Healthier me

[Bravus]

So, I went cold turkey on the caffiene last week, and I guess am pretty much normal (for me) again now. Drinking heaps of water, getting more exercise (including mowing our new huge lawn and repairing some 'doggie divots' in the backyard yesterday) and just enjoying life.

[Bravus]

Eating better too.

[Bravus]

Not veggie yet, but who knows... more and more it's hard to claim to have a concern about climate change and poverty and still eat meat.

[Bravus]

Umm, this thread definitely doesn't have to be all about me. Celebrate something you've done to make yourself healthier lately!

[darlene]

Good for you, Bravus. Making health changes in our diet and exercise are not easy. I wish you all the best!

[Bravus]

Thank ya ma'am.

[Gail]

Bravus, what inspired you to make the lifestyle changes?

[Amelia]

Kudos on the healthy changes. How about a piccy of the new abode? I really liked the first house you were in though.

[Bravus]

The new house is pictured here: http://www.bravus.com/braviad/2007/08/our-new-place.html

The grass is a lot greener than that now, though, because we've had some rain. Make sure you click on the link in that blog post for the view out my back door (heh, anyone else singing Creedence in their head?)

I think a couple of things made me make the change. I started waking up with headaches and *needing* the first couple of coffees just to feel normal again... and that was not fun. I hate feeling like a slave to anything. I was also grinding my teeth in my sleep. I also am making a few other changes, like the new house, changes of financial approach and approach to my work, and it seemed to make sense to move toward a healthy body in a healthy house and a healthy job (a healthy mind is a larger project!)

[Gail]

Good for you! Sounds awesome! I hope it continues!

[Amelia]

Awesome view out the back. Is that a dedicated greenspace or might someone build and block your view? I'm glad your grass is greening up but here in Oregon most people tend to let the grass brown out til the rains come too. Plus brown grass doesn't grow very fast so you don't have to mow very often.haha

[Bravus]

Heh, we're actually not allowed to water the grass, because we're still in a drought (i.e. it's started raining but the dams are still almost empty), so everything was very dry up until a few weeks ago. We're getting enough now to make it lush and green, and seeing it was newly planted turf that's important to get it started. Yesterday was its first mow ever, and I suspect that will become a weekly ritual for me.

It's really nice: two sides of us are reserves that contain creekbeds, so even with a change of mind of the local council they will never be built on. And the place is set up so we look out in that direction, and can barely see our neighbours on the other two sides. We spend a fair bit of time out on the verandah, and having breakfast looking out over the bush as the sun comes up is pretty special.

[JeriAnne]

Interesting and I am really glad it is working for you! I don't know why things seem so backward for me! I lived most of my life a vegetarian, ate whole foods many of them raw! In 2000 I was diagnosed with Diabetes and decided the vegetarian diet had WAY too many carbs for me to stay healthy on it! So I started eating meat. Little by little I incorporated more and more meat into my diet. I really didn't like handling it and would usually buy it already cooked so I wouldn't have to! About a month ago my doctor referred me to a web site Reversing Diabetes Diet

I went to it and was surprised to find it promoted a vegan diet and also told me to eliminate wheat from my diet. While this was a new twist to what I had eaten most of my life I decided to try it! I have been 90% compliant with the diet. (I refuse to allow it to be an issue that would interfere with relationships)

For the last week my blood sugars have been terrible! I have trouble keeping them much below 200 and they often soar into the 400's and 500's. I end up taking a whole lot in Lispro (fast acting insulin) trying to get it down and if I am not careful it then bottoms out!

I told my doctor last Thursday that maybe it won't work for me since I became a diabetic eating a vegetarian diet! Maybe it is only good for those who have always eaten meat!!

I actually enjoy Vegan food and found that there are MANY new foods out there for vegans and those who don't want or can't eat wheat! But I am going back for now to eating meat so that I can bring my blood sugars back under control!

Maybe I am doing something wrong with the vegan diet. I will try it again once my blood sugars are in a more normal range!

I really want to eat and live healthfully but my body doesn't seem to like it much! Like so many things this has been a HUGE paradym shift!

[lazarus]

Celebrate something you've done to make yourself healthier lately!

I started running since June. I also started going to bed earlier. I discovered today that I've lost 20 lbs. I wasn't planning to lose weight, I just wanted to get fit. I'm shocked but happy.

I'm gonna celebrate with a chocolate cake!.........just kidding.

[Amelia]

Why is it men never go looking to lose weight but they do and women can't do it either way?

[Stan]

JeriAnne

Think black beans, a diabetic's best friend... so I have been told...

Potlucks... mostly carbs... tasty but not good for us...

Walking.... one of best controllers..

Juices... Bad

Oranges... bad.... hard fruits like apples.... way better..

Mashed potatoes? REALLY BAD... sweet potatoes... good as long as they are not too soft.

Ironic, a steak can bring my GL down to normal better than drugs.. but have to eat it by itself, no potatoe no other stuff... Perhaps with green beans, and other vegetables that grow above the ground..

Vegetables that grow below the ground BAD... Vegetables that grow above the ground ..... GOOD... (a general statement)

[Guest charis]

Stan said:

Quote:

Vegetables that grow below the ground BAD...

Bad carrots... BAAADDD carrots...

(I don't like carrots. They taste like dirt..)

[JeriAnne]

My vegan diet has included LOTs of Legumes of every kind, I am becoming an expert on making delicious Tofu and I eat more vegetables than Brier Rabbit! I NEVER drink juices...only water, an occassional diet soda and have tried lime and lemon tea and added cinnamon to as many foods as possible which I understand is a wonderful stablizer of Blood sugars! I have learned to like sesame crackers (no wheat) and Rye Crispbread and use hummus or blended bean spread or natural nut butters! BUT...my blood sugars were still soaring to the 500's and it took repeated doses of Lispro to finally get it down to 200!

This last week I have experienced more control but have been eating chicken ceasar salads, tuna, and a wonderful steak my hubby cooked! (He is the meat cooker I don't like handling it raw!) I find when I eat the meat I can also include a reasonable portion of carbs and still stay controlled but the vegan diet while high in complex carbs and thus complete proteins also seem to come with way to many carbs for my system. Now that I am getting the Blood Sugars back under control maybe I can try the Vegan thing again a little at a time. I guess I am lucky to have a wide taste span so that I can do what I gotta do! I am becoming a believer in the fact that not evceryone is healthy on the same diet!!!

ANOTHER reason we have NO right to judge!!!!!

[Dr. Shane]

I am really happy for you, Bravus. The house looks like the same type of architecture we have here in the sub-tropics of South Texas. Vey nice, congratulations.

Vegetarianism is good for the environment although I am not convinced eating fish is bad for either one's health or the environment - although certain areas can be over-fished for sure.

I have become sold on a high fiber diet. After losing 25 pounds after strictly following the Slim-fast diet, I decided to go high-fiber in order to maintain my weight and have lost an additional 5 pounds in the last two months! Check out the Benefits of Fiber, specifically, The Secret to Staying Slim! and Very High Fiber Diet Lowers Blood Glucose in Diabetics. Although in dealing with diabetes I would suggest really running everything past one's doctor because a lot of well-meaning Adventists (like me) really are not qualified to give medical advice.

[Dottie]

JeriAnne,

Another thing you can check into is the glycemic index. I can keep my sugars close to normal by eating legumes, (usually canned, with parboiled rice). And increasing protein, which beans have, as well as cheese, even soy. Also some of the vegemeats, especially the ones that are lower in fat and sodium.

I'll be praying for you, as my daughter's been diabetic for 22 years, and I have been for four years. I know how hard it is to keep the numbers on an even keel.

[Amelia]

Just be careful when adding more fiber to your diet. Too much fiber can cause bloating, gas and constipation.

[Dr. Shane]

I haven't had any of those effects yet. Maybe I am just lucky. I actually think I have less gas now then before.

[lazarus]

Just be careful when adding more fiber to your diet. Too much fiber can cause bloating, gas and constipation.

It wasn't meat to be funny, I know but that was really funny. My 8 year-old's humor is rubbing off on me.

[Bravus]

However long after, still caffiene-free. Honestly not sure whether I feel that much better, but maybe I need to give it more time. Drinking heaps of water, eating better and going for walks are all part of life and becoming habitual.

[Dr. Shane]

Hang in there. I am eating a lot less and a lot better than I use to but I am not going hungry at all.