Little Things Add Up—Healthy Habits Tuesday

Sport a Healthier Smile!

The terrible munchies hit me this past weekend, but I survived. I made homemade (baked) pizza for the guys and I fashioned a small cheese-less one for myself, topped with fresh pineapple chunks, red bell pepper slices and onion. Boy was that good! I had been staying clear of wheat but I used Spelt (ancient wheat) and brown rice flour in the crust. Still, I ate too much, and I was two pounds heavier the next day (how does that work?). 

Here's an update on my progress with those small habits-in-the-making for the month of January:

• I feel good most every day
• A persistent backache's still around so I make time to rest
• I didn't have a headache for 2 weeks!  
• I gave up wheat and chocolate 
• I'm eating a lot of raw veggies and fruits, and juicing more (within an anti-inflammatory diet)
• With everything I eat, I ask first: "Is it healthy for me—or destructive to me?"
• I'm experimenting with raw food recipes and a couple of new foods
• I have energy to exercise 20-45 min. at least five times/week
• I'm smiling more and sleeping a bit better (less stress over-all)
• I've lost six pounds (could have been eight!)
• I'm keeping track of my daily food intake 
• I'm encouraged to continue

Not eating chocolate is a bit of a struggle  but something I've needed to try, so here I am. I'd simply had it! Headaches and migraines have menaced me since I was 16—I couldn't take it anymore so about a year ago I got my doctor to write me an Rx for migraines. Thank God it works, but I don't like feeling medicated and I don't want to be hooked on meds with potential side effects. 

My doctor told me that she suffered many years also and that chocolate was the one thing that made a big difference for her. So, isn't it worth a try? Do I like feeling sick? Do I want to be well? Good-bye chocolate. (Wheat is another suspect.)

Honey, get on board!   

This past week my Honey and I watched Forks Over Knives and since he responded so positively I got him to watch Fat, Sick & Nearly Dead also, which I had already seen and loved. I recommend them both! 

Hubby needs the motivation frequently (just like me) and has vowed to make some changes alongside me. {big smile} I don't think we're quite ready for a juice fast but who knows? He's agreeing to do the following . . . 

• Eat much less meat
• Cut the cheese consumption
• Enjoy juicing more and think about a juice fast
• Eat organic when we can

I had a good laugh at my part-time job. The gal I work with hung a photo on the wall in my office that she had clipped from a magazine of two fabulous looking ladies who had worked out together and had lost weight and gained their health. One was tall and blond (like me) and the other shorter and brunette (like her) and she printed our names on their bodies and wrote 2014 across the top. 

When I saw it, I couldn't stop laughing. The thing is, though she's 60+ in age, she's already gorgeous with the body of someone much younger and who looks too cute in her jeans, sweaters and boots. Guess what? She eats very healthy and she finds time to exercise even while working a full-time desk job! 

Keeping Track
Healthy Habits—Week 5

Move

A sedentary lifestyle and a lack of exercise are triggers for inflammation. Maybe that's a big reason why I've been feeling much better lately! I choose to make exercise a life-long habit. Exercising outdoors adds an additional benefit by increasing your endorphins (feel-good hormones), and sunlight provides Vitamin D. Are you looking forward to spring?

Munch
Eat avocados and do more with them! (They were 19 cents at Aldi's recently!) I see that they are on the lowest in pesticides list—good, mine weren't organic! I made this awesome dessert this past week . . .

The Lime Mousse recipe has an avocado base (along with frozen bananas, and of course, fresh lime juice). I wasn't introduced to this super food until a few years ago. I now love guacamole and I'll not shy away from those many raw recipes that include avocado!

I've given up most dairy for health reasons and I'm working toward eating a diet of 50% raw foods, so this was a perfect tasty treat for me.  

Luscious Lime Mousse

(Raw, Non-Dairy)

Are you worried about the fat content in avocados? The Truth about Healthy Fats will dispel any "fat myth" you may believe. After what I read about the health benefits, I know I should be adding avocados to my meals to help meet a number of my personal health needs . . .

• Anti-inflammatory
• Heart healthy (omega-3 fatty acids)
• Good cholesterol (HDL)
• Rich in carotenoids (Vitamin A)
• Protein content (all 18 essential amino acids present) 
  
• High in oleic acid (breast cancer protection)
• Vitamin E powerhouse
• Nearly 20 essential nutrients as well as a "nutrient booster"

 Motivation 
Once you start seeing those results of healthier living, regardless of how small, it's motivating to keep with the program. Get inspired by your own small successes and the outstanding results of those around you like in those success stories witnessed in the films I've mentioned. If possible, make it a family (and or friend) affair and motivate each other.

Mindset
Do you want health—or sickness? It's a choice. Getting healthy and overcoming many diseases is doable and you can do it too!

Liking up with Healthy Habits Tuesday