Although Beyonce's lyrics are "Fat-free, Sugar-Free," My life is going through a different journey. As per my therapist's suggestion (Order), I started keeping alog of the times I would get anxious, and feel like I was dying. NOT FUN. Especially when you're IN the moment. Alas, I took her advise and wrote down everything I am feeling in the middle of a panic attack. The usual things, "I am dying, This is the end. I love my wife. My insides are burning, my heart feels like it's racing a mile a minute....Blah blah blah" It passes, it ALWAYS passes. When you start keeping tabs on your "triggers" you start noticing patterns, i.e.; it happens when I think of (blank). I feel the most anxious when I am (blank). I started noticing that my most terrifying episodes were occurring , after I ate fried, spicy, processed, oily, full fat foods, during the "digestive" periods. I would start to feel the familiar chest pain, the fogginess, the dizziness, your typical this-is-the-end-for-me scenarios. Why? If you follow my posts (WHICH YOU SHOULD!)you know that I have GERD, and who can forget the good Ol' DIABETUS?! That bitch is the whole reason why I started this blog, but why is it that now the foods that I have faithfully loved for oh-so-many years are turning against me, and running havoc on my body?
Like many things on this earth, we as humans deteriorate with age. Not saying I'm an old fart, I'm young, I'm only 31 for crying out loud, but things you were able to do in your teens and 20's, you can no longer handle after that 3-0. Your body is all "I dare you, I triple dog dare you, man! COME AT ME BRO!" I used to survive on Wendy's. Seriously, ask anyone I waited tables with, they will tell you, that when I got off work at 11 p.m I would be at the drive through waiting for my #1 with no pickle, medium with a coke, and 5 piece chicken nuggets with sweet and sour sauce (Yum, I want that so bad right now). I had that meal the last time I had my most horrible episode, which is when I realized-It's. The. Food. Food, that whore! I have treated her with nothing but the utmost respect, been so understanding, and caring, and now she hates me. Out of nowhere. Blindsided, she no longer wants me. You gotta take the good with the bad, I mean yes, When I was 20 I could eat McDonald's for breakfast, Mexican for lunch, and Wendy's for dinner AFTER a night of drinking, but come on, NOW? Well sir, now I wake up at 5:15, attempt to work out, go get ready for my awesome job, (where I wear suits and ties, I wore a tie at my last serving job, but everyone knew I wasn't going to my "office" when I put on the apron on top!) Eat 5 small meals, to keep my sugar levels regulated, and get 8 hours of sleep a night! THE. DREAM. So take THAT 20-yr-old ME! (Also you have found a wonderful woman, you have 2 loving four legged sons, and your bills are paid on time, because you know............you are an adult) We are not wine, our bodies DON'T just get better with age, but our minds do, we are able to make the right decisions, which are not always the easy ones, which makes you able to put in effort, take care of our bodies so that we may enjoy everything we work so hard for.
Also with getting old, comes a whole new set of "intolerances" to things you never had, and NEVER thought you would develop. What are some examples? All night rages, with no side effects, youths, teenagers, loud noises, loud places, loud people, tweens, Boy bands, Britney Spears (just kidding, still like her and her lip-syncing-ass). NOT knowing what is cool and isn't cool. (did you know that kids no longer find Facebook cool?) Not knowing what is ''IN," sensitivity to light, absolute HANGER (hunger and anger) if you don't get your 5 meals....you get the point. God, I really do hate our youths. were we this obnoxious and entitled when we were their age?! Anyway, a new intolerance my body has decided to throw my way, to you know....mix it up, is Gluten. That's right, Gluten, that thing we never knew existed in EVERYTHING we eat.
Before I was Diagnosed with the Betes (new nickname, I'm trying it out, like comment, and tell me what you think......hahha) I never paid much attention to the "Nutrition facts" in ANY of the trash I was eating. Drink one 20oz bottle of Coke, see how many grams of sugar are per serving, go ahead, take a peek..........65grams, that's right, 65 grams of sugar per serving, that's ONE bottle. These labels are there for legal purposes, so that you KNOW that when YOU, the consumer, ingest ONE bottle of America's Crack, in return you are drinking 15.25 tea spoons of sugar. No One is making you do this, these companies HAVE to do this, so you are not able to blame them, or better yet, sue them when you are diagnosed with diabetes, that you "didn't know better." Wake up. Now. This is reality, I found this on the internet, and you know they CAN'T lie on the internet.I digress, label reading has become second nature to me, to check if the foods I am buying are a safe sugar content for me to eat. I try to stay below 14g, so no I don't drink sodas anymore. Now I can't eat ; glu·ten
ˈglo͞otn/
noun
- 1.a substance present in cereal grains, esp. wheat, that is responsible for the elastic texture of dough. A mixture of two proteins, it causes illness in people with celiac disease.
No I don't have celiac disease, I just have an intolerance, although I will have to keep an eye on it.
Last week I started eating gluten free, started taking Magnesium supplements which helps with blood pressure, heart health and bone strength, and it has actually helped my GERD and anxiety. My episodes don't last as long, and I am very optimistic for the future. Also I've lost 4 lbs! It has been a hard week. The first week of a new diet is always hard. Unlike when I started new eating habits for the 'Betes. This time, I know what my body feels like when I consume the greasy foods, and anything I can do to STOP those episodes from happening, I WILL DO. They never tell you that feeling like you're dying, is worst than actually dying.
Vogue is Wrong, thinner isn't better. Healthier IS better. You do not have to be the thinnest person in the world to be pretty, just be the healthiest you can be and the pretty will show.
So I will keep you posted on new foods, recipes, and on my progress. It will not be easy, but again, I am an adult, the RIGHT thing, is not the easiest to do. Now when my body is all "I dare you, man" I will respond with "thanks but no thanks, I do quinoa, not big macs, and also get a real job, kid!" So go ahead, I give you a challenge, keep track of the labels of the food you eat, the food you feed your CHILDREN, do not be fooled by companies, know that you are poisoning your body, and it WILL catch up with you! Know that the eating habits you instill in your children, WILL grow with them, and it will make it hard to moderate or change as adults. Know that ONLY YOU are responsible for your health. Genetics, sure they suck, but YOU have the power to change. Anxiety? Diabetes? Gerd? Gluten Allergy?sounds like an infomercial to a "miracle drug" It isn't. It is my now, and my today, but I WILL embrace my path, and take it. I am optimistic, I am hopeful, and I am determined.
Thank you for reading!
