I Quit.

I am quitting with all of the bad health choices I have been making lately.  Taking care of one’s health should be paramount.  Sometimes we forget to make sure we get what our mind and bodies need to forge ahead.   Diet, exercise and sleep are some of the key elements people need to live happy, healthy and productive lives.

For those of us who have diseases to contend with, achieving a desirable life requires much more effort.

I need to drink more water and not soft drinks like Dr. Pepper®.  Sugary drinks are not good for anyone.  Also, I am guilty of drinking a cup of coffee every once in a while.  I love coffee especially in the morning which is not good for me or anyone with IC because of the acidity.  Acidity is measured on a pH scale with 7.0 being neutral.  Numbers less than 7 are more acidic, and numbers greater than 7 are more basic.  Lemon juice registers at about 2.0; milk has a pH of 6.5.  Coffee’s pH is usually around 4 to 5 depending on the brand you buy.  More information can be found at highergroundstading.com.

My eating habits are not that great.  I confess.  I like fast food.  Why, you ask?  Well, it is quick with no clean up needed in the kitchen.  Another vice is that I love chocolate.  I am now at the point where I want something sweet after lunch and dinner and for a snack during the day and for a snack at night.  What is going on?  In my defense (and this is not an excuse but rather a challenge for me), I am taking medication where weight gain is a common side effect.  I am unfortunately dealing with excess pounds now.  My appetite is just out of control.  An English friend of mine said that she gained 1 stone (14 lbs) while on the medication I am on so maybe that is why I have an increased appetite.  I never really had an issue with weight prior to this medication.

I need to be more active.  Again, something I use to do is walk.  I love walking for a couple of reasons.  One, walking helps me unwind from the craziness of the workday.  And two, there are tons of health benefits from walking.  Some of the health benefits are

1.  increased cardio vascular (heart) and pulmonary (lung) fitness
2.  stronger bones and improved balance
3.  increased muscle strength and endurance
4.  reduced body fat

The list of benefits goes on and on.  Check out www.betterhealth.vic.gov.au for more details on walking.  Oh, and the best thing of all, walking is free!  I also have access to a gym so I need to start using it!  I am going to make a concerted effort to exercise and eat healthy.

My plan is designed for success.  I am not going to go from zero to hero.  I am going to make these changes slowly.  Baby steps!

I am going to go to the gym and walk on the tread mill maybe 2 to 3 times a week.  As time goes by I will add other exercises and/or machines like the stair stepper and the rowing machine.  I will gradually move on to using weights to do bicep and tricep curls.  I want to make these changes become a part of my normal routine but the key, I think, will be to pace myself.  I need to set realistic goals so I can steadily progress to where I want to be to meet my exercise expectations.

Next up is the weight and food issue.  I am going back to drinking water which should not be too difficult for me because I have done this before for long periods of time.  Okay, here is where it starts to get tricky; limiting snacks will be my biggest challenge.  I will make sure to eat good nutritious meals with lots of vegetables, not watching calories at first.  Again, “baby steps.”  I will have some healthy snacks and limited chocolate and/or sweet treats.  I hope to have 80% healthy snacks and 20% chocolate-type items.

I want to add juicing to my diet.  I have a powerful juicer that I bought last year.  I am going to start juicing on a regular basis.

I will start with juicing one to two days a week and then increase as time goes by.  I actually really like juices especially the green juices.  I do have to be careful about my choices when juicing because of my IC disease.  I can post at a later time one of my green juice recipes.

 

Hopefully, with these changes, my physical and even mental health will improve.  I should have more energy and just feel better overall.  I also anticipate that my IC symptoms will diminish somewhat.  I will share my “ups and downs” as I try to get myself on a healthier path.  Again, I always want to hear your stories as well.  Send good vibes my way, and I will do the same in return!