Florida, Butter Pecan Ice Cream, and Twinkies #110

Cindy has gone to Florida with our children and grandchildren for a week or so.  I stayed home not feeling like going.  My low blood pressure and tiring easily has been sort of all over the place.  Meaning, I feel good for a while, then may go for three or four days and not feel like doing much of anything.  Sometimes I have to really push myself to go workout.  And yes, I do take it easy when working out.  Back to the vacation.  I really just did not care much for going while feeling as badly as I do, and honestly, I did not want to be around a lot of people and all the commotion that goes with that.  They are all going to have a good time and I would be looking for solitude and rest.  You know from your experiences when you have all your family together going out to eat at night is usually something everyone looks forward to.   And they  would  want to be going to where the food is good, there is a big crowd, and it is a noisy and fun place. I would be looking for a healthy food place with no crowd that is quiet and slow paced. And I understand each of them want to have some fun and sun.  They have worked hard, want some leisure time, to enjoy themselves and family.  The dining and being with family are a big part of most peoples vacations.  Cindy likes relaxing out by the pool and getting a good sun tan.  She told me she was not going to Florida to be the resident cook and baby-sitter.  I will miss not being there, Cindy and I will probably go on our own later this summer.

My workouts have been a contradiction to how I have felt the last couple of weeks.  I really feel good and invigorated during and after working out.   Cindy seems to think my medication changes, combined with my health improvement have something to do with my feeling sort of lackadaisical.  She thinks my cardiovascular health and heart have improved so much that the quantity of medication I am taking is having a negative effect on me.  At one point yesterday my blood pressure was 81/47.   That is not good.  Even for a young athletic person that would be too low.

I have had this question ask by readers more than once in various forms.  "Is it okay for me to eat twinkies?" Or "can I eat a twinkie after having a heart attack?"   There is more than one answer to that question.  Such as. Have you ask your cardiologist?  What do you think he would tell you?  Was your heart attacks basic cause high cholesterol caused by an unhealthy diet?   Based on your weight, do you think you should be eating twinkies? Yes, I guess you could stuff some twinkies down while you're laying up there in the hospital's cardiac care ward with needles, tubes, and warning sensors attached to you.  Before you try to hit me, understand I have probably eaten more twinkies than you ever will, and I my urge to eat one more twinkie is greater than yours.  But I am not going to eat another one.  Why?  Because it will break the chain of eating to be heart healthy for me.  So yes, it is okay to eat a twinkie or two after a heart attack, but where and when do you stop?

Listen, if I gave up butter pecan ice cream, you have to give up twinkies.......