Variety is the spice of life

This may not be a true guide for spiritual health but when applied to fruits, vegetables, whole grains, nuts and seeds there isn't much better advice for achieving health and hapiness. When I was eating mostly processed food, I found it difficult to get a good variety of wholesome foods in each day. It seemed like such a hassle and too time consuming. Does any of this sound familiar. 

I also found myself -saying things like, "I'll give up my double cheeseburger when they pry my cold dead arterioschlerosis ridden hands from around it". Just kidding, but I did feel very strongly that I was going to be deprived and unhappy somehow if I couldn't eat fat ridden, high calorie, low fiber foods whenever I wanted and in whatever quantity it took to feel slightly uncomfortable. 

Ahh! Now that's livin'. Well actually, that's dyin'. Maybe slowly and little by little but that's dyin' for sure. 

Now, I enjoy healthy foods and after some initial adjustment I find it is not that difficult. Actually, eating healthy takes less effort and cost  than my previously  sporadic ways . My greatest difficulty now is being able to eat everything I want to in a single day. 

How did this transformation start, you ask? Well, praise God and thanks to my family for instituting a weight challenge. I started by logging into www.fitday.com and deciding to limit myself to 1500 calories a day to start. Near the end of the first week I began to think, "If I'm going  to limit myself to 1500 calories a day, I want to eat as much as I can so I'm not hungry and I want to eat healthy so my body isn't starving".

I then began to research low calorie, high satiety foods and started to incorporate some into my diet. By the middle of the second week, I was trying lentil recipes I found on line. One of my new favorite recipe sites is www.recipebazaar.com. I began to cook different veggies everyday. Butternut squash, brown rice, cabbage, steamed carrots, onions, peppers, tomatos, sweet potato, lentils, beans of all kinds and apples, oranges and frozen berries make up the bulk of my diet. Toss in any nuts, raisins, prunes, in small amounts, brussels sprouts, brocolli, spinach and now your talking. The site http://www.tqnyc.org/2006/NYC063364//beneficial.htm is awesome. Try some of the foods listed. 

You may be tempted to think, "How much difference can it make?" but all I can tell you is it has been miraculous in my life. In little over three weeks, my blood pressure has come down to a range it hasn't been in years. My resting heart rate has dropped from 82 to 68. I am working out at the gym as hard as I can with good form and I have not been the least bit sore. I seem to get stronger with every workout, my endurance on the treadmill is getting dramatically better, my left arm has stopped going numb (pins and needles) and my left leg has stopped burning and hurting. (although it is still slightly numb it has improved beyond my wildest expectations)

All this in only three weeks ..and oh by the way did I mention I have lost 24 pounds without being hugry...I can only attribute this to the healthy and restorative nature of my diet. Now that I have begun to be in tune with my real hunger I don't worry as much about keeping the calories strictly at 1500. If I have a real strong workout or a real busy day and I'm extra hungry I will go as high as 2000 calories but that is still well below what my body burns every day.

(The rule of thumb is take your current body weight X 10 for women X11 for men.  Add 20% for sedentary up to 40% for active lifestyle and then to that add 10% for digestion, etc. 

Assuming a body weight of 200 for a women you would have 200 X 10=2000    2000 + 30%=2600   2600 + 10% = 2860 which would be what your body needs to maintain if your relatively sedentary. So to lose a pound a week you would need to eat 3500 calories a week less than your body needs which is 500 calories a day so you would shoot for 2360.  Don't go to low and watch your nutrition. ONE LAST THNG...Sodium is a KILLER! for your health and your weight and processed food is full of it.

I know it's early and you've heard it before. It's going to take time and you seeing me stick to this and keep the weight off for you to believe for real, but if you want to start feeling healthier, calmer, more physically fit and spiritaully peaceful, more vibrant, hopeful and alive in every way then don't delay. Don't let precious moments of your life be stolen away.

God bless you and aid you in your endeavors ...I love you all very much...thanks for loving me!