For the last few weeks I have been trying to improve my eating habits . With all the talk of healthy heart eating, no carbs, low fat, low sodium diets, I wanted to see for myself how I would feel if I ate just a little bit better. The first thing I did was cut meat out of my diet. (Sorry, TJ & Mark! I love your cows and your organic beef, but....) I have a few friends that are vegetarians so I wanted to see if this would make a difference in how I felt. It's been 3 weeks and so far I feel great. I don't miss it too much. There are so many meat substitutes available that make it easier to eliminate the real thing from the table. I had some vegan sausage the other day mixed in with my stir fry and it was actually pretty good. (though I never liked real sausage, anyway!)
The next thing I cut out was coffee. I have done this umpteen times over the years only to ever so slowly invite it back in! I didn't have too much trouble with that until about 3 days later I began to notice this small ache toward the back of my head. This would be the dreaded no-coffee headache. I was surprised that it took a few days for that to happen. I do have Chai latte's every now and again in addition to Yerba Matte' tea, so I don't strictly have myself weaned from caffeine but I figured that this was a good starting point. Once the headache cleared, the no-coffee rule certainly helped my attitude. I feel much less anxiety than I did. The next hurdle to tackle is the sugar. This one is a bit harder for me as I have not just a sugar tooth but several sugar teeth. I think I get this trait from my mother! She enjoys a good sweet roll as much as I do! I haven't really done that well with this dietary change. Seems like every time I moderate my intake, there's a baby shower to attend with a delicious ice cream filled cake, or a Pampered Chef house warming party with gooey, rich caramel brownies or some other such occasion that requires my indulgence. Once I get the other vices under control I will work harder on the sugar thing.
With the price of diesel fuel reaching a milestone of $5 here in Humboldt I try to do most of my errands on foot. I love to walk and town isn't that big, so I walk just about everywhere I can.
The days of indulgence are gone along with my youth. My mom told me I wouldn't be able to eat that way forever with out consequences and of course mom is usually right. I think the days of moderation are here now. Our health is so fragile, yet so wonderful that I don't want to abuse what the Good Lord has given me. I have seen first hand what it is like to lose your good health and I am not ready or willing to have any of that in my life! So I shall try to do a little better everyday by respecting this gift of good health. And through this act of worship, showing God how appreciative I am for all He has given me for His glory.
