Are you eating to live or die?

If you've ever been to my home, you will see 3 picture frames in my kitchen, one with each word:

EAT        TO        LIVE

I made these when we first moved in, nearly a year ago with Daniel. He did the painting with water colors, I cut out the words, something I should put up in pinterest, right?

But there were 3 purposes for this project: 1) to fill in the wall w/ some decor, 2) make something homemade with my 4 year old, and 3) serve as a reminder - in my kitchen - to eat to live, not live to eat.

Fast forward a year after living here and I am 8 lbs. lighter from when I moved in. I moved here weighing about 133 (a plateaued weight), and this week I reached 125.4 lbs. This is a result of continually working out 4-6 days a week from the last year w/ my at-home dvd programs that work, by the way. And by stopping the mad eating, the splurges, the snacking on my kiddos food scenarios.

If you've talk with me for any amount of time, you'll know I attack 'food addiction'. I'm a firm believer that's why most people are obese and overweight. And I believe a food addiction is very real for their daily life. (A book on this topic is on the list.)

Keyword is 'most'....I have a few, very few friends, who really have medical problems that prevent them from losing weight, but it's been tested and confirmed by the doctor. Not used as a scapegoat excuse to not work out and eat healthy.

Are you still with me?

For the last month or so, I embraced experimenting with food. I took dairy and meat out of my diet...bread, caffeine, and didn't sweeten anything w/ my all natural sweetener stevia. I ate "plant foods" only: greens, fruits, all kinds of veggies, beans, almonds/nuts, and hummus. Stuff grown, not processed with artificial stuff or butchered. And wow, I'd say I've never felt more healthy in all my life. No bloating, tummy aches from eating 'too much'. No zits!  And I went from about 129 to 125 lbs. in just 3 weeks. Mind you, I did NOT have the goal to 'lose weight'.

Back to EAT TO LIVE. My 'experiment' was encouraged by information my chiroproactor shared with me from a book. (My Chiropractor is Dr. David Mongold who has the Alpha Omega Wellness Center at Gosford and White Ln. (661) 397-6555 - www.alphaomega4wellness.com )

Guess what the title of the book was...are you ready for this?



EAT         TO         LIVE

This book is written by Dr. Joel Fuhrman, M.D. I just started reading it today and it has a nutrient dense food consumption approach. You'll have to get the book, read it, and learn it. But I think I'm going to try it. Since I was kinda doing it already and saw the results, I want to learn more and move my family in that direction. He also has a book "Disease-Proof Your Child".

After going off animal products for awhile, and then experimenting by putting a little dairy, very little and some meat back in yesterday...I will tell you I was miserable last night. I felt stuffed...my tummy hurt, was bloated and was NOT a happy camper. And I did NOT eat a ton of bread or meat or dairy. Just a little bit at a time.

In fact, as soon as I put a little (nitrate, preservative, gluten free) lunchmeat in my tummy, I felt a knot in my gut.

Now I know why some people go Vegan and never return. Although, I think Vegans do bread, not sure exactly on their guidelines....But the way I was eating for those weeks didn't have bread, but last night, I had 1/2 a bun of gluten-free bread (since my son eats this stuff, we have it eat). Maybe it was that, that left me stuffed. You really feel the difference of putting plant food in only, versus animal products: meat & dairy.

So now what for me? Am I ruined for life? The beauty of the plant-food-only way I was eating was I was enjoying fruit like I hadn't in months (too much sugar, right?). I was eating almonds/nuts, which I avoid (too much fat, right?)

So what have I got out of this experiment? I have learned that if I eat plant food only, minus the dairy & meats - I can have more of the nutrient dense, deliscious, natural stuff that I love. I love bananas over cheese by the way. Oh and peaches...I have a tree in bloom and can't wait to splurge. But for some reason, when eating all the animal foods, I can't seem to eat more than 1/day w/out gaining weight. 

Get this book Eat To Live by Dr. Joel Fuhrman if you're interested in losing a dramatic amount of weight, getting off diabetic/blood pressure/cholesterol meds, if you have an autoimmune disease, etc.

I am going to embark on this a little further and I know that it's going to turn my life upside down on how to eat.

I've always thought to eat to live, now I have the book to teach me how. And I say, 'why not?' I refuse to believe the lie that NOT eating junk & sweets is a miserable way to live. Look at how you look and feel from eating a diet high in fast food, processed foods, packaged foods, sweets and fried foods. Really, I'm not miserable from NOT eating that stuff.

I hypothesize that by changing the way I eat and staying dedicated to exercise, I will have quality and quantity of life...Lord willing I don't die by a tragic accident. And that's what I'm going for...my goal is to live to 80ish, but feel like a 40 year old!!!! Otherwise, if I'm overweight, have all the aches and pains as many 60 year olds do, have a prescription list longer than a grocery list, than please God, let me die before 70.

I dread being old AND sick AND in pain.

I'm investing the next 40 years of my life to eat healthy, so when I am old I am NOT sick and NOT in pain. We can eat to live a healthful, vibrant life. Won't you join me?

You can check out this doctor's site at www.drfuhrman.com and www.diseaseproof.com!  Let me know what you think!

P.S. I was not paid to plug in these doctors. You know me. I love information and helping people be healthier & don't require payment to do so! :)

Was I too tough on you this week?

Looking over my last few posts, I was worried that I was too hard on you. In fact, I was asking myself, "what's my problem?" Why am I pounding my readers over the head w/ 'push yourself', 'try harder', 'stop procastinating'?

And yesterday, during a conversation w/ a friend, I realized what it is.

In the last 2 weeks, I have had soooooo many conversations with people about health issues that are all related to: lack of diet & exercise.

Do any of you see or understand that diet & exercise are actually PREVENTITIVE measures you can take to avoid many diseases and conditions. Instead, many go with the 'reactive route' of medicines, procedures, prescriptions, and still deal with the diseases/disorders/conditions/discomfort/early death.

Don't even get me started about how I feel that doctors should be more proactive with patients and get them plugged into a regimen to be healthier, until waiting 'til it's too late to just prescribe a pill, injection, potion, or lotion.

In the last 2 weeks, I've heard of people who have been diagnosed with:

• Borderline diabetes (a person that I've shared health & diet w/ over 2 years)
• Chronic Kidney Disease (a person I've pleaded with to give up sodas (4-6/day) for 7 years)
• Diabetes (a person who needs the shots & medicine, who is reluctant to eat better)
• Kidney Disease (a soda-addict that now goes 3X/wk. for their 'blood to be cleaned'/dialysis)
• COPD (this condition will progress thru stages, to the point of chronic pneumonia/on oxygen - this person is still smoking)
• High Blood Pressure (this person says, "I only have HBP"....for now...and they're not making changes w/ their diet/exercise)
• Liver Disease (this person has been a chronic pill popper, pain med consumer)

All these things are pretty preventable through making healthy choices. Can you see why I get so fired up & passionate?

A couple months ago, a friend of mine asked me how I stay motivated to just keep going w/ my workouts and eating lean. Look at that list above - I DO NOT WANT THOSE THINGS!!!! I want quality of life when I'm in my 50s & 60s. I don't want to spend my days when I'm 'retired' in the docs offices, in line at the pharmacy, plugged into machines to breathe/live, etc.

What can you do today? Stop the crazy soda consumption. Give up smoking. Start walking, jogging, a workout program. Drink more water. Decrease your red meat consumption. Cut back on caffeine. Cut back/give up the alcoholic drinks nightly. Stop stuffing your gut w/ cookies/cakes/ice cream - SUGARS. Give up the pizza dipped in ranch w/ a super wedge! Eat the green stuff, the lean stuff, the healthy stuff - and get moving ASAP!

This is why I share a message of self-control. When we control our appetites & desires for unhealthy foods/drinks, we are setting ourselves up for a better life, one of less disease. Hear my heart - make better choices so that you can have a better life! Please.....

P.S. Get your kids off this junk too - people are getting sicker earlier....and we as parents need to be more responsible w/ what we feed our kids! Help them live longer while they have you.