Health Nut

Lynae N.

November 7, 2009 - 10:08 PM

Brian and I are on a continuing journey of refining the way we eat. This journey started over a year ago now when we realized we were buying 3 to 4 coffee drinks that were pumping us full of way to much caffeine along with mass amounts of sugars and unneeded calories. This was very expensive not to mention horrible for our health. And it wasn't just the coffee, the rest of our food patterns were just as poor as our choice of drinks and our energy and wait lines were suffering as result.

Since embarking on a quest for health we have made some significant changes, the most pivotal I feel being replacing all other forms of bread and flour for whole wheat, brown rice over white rice, a significant decrease in sugar intake, a reduction of portion size, and choosing health focused restaurants over other alternatives. Now remember, these changes have taken place over a year's time and continue to change almost monthly. Luckily for us, Eugene is full of healthy options and there is a culture of good nutritional habits teaching us and our daughter how to eat well and that has made this year a lot easier.

I remember our perspective about healthy food, particularly regarding the cost of eating well. I assumed, like many, that healthy food was expensive. I worried about our ability to pay for the foods we wanted to eat with school and college student budgets. I also worried about the time to cook and prepare fresh meals on the go. I have been shocked to see how affordable it has been to eat healthier! I have also been grateful to find that preparing healthy foods is just the same as cooking and preparing the foods I'd always made and once the new recipes became normal, every day options, they were much easier to make.

Sometimes it is hard to notice the changes because the way we eat seems normal to us and the progression has been a slow one. But I'm coming to realize that along with the weight we've lost, the changes made to food choices over time are enduring. And just like weight, there are times when I notice the food changes and feel good about them and other times that it takes opening up the cupboard we use for snacks and cereals and find dried fruits, Odwalla bars, oatmeal, granola, almonds, and whole grain crackers instead of cookies, pop tarts, sugary cereals, gummy worms, and chocolates to confirm the changes.

Another major way Brian and I can tell the difference is how our bodies react when we eat out. Some of our old favorite restaurants are completely off limits because eating the food they offer makes us very sick. There has been many an occasion that a fun family meal out turned into massive digestive issues. I'll tell you this is always an eye-opening experience and the negative response only makes me more convinced of a healthy life style and tuned into my body's needs.

I am encouraged to look back and see the changes I've been able to make and the way it has changed my overall health and specifically to my weight and my energy level. I feel so much better now. I know that taking it slowly was hugely beneficial and I encourage anyone looking to make these types of changes to do so, but to take your time to make the changes last. Also know it can be done in a busy schedule and on a budget.