Hi.

First let's address the saran wrap issue. I knew this a long long time ago and stopped using plastic wraps to cover my food. I bought one of those microwave see through things (it's a big hard plastic thing with a hole so the steam can vent). Been using it for years. Am on my second one by the way.
Comes in VERY handy to cook stuff.

Now for the salt.

Boy can I give a lot of info on Alan and his salt intake. He USES NO ADDITIONAL SALT WHATSOEVER ON ANYTHING HE PUTS IN HIS MOUTH.
All the doctor had to tell him when he got the stent last January was 'NO SALT". Because Alan took it literally, there was no salt added to anything on his plate. Since I never cooked with Salt, that was not a problem either.
The problem was reading labels (which I had been doing for 5 years or so to read about "how many carbs' "how much fat, transfat, etc' how much protein" was in any food that I bought.

I basically cook all my veggies fresh, so no problem there. I just add Mrs. Dash, or some garlic powder.

But sometimes I buy frozen veggies. I just look at the labels. If it says 20 to 50 of the sodium, well that's fine. Now canned stuff, that's a whole other ball of wax. Canned stuff has sodium in just about EVERYTHING.

So if I don't have enough time (let's say we just got home from a doctor's appointment, etc) I'll open up a can of carrots, and a can of mushrooms, (and any thing I can open), and I just drain and re-rinse every thing so any liquid is completely replaced so the sodium would be much much less.

forget about Tuna Fish, it's loaded so I buy the low-sodium kind.

We eat grilled chicken which has been grilled in lemon juice, fresh garlic and pepper, (maybe some balsamic vinegar, HE loves that, not me).

He won't eat that much fish any more so if I make fish, I use the dill, lemon juice, extra virgin olive oil (a splash) and mrs. dash. Tastes real good.
Yesterday I cam back from Cornell Medical Center (lost 11 lbs by the way)!!!!
and I made Cajun blackened Catfish. my god, was it good.

When I eat something I use Salt Sense. Alan doesn't even use this. Honestly, I could never (unless I actually had to) eat a salt-free diet like Alan does. He is exceptionally disciplined in that respect. I would find it completely without taste.

He once said "no wonder I'm losing weight, when you don't add sodium to anything, you never want seconds". He's got a point.

Since my main thing is grilled chicken over lettuce tomatotoes, radishes, slivered carrots, zucchinis, and a dash of sliced black olives (that have been rinsed), all I add is a splash of extra virgin olive oil and garlic powder, dried basil, freshly ground pepper and of course my salt sense. I could not (repeat NOT), eat a salad without salt sense. It would have no taste for me.

My pressure yesterday (they took it three times to average it out). was 109 over 59. Since I am also in their blood pressure protocol, they love my numbers. At Cornell, they advise diabetic woman (in order to prevent a possible stroke), to not have their blood pressure go over 120/70. They prefer something like 105/60. It works for me so I have no problem.
They say these are the NEW numbers that doctors should go by.
Who am I to argue. It's CORNELL MEDICAL CENTER IN NY PRESBYTERIAN HOSPITAL. They just got written up as the best in the whole country.

They obviously know what they are doing.

But I do have a big question about Alan's TASTE BUDS!!!

Remember, I've told you he puts splenda and sugar free maple syrup on everything that goes into his mouth. He has done this since he was on the Fentanyl pain patch. That was over 3 years ago.

So why does he still have this taste perversion thing. I don't funny understand this. Could it also have something to do with not having that mucy sodium in his diet??

I mean, I made him a nice bowl of low-carb dreamfields spaghetti the other night with a nice marinara sauce (with garlic and basil). No salt. it was a good sauce. What does he do?? Puts 3 splendas on it. I wanted to see how it tasted and I just went "blllewwwwieee". I do NOT understand how he could eat something so sweet. I made a brocolli souffle with egg whites and low-fat cheese. he puts sugar free maple syrup on that and LOVES IT!!!

He puts 4 splendas in a cup of coffee. We don't use anything with aspartame because the doctor says it's bad on peripheral nerves. All his docs say splenda is just fine because it's made from sugar. I use maybe 2 a day in my coffee. I do drink a product called Totally Light (it's like Crystal Light) but it contains splenda and not Nutrasweet. We don't drink any soda whatsoever.

But why does he prefer all this extra sweetness on his meals.? What is with this taste perversion thing? I do hope one of you knows the answer.

Thanks,
Melody