So, this is kind of a random post, but it's something that hit home with me, and I wanted to share it, and get feedback from people who have thoughts on this. I also thought that posting it might help hold me more accountable to keeping up with the changes I want us to make. This topic is something that I don't like to talk about, at all, really, because it's something that I have struggled with for a while now. There are reasons why I am overweight, some that were totally in my control, and others that were medicinally and illness related, and it got really overwhelming to me. To be honest, I just kind of gave up. Life got busy and weight loss went on the back burner. But I feel very strongly that it is time to make changes. Not just go on a diet, but to change my lifestyle, my attitude towards food and to set goals to get more active.
It all started when I finally got around to watching a documentary on Netflix called Fat, Sick and Nearly Dead.
Now, I should mention that I typically don't get into fad diets and I
don't really watch documentaries because I usually feel like it's just a
bunch of extreme opinions that are filled with a little truth (unless
they are historical documentaries - those I always love!!) That being
said, I have no idea why I watched Fat, Sick and Nearly Dead. Honestly,
it just isn't something I normally would watch. But I am really glad I
did. It was sort of just what the doctor ordered. The movie focuses on
two men who start to juice fruits and veggies and drink only those
juices for 60 days. The thing that REALLY hit home for me, what that
these two men both had a form of vasculitius (not the same type I have,
theirs would be there constantly if they didn't take medication). The
fact that I have vasculitius and they doctors have no idea what causes
flare ups or what kind of auto immune issues that I could have that
haven't manifested themselves (the vasculitius being a symptom of
something else). That scares the crap out of me. I constantly freak out
when I see any sort of spots on my legs, and worry about when it might
flare up again. But it's all unknown and out of my control.
That being said, watching these two men have a similar struggle was
totally interesting to me. The movie made some very interesting points
about food consumption. It talked about eating 400 calories and oils, or
chicken or vegetables and how much they will or won't fill you up.
It's so very logical. I'm sure that I've heard something so similar before but it didn't stick with me or I just didn't care or pay attention. However this time it did both. And I am not ignoring what I learned. I also watched the documentary Forks over Knives and I also took a lot away from that. I wouldn't have even cared about it if I hadn't watched the other one first. But they talk about all the benefits of a plant based diet and how can stop or even reverse heart disease. The adverse effects of to much meat and dairy.
So, based on all of that information, I've decided to make some changes.
It all started with buying a juicer. And a lot - I mean A LOT- of
fruits and vegetables.
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| The fruits and veggies |
 |
| Cut up and ready to go |
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| Sunset Juice |
Jacob and I actually did a 10 day juice fast, and it was a really good experience. It was hard, and kind of weird, but totally worth it. For me, it had a lot of positive benefits - I no longer got headaches throughout the day, I finally slept well at night and went to sleep with no problems (which is HUGE for me - I've struggled with sleeping well for a long time), I actually had good energy levels after the first few days, and I just felt really good. We've been traveling a lot over the weeks that followed the fast, but I am thinking about doing it again, and then really focusing on changing what we eat. I want to incorporate jucing into our daily meal plan and I think start to go with a more plant based diet found in the Engine 2 diet book. I've been reading that (this stems from the Forks Over Knives) and I really like what I've been reading and what I want to start incorporate in my life. I'm not giving up meat and dairy completely, but we will cut back on how much we eat. I also think it's important to set a good foundation for Savannah, on how to eat healthy. I want her to enjoy eating healthy goods (I know, we will see how that goes...) and to try new things. She's a good sport so far, at least with flavors, and I'm grateful for that.
That's where I am at with this for now. I want to work on getting more active and do a 5K this fall. It's a long road ahead, but I'm hoping that if I focus on the journey, not the destination that it will be a great, life changing experience.
6 comments:
1. I love fresh fruits and veggies. A lot. :)
2. Are you familiar with "Eat Right 4 Your Type"? It's a diet book, of sorts, but it discusses how different blood types have different needs. I'm O+, and I need meat protein (specifically red meat) to function optimally. I've tried to be a vegetarian three times, and while I was eating protein I wasn't eating the best protein for me, so I pretty much stayed sick. When I went back to a more balanced diet, my anemia went away, my IBS symptoms decreased significantly, etc.
3. Good luck with everything! :) Also, we need to visit soon. It's been far too long!
I am so proud of you!! It's hard work, but completely worth it, and you have to find what works for you!! I'll keep you in my prayers, but you're gonna rock this and that 5k!!! The Word of Wisdom is mostly a plant based diet anyway (including whole grains which are from plants!), with meats sparingly (I would include dairy in that) and I think it's a great way to go. I'm here if you need to talk or support or ideas or whatever!
I'd be thrilled to run a 5k with you this Fall. Let me know and we'll start planning it!
You should really check out my friend's web site: clairissacooper.com. When she was pregnant with her third child she got diagnosed with MS (another auto-immune disease). This was about 3 years ago. Since that time she has completely changed her eating habits and has refused to treat her MS with medication. I'm not saying that's what everyone should do, but it's really worked well for her. She used to live in the Sugar Hill Ward, but is now in Texas. The local news station did a story on her too: http://www.wfaa.com/news/health/Woman-decides-to-take-drug-free-path-in-treating-multiple-sclerosis-151453795.html
Her web site has SO many resources and ideas about a plant-based diet and how what we eat affects our health - it would definitely give you more to think about. GOOD LUCK!
Good for you! I spotted a Papa John's Garlic Sauce in your refrigerator drawer. From now on, when we hang out, no Papa John's for us! : ) -- Cari : )
Greg watched this movie when Julia was a week old and wanted to do the juice fast. He lasted for about 12 hours. Now that I'm recovered from pregnancy I decided I wanted to try it and just finished 8 days. I cheated a bit - I allowed myself to eat whole fruits and veggies (not just juiced), nuts and beans. But for the most part I was just drinking the juice. It wasn't as hard as I thought it would be, and I feel much better now. What I love most about it is that it changed my tastes. I ate a granola bar today and HATED it...way too sugary! You'll have to let me know if you do it again. You inspired me to try it! (Greg's fast did little to inspire, lol.)
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