Diet Changes and Exercise for the New Year

Another year is approaching. 2020 has been draining in so many ways. Physically, with all the health problems. Emotionally, with all the distance that came with "social distancing".  Mentally, with trying to keep everything together and running smoothly. I would love to say I juggled everything in perfect harmony, however, the truth was I tripped and rolled through the goal posts often. Now, it is time to take action and make some changes.

Dietary changes take center stage

I had to make some serious adjustments to my diet after they removed my rotten gallbladder. Full of stones, that thing was causing pain for months. However, a gallbladder stores extra bile that assists in breaking down fatty foods that are ingested. Without it, my liver hasn't been able to keep up with that job. The list of things we have removed from my daily diet has been growing ever since.

All but mozzarella cheese

Fried or greasy foods - fries, onion rings, egg rolls, fried chicken

Tomato sauces

Bacon

Ground beef

Peanut butter

Then, for a while after I had 3 wisdom teeth pulled and couldn't eat anything too hard so pudding, yogurt and soups became my staples. Even then, eating or drinking cold things triggered pain. (Still do.) Especially when I developed dry socket. Around this time, my husband started having severe heartburn issues. Indigestion and heartburn can make an overnight stocking job extremely difficult. It is like having fire in your chest that tries to spill out every time he bends over. We both had to start taking the generic for Prilosec to treat GERD symptoms. 

It was at this point that we decided to substitute some things while taking out the carbs that are more dangerous. Instead of regular rice, we are now trying to add in cauliflower rice as often as possible. We make smoothies for one of the meals we have instead of eating a full meal. Most days, neither of us eat breakfast. I'm not much of a breakfast person. And since he works overnight, when he comes home - he just wants a shower and bed. If he has breakfast, it is typically granola cereal. I scoured Pinterest for ideas and decided that we needed to start having protein and veggies a lot more. My favorites are the variations on taco bowls. Super simple to put together, easy to make ahead, and tasty to boot! We have even started adding spinach to both smoothies and these veggie bowls I make. Doesn't seem like a big change, but I think it is taking off really well for us. 

Drink until you feel bloated!

I had a doctor tell me that I needed to drink until I felt bloated. Or until I felt like I was drowning. I don't suggest the latter phrase. But you should never feel thirsty. I once heard it as, "When you feel thirsty, your body is already dehydrating." So we have a new way to gauge how much water we are drinking. I have 3 water bottles that are 16.9 ounces each. I have labeled them E1, E2, E3. I also made a set for him. This way, I know I'm getting at least 6 of those8 - 8 ounce water glasses that are suggested to stay truly hydrated. Sadly, my husband has seen that he may have an electrolyte imbalance as he drinks until he feels bloated and still feels thirsty. If that is the case for you, you need to add in electrolyte drinks (something like Gatorade, just find lower sugar ones).

Physical activity is a must!

Our biggest problem comes in working out. Or should I say, the lack of working out. We invested in a pull up bar. Not the best one on the market, but it has worked. My husband has some amazing upper body strength, whereas my strength has always been in the legs. He can pull himself up fully with his arms. I have to do it with my legs already propped up... 

My sister-in-law shared a downloadable book with me. Now, I'm not as tough as her. She can work all day, come home and work out for at least an hour, and then deal with her family. And I thought I was Wonder Woman! But as much as that makes me feel inferior sometimes, it can also push me to work harder. I start small. But I plan to finish big. 

Starting small, ending big! 

You know what I keep hearing? That you need to change something a little at a time to work up to the big change. What does that mean? Take my diet, for instance. I had an internal organ removed. After doing so, I learned which foods messed me up. Mostly by eating those things and paying the price afterwards.  I like to think of myself as an intelligent person, however, that doesn't mean my stubborn streak stays under control. I don't like being told what I can or can't do, eat, etc.. So of course I had to try to eat those foods and suffer the painful consequences after to realize that was a stupid decision. Now, I leave those things out. But it is trial and error. 

So my advice to you is to start small. Cut out one food at a time. Or two. Do one kind of workout, or two, per day. Fill up your 15 minutes a day with those until you get a routine started. Then add something else. If you try to start big, I can almost guarantee that you will fail. You will give up. Why? Because it feels impossible. I should know. I've been trying for 4 years to get back on track. Time and again, I've quit. I've walked away. Now, I don't have a choice. The pain has gotten stronger, the back has gotten weaker and now I'm having to deal with other health problems growing.

Dancing our way to health

We have decided to turn on a Just Dance game for our daily workout. You want to talk about working out? Dancers are fit for the one reason that their movements are often strenuous. We get our hearts pumping, start sweating and it only takes about 4-5 songs to fill 15 minutes. We also are both competitive, so it pushes us to work harder to beat each other in fun.  It goes by so much quicker than we thought. We love it! Even the toddler will join in. Once we are ready, I have a fit game that does simple, but deep workouts and keeps counts for us. But for you? Do what you love. Walking make your day? Then do it! It is low impact, but you can go at your pace. If you have access to a pool (YMCA has them indoors), do laps. I told my husband I want to try to get a membership with them so that I can workout without tearing up my back more. Water aerobics are great for that. You don't feel the strain. And remember, 15 minutes a day is what you need. Every thing over that is just a bonus accomplishment.

7 Steps We Are Taking Towards Eating Healthier

 These days, eating healthier can be really hard. Let's face it, it is cheaper and quicker to buy prepackaged foods than it is to purchase the healthier options. Especially when you have a large family like ours. With 4 growing children, we have to be conscientious in every shopping trip we make. So here are some steps we took to make our healthier diet less of a dream and more of a reality. 

Buying frozen fruits and vegetables - This has been a tremendous help to us! First off, frozen fruits and vegetables retain more of their benefits because they are frozen soon after being picked. So healthier by default. Also, they don't go bad before I can use them. We use frozen fruits in the smoothies we make. And the vegetables are used in my casseroles as well as sides for other meals. I buy the big store brand bags of the veggies and they last me several meals. I can simply pull out how much I need. 

Making smoothies - This option has multiple uses in our home. We can give the kids smoothies as treats, use them to make popcicles, or even as a meal for just me and my husband. We have found that we can be satisfied with a smoothie as a meal instead of eating. This is helping us with our weight loss goals. And takes the place of a salad - which my husband gets tired of eating often. Even better is that we only need 3 ingredients (though you can add whatever else you may want): fruit, juice and yogurt. We have found that adding heavy whipping cream makes them creamier. 

Checking labels for artificial colors - Hear me out on this one. Have you ever checked the labels of your favorite products? Do you actually know what is in them? Well, we have started. A dear friend of ours is allergic to artificial coloring. So we tried to always serve foods that didn't have them or MSG (another thing she was allergic to). One thing we came to notice is that a lot of prepackaged foods have artificial colors being added. Why is that?? I mean, think about this. Strawberry Poptarts have it. Isn't the strawberry enough to make it red? Oh wait, it is because companies think the coloring isn't strong and vibrant enough to entice people. Breads had caramel coloring added. But what is it made from? Ever consider that? We did. We just had to look it up. The easy way to describe them? They are petroleum products, or byproducts. They are associated with a long list of health issues though. But since no one is doing intensive research on them, they can't get them banned in our country. Some of the biggest things include hyperactivity (especially in children), cancers, allergic reactions, eczema - and that is just beginning. Due to this knowledge, even European manufacturers have begun to remove or replace them in their products. Our own manufacturers here, who export to Europe, will remove them from the products being sent there, but not from the ones sold here! The Yellow #5 comes in snacks, cakes, pickles - you get the picture. It comes from coal tar. And it has been linked to asthma attacks and skin reactions. Norway, Austria and Finland have banned this one. America and Canada are okay with it as long as it is mentioned on the label. We have found that store brands or "off brands" don't usually have dyes in pre-packaged foods. We went to Aldi and found Millville and Black Forest products that use natural things to flavor with, which means the coloring is also natural. Things like real fruit, turmeric, paprika - this is what you want to see in your foods.

Cutting out the junk foods - I can't tell you how much of a struggle this is. Still! We have been skipping the snack aisle for a while. But there are times when we falter. Like today. Those Nutty Bars were calling our names... And we listened! So here is our compromise. Most of you might be like us and might feel the need to have those treats. At least some times. We have agreed that chips are no more than a once-a-week purchase. Our family can polish off 3 bags in 3 meals. And that isn't in the way you do while binge watching Stranger Things during a pandemic. That is Mom distributing chips to each person at lunch, 3 days in a row. By that third day, however, we are at the bits and pieces at the bottom of the bag! I have been amazed to see that my kids will eat less per sitting for the sake of making them stretch longer. And with them being in school, they can last just that much longer. Sweets are to be limited to Sundays, Wednesdays and Fridays. We sometimes mess up when Mom has events to bake for, but for the most part we are keeping to that schedule. It makes it more of a treat then. Also, they have to have 2 plates of dinner before they can have dessert. This way, I know they are eating enough. I have two preteen boys. No way they can try to tell me they aren't hungry enough for 2 plates anymore. If anything, I have to tell them to slow down and let food actually settle in their stomach or I run out of whatever I cooked!

No more buying ground beef products - My husband and I have been having a lot of issues with ground beef products from the grocery store. Severe stomach cramping, upset stomach, diarrhea. So many people we know have given up eating it lately for similar reasons. So we started looking into it. And have even decided to attempt eating it again, but only if it comes from a local meat market or butcher. No more store bought meats that aren't natural anyhow. 

Making our own bread - As I mentioned above, breads come with artificial colors and enough preservatives that you would think it could look fresh forever. So, despite the kids protests, and because my husband gave me a bread maker, I'm making our bread. I make a loaf about every 2 days. This has also helped up save money too. 

Shopping at the local Farmer's Markets - We have been wanting to do this for some time now. We found a small one to hit up about twice a week before the pandemic. Well, now we have two. The large one downtown has a great variety of vendors selling produce, fresh meats, and homemade products. It was amazing! And we are talking about making this a weekly thing we do. We got fresh bread (jalapeno and cheese), jams (strawberry lemonade was the best!), ground beef and bacon, tomatoes, bell peppers, and even cheeses!

What other ways are you getting healthy?