Getting sick last year forced me to take a good look at my life and how I care for myself. I think it's common for mothers to concentrate on their families health, but quickly forget about their own. I kept hearing people ask me, "Are you getting enough nutrition?" and I would shrug my shoulders and think, "Of course I am!"
But I wasn't.
My body had grown and birthed five babies, then provided nourishment for them for at least their first year of life (most of them for longer). Taking care of young children is a physical job. Mothers know all too well that a good nights sleep is never guaranteed. My point is, motherhood is tough on the body. Having coffee (with lots of cream and lots and lots of sugar) and Cinnamon Toast Crunch in the morning is not a breakfast. Especially when it's followed by candy for lunch. I wish I was exaggerating, but sadly I am not. I used to think that one big healthy meal at dinnertime was enough. My days were fueled by caffeine and sugar. And I wondered all this time why my kids are picky eaters and want sugar all the time! Their mother had been a terrible example. I don't know how, but I actually ate this way and thought it was perfectly "healthy".
After finally realizing that my diet probably was not going to help me feel better, I decided to change just a little at a time. I started by giving up candy. For good. My absolute favorite candy is anything fruity or gummy. Fruity and gummy is the perfect combination, in my opinion. :) Giving this up was not going to be easy. I had feasted on candy my entire life. I had a sugar addiction for sure. I kept one of my cabinets full of various types of candy. Gummy bears, Skittles, Starbursts, Hot Tamales, and Jelly Beans were usually the ones I kept on hand. When I was hungry and searching the kitchen for something to eat, I'd see the candy and decide just to eat that. Hence, the candy for lunch comment above. I knew I would never have enough will power to stop eating candy on my own, so I decided to do it for Jesus. That's the only way I can ever give up any of my bad habits. Along with no candy, I also stopped putting sugar in my coffee. I hadn't realized how much sugar I was consuming every day in just my coffee! And we're talking regular white sugar. It makes me sick to think about it now. I was poisoning myself and I didn't even know it. Which brings me to one more thing. I stopped buying regular white sugar and use sucanat instead. Still not good for you, but it's an improvement. Nowadays, I try to just use honey or maple syrup if I need to sweeten something up. Kicking my sugar addiction was a HUGE step towards feeling better!
The next step was eating a healthier breakfast. Starting my day on the right foot is so important. No more sugary cereal out of a box. I needed REAL food. I needed protein. So I started with sauteed vegetables and fried eggs. I loved it! In fact, I loved it so much that I have eaten it almost every morning for the past year. I remember how it felt like so much work at first. All that chopping, the extra dishes, dirtying a pan, etc. But I honestly don't even notice anymore. I really enjoy chopping vegetables now. My favorites are zucchini and onions or asparagus and mushrooms. Yum! I started out using vegetable oil. Thankfully, I have since learned how awful vegetable oil is and I only use olive oil, coconut oil, or butter. Along with a better breakfast, I started eating salads for lunch instead of candy! I love salads. But again, I used to think they were too much work. It's amazing how quickly you get used to it though, and my health won't let me ever go back to my sugar days. I'll do the work, thank you.
Lastly, I started taking supplements. A good friend of mine who has been living a real food lifestyle much longer than I, and who is a huge inspiration to me, sent me a few links to blogs that she found helpful. By reading through some of them, I found my way to the Weston A. Price website and his recommendation for fermented Cod Liver Oil. So I started taking it and I definitely notice a difference from when I take it and when I don't. I also started being more intentional towards actually taking my multi-vitamin everyday, instead of just whenever I happened to remember. I also started taking my probiotics again (I had been taking some when I was pregnant with J at the request of my midwife) and also Vitamin D. I still take all of these, and if I forget a day (which hardly ever happens!) I feel so tired and run down by lunchtime. They have become a very important part of my health.
Well, I was hoping to list all the things I'd like to do in my future to continue on my healthy lifestyle journey, but it's time to start making food for Thanksgiving! That'll have to wait for another day.
If you're looking to start a healthier lifestyle too, I highly suggest cutting out sugar and vegetables oils, eating real food for every meal, and taking supplements. May God bless you on your journey.
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