Hazards Hidden in the Home (and a Solution)

 I've blogged in the past several months about some health issues - coughing, colds, general unwellness. What I've spent time on recently, is trying to find the causes. Apparently, some of the problems have been hiding right under my (sniffling) nose. Here are some of the things I've dealt with:

• Coughing, sneezing, severe throat dryness, and other cold-like symptoms that have lasted for months. 
• Dry, itchy skin and scalp (in spite of moisturizing and treating carefully).
• A lot of white dust on plants, furniture, counters, the fan, and on my laptop.

These are not problems I've dealt with so much before. After some careful note-taking and light research, I narrowed the problem down to one thing: the extremely hard water from the tap. Seriously.

While I can't blame all the coughing and sneezing on the water, I can say that the water caused a lot of it. I know that because, when I remedied the water issue (to a great degree), some of the problems went away immediately and some began improving.

Iowa (or at least where I'm living) has water so hard that I'm lucky the faucet's not spitting out rocks. Also, it smells terrible. I almost never let dishes "soak" for more than an hour and I never drink it, and it really affects laundry. (The laundry situation got so bad that I've been carting mine over to my brother and SIL's to use their machine, as they have a whole-house treatment system.)

There are a lot of hidden hazards around a home. Most of us know to monitor carbon monoxide, check outlets and plugs for problems, and watch which laundry detergents and skincare products we use. We clean and sanitize our surroundings, and we try to maintain a decent level of general household order. To think that it was the tap water causing so many problems was kind of surprising.

Here's where the water comes in: I run a humidifier using tap water, and it finally dawned on me that it was the cause of all the white dust. Of course, I suspected this, but it still was a problem after I began using a pitcher filter system. I used a very popular filter brand and changed filters often. That did not help. I did some light research and changed up my situation. 

I considered a distiller, but the price gave me the vapors. I looked at delivery services but, again, the price (and lack of home space) put me off. I finally settled on getting a faucet filter system. Then I had to decide between horizontal or vertical... Decisions, decisions. At any rate, I now have a faucet filter system (from PUR) and, wow, what a HUGE difference. By the way, I chose the horizontal style since it seems a better fit for my smaller sink space.

Understand that I'm not pimping for PUR. There are at least a couple of other options, but they are more expensive and not that necessary for my single-user needs. I mainly want cleaner, filtered water for the humidifier and coffee pot. I'm not trying to wash dishes or use the filtered water for every little thing. I don't plan to go through gallons and gallons of water a month. The filter has already made a lot of difference.

When I run my humidifier now, I'm not having to blow that white dust out of the fan and computer and, most important, I'm not coughing throughout the night.

The photos are not the best, but if you can imagine the gunk I had to constantly clean from the fan and the computer, you can imagine the damage from breathing that into my lungs.

Constantly blasting it to get 
rid of this dust!

Had to clean this EVERY day

That's horrible. And I even run an air purifier! And for anyone thinking I'm an idiot for not realizing the problem sooner, well, what can I say? At any rate, it's almost weird not to have to clean everything every single day. 

I do miss the Alaska tap water, that's for sure. I never even had to think about it and surely never had to buy drinking water...

So, yeah, this kind of made me go, "Duh!"

The PUR faucet filter system was really a lot more reasonably priced than I expected. The Brita system was up in the high 40-dollar range (and came with 2 filters), while the PUR ran me just over $27 with tax, and came with only one filter (but has better ratings). By the way, I was running Brita filters in the pitcher and that didn't work so well against the dust.

I got it from Walmart
for the same-day delivery

As I said, there are systems from other brands but, for my limited use, the PUR works perfectly. It was super easy to hook up and get running. (I do have a funny story about getting the original aerator off the faucet. I was frustrated to the point of literally crying before I realized I was just turning in the wrong direction. So much for righty-tighty, lefty-loosey... My brother is still laughing about it!)

I guess I'm sharing this (as embarrassing as my ignorance is) so that you will take a look around your own home. There could be something simple that is causing you problems. 

Oh, another benefit of having the filter is that my coffee sure does taste a lot better. No kidding.

Peace

--Free

**Frugality Tip** Milk & Sugar Alternatives **UPDATED with a recipe**

 **This is for those trying to make a dollar out of fifteen cents**

Sugar Alternative:

I already posted about panela and why I have replaced sugar with it. It's cheap (but I've found a tip for getting it cheaper), and it's low glycemic. It also is lower in calories for the same amount of sugar.

The first tip is to buy it in the blocks vs buying it ground. I bought the first couple of bags already ground. I like it so much that I use it almost completely in the place of sugar (I'm still learning how to use it in baking), so I go through the ground too fast. Buying it in the blocks is much cheaper, but I have to grind it myself and I have to store it very carefully. Grinding it is not hard (I use a grinder or a grater, depending on how much I want at a time). To store and protect it against humidity, I vac-seal it. I will make some smaller sealed bags of it for longer-term storage and seal a few smaller bags for more immediate use.

NOTE: don't confuse panela with "raw sugar", brown sugar, or turbinado sugar. (Here is some info on different sugars.)

Milk Alternative:

Evaporated milk is milk that has had half the water removed. My mother used it back in the day for certain recipes just because it added a better flavor than whole milk. I have started using it recently to save money. Living alone, I don't use enough milk on a regular basis. Whole milk tends to go bad, and then I run out of ways to use it (in baking or making pancakes, for example). I have been buying an excellent powdered milk from the Netherlands. It has more fat and flavor than a brand I previously used. (It made my recent Favorites list.) However, I am worried about prices going up so I have cut down on my subscription of that, stopped buying coffee creamer, and instead started using evaporated milk. 

Pros to using evaporated milk:

• Price (generally affordable if bought in bulk)
• Shelf stable and so saves room in fridge.
• Used as is, adds a very nice richness to coffee and tea.
• Can be rehydrated to a whole milk form.
• Convenient all around.

From my own experience, when I try to use unsweetened cream or half-and-half to coffee (to save calories), I miss that slight touch of creaminess from the sugars. Evaporated milk does add something, and I am not missing the sugary (and pricey) creamers. I can add panela if I want (and I notice that I don't use much panela when I add it!).

NOTE: don't confuse evaporated milk with sweetened condensed milk!

Keep your head up as we deal with higher food and living costs. I know who is truly in control.

Peace

--Free

UPDATE: I found an eggless brioche recipe to try. I am going to use panela sugar and evaporated milk. Wish me luck!!

Living With CKD (and the Blessings)

As someone who lives with chronic kidney disease (brought on by the sarcoidosis, apparently), I find that it can be tricky to get on a balanced diet - and one that doesn't suck! I'm pretty sure I've said this at least 20 times or more, but I wish doctors knew more about nutrition than they seem to. 

With CKD, there are so many foods, beverages, and herbs that I have to avoid or carefully limit. It's still so wild to me that a lot of the things that are part of a healthy diet for a "normal" person are not good at all for me and other CKD patients. Just when I get to the age and have "developed a palate", I can't enjoy all the green and leafy veggies or some of the most plentiful fruits. Here are a list of ordinarily healthy things that I need to limit (with reasons listed in parentheses):

• Dairy - I pretty much limit it to my coffee & tea... (phosphorous, protein and potassium)
• Avocados - I didn't fall in love with them until a few years ago. (potassium)
• Dried fruit - I used to drink a tea made with dried fruit. Delicious! (potassium)
• Collard greens - A Southern or "soul food" staple! (limit due to potassium)
• Spinach - limited for the same as greens
• Beef jerky - best snack in the history of ever! (sodium)
• Raisins - best snack after jerky- and dates which are a recent fave (potassium)
• Bran cereal - another "really?" one... (potassium, phosphorous and sodium)
• Sweet potatoes - there goes my low-cal sweet potato pie! (potassium)
• Tomatoes & tomato products - just shoot me! (potassium)
• Anything canned or ready-to-eat - not a huge problem since I like to cook my own food. (sodium)
• Anything pickled - even those with "less sodium" (sodium)
• Orange juice - and I do love me some good, cold O.J. (potassium)
• Whole wheat bread - like, really?!?!? (phosphorous and potassium) and the same goes for...
• ... Brown rice - I actually stocked up one before I knew better 

As if that isn't awful enough, potatoes are on the no-no list because of potassium, potassium, potassium... Oh, and I have to limit protein intake. What the heck, right?

Of course, there are other options - especially when it comes to fruit, and I have come to like having a lot of berries in the freezer. The thing is berries are generally more expensive when looking for snacking produce. On the plus side, frozen is almost as good as fresh and are more affordable.

Here is what is on my general shopping list:

• Pineapple juice and pineapple chunks. I get Dole because it tends to be the best as far as taste and ingredients. I use the juice to make smoothies or to make the less tasty beverages easier to go down. Keep reading...
• Cabbage - both red and green. I eat these as "steaks" or simply sautéed and seasoned. Since I cannot chew so well currently, I either juice the green ones and simmer the red ones for the liquid. And this is where that pineapple juice comes in! It's amazing that just a little bit of pineapple juice can make cabbage juice bearable. If I add a little more pineapple juice, the cabbage juice (or water) is actually pleasant.
• Apples. I don't really love apples and have to be in the mood for them, But, again, if I add them to salads or juice them, they help add flavor.
• Fish. Salmon is my go-to fish, but it's hard to find good salmon. Halibut and cod are my other favorites, but salmon is easier to eat without teeth so, for now...
• Shrimp. This is probably my favorite food that's allowed. However, it can be expensive. I try to buy when it is on sale. As I write this, I have some vac-sealed in the freezer that I found on deep sale about 2 months ago. I can't wait til I can chew! (I try to find the best kind of shrimp, which can be tricky when shopping on a budget.)
• Broccoli was a top fave when I was healthier. I will still eat it (raw with a bit of dip or lightly steamed). It's one of those things that is healthy because it might lower creatinine levels, but it also has a lot of potassium.
• Pasta is a favorite - even more so now because it is soft. I eat this either in casseroles (with tuna and/or cheese) or as spaghetti. If I make my own sauce, I can control the sodium and other "bad stuff" better.
• Pinto beans are a HUGE favorite. I can eat them so many ways - in soups, stews, with rice, with ground beef (or... ground turkey ~sigh~), or with cornbread. I always use dried beans, and I soak them overnight (to get rid of some of the potassium) before cooking them. They are so filling and comforting to eat. (I have a goal to start adding chickpeas and lentils into my diet.)
• Tofu - I'm back and forth on this. Sometimes, I find it's great to have around. It surely does bulk up some stews and soups where I'm low on ground beef. Since it basically takes on whatever flavor you give it, it's pretty ideal. It's usually affordable, so there's that.
• Turkey - I am only just recently adding this to my diet. I find that it's soooo much cheaper than ground beef. The trick is to add a little bit of olive oil and seasonings - and don't think too hard about it being turkey and not beef! What I cannot do is turkey bacon. That stuff is just a dry, crumbly mess in the mouth. Yicky!

In addition to pineapple, apple, and grape juice (and cabbage water/juice), I do drink a lot of water, and I am learning to take my coffee and black tea with a lot less cream and/or sugar. I actually enjoy a good cup of Tetley's with just a little bit of milk or cream (not creamer, but cream).  My cold beverage favorites are cold herbal teas or pineapple juice - but I use the pineapple to make the other things less bland.

By the way, here are some things I do for a better diet:

• Cabbage Juice - (I prefer to juice green cabbage because it's usually sweeter than red cabbage.) To avoid pulling out the loud juicer, I use a blender. I wash the cabbage really well, then put the first batch in the blender with a little water. I strain out the juice and use that juice (and a little more water) until I have blended all the cabbage. I strain the pulp really well to get all the juice, then I freeze the pulp to add to smoothies. (I add fruit juice for flavor.)
• Cabbage Water (or pot liquor) - (I prefer this for red cabbage because it's kind of ick(er) when just juiced.) I boil some water and put the cabbage in just long enough to leech the flavor. I find that it tastes better when it's not overcooked. Plus, I can eat the cabbage later. (My mother would just cook the cabbage and save the "pot liquor".)
• Coffee with less cream & sugar - I personally have a hard time drinking black coffee, but I can take it with a little cream. The Luzianne brand red bag coffee is the best one I have found if I have to drink it black. For other brands/brews, for drinking without sugar and just a little bit of plain cream (or half n half)  I like to add a bit of cacao powder. Somehow that makes the coffee more palatable. 
• Alternative to white or brown sugar - I love to add brown sugar to coffee and cereal, but I have found that panela is lower calorie and has some of that brown sugar richness. (I use a powdered panela.)
• Water - I didn't always appreciate plain water, but in Anchorage, the tap water tasted amazing. For the past four or more years, I am very conscious of my water intake. The guideline from my kidney doc is to drink enough so that my urine in a pale yellow - not clear. Drinking too much water depletes minerals and stuff. I find that I prefer my water to be room temp - not cold. My SIL is the opposite (and I always keep some in the fridge just for when she visits!). I also try to remember to add a pinch of Celtic salt to my first glass of water each day. If you find it difficult to drink enough water, try using a straw or experiment with the temperature of the water. 

I hope that this helps someone. I'm sure that it will help you understand how CKD can affect someone's life (and diet).

Peace

--Free

Homemade Rice Krispies?

 I just finished watching a video with instructions on how to make homemade rice puffs. I always loved Rice Krispies as a kid, but the idea of making my own was daunting. The guy at Food Tech 101 on YouTube truly blew my mind. His channel is so worth checking out!

This is what is generally in most rice puff style cereal from the stores:

This is what Food Tech 101 dude used:

• Parboiled rice (you can buy it parboiled)
• Salt (he used black salt, which I never heard of before this)
• Heat

That's it.

If you are impatient, he gets down to business at about the 4-minute mark.

What???!!!???

You know I actually have parboiled rice (bought on accident!) and I have salt (which you can use and re-use). I will be giving this recipe a try.

Check out my man's channel and just be sure to give him a thumbs up. He deserves it for the work he put in.

I'm going back over to see his DIY cornflakes...

Peace

--Free

Dental Update #8 Worst Is Over. I Hope!

 So. I still have no teeth. But I do have the pins in for my bottoms plate.

At the last appointment, I had another scan done, and the doc was pleased to let me know that I have lots of bone - enough for at least 2 pins on either side of the bottom, which will give more stability to that plate. Because I have a deep arch (?) to my upper front gum line, the top plate will be secure enough that I might not ever have to use adhesive. 

Am I bummed that I have to wait up to 3 months to have teeth? Of course. But, once I got the pins in (and that is the last of the nasty work), the only thing left is doing the impressions for my actual dentures. That should be in a few weeks. The doc wants to make sure my gums are completely healed from the pin surgery.

To be honest, after hearing about some other people's ordeals, I am happy that my doc took the long way around. My gums are totally healed up from my extractions. I had enough room for 3 pins to be put in to anchor my bottom plate, and I have been healing really well from each procedure. I am happy that I have a careful, caring and conscientious dentist. 

Funny thing: the whole time I knew I was going to have pins put in, I thought they were going to be in the back part of my mouth. I even told people that I was having pins put in the back. Nope. The pins are in the front. Because I was so numbed during the procedure, I couldn't really tell where the dentist was drilling and stitching. Because I thought he was working at the back of my mouth, that is where I felt all the pressure and movement. It wasn't until he was finished, and I saw the work that I knew the pins were in front. (My brother laughed at me because the dentist had clearly said where the pins would be placed!) Whatever. The best thing about that appointment was there was very little blood, and it was put me in the home stretch.

Apparently, I will be able to just clip in my bottom plate and not have to worry about it lifting or shifting. I can't help but wonder what my younger self would have thought of all this. 

What a journey this has been. I am so thankful for getting to this point. I can remember being so disappointed when the dentist at a community center wouldn't take me on because of my other medical issues. I can't blame him for being wary, and now I am SO glad that he didn't do the work. He did my neighbor's teeth, and she stopped wearing them after a couple of weeks. They were free (our insurance covered the clinic's work and plates 100%), but are useless. She is saving to have her teeth done by the dentist I use. 

I so love my family for going through this with me (and, you know, footing the out-of-pocket costs!). I do know how blessed I am.

Peace

--Free