Tuesday, March 23, 2010

My Story

I'm not saying that I eat perfectly. Who does? But I love learning about nutrition and spreading the word.

I grew up eating pretty well. I always had a healthy, light breakfast, a packed lunch and a homecooked dinner. My mom never let us eat the lunchables or premade foods. At the time, I hated that! (Thanks Mom) I loved desert (still do) but it was a treat! However, I did eat the hotdogs and vienna sausages and thanks to Grandma, FAT BACK (southerners will know what that is).

As I got a little older and could make my own food choices, fast food became appealing. I would get a greasy breakfast sandwich in the morning and a burger and fries after school. I loved eating Krispy Kreme doughnuts...you know where this is going! I played sports and was in shape, so it was ok right?

It wasn't until much later that I began to focus on what was actually going into my body. We switched to eating all organic foods (ie: natural and not processed) years ago. That made a huge difference. Just READING the products before eating them. Then I became a vegetarian.

About six months into eating veg, I had a physcical. And to my surprise, I was told that I have HIGH CHOLESTEROL! On a vegetarian/vegan diet, you ingest very little cholesterol! It's great! I do know that a lot of cholesterol is hereditary. (and it is for me), but it also definately has to do with what I ate growing up.

My point is, you begin with a clean slate, then you have the choice to fill your body with healthy or unhealthy food items. When you have a child, why wouldn't you want to give them the advantage of having the best health going into their adult lives. I can not do anything about my cholesterol that is already there. I am a vegan now and will always be, therefore I am doing my best to avoid prescriptions and higher cholesterol.

Our world is a Prescription drug society and I believe we can change that. We have a pill to fix everything. Instead of a pill, lets get to the root!

4 comments:

  1. haha! Maybe you should get some bloodwork too! You were eating right beside me! :) It is hereditary for us! :(

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  2. It's soooo good to hear you guys again!!! Sara and I talk alot about our bikerides to meet you guys at the tennis courts and "kill the man with the ball". I am not on facebook, so I am super happy to connect with you guys here!

    I hear ya on the hereditary thing. My mother's dad has everything in the book and I am trying to be aware of healthy ways to fight it now! Mary, what kind of meals and snacks do you eat during the day?

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  3. KILL THE MAN WITH THE BALL!!! Good times! My husband and I played tennis yesterday and I thought of our little tennis crew too!

    Ok..meals and snacks...
    I start the day with a bowl of cereal or whole grain waffles and try to add a "green" smoothie (fruit protien smoothie with spinach) a couple of times a week.

    Lunch is usually dinner leftovers.

    I am pretty bad about snacking...(I don't really snack much at work). At home, I eat a lot of chips and salsa!!

    For dinners, I eat normal things, just substitute non dairy or veggies for meat. I try to keep it simple, eat fresh veggies and grains.

    We also got a juicer this past Christmas. We juice A LOT! We do great fruit cocktails and a couple times a week, I drink veggie juice and once a week I drink beets (yuck).

    I still eat deserts (just vegan cookies, cupcakes, etc). I love it!

    Basically I keep it fresh and simple!

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