Diet for Blood Disorders and Diseases

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The most common among the blood disorders among the rich and poor is high blood pressure or hypertension. In the advanced countries about one in six citizens have this condition. While exact figures are not known here, because of lack of proper medical statistics, at least one in fifteen have this condition mainly because of lifestyles and the stresses of everyday life. More may have low blood pressure due to lack of proper nutrition.

Experts now agree that diet plays a role in both the prevention and treatment of high blood pressure. A high-salt diet contributes to the condition in people who have a genetic tendency to retain sodium. Weight gain also contributes to hypertension, and loosing excess weight is all that is needed to return blood pressure to normal levels.

For Stabilising Blood Pressure at Normal Levels Eat Plenty of:

Fresh vegetables, fresh and dried fruits, whole-grain cereals, and legumes for potassium.

Cut Down on:

Canned and other processed foods with added salt
Fatty foods.

Avoid:

Pickled and salty foods.
Cholesterol

Another critical blood disorder leading to heart disease and related medical conditions is the level of cholesterol in blood. Although often portaryed as a dietary pariah, cholesterol is essential to life as the body needs it to make sex hormones, bile, vitamin D, cell membranes, and nerve sheaths. Experts agree that dietary modification is appropriate if the total cholesterol count is greater than 200 mg/dl or if the LDL (low-density lipo-proteins-- the 'bad' cholesterol) level exceeds 130mg/dl.

Foods That May Raise Cholesterol Levels are:

Hard margarine and vegetable shortening (dalda).
Fatty meat and meat products, such as beef and lamb chops, hamburgers, hot dogs, salamis and other fatty cold cuts.
Cookies, cakes, pastries and chocolates.
Dairy products such as cheese, cream, and butter.

Foods That May Lower Cholesterol:

Whole-wheat bread and rolls
Fruits such as oranges, apples, pears, bananas, and dried fruits such as apricots, and prunes.
Oatmeal and breakfast cereals that contain oat or rice bran, as well tofu and other soy products.
Vegetables such as sweet corn, onions, garlic, lima beans, kidney beans, and other legumes.

Bleeding

Bleeding disorders, such as haemophilia are hereditary; others develop as a result of nutritional deficiencies, and the use of medications that suppress clotting, and as the consequence of certain diseases, including some cancers.

To Overcome The Problems Through Good Nutrition Practices, Eat Plenty of:

Spinach, potatoes, cabbage, oats and other whole grains, and organ meats for Vitamin K
Lean meat, poultry, seafood, and other foods high in iron and Vitamin B12
Citrus and other fresh fruits and vegetables for Vitamin C

Cut Down on:

Fatty fish such as pangash and hilsha and other sources of omega-3 fatty acids

Avoid:

Aspirin, and other drugs that suppress blood platelets and clotting.
Anaemia

Anaemia is the umbrella term for a variety of disorders that are characterized by the inability of red blood cells to carry sufficient oxygen. One of the common abnormalities in such blood disorders is a low level of haemoglobin-- the oxygen-carrier from the lungs to the body cells.

In mild anaemia, this may include general weakness, pallor, fatigue, and brittle nails. More severe cases are marked by shortness of breath, fainting, and cardiac arrhythmias.

For Such a Medical Condition, Eat Plenty of :

Organ meats, beef and lamb, poultry and game, fish, and egg yolks for iron and Vitamin B12.
Dried beans and peas, tofu and other soy products, dates, raisins, dried apricots, 'gur'.
Iron-enriched bread and cereals.
Citrus fruits and other good sources of Vitamin C, which increase the body's iron absorption.
Green vegetables for folate

Cut Down on:

Bran, spinach and other 'sags' which hinder iron absorption.
Zinc and calcium supplements, antacids, coffee and tea, which also reduce iron absorption.

Avoid:

Iron supplements unless prescribed by a physician.

The Low-Salt Diet

Various degrees of salt restriction may be prescribed for high blood-pressure conditions, the most common being to forbid the use salt at the table and all foods with high sodium content, and to allow little or no salt in cooking.

A more strict control allows no salt at all in cooking, and foods allowed are selected from those with very low salt content. The latter diet is seldom used for very long periods as it is so unpalatable to most people. Also modern medical treatment is making the use of very salt-restricted diets less necessary.

Meal-Pattern

On waking: Tea or fruit juice

Breakfast : Cereals--preferably oats-with milk. Fruit juice. Eggs-prepared without salt, beans on toast or grilled tomatoes and mushrooms, salt-free bread and butter. Tea or coffee.

Mid-morning: Yogurt drink

Midday: Fruit juice, grapefruit or melon or unsalted soup. Small portion meat or fish. Vegetables. Rice.

Tea: Salt-free bread and butter with preserves

Evening: Small amount of fish or meat dish. vegetables or salad or fresh fruit. Salt-free bread and butter/margarine

Diets with Modified or Low Animal-Fat Content

The normal diet is modified by reducing the amount of fats such as meat fat, milk, cream and butter, margarine, cheese, and egg and using oils for cooking, the best being olive oil, and then corn oil, sunflower oil, soya bean oil. Liberal amounts of fruit and vegetables such as green leafy vegeatbles, carrots and tomatoes, or fruit such as apricots and prunes will supply carotene. Liver is a low-fat meat very rich in vitamin A. Liberal portions of hilsha or pangash will provide Vitamin D. Dosages of Cod-liver oil will provide Vitamins A and D.

Meal-Pattern

On waking : Unsweetened Fruit juice or tea without milk and sugar.

Breakfast : Cereal with milk, fruit juice. Egg cooked any way (using permitted oils)/ fish kedgeree / liver stew/ grilled beckty. Bread and preserves. Tea or coffee with a little milk.

Mid-morning : Yogurt drink

Midday : Soup(unsalted). Meat or fish dish (100 gms meat or 150 gms fish), vegetables and salads. Rice.