There's been some very interesting conversations on a forum that I'm on, about eating healthier. This has always been a concern of mine, since many of my cooking habits, are just that, habits. I grew up as a meat and potato person, throw in a vegetable every once in a while and call it good enough. I'm not a big fan of cooking, so it was good enough. Or so I thought. For the past year or so, I've really struggled with my energy level. I mean, it has been soooo bad, that a lot of days I would have next to none energy and good days were more like a few hours at best, with energy. Multi vitamins for women over 50, helped out somewhat, but not enough. I haven't been truly enjoying my life, because I knew that what ever I chose to do, I had very little time in which to do things, before I'd crash. In crashing, I mean, I would literally get shaky and my mind would be so fried, I could barely think. So this recent discussion, has given me a direction.
Over the years, I've developed both some good habits (cutting back quite a bit on sugars and drinking more water than I used to) and some bad habits (beyond the not enough fruits and veggies, I was using way too much salt). I've never been a soda drinker, which from what I understand, is an issue many Americans tend to have). I do love to drink milk, so milk and water with 2 cups of coffee, tends to be what I drink during the day. I very very rarily, have things like chips in the house (really helps to not have little ones around for this one). So there were some good things that I was doing, but it was not enough.
So anyways, one of the first things I've done for my health, is start taking a product called LivaTone. It is in capsule form and you take one capsule, twice a day for the first week (I'm just finishing up the first week today) and then 2 capsules, twice a day from here on out. It's not a liver cleanse, but more of a liver tonic. Since our livers store so much toxic junk, I feel that this is a good place to start. Already I have noticed that my weight, which has fluctuated so wildly just during the day, is staying in one place. :-) And while my belly is not hugely going down, I have noticed that I no longer feel bloated and my belly does seem to be getting rid of some of the belly fat it's been storing. Like I said, this is just week one, so I'm happy that I'm seeing some result. Later on, down the line, I will do a full liver cleanse. But first I want to work on eating better, so I'm not just cleansing my liver, to only pour the same toxins back in.
Now while I have never had a problem with drinking water (I do buy filtrated bottled water), I did go ahead and buy this Fruit Infuser http://www.amazon.com/Prodyne-Infusion-93-Ounce-Natural-Pitcher. You fill the pitcher with pure water and fill the cylinder with what ever fruit that you like. And it naturally infuses the water to give it a nice fruity taste. So far we've tried strawberries, which were good, but took a few days to infuse with a stronger taste. Watermelon, probably would have tasted better had it been more fresh at the time. But by far, my favorite is using Raspberries... OMG... it's delicious and refreshing. I got this and many more wonderful ideas from http://www.theyummylife.com./
As for putting healthier foods into my diet... I've found another wonderful website, full of great and yummy looking healthy recipes http://www.closetcooking.com/ I haven't tried them yet... but I definitely will be as soon as I write up a grocery list.
These were things that I've found on my own. But the forum that I'm a part of, had a discussion about eating organic foods and why. I found it a fascinating discussion. Really, they didn't share anything I didn't necessarily know about, but instead they put it in such a way, that I understood the values much better, if that makes any sense. It did to me ;-) We are fortunate, that we do have a food co-op here and it only cost $15 to get a huge laundry basket full of all sorts of fruits and veggies. Plus, they sell organic bread and tortillas (I love things made with tortillas). I did this a few times, but could never come up with enough recipes to ensure that I'd use up all of the fruits and veggies before they went bad. The bananas, were HUGE and absolutely better tasting than store bought. So I am looking forward to placing my order next Monday and getting started with eating much healthier.
Finding and affording organic dairy products and meats, will be a bit tougher. Right now, I do have a freezer full of meats, that I intend on using up first anyways. David has already said that he has lost much of his desire for meats, so in reality, I'd be buying more for myself. He wants to focus more on fish... which I do not eat at all. I told him that as long as he makes it himself, that's fine by me... I get way too nauseous with the smell of fish.
I'm glad to have David on board with changing up the foods that we're eating. He absolutely loves the fruity water I've been making and he is also taking the LivaTone. We are not going to totally jump in with both feet and ditch one eating life style for another, but what I've found in my life is that slow changes, tend to make me feel more at ease and encourages me to want to do more. I'm looking forward to sharing our experiences as we make dietary changes. More than that... I am looking forward to having more energy, so that I can truly enjoy my life. I have NO intention on growing older and wiling my time away on some rocking chair on the porch, unless it's to enjoy the ending of a good day. :-)
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