Revelation and Resolutions

My brother and son have both been living with us for the last few months. We let this derail us considerably. Our predominately vegan diet is somewhat time consuming as I will use my Sunday to prepare flax crackers, salads, beans, soups and the like for the week. We don't have much time during the week as we get home from work just a few hours before we need to retire for the next day. We now spend that time preparing meals and cleaning the kitchen. I have no time on Sunday to prepare things ahead for more than a day or two I suppose all of this sounds familiar to everyone as it is likely the norm for a family. However Harry and I are often content to come home and eat a can of beans with some fresh tomatoes and onions for dinner. I can't expect my brother and son to eat like that. They are truckers and used to more hearty fare.
My truckers finally went out on a run and we had three days to think about things. We have both gained back all the weight we lost, Harry doesn't feel well and I have constant headaches. Now that my headaches are on the road, we decided to renew our diet and continue it even when they are here. When they return, they are going to be surprised to find a diet of 95% fruits and vegetables, mostly raw. Why? Outside of us both wanting to resume getting our health back, my truckers both found they have high blood pressure. My brother actually went to the VA hospital to get his blood pressure checked out and they admitted him because it was so high. 170 over 105. Before I went on the detox diet, mine reached 200/100. Now it is mostly normal but sometimes it registers pre-hypertension. No telling what their cholesterol is.
Well this revelation frightened my brother. Having high blood pressure or even taking medication for it could affect his job. This made my son take notice as his high blood pressure was almost as high as my brothers. Before now, my son didn't pay any attention to his blood pressure much less know the risks.
My son also ratted on my brother and told me that every meal my brother eats on the road is at McDonalds! Every meal! I need to find the movie "Super Size Me" for him to watch. He explained that stopping on the road cost time and money.In addition, McDonalds is cheap while truck stop meals open run $15 to $20. Well now more than ever, both of these guys need to be on our diet. So be it.

I got a Kindle Fire for Christmas. What a wonderful device. Well I found a book call EAT TO LIVE by Dr. Joel Fuhrman. This has been a good read and I learned a few things. For example, even lean animal protein contributes to high cholesterol, even more so than saturated fat. Another that just bought me some time is that vegetables, especially lettuce and greens have protein! I don't need to create a protien combination with every meal, the vegetables are sufficient! I may have to supplement B12, but I should get all of my protein, carbohydrates and fats from vegetables and fruits! I have not finished reading the book and I'm already putting it to good use. You can read more about his program at http://www.drfuhrman.com/default.aspx. Dr. Fuhran recommends eating two HUGE salads a day making salad the mainstay of the diet. And while this is not a diet but a lifestyle change, weight loss will come quite naturally with it.

So our New Year's resolution, 15 days late, is to make the lifestyle change as though there is no choice. It should be much easier now that I know I can grab a bag of pre-made salad for a quick meal when I don't have time. I am not a slave to the extensive food prep anymore. For the record, my husband is back up to 230 and I weigh 205. I am excited to start seeing weight loss again but I am also looking forward to regaining our energy and health. The added benefit of course is lowering our chances of getting cancer, heart disease, diabetes, stroke, dementia and a myriad of other life threatening diseases.

Until next time.

Happy new Year

I am ashamed to say I have not written since October 18th. Part of my New Year's resolution is to not let that happen again. I will at the very least post once a week.

In October, I suddenly had a rush of house guests. Since then I have had anywhere from 1 to 9 persons in my home at one time. Needless to say, our program was completely derailed. It is impossible to plan meals when I don't even know how many to cook for and I am working a full time job. Just before this happened, I had some wonderful soups already made that simply went to waste. Servings for two just can't stretch that far.
Of course Thanksgiving and Christmas were in the middle of this. I still made all of our favorites and the detox program seemed like a far away dream.

My trucker stayed on her program about a month then simply stopped without a word. Her world was turned upside down as the employment situation changed for her husband, my son and house guest. She was suddenly driving a truck alone and did not have the option to have someone circle the grocery store while she opted for healthier fare than the truck stops had to offer. She is looking for local work now and I think that will offer her a life where she has more control over the situation.

It is a crying shame in this country that it is exceptionally easy to get something eat that is full of grease and toxins and totally devoid of any nutritional value but it takes time and planning to eat right.

Vegetables,fruits, nuts and grains are generally cheaper than meats and cheeses but the later is expected at every meal in one form or another. You can't go through a drive through and get steamed veggies in a cup. At least we have our brewers yeast shakes and our Juice Plus supplements.

So should my guests continue to stay, they will learn how to prepare vegetables for the tagine or put together some salads or soups. We can really tell a difference when we eat that way and it is our resolution to get back to it.

I will start posting again on a regular basis with a progress report.
Here is to a prosperous and healthy new year.