAYS super-foamy. I start to think something's off it if it's not now. Good luck with your yummy grass clippings :) Cute tea kettle too, btw...:)
ReplyDeleteThis made me laugh! And since I'm going to be lazy and not post on my blog I think I will just share this on my blog. I have been doing really well not drinking coffee, but this morning I cheated. I do miss it though. My husband likes lemon in his green tea, and maybe I should start enjoying a morning cup of tea as well. Oh, and another idea, maybe if you drink your coffee out of a darling little tea cup you will still be able to still enjoy your coffee, but it will stretch out to more cups since those little cups don't hold much.
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