Tea & Toast Syndrome is dangerous

I can be a bit lazy about what I eat these days. But I do try to make sure that what I eat, even if a little repetitive, is reasonably healthy. I do love tea and sometimes toast (or crumpets/ English muffins) but my spread of choice is usually marmite. And that IS rather high in salt-but I love it!

I was very lucky that my DH and I both had the same Doctor. Dh had very high blood pressure and was prescribed medication and a low salt diet. Fast forward a few months and I visited 'our' Doctor as I was experiencing dizzy spells and fainting fits. . Doctor checked my BP which was, as always, low (on this occasion dangerously low) and immediately asked if I was cooking everything, even soup and potatoes with no salt I said I was following instructions re DH's diet. He instructed me to salt my own portions and even treat myself to some very salty crisps. Problem solved.

Following emergency spinal surgery in March last year I am now paralysed from my chest down. I spent 14 months in hospital. (The last 10 months in a Spinal Rehabilitation Unit.) I had my blood levels checked every week. One day, my consultant told me my sodium level was too low. I thought that meant another infusion or similar but he just said, "don't worry, just eat more salt!"

Over the last few years I'd tried to cut extra salt out of my diet as I was aware we were all eating too much.

I am now living in a nursing home until we complete the purchase of a flat. I am unable to get into my house as there are 10 concrete steps up to the front and the same round the side. The food here is minimal and not very nutritious for my condition. I have toast and marmite for my breakfast (I can't tolerate milk) and continue adding salt to my food. Most of the inmates (sorry, residents!) here are in their late 80s and 90s have tiny appetites and dementia. I'm 76 and am currently of sound mind! There is lots of sugar in their diets, full fat milk in everything (yuck) and virtually no salt!

Try eating proper baker's bread from a bakery and not the spongy stuff they sell in supermarket.

I was diagnosed with low sodium a few years ago, after a routine blood test. I was prescribed some sodium tablets, which quickly restored it to the right level.

For JackieHill, re Omeprazole, there's a whole bunch of 'something-prazole' meds, I'm now on Lanso-prazole. I wouldn't know if they all had exactly the same effects!

Most folk should know that there's salt in masses of prepared foods, despite publicity for several decades re taking too much. For the tea & toast addicts (& nowt wrong with that!), if you're indulging in butter, why not salted butter? Or as someone said, put Marmite on it sometimes?

If you're concerned re low salt, as a treat, try salted peanuts and/or cashews (an especial weakness in this vicinity!)?? I used to work with someone who had low salt levels, she used to come and cadge the last bits from nuts or crisp packets for that reason!

Haste =taste

I was always told that if you are short of salt it will haste sweet. A little salt on a celery stick will tell you. I am a tea and toast person but the toast has to be well buttered. My aunt used to scrape on the butter and then scrape it off. A friend says there has to be enough butter to show teeth marks.

A slow cooker was the best thing I ever bought. There is only me and DH. One week I may use the slow cooker three or four times. Minced beef and onion, chicken casserole or curry, chilli, sweet and sour pork, sausage casserole etc. I always add lots of veg and each time I freeze 2 portions to heat in the microwave another day so I can then go two or 3 weeks where I only have to cook a couple times. I also cook a large saucepan of mashed potato and divide into portions for the freezer.

Sorry, that was Lactose and Famotidine. Not Loratadine.

I was on Omeprazole and my husband read an article saying that it caused dementia if used all the time, so I don’t have it any more. My mother suffered from dementia so o am worried about it.
The doctor agreed but said that everything has something, I’m now on Loratadine, but that can cause dizziness and I have bouts of Labyrinthitis so that’s a no go. Oh and it contains Lacrose and I’m lactose intolerant!
I just put up with heartburn now. 😐
However I do have electrolyte salts every day - I add it to my drinking water bottle, just a small scoop. I have the lemon flavoured one.
There’s probably something wrong with that too 😂

Blossoming did your GP give you a list of foods high in potassium. I have been on low potassium diet for over 10 years. It's surprising which foods are in high in potassium. Salt substitutes are a no no. Bananas as most people know but tomatoes,mushrooms,nuts ,dried fruit ,pineapple ,mango ,spinach ,potatoes ,roast,baked or as chips. Crisps . You can have boiled potatoes as the potassium is water soluble and isn't on the potatoes once drained. Can only have half pint of cows milk and small amount of low fat plain yogurt. There are lot more but can't remember the rest as I only stick to the same veg and fruit I usually eat. Sweet potatoes you can have as they don't contain high potassium.

I use coconut milk in my porridge so I can have milk in my tea or yogurt.

No idea if this is helpful.

I was advised years ago to reduce my salt intake due to kidney disease and hypertension. We do need some salt but a great many of the foods we buy already contain it, and my kidneys are not able to handle the excess. My sodium and potassium levels are checked every 6 months and they are always in the low level of normal range.

jackiehill56
Famotidine is to treat the symptoms of a hiatus hernia and other medical issues that cause acid reflux, it’s from the H2 blocker family of drugs.
As opposed to Omeprazole, one of the proton-pump inhibitor family of drugs, used for the same relief (this family can cause low sodium).

We all need some salt in our diets.

Lets face it, these terrible warnings are being written about us and going from the frequent threads on food I would say that for most of us, good food, well cooked is central to our lives.

My father was a widower for 10 years from his early-80s to early 90s. He became an avid fan of Delia Smith and no village social event was complete without his trifle, victoria sponge or pork loaf, made to one of her recipes.

When he finally died, people mourned him, he was well liked - and then told us how they would miss his culinary contributions to village life.

What is Famotidine used for, and why does it 'do the job'?

jackiehill56 Famotidine, it’s from a different group of drugs, does the job.

Blossoming

My aunt was always a picky eater and in her later years she more or less survived on tea and toast with occasional biscuits. She died at the age of 102.

Blossoming I remember a friend telling me that she was worried about her mother who seemed to live on tea and biscuits. She was too far away to be of much help but her Mum lived to 97.
Her daughter, my friend, who was an excellent cook, died not long ago, she was in her late 70s. 😥

stop alarming old people by saying “tea and toast are a danger to their health”, stop alarming people

My 90 yr old mother’s idiotic GP told her that a blood test had shown she was borderline Type 2 so to lay off the tea and toast. She misunderstood him and stopped eating bread altogether. I used to cook for her three or four times a week and she also had meal deliveries but she became weak because she didn’t always fancy a cooked meal and because she was from the generation who thought ‘doctor’ was God she ended up almost starving herself. Fortunately I got to the bottom of her alarming weight loss and managed to get her back on track with no support from her GP whatsoever. 😡

My aunt was always a picky eater and in her later years she more or less survived on tea and toast with occasional biscuits. She died at the age of 102.

Foods with most sodium
Food group-Sodium content mg/100g
Table salt, baking soda, baking powder38,000
Bouillon cubes, powdered broths, soups, gravies20,000
Soy sauce7,000
Snack foods (e.g. pretzels, cheese puffs, popcorn)1,500
Bacon1,500
Sauces and spreads 1,200
Cheese, hard800
Processed vegetables600
Butter/margarine500
Cheese, soft400

Not wishing to demean men on their own, and Urmston’s stepfather is clearly the exception that proves the rule, but many men (my father included) are never going to be inventive cooks in their later years - they are of the generation whose wives ruled the kitchen.
Even my half-brother who should know better as he is only in his early 80’s does not really “cook” for himself. In his case despite all our best efforts, it’s “ping cuisine”.

But my point remains- stop alarming old people by saying “tea and toast are a danger to their health”, stop alarming people, malnutrition is much worse as is hypothermia and if they are deprived of their tea and toast, they might just not bother at all.
Scary headlines may make good copy, but rarely good sense.

but many things can be prepared with just boiling water from the kettle, eg cous-cous, into which can be added tinned mackerel/tuna/sardines, and a few baby toms/green salad, and that's a tasty easy meal.
add in a microwave and the world is your lobster, almost.
in terms of food prep, types of eating, food range, without having to wrangle pans, and ovens.
air fryer is also v useful apparently.
most posters here do far more cooking than the average person, which is good, for them.
but many people don't manage to live like that.
more convenient ways of eating are the usual way for vast numbers. don't diss it.

Good post Urmstongran agree about chopping veg hot pans and weak muscles ,and RosieMaw,s post.