It's week 2 of the Go Red BetterU program, and I've had an expensive - yet, effective - reminder about what can go wrong when warning signs are ignored.
Our car's been making a funny noise lately that has gradually gotten louder and louder. I had a feeling it was the brakes, but didn't have time to mess with it. The sound got louder and louder - and more embarrassing - until, finally, we took it in to be serviced.
New brakes, new rotors, new drums...the works, for a grand totally of $800.
Now, as you know, if I'd taken the car in when it first started making a noise, I could've gotten away with just new pads on the brakes and the bill would have been a whole lot less. But I didn't. Didn't have time. Didn't want to deal with. Had other things to do.
Interesting how that works, isn't it?
It was interesting to me during this Go Red BetterU program to receive such a reminder. If we're noticing something's off with our hearts - perhaps a racing heart at times, or a minor pain in the arm - and don't take the time to address it early on, things can get much worse. And be a whole lot more costly, in a non-monetary kind of way.
So, I'm taking the time this week. I'm reading the valuable information on the Go Red website.
I felt like I got a lot of useful information this week. There's a page about how to make heart-healthy changes to recipes when preparing food. For instance, low-fat substitutions:
Whole Milk (1 cup) = 1 cup fat-free or nonfat milk + 1 Tbsp. unsaturated oil.
Heavy Cream (1 cup) = 1 cup evaporated fat-free milk or 1⁄2 cup low-fat yogurt and 1⁄2 cup plain low-fat cottage cheese.
Sour Cream = Low-fat cottage cheese plus low-fat or nonfat yogurt. Fat-free sour cream is also available.
Cream Cheese = 4 Tbsp. margarine blended with 1 cup dry low-fat cottage cheese. Add a small amount of fat-free milk if needed.
Butter (1 Tbsp.) = 1 Tbsp. polyunsaturated margarine or 3⁄4 Tbsp. polyunsaturated or monounsaturated oil. Use 11⁄4 Tbsp. margarine for 1 Tbsp. oil.
Shortening (1 cup) = 2 sticks polyunsaturated margarine (choose margarine low in trans fat or trans fat free).
Eggs (1 egg) = 1 egg white plus 2 tsp. of unsaturated oil, or use a cholesterol-free egg substitute.
Unsweetened Baking Chocolate (1 oz) = 3 Tbsp. unsweetened cocoa powder or carob powder + 1 Tbsp. polyunsaturated oil or margarine. Carob is sweeter than cocoa, so reduce sugar in recipe by 1⁄4.
Using low-saturated-fat, low-cholesterol recipes makes it easier to cook healthful meals. There’s a lot you can do with your favorite recipes or everyday meals to control the amount of saturated fat and cholesterol you eat. It’s a great way to have your cake and eat it, too!
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There's a lot more information available through the Go Red BetterU website. It's not too late to sign up. Click here for more information.
