The Diva Diet - Part II: Dining Out

Now that Thanksgiving is over, as always, most of the challenge in sticking to your diet when eating out: office parties, group parties, get-togethers with visiting friends or relatives, etc… The list is endless.

As a kidney transplant recipient, I still have restrictions, but there is no reason why I cannot enjoy these holiday get-togethers. Here are my ideas for keeping your diet during the holiday season while dining out.

Be Mindful of Food Safety When Dining Out. As I mentioned in a previous post, we need to continue to be careful of infection, from all sorts of germs or bacteria. I can understand why this is a concern. After watching shows like Kitchen Nightmares and Restaurant Impossible, we have seen problematic kitchens and food gone bad that were still served to the public. All of us need to ensure that the establishment has passed health safety guidelines and that the food is stored and prepared well in a very sanitary way. Since my transplant, my husband and I have been very picky in selecting restaurants when we eat out. We often limit ourselves to nice, very nice restaurants, but this can get expensive.

 

No Buffets. This is a follow-up to the food safety issue. With buffets, the food has been exposed to different people, so you never know who touched what or what temperature it has been kept. With food exposed to different people, you never know what germs they may carry. Again, after watching Restaurant Impossible and seeing buffets that were not kept at the correct temperature, I can understand why this continues to be a concern.  Served Hors d’Ouevres are out now too: same principle as buffets, except now your food is traveling.

Cafeteria-style food may be okay. Assess the situation and figure out if this option is safe. Do not be tempted by really yummy food – your life is more important. An alternative may be to wait until you get home and just simply nuke it.

Order your own entrée. As I mentioned before, when dining out, meals really need to be made for me only – Hence, the name “Diva Diet”. If it is just my husband and I, we usually share an appetizer and an entrée, but we move it to separate plates. When we go with a group, I would stick to my own dish.

Family-style food may be okay, as long as they use serving spoons, AND no one is sick.

No raw meats or eggs. Unfortunately, that includes raw sushi and oysters – my old favorites. Again, it’s a question of bacteria. So, I must say goodbye to my beloved salmon rolls, ahi pokes, oysters-on-the-half-shell, and tuna tartars. Even smoked foods like salmon are also out of the question. Sigh, at least, I think, I can still have cooked sushi (ebi and unagi anyone?) and usually there are other items on the menu.

Be careful of raw eggs too. This may mean aioli, Caesar salad dressings, certain meringues (baked meringues are probably fine), and eggnog! No more eggnog lattes. The only raw thing that would be safe would be fruits and vegetables.

Deli Sandwiches. Improperly reheated cold cuts and soft cheeses can contain certain bacteria that can cause illness and possibly death to a kidney transplant patient. That means no more cold cuts, or for that matter cold, deli sandwiches. Also, the coleslaws and potato salads are probably not a good idea either. Some possible alternatives: hot sandwiches or a bagel and cream cheese … and get them from a high-end deli.

Craving for Tacos? Make it yourself.

A word on fast food. I do not normally eat fast food, but a sucker for some of them, especially tacos or hash browns. I think occasionally it’s okay: I am going to limit myself to maybe once a quarter. Surprisingly, since I’ve been eating fresh food and whole grains, I do not have any craving for fast food anymore, except for tacos and hash browns.

Limit dining out. I’ve noticed that every time I eat out, I gain at least two pounds. To make the food really-really yummy, most chefs season their food rather well. Most of the weight that I gain is from water retention and it impacts my blood pressure. Can you imagine what happens when I eat out all the time? My blood pressure can go through the roof. If you can limit dining out, you can give your body a chance to get rid of the excess water.

Again, Do have fun! As a former dialysis patient, I have memories of food restrictions and evaluating how many binders to take if you had some pizza. Yay! Gone are those days. So even if you do have restrictions, try new places and new types of food. As an example, for Oktoberfest, we found a German restaurant nearby that was just awesome. My husband said it was just like what his Dad made. They gave us gigantic portions: so my husband halved the entrée and still had a full meal, and with a to-go box!

The key is to enjoy your new life while still keeping safe. As an old saying goes - “Life is to be enjoyed, not endured.”


Final installment: Other important stuff.

The Diva Diet - Part I: Dining In

With another off-site at work coming up, a friend at work asked me whether I still needed to bring my lunch. Our department usually provides our lunches and snacks during off-site meetings, but it is served buffet style. It is great for most people, but it does not really work for someone who had a transplant.

I explained to her that I probably will need to bring my lunch to off-sites forever, or at the very least, arrange for or order my own food. I explained that I need to have my meals made for me; it’s like a “Diva Diet.” It’s got to be made for me, because I am special (wink).

 

I have written about my diet in bits and pieces in previous blog posts. However, with the holidays coming up, the parties and various gatherings may prove to be challenging. I would like to socialize, but sometimes it is fairly difficult to explain my situation, especially around happy occasions like the holidays. I think writing this post will help me figure out how to deal with my situation in social gatherings and also will be a great reminder for me.

Guidelines for the “Diva Diet”: Cooking at Home and Dining In

Dining in is now fun because I have a bit more variety on what I can cook. I would call this the “Iron Chef” or the “Chopped Kitchen” diet, but I think “Diva Diet” is a little bit catchier.

Make sure that everything is cooked thoroughly. This means no more runny eggs, medium rare meats, ceviches, or sushi with raw fish. With a big turkey, make sure that it is thoroughly cooked (I bought a meat thermometer for this purpose).

Everything should be well done. With my immune system lowered, cooking must kill any lingering germs since this could be detrimental to my new kidney. As an example, the nutritionist at UC Davis said that certain salmonella can considerably damage my new kidney. Better avoid and live another day.

Important note: eggnog could be problematic because it does contain raw egg yolk. Also, I should avoid of aiolis since they traditionally contain raw eggs (Although I have seen cheater ones, but why take a chance).

Keep things clean

Maintain food safety. Just as important as keeping a healthy diet is maintaining excellent food safety.  Bad bacteria in foods can make you sick, and with my new kidney, I am more susceptible to illness. Maintaining good food preparation habits when cooking is very important. Wash your hands well with soap and warm water. When in doubt, wash your hands... again and again and again.

Make sure everything is clean, and I mean everything: your kitchen, surfaces, utensils, plates, and the food. 

Wash your food thoroughly. If needed, use a vinegar and water mixture to wash your veggies. Cut your fruit before eating it to see if there is any spoilage or unexpected crawling visitors (e.g. worms).

Potlucks. Potlucks are probably the biggest challenge for me since most of our family gatherings are potlucks. I do hope that my family has safe food practices. Make sure that everyone uses a serving spoon. For this year, I have been sticking to the hot foods and zapping it in the microwave first before eating. If you don't know where the microwave is, have a back-up. At the very least, have a granola bar in your purse.

Desserts may be iffy. I always look at the tempting pies or cakes and wonder if they are safe. I generally just not have it. If it is single-serve or wrapped, it is possible to enjoy it, but if it has been hanging out for a while, I avoid it. General rule of thumb: when in doubt, avoid it. It's really not worth it.

Also, since these are your family or friends, maybe you can go first. This avoids the germ issue. This is the Diva Diet after all. Also, avoid going for seconds. The food is not as safe at that point, but if you must, nuke it.

Enjoying the bounty of the season

Most importantly, have fun. Although I have restrictions, it is not like when I was on dialysis when I had to take binders every time I eat something with high phosphorus or be wary of the potassium content of my food. Given that, sometimes it does feel that it is more restrictive. I do miss my salmon sushi, oysters, and ahi poke (a Hawaiian raw salad with ahi tuna), but I think I already had my share of this.

Feel free to experiment. I love trying out new ingredients. As an example, recently, I just tried Delicata squash and molasses. Although I still have to watch for potassium and cholesterol due to my immunosuppresants, I feel I can be more adventurous as long as I maintain a balanced diet.

 

Next installment: Dining Out

What a week!

This week was somewhat challenging for me. The devastation in the Philippines affected my Hubby and me emotionally. Seeing the extensive devastation caused by Typhoon Haiyan (Yolanda as known in the Philippines) in Tacloban and other cities in the Visayas was horrific. We have been seeing in the news how the Filipinos are suffering and coping.  The situation is very sad, and it will take them many years to rebuild and economically recover. And too, the emotional damage to each and every survivor may take much longer. Can you imagine losing most of your family and friends? It is devastating.

I am somewhat fortunate. Although I have friends and family still in the Philippines; my family and some of my best friends are not in the affected areas. I contacted each of them to check how they are, and fortunately, they are all safe. For that, I am extremely grateful. According to my step-mom, they are far enough from the eye of the storm that they only had some fairly strong rain and wind.

I also checked how my family is, specifically my Dad. Last time I heard, he would not take his maintenance medication for hypertension. Sadly, We now found out that my Dad is not in good shape. He was recently diagnosed with Alzheimer’s Disease – the same as my Grandmother. My step-mom did not tell us prior because she did not want to worry us, since she knew that I just had major surgery.

I had mixed feelings when I read the news. I was glad that they are safe, but obviously now very worried about my father. I was very close to my Dad when I was growing up. I hung out with him after school at his office and do homework. He would build all sorts of gadgets for me, which is probably why I got interested in technology: I remember he once tried to make a piano out of light switches. I would watch him while he is writing his TV or movie scripts; later on, I would use up half of his paper and write short stories or scripts of my own (which is why I fancy myself as a writer) or just draw on it (I also consider myself an artist). He taught me how to drive and opened my eyes to different cuisines (including my first encounter to sashimi, which I love because of him). It’s very sad to hear that he’s not in good shape, not the same old Dad that I remember. It is one of those times when I wish I am living close to him and not thousands of miles away.

I am not quite sure what to do you yet. To a certain extent, I am overwhelmed. What are my responsibilities to my countrymen? What are my responsibilities to my Dad? What about to my husband and my family here and, to myself?  I wanted to jump on the first plane to the Manila and be by Dad, but that is probably not the best option right now. It is a gut reaction of a daughter who just wants to take care of her parent.  

Do I jump on the plane to try to help the people devastated by the typhoon? Or will I be jeopardizing my own health if I do that? With my compromised immune system, I have been avoiding exposure to germs for months, and here I am considering flying off to help people in probably a germ-infested area, without regular access to clean water and nourishment to my new kidney. If I risk myself, how I continue to help? Who's going to take care of Meow and be a partner to my husband?

What a dilemma.

I am still figuring out how to balance it all out. There is no doubt though … the human spirit is resilient, and, one way or another, we will be able to make it through these most trying times.

To donate to the relief effort to the survivors of Typhoon Haiyan/Yolanda, check out the following sites:

• United Nations World Food Programme
• United Nations International Children’s Fund (UNICEF)
• Catholic Relief Services
• Doctors Without Borders

And please pray and wish for my Dad some really good luck!

Rogue Kidney's Day-off

Cupcake stash - these are actually minis.

I decided to finally take a day off this week. My brain was full, and I felt that I really needed to work on some stuff around the house. Some things, needless to say, had gotten out of control and disorganized. I just need to do it.

I had a productive day planned: wake up early, put away the clean clothes, tidy up the kitchen counter, make pancakes for breakfast, have lunch out with Hubby, and make dinner at a relaxing pace, catch up with my email at work and home, and probably three or more other things.

Here’s how the day went:

Overslept

Had chai and my pre-made (homemade) muffins

Had lunch out with Hubby (Fish Sandwich for me and Fettuccine Carbonara for Hubby –Yum!)!

Bought cupcakes from Kara's Cupcakes (Yum again!)

Went to Trader Joe’s to get provisions

Napped

Tidied up the kitchen counter

Made Kale Salad for our dinner

Vegged-out on the couch and watched TV.

Slept.

It was not as productive a day as I had planned. I was a little disappointed that I was not more productive, but maybe that was the day that I needed; just unplug and recharge. I keep reminding myself that “I just had major surgery”  – I can’t run at 150% yet, let’s just try 100% with some breaks.

The next day, I was energized and more ready to work. I did get a chance to clean up my email… Funny thing though. More emails came and filled my inbox.

Sigh.

You’ve been Summoned (Sounds like a "Murder She Wrote" Mystery)

I have been summoned for jury duty once again, this past week. Great. I guess that it must have been two years already!

I looked at the date and it is right in the middle of my project or all of my projects. My first thought of course, was to postpone – after my projects are completed, which will be around December. Ugh, I did that before and I ended up serving in a jury during Christmas. Not fun! The only advantage was that  I was still on dialysis back then and the dialysis center was between courts and home; so, I had an easier commute.

Looking at it again, I thought that I could wait until January. If I do that, my projects will be done, my manager will be assigning me something new to work on, and it will be almost a year after my transplant.

Wait – my transplant! Sometimes I forget that I only had a transplant nine months ago.

I’ve been doing really well. Sometimes I even compare my current activities to what I did before I was diagnosed and often find myself, pushing my limits too much. I am actually, still feeling some of the side effects. As an example, my scar still hurts occasionally (I feel a little like Harry Potter: when my scar hurts, Lord Voldemort or something dangerous may be coming soon). Also, I just recently realized that my body is still adjusting to my various medications; which is why I feel tired when I wake up in the morning and still need an afternoon nap or two (or a caffeine fix).

With that, I wondered if I could get excused for this round of service for medical reasons. I’ve never really considered that before, so I am not sure what the requirements are. After all, this is happening during flu season, and I really should minimize being in public during this time and even into January or maybe February.

Don’t get me wrong: I do believe that everyone should serve in a jury. When I served, I found the process to be educational and interesting. I will admit though: there was a lot of sitting down, debating, and waiting. I probably made forty origami cranes (out of Ricola candy wrappers) while we were waiting… and those were tiny cranes. And having it during the Christmas break really-really sucked. We almost postponed our Holiday ski trip – something that I really looked forward to when I was in dialysis. It was my favorite escape.

I am contacting my nephrologist to see if an excuse is possible this time. If not, I’ll postpone until next year. Fingers crossed.... otherwise, I would be adding to the flock.

Slowing Down

During my Nidan demo a few weeks back, my sempai mentioned that I needed to slow down – feel the blend, feel the connection before applying the technique. After my test, I did feel that I rushed through my demo. In fact, even my training partner said that I was throwing her so fast, that she was exhausted after my demo.

For some weird, perhaps cosmic, way, I am finding that the “slow down” theme resonated through the month. With my working long hours, it helped me cope with all my work, extra-curricular activities and in keeping my health in check. 

The obvious example is applying it to aikido. I have been quite exhausted at work and going to class tired. However, when I made an effort to warm up (a bit), meditate before class, and take a deep breath before each technique, the experience becomes more profound and more meaningful. It became a completely different experience.

I am taking the same approach at work. We are slammed because of an upcoming software release. Tasks and more issues are coming left and right. However, if I focus on each task at hand and avoid multitasking, I find that I feel more productive… and probably finish my work faster, at a higher quality.

The same applies to maintaining my health. When I take my meds, I try my best to be mindful and just focus on that. When I do that, I find that I make better note of what I took and take them on time.

I also try to be more focused when preparing my food. I find that it is more relaxing if I take my time when I am preparing food or cooking. It’s like a moving meditation. Even chopping seems to have a deeper meaning: I learned to appreciate the colors and texture of what I am chopping and not rushing through preparing a meal.

As I slow down, everyday things seem to have more meaning and substance. I am able to see subtle things that I normally would miss if I were rushing. It made me experience things in a different dimension.

I am still learning and finding more ways to slow down. I am still hurting a bit, and it is important to listen to the signals my body is sending my brain. I must admit it is difficult a lot of times, particularly if you have very limited time and there are a lot of demands on you. It does take time… to slow down and smell the roses.

To My Generous Donor – Much Gratitude

During my most recent doctor visit, I found out some information about my donor. Hubby, for his own reasons, did not want to know, but I needed to. I wanted to know who to thank.

Because of how the doctors described my kidney, I speculated that my kidney came from someone young. It was very healthy, and passed the stress test with flying colors. The doctors were confident that this kidney would be a really great match.

What I did not realize was it was a pediatric kidney, i.e. a kidney from a young person. When my transplant coordinator mentioned this I immediately thought about what the family must have went through in the loss of their loved one and what that gift meant. To lose a child and a grandchild is devastating, and I feel that parents should not go through such a huge loss. Although I am not a parent, I immediately thought about my niece and my sister. How would my sister and my mom feel in that situation? I felt very truly saddened but extremely privileged to be the recipient of this wonderful gift.

I also felt a lot of responsibility. My donor had a short life. Passing away in one’s early teens is entirely far too short, but he or she lives through me. I need to honor my donor by taking care of that gift and to ensure that my donor’s kidney has an enjoyable life as much as possible… through me. I need to take care of myself, be cautious of what I eat, drink, and do, take advantage of what life has to offer, live, love, and laugh.

I have so much gratitude to you, my young donor. Without you, my new life is not possible: Thank you! You are my hero. I sincerely hope you are now at peace.

One last note: there was no other information provided to us about my donor:not where she lived, how she passed, and certainly not her name. Just the age.