I’m on a new health kick. Well, not really a kick, but a life change. I got sick of being sick, tired, brain-fogged, and fat, and decided to join in on the Fat, Sick, and Nearly Dead revolution. Since it so totally described how I felt in the title, it seemed appropriate. I went to www.rebootwithjoe.com and started reading.
My youngest son is getting married in October and I didn’t want my pictures to look like the ones from my oldest son’s wedding. That was my first motivation. But beyond looks, I needed to get myself under control. I was drinking two liters of Dr Pepper or Mr. Pibb a day. Every day. Yeah, stupid, but I have a chronic sore throat/sore tongue thing that only soda seemed to relieve.
We ate fairly healthy, but our meals were way too meat heavy. I cut out most processed foods a long time ago because of gluten-intolerance, but the meat sat pretty heavy on my stomach and took forever to digest. I had acid reflux, bloating, tired skin, achy joints, high blood pressure, and an addiction to chocolate.
In other words, if I didn’t make a change in my eating and drinking habits, I was a disaster waiting to happen.
So we started juicing a little over two weeks ago. I read and studied up on which veggies help which conditions. With a list in hand, I hit the markets and grocery store. Where I normally spent $150 on groceries, I spent $100. I buy organic as much as possible. Hubby pitched in to help, and he’s been good about helping since we started. I think he wants me to succeed as much as I do.
The results so far? Down 12 pounds, pain significantly reduced, kicked the soda habit (well, I still want one. I’m just not giving in). I’m sleeping 7-8 hours a night instead of waking up after five because my hips hurt. I enjoy the juicing where I hated to cook. My mind is so much clearer, my muse is back to work, my concentration is better. I’m drinking fruits and vegetables that I wouldn’t even consider eating, getting my full RDA of both that I’ve never had when eating. I juice cucumbers, pineapple, celery, kale, mango, cabbage–things I don’t like–along with carrots, apples, strawberries, sweet potatoes, spinach, broccoli, and ginger. Amazingly, it tastes great!
Even jury duty, my mom falling and needing 7 staples in her head, and taxes haven’t deterred me from my plan. Now when I go to the grocery store, I’m not tempted by chocolate, cookies, soda. Nothing is calling my name but fruits and veggies. This is huge for me.
My point with this post is if this soda-addicted, sugar-absorbed, steak-loving writer can learn new, healthier habits, anyone can. If you’re young, the time to change is now. Believe me, when you get to be my age, you’ll thank yourself for not waiting.
What about you? Anything you need to change in your life but need the motivation to get it done?
Oh, another upside…my new heroine is a food blogger who comes up with familiar, favorite recipes that are far healthier than the originals. I get to use my research to better myself as well. I found a recipe for a strawberry/banana smoothie that I adjusted to fit our lifestyle better, and it is awesome. Better than any strawberry shake from Sonic or Dairy Queen.
2 frozen bananas
1 package frozen strawberries
1 can coconut cream
4 oz probiotic vanilla yogurt
Add all to a blender and enjoy!
Tori
Authors of Main Street 