Month: February 2025

Streamlining My Health: A Journey to Organize My Medications

Keeping track of my medication and ensuring that I take it at the same time every day has become my new routine. I have found a few products that have really helped with this.

I recently encountered a weekly pill container on Amazon with separate morning and evening dose compartments. This design is particularly convenient because it allows me to take only the necessary pills for the day when I’m out in the evening, avoiding carrying the entire container. This can be an excellent option for those looking for a practical solution to organizing their medication.

Since I live with heart disease, it’s super important for me to have my nitroglycerin close by at all times. I use a handy little key chain pill holder that holds an entire bottle of my medication. It’s a great way to keep my pills safe and makes it easy to take them with me wherever I go. Knowing I have what I need gives me peace of mind and helps me feel more secure in my daily life!

I also set alarms on my iPhone for both morning and night to remind me to take my medications. You can label the alarms with messages like “take pills” or any other necessary reminders!

Hope this helps in some way!

Healthy Snack: Date Granola Bars

I have always had a sweet tooth but I have been trying to cut down on my sugar intake but still eat healthy so I have been trying to find snack recipes using dates.

My daughter gifted me some delicious dates from Rancho Melduco Date Farm in the Coachella Valley in California, and believe me when I say they are a delightful treat all by themselves! This family-run operation has dates that are plump, sweet, and fresh. You can also buy dates at every grocery store if you don’t want to order online. This recipe is from the Rancho Melduco website, but I changed it because I didn’t have espresso powder; instead, I used unsweetened cocoa powder. You can use any nut you like, and they will be just as good!

This image has an empty alt attribute; its file name is img_6727-e1738895326885.jpg

Date Granola Bar

Recipe adapted from

Rancho Melduco Date Farm

Ingredients:

1 cup old-fashioned oats

2 Tablespoons unsweetened cocoa powder

2 Tablespoons water

3 cups soft dates (about 20 dates) pitted.

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

½ teaspoon kosher salt

1 cup roasted unsalted almonds

½ cup unsweetened flaked coconut

½ cup dark chocolate chunks

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Spread the oats in a single layer on a rimmed baking sheet. Bake until toasty and beginning to brown, about 15 minutes. Let cool completely.

In the bowl of a food processor, pulse the dates with the cocoa powder, water, vanilla, salt, half of the almonds, half of the coconut, and half of the oats until a thick paste forms. Scrape down the sides as needed.  Add the chocolate chunks and the remaining almonds, coconut, and oats. Pulse until the mixture is chunky but holds together when pinched.  If your mixture is too crumbly, gradually add more water, 1 Tablespoon at a time, and pulse until desired consistently.

.

This image has an empty alt attribute; its file name is img_6730.jpg

Using the parchment overhang, lift from pan.  Cut into bars. 

This image has an empty alt attribute; its file name is img_6732.jpg

Note: If your dates have dried out, place in a heatproof bowl and cover with boiling water.  Let sit for 6 minutes, then drain.

The bars can be stored in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 2 days or stored in the refrigerator or freezer for up to a month.

Enjoy!

Heart-Healthy Living After a Heart Attack

It’s been a minute since I posted on my blog. Let’s say life got in the way. The focus on The Basque Wife is shifting from the recipes I have previously posted to more heart-healthy fare.

I had a life-changing event in October. I had a heart attack. Not the chest-clutching, falling, heart-stopping attack that you see on TV and in movies. I discovered that those are not as common, especially for women. Women present with symptoms that are often mistaken for panic attacks, acid reflux, flu, aging, or other conditions. After a couple of weeks of shortness of breath and fatigue, I went to my family doctor. Nothing was jumping out at him, so I had some tests done, and they were all negative. I was going to have a stress test, but before that happened, I found myself in the ER with the symptoms I had before, plus light pressure on my chest and extremely high blood pressure.  St. Luke’s Magic Valley Medical Center staff in Twin Falls, Idaho, were terrific. After several blood tests, the doctor established that I had a heart attack. I met with the cardiologist in the ER and was scheduled for an angioplasty the following morning, where a stent was inserted in an artery that was 99% blocked. This was a shock as I walked a lot, 2-4 miles a day, ate relatively healthy, and was a little overweight. I do have a family history of heart disease, so genetics had something to do with it, along with high cholesterol. I have been on statins for years.

I started cardiac rehab in December at St. Luke’s Lifestyle Medicine. I’m on a three-day-a-week, 12-week course. The medically supervised program provides heart-related education, counseling support, monitored exercise, nutrition counseling, and stress management to promote healthy habits so I can continue to live an active life. The staff of nurses, physical therapists, nutritionists, and exercise physiologists are a fantastic group that have helped, encouraged, educated, and made me feel safe working out again. Their guidance, knowledge, and care have made going to cardiac rehab an enjoyable experience I don’t want to end.

Meditation has helped me tremendously. I am a calmer version of myself. I use the Calm and Hallow apps in the morning and evening for about 15 minutes each session. I sleep so much better after meditating at night.

I eat a more plant-based diet, focusing on whole grains, beans, nuts, fruits, and vegetables. I still have the occasional steak, but my freezer now has more fish. Cooking from scratch is more important than ever. I always read food labels, but now I’m looking at sodium, sugar, and fat content. It’s amazing how much sodium is in canned goods like diced tomatoes. The difference in sodium on a low sodium vs regular can be 165 mg. One dish can make a big difference when I am limited to 2000 mg daily. My husband can add salt to any dish I make, and he has been great as I not only change the way I eat but, by default, have also changed how he eats. Having been a sugar addict most of my life, I am now limiting my sugar intake. I am still baking, but now it’s sourdough bread.

I advise all women (and men) to listen to your body. If something feels off, go to the doctor. Also, check out the American Heart Association website to increase your knowledge of heart disease and strokes. February is American Heart Month, and this year means more to me than in years past. I’m glad to be here and sharing my recipes with you all.