Lately I've been on a big push to try to improve my health. My diet has been the biggest change. I've gotten to the point where I've almost completely cut out meat, processed foods and fried foods. I'm continuing to stay away from caffeine and I've been keeping sweets to a minimum.
I'm not claiming to be perfect—I do live in Kansas City, which is a BIG barbecue town—but even a mostly plant-based diet has made a big difference. The way I look at it, it's better to have one unhealthy meal per week than one per day.
I've lost about 15 pounds, which is nice both from a cosmetic standpoint and how it makes me feel. It took a while, but I've reached the point where I have jeans I can't wear because they're just too big. Yay!
I'm also no longer bothered by acid reflux, even though I stopped taking medication for it. If I get heartburn, it's always because I've eaten or drunk something I shouldn't. I highly recommend that you watch this video to learn about acidic foods and how they affect your system.
Why do this now? Well, aside from the fact that I'm continuing to age despite my efforts to stop time, I've had inspiration from a couple of sources.
My sister had me watch Forks Over Knives, which convinced me that I could be healthier if I ate better. I bought the book, which has been especially helpful for recipes.
From an exercise standpoint, having a dog has helped a lot. Even when we don't do our 3.4 mile rectangle, we still get in a good amount of walking each day. Toby has to go out—there's no arguing with that—so we go. Even my husband is noticing that he's having an easier time walking up our hill now, despite the fact that he only takes the dog for short walks.
So that's where things stand today. I'm not sure how winter will affect the exercise portion of my regimen, but I'm getting very comfortable with my new diet. I'm actually rather surprised at how easy it has been to make such a big change.
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