I did it. I jinxed myself last time. All that discussion about "when are things going to get hard".... They got hard, but only sorta.
Last week we had a little health scare in the McDaniel house. In short, Bell's palsy came to visit. In case you didn't know, Bell's palsy comes in a package that also looks like a stroke or a tumor or lots of other scary neurological things. I was so all consumed with making sure that my husband, and my family was a whole, was completely health and intact that I didn't really do much of anything else. Crisis averted. This time anyway.
This is sort of a perfect segue into what I want to talk about this week. It's about being proactive, not reactive, when it comes to your health, your family's health, and the health of the world at large.
Save maybe a total of 3 meals and a few isolated incidents, I have eaten a completely plant based diet since the first of the year. Watching the documentary "Forks Over Knives" was the last push I needed to dive into a way of eating that I was already strongly considering. The last few days I have nearly finished reading T. Colin Campbell's The China Study. I was already convinced that eating a plant based diet was good for my health, but I didn't realize the ENORMOUS impact nutrition plays in disease prevention and treatment. Study after study after study after study showing that eating a plant based diet will not only help you prevent disease, but that you can also potentially reverse it. Heart disease, colon cancer, breast cancer, diabetes (type II), auto immune diseases.... the list goes ON AND ON AND ON.
I want to continue by saying that you will probably not ever see me joining PETA. I am not an animal rights activist, but I have a huge problem with the way that meat and dairy are produced in this country. It is not sustainable. Period. That being said, I made this change, and will continue this way of eating for my health, and for the health of my family.
If you think that I'm deprived, I'm not. Think I spend my day hungry all the time? Nope. Where am I getting my protein? Beans, nuts, quinoa, and many, many, many other sources. AND if you think that your sweet tooth can't be satisfied on a plant based diet, well, you haven't tried my cupcakes. =)
I am going to declare February the "Get to know yourself better" month. Know yourself. Know your body. Know your risks. That is your assignment, and mine as well.
First, know yourself. Pay attention to your body. Are you gassy all the time? Do you get out of breath when you walk up a flight of stairs? These are things you should know about yourself. One huge thing that I've learned from nursing school is this: Knowing your baseline is VITAL when it comes to watching for changes in the way your body behaves. If you can normally leap up a flight of stairs without a problem, and you suddenly one day become winded after just two steps, that could signal a problem. Go to the doctor. Know your cholesterol. Know your blood glucose. Know what your blood pressure and pulse usually are. It may seem unimportant or insignificant, but it's not. This doesn't have to be expensive either. If you don't have money to go to the doctor, go to a pharmacy and check your blood pressure. Check your pulse yourself. Call your local health department to find out if they have free or low cost health screening available. There are resources available if you look for them. KNOW YOURSELF.
Know your risks. Does your family have a history of heart disease? Is your cholesterol high? Does your mother have diabetes? Are you active? Are you overweight? It is so important to be aware of the genetic and environmental factors that contribute to your health and your potential for developing certain disease processes. If you understand your risks you are much better equipped to reduce or eliminate them. AND REMEMBER, having a strong history of a certain disease in your family DOES NOT MEAN that you should resign yourself to surrender. Do something about it, because you can!!
Have a great week!
