Well, I am certain that I am long overdue for an update. It has been 4 weeks since I began my new health plan. (I may refer to it as "my diet" for the sake of brevity, but I don't consider myself to have "gone on a diet." Like going on a vacation, when one goes on a diet one intends to return.) I can already tell some small differences. My energy level is higher, I don't get fatigued quite as quickly, my cough is improving, and my sense of smell has returned. However, I can tell when I "mess up" or "cheat" and I am afraid I do so far too often. Food addiction is a difficult thing to overcome, especially when there are so many good-tasting foods out there that are not so good for you and these foods are much more available than cruciferous vegetables and fresh fruits in venues such as cafeterias and vending machines. My tastes have changed somewhat to reflect the difference in diet. I am much more sensitive to salty foods and somewhat more sensitive to sweet foods.
Let me rant for a moment. One of my pet peeves lately has been well-intentioned people who make suggestions about my diet. They give me ideas on what to eat and what not to eat, and tell me what is good and bad for me. I understand that these people really do mean well. However, most of them are engineers, university students, and other people without degrees in medicine or nutrition. Dr. Fuhrman is a licensed physician who has devoted the last couple decades of his life to studying nutrition and its effect on disease. I would venture to say that he is an expert in the subject and the closer I stick to his plans and suggestions the more likely I am to regain my health quickly. I recommend that anyone interested pick up the book Eat to Live by Dr. Fuhrman. I began reading it a couple days ago.
Certain aspects of this diet have been challenging. Like I mentioned earlier, food addiction is challenging to overcome and society makes available many unhealthy choices for snacks and such. Eating out can be difficult because most places overuse salt and oil when preparing food. According to Dr. Fuhrman, three foods that are especially bad for those with autoimmune diseases are salt, wheat and oil. In addition, I find myself not eating enough. I can be somewhat lazy and would rather take a quick and easy snack than one that takes time to prepare. If there's nothing quick and easy, I'll just wait until later.
Overall, my reactions to this plan of health are positive. Although parts of it have been challenging, I have already noticed improvements in my health and how I feel. I am certain that with perseverence and devotion my health will improve and this diet will make a difference.
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2 comments:
I'll try not to be one of those annoying people who give unwanted suggestions :-)
On the other hand, since I am also on a life change plan I find it helpful to talk with others. For example, when I took my blood pressure Tuesday night (after eating an incredible pizza), I found it WAY too high. It must have been the pizza, because the day before and the day after my pressure was very good. I also find my tastes changing. I can barely tolerate fake foods--it's like I can taste the factory. This is a good thing, for it helps me stick to the change plan.
I'm thinking we should go on a hunt for acceptable EAT! locations, one's that are not in love with salt, fat, and sugar, and who know what a brussels sprout is.
I have found a few places that are pretty healthy. Chipotle is good if you get the burrito bowl, and the vegetarian with no cheese is actually quite tasty. Seaside Palace also has a lot of good stuff. Pei Wei can be a bit oily but does offer brown rice.
Pedone's is really good though. It's my favorite pizza around here but not exactly on my health plan. Oh well.
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