My current habits

Hello world! I consider myself a relatively ‘healthy’ person but I I still have work to do. There have been several pivotal points in my life that opened my eyes regarding food choices. Watching the documentary Forks Over Knives put a lot of things into perspective. The plan-based diet is the way to go! Check out the Forks Over Knives book as well.

I exercise at least an hour 5 days a week at a minimum, don’t drink sodas, sugary drinks, I mind how many drive-throughs I enter, etc. I don’t open up any canned food and cook at home at least 4 days a week. The rest are quickly prepared meals or leftovers. I think we may buy out at least once a week.

Despite this fairly ‘ok’ living, I have 10lbs, 1 blood pressure medication, and 12 points on my LDL (bad cholesterol) that I’d like to lose. My overall risk factor for cardiac disease is low. I don’t need to take cholesterol meds according to the doctor, but these numbers can look better.

My Goals

I consider myself to be at ideal weight at a size 6 but that doesn’t mean it’s all healthy weight given my cholesterol number. I’m more concerned about the deeply rooted health of my body than numbers on a scale. I want to avoid inflammation, and not drift into food comas every time I eat, followed by a caffeinated drink that only further spikes up my blood pressure. The plant-based meals look delicious, and it can’t hurt to try to be more consistent.

I made this red lentil pasta today and it was deliciously filling. I added black beans, chopped red onions and parsley, and avocado. Salt to your tasting. Two hours later I am not in a food coma per my usual lunch 🙂

Family History

Between my parents, aunts/uncles, grandparents, and siblings, I have a family history of heart attacks, strokes, diabetes, and high blood pressure. I think the most impactful event was my dad’s heart attack in 2018. He had 5 bypasses and he coded in ICU but was brought back. It was such a painful, emotional roller coaster over an almost 3-month stay at the hospital. He is still with us today and I’m very grateful. I made significant changes then (no more sodas and but out of lot of bread, introduced more veggies to the kids) but I’m still on a journey. I am excited to commit to a new lifestyle. Let’s do it together!