Vitamin K and I

Vitamin K is something I watch in my diet more than I do carbs, sugar, fat, cholesterol, etc. I started taking coumadin in 2008 to protect my shiny, new, noisy, heart valve. I will take it the rest of my life. Vitamin K and Coumadin interact and make the coumadin ineffective. Coumadin thins your blood so that it's not so sticky. Vitamin K thickens your blood making it really sticky.

"Don't eat greens." And, "Eat the same amount of greens daily," The nutritionists at the hospital advised.

And when things aren't in balance, "WHAT have you been eating?!"

Over the years I've found a few unexpected, not green, sources for Vitamin K that have befuddled and messed with the status quo. Cabbage & Cauliflower were the beginning. Cabbage in any form is not to be over indulged. Coleslaw on Sunday can mean 2-3 days of lovenox shots until things therapeutic levels are reached.  Oye.

And then there was the time I decided to make Black eyed peas for New Year's. A new family tradition, right? Well that tradition is way too expensive. A week of those $100 each lovenox shots and way too many trips to the hospital for blood tests. Of course, I wasn't eating greens. I was only eating the left over beans! Oye, Black eyed peas a very high in Vitamin K.

Then summer came along and I switched from coffee to iced tea. Lots of iced tea because it was hot and we were trying to save money by not running the air. Oye. Black tea, green tea, it all comes from a plant and is high in Vitamin K. At least the electricity bill met the new budget standards.

Eating the same amounts every day? Yes. that would fix things. But iced tea in the winter isn't my thing. And seriously, have you ever thought that eating the same thing day in, day out is realistic? You pick your 5 favorite meals and eat only that for the next month. I dare you.

Fish, seriously? Who knew! Liver, lentils, pickles, chili powder, curry, paprika, cayenne, prunes and onions are on the list too I recently discovered on a recent visit to a new nutritionist.  THEY AREN'T EVEN GREEN for Pete's sake!

Oye.