Nutrition is Everything

Greetings to all you lovely people.

Today my thoughts are on nutrition. One of the major causes of my condition was the foods I consumed, or in lots of cases, did not consume. Let's face it, most of us know that we are supposed to eat a balanced diet, and may know the surface "why", and what can happen if we don't and blah blah blah. But for the most part, we all believe we are bulletproof .... until we are not.

We all know that one person who ate cheesy poofs, smoked like a chimney, drank every day with dinner, never exercised, and lived to 93 proven by that photo at that birthday party blowing out candles amidst the wailing of smoke alarms. Yeah, that guy (or girl). That's gonna be me!!! Ahhhhhh, no.

This past year especially, I've lived like I was on vacation. Patty Melts, onion rings, big breakfasts, happy hours, if it hung from a tree or grew out of the ground initially, it did not get consumed...unless it was laden in butter in the pan, or a rousing layer of batter.

Not to say I was bad my entire life...no. I yo-yo'd around different methods of getting slim. And let me put the emphasis on the focus of getting slim...alone. I did not focus on true nutrition, and in some cases I really did not realize my focus was off.

I tried that diet that Ms. Winfrey did, back in the 80's and boy did I get slim...eating nothing, and a cheat was nibbling sinfully on a smidge of iceberg lettuce with the fridge door open so it would be stealthily unseen by others. I followed a big corporate diet plan on and off for YEARS...counting other indicators instead of calories, and relying on fat free or nutritionally empty snacks that were 100 calories or less to try to stave off the hunger. I did toss a few natural foods in for good measure here and there. I succeeded then too! On getting slim, that is, to varying degrees each time. But each time my brain said, once you are "done" you can have this or that again. And the cycle would continue. In my own head, I never figured out how to make it a life plan...my forever way of eating.

I developed hypothyroidism somewhere along the way. Confused the hell out of that little sucker. Yo-yo dieting is not good for the body. The last big gain (most recently), I also developed sleep apnea and had to get the C-PAP to save me from gasping for air. My cholesterol was up, my triglycerides were up, my blood pressure was up, and as we know now, my liver enzymes were up. Triglycerides are apparently a huge indicator that fat in your body is too high, and your liver is dumping it...should have known something was up...had I been informed. Hindsight. I was tired, I was out of breath from minimal exercise...I was cooked.

Fast forward to now. I have nutrition as my main focus. I watch my calories, but now it is to make sure I meet a calorie range, rather than exceed it. I found it is much harder than I ever imagined to find ways to eat 1200 calories a day when the food is not processed, fried, buried in sauce...you know?

Here are a few examples of foods I prioritize today.

*Fruits: apples, oranges, berries, pears, peaches, plums

*Vegetables: broccoli, cauliflower, asparagus, tomatoes, peas, sweet potatoes

*Protein foods: eggs, dairy products, seafood, lean cuts of meat and poultry

*Legumes: beans, lentils, chickpeas

*Nuts: walnuts, almonds, cashews, pistachios, macadamias, pecans

*Seeds: pumpkin seeds, flaxseed, chia seeds, hemp seeds

*Whole grains: quinoa, oats, brown rice, buckwheat and sprouted bread

*Heart-healthy fats: olive oil, avocados, avocado oil, salmon, nuts, seeds

*Beverages: water, coffee, tea

*Herbs and spices: black pepper, cumin, dill, parsley, thyme, GARLIC lol

What I avoid:

*Sugar: cakes, pies, soda

*Sugar Substitutes - I have settled on Stevia (including truvia) or Monk Fruit only right now

*Highly processed foods: fast food, convenience meals, canned soups, packaged snacks

*Unhealthy fats: margarine, vegetable shortening, fried foods

*Salty snacks: chips, crackers, pretzels, microwave popcorn

*Processed meats: hot dogs, sausage, deli meats, bacon, beef jerky

*High sodium condiments: soy sauce, teriyaki sauce, steak sauce, spaghetti sauce

*Undercooked foods: raw or undercooked meat, poultry, eggs, fish, oysters, or mussels

*Alcohol: wine, beer, spirits, cocktails

I am trying to consume the most nutritionally dense foods I can find that also help with inflammation (slim down, you liver!!!) and build up the body to protect against further damage. I am constantly reading and seeking out new combinations of things.

I am currently down 82.4 pounds and still going strong. My cholesterol, triglycerides and blood pressure are all normal (sometimes my bp is too low...working on that), my liver enzymes are normal and the last ultrasound shows healing in my liver.

I eat three square meals a day with a variety of protein, fruits/veggies, nuts/seeds in each, and have no desire to snack. I drink only coffee, tea, water. I start each morning with a big glass of water with fresh lime/lemon squeezed in before I consume a single other thing.

I take no supplements, and I do not take any pain relievers. Specialist said I can only take acetaminophen if absolutely needed...but I haven't needed anything in 5 months.

I think I'm on the right track. I imagine my food as my medicine now, and I picture it healing me through and through. I do not focus on getting slim, I focus on being the healthiest version of myself I can be...the slim part is a bonus that affords me the ability to live longer, and be active, and maybe get back up on that horse one day.

I wish the same for all. Choose your path wisely.

Love, Sue