Days 14,15,16,17, 18

Oh this week is bad...so bad with the spending.

Day 14

$0

Day 15

$1.50 (I bought coffee so I could get free parking at Starbucks rather than spend that on nothing to plug the meter).

Day 16

$23 (We went out to eat to celebrate Father-in-Law's birthday--this was our share).

$23 (yummy chocolate cake from Whole Foods for FIL's birthday)

Total: $46

Day 17

$5 (stuff to make cream cheese frosting atop red velvet cupcakes I made for friend's baby shower)

Day 18

Oh boy. We spent $97 today in groceries. Arrrgh! We purchased a lot of things that we don't usually get such as orange juice but we did so because it was necessary. Hubsters did one of those supermarket blood pressure cuffs and found out that he's on the high side. So...in the effort to lower his blood pressure and prevent him from developing hypertension, we have drastically reduced the amount of sodium in our diets, increased potassium, and are making sure he'll get at least 8 hours of good sleep and 30 minutes of exercise each day. We are also following the DASH eating plan so I am working to make sure hubster's eats the correct amount each day. If all goes as plan and we are spartan with the routine, his blood pressure should go back to normal within a few weeks. I have a feeling that much of his recent blood pressure rise comes from the SoCal food binge + lack of sleep but in any case, Operation Healthy Hubby is in full swing!

This is what $97 worth of groceries gets you:

1. Nature's Shredded Wheats ($2.50/10mg sodium per serving)

2. Ocean Spray Cranberries (on sale...I think for $4.50/10mg sodium per serving)

3. Organic Bob's Red Mill Whole Wheat Flour-2 qty ($4.49ea/0mg sodium)

4. Almond Milk ($3.50/150mg sodium per cup)

5. Florida's Orange Juice-2 qty ($2.50ea/0mg sodium)

6. 10lbs sweet potatoes- $6.69/negligble sodium)

7. White mushrooms- (forgot price-but high in potassium and hubby likes them)

8. 3lbs shredded parmesan cheese ($11/bag. It's a lot/it's salty, it's expensive but a little goes a long way. Since hubster's loves salty snacks, I am making home-made crackers with a controlled amount of salt/cheese with this. 320mg sodium per 1/4 cup)

9. 6 pack of organic pasta ($7.00. 0mg sodium)

10. 5lb bag baby carrots (forgot price.)

11. 3lbs bananas ($1.30)

12. Plain Yogurt- 2 qty ($1.69 ea/150-180mg sodium per serving. I accidentally grabbed 2 plain..I meant to grab one vanilla haha. Instead I grabbed one non-fat and one low-fat plain, hence the difference in sodium levels.)

13. 4-pack laughing cow cheese ($8.00/80mg sodium)

14. Green Tea ($1.50)

15. Black organic grapes ($1.50/lb.)

16. Fresh mozzarella cheese ($6.50/80mg sodium per ounce)

Total Spent on Groceries: $97 (Costco and Health food store groceries)

As you can see, we got a lot of dairy haha. As part of the DASH plan, hubby needs 3-4 servings of dairy a day and about 10 servings of fruit & vegetables combined per day. The other stuff such as grains & protein are easier to meet. I have to make sure that hubby doesn't eat less than 2000 calories a day but it is so easy to fill up with fruits and vegetables! To make sure he meets his quota, I got a bunch of stuff to make him more nutrient-dense meals hehe. I also don't want him to feel deprived or feel sad & stressed over this (stress raises BP) so I'm doing my best not to disrupt our usual eating habits. Anyway...I guess October's Experiment should also include "Reduce Blood Pressure".