Posted in Philosophy

Whether you want to like it or not there are just some times in your life that you have to eat for your health and this is one of those in our house.  This is a rant of sorts so hang on... 

I am annoyed by so many of those fad diets out there that tell you that you cannot eat certain things or dub a food "BAD" when it is actually good for you.  Those diets only deprive you of things your body needs so I steer clear of them and try to go with balance.  I would say that has worked for me because I have had mild struggles with my weight but nothing out of control unless I was binging on sugary stuff.

There are exceptions to the rule with banning foods when they are foods that are not natural or are meant to be eaten in small amounts and not very often - like additives in foods and sugars of certain varieties (corn syrup is a diabetics worst nightmare).  You guys know me...  I am into the whole crunchy living thing and won't put artificial things in my body or in the body of my children.  I won't use artificial sweeteners or food additives.  I refuse to buy prepackaged stuff because of the nitrites and soy stuff - it is an allergy thing with me.  I won't take medications unless I am dying and have to.  All that being said I am trying to find the right balance for Dan and for the kids so that everyone has their needs met and are healthy.  There are positive things we can do to change our bodies without depriving it of nutrition and vitamins and minerals that are crucial to good body functioning.  By the way, carbs are not the enemies!!!  Our bodies are fueled by good carbs so don't shut them out, please!!!  Your body needs more fiber, too, and you get that from whole grains in breads, pasta and brown rice along with beans, nuts and seeds. 

I am trying to teach habits as I go, too.  It would be easy to just feed the kids junk and move on but then I am setting them up for future health issues and I don't want them to go through what Dan is going through at such a young age.  As much as we can figure he started having blood pressure issues in his late 20's and they have escalated with time.  It is hereditary in his family but he has not helped the condition with eating and sedentary lifestyle (he knows that, too).  I want to teach my children better habits before they get there, too.  With that in mind I HATE that Dan is on not one but TWO medications now.  Our goal is to get him OFF those things through diet and exercise.  He is still needing to lose about 30 pounds.  He will still be on those meds until these results have been accomplished and the doctor approves him going off them.  His diet is pretty good but I decided to check out some more low sodium foods and some specific foods that would help him out nutritionally. 

Here is a GREAT resource that I found with recipes for low sodium eats for any of you interested...  and guess what?  It has things that are "SHUNNED" on other diets like avocados, potatoes and bananas.  Our bodies need these things! 

I watched a program recently with Dr. Mehmet Oz, too, and he had some great guidelines for changing how you eat without making EVERYTHING taboo.  You can read more about that here if you like.  I love the philosophy of making small lifestyle changes that will make big changes in the longrun and not some crash diet that tells you that you can NEVER eat dessert again, etc...  I loved the examples of people used in the program that showed how you could have energy and strength and time for family and fun.  We will be continuing to make small changes for health.  It is not about being model thin or looking like the magazine pictures.  For us, it is about staying alive to raise these children God has blessed us with and being healthy to be the most we can be in this life for as long as God will let us be here together. 

Oh, and one more thing...  you gotta exercise.  There is no other way around it.  Your body needs to get up and move.  We are not made to be sedentary creatures.  When I came to terms with that it made me feel so much better and I look better for it, too.   Just ask Dan...