Today was a good day, except that I didn’t eat nearly enough. I had a banana in the morning and then my dad came over to help me install some exterior light fixtures… we got busy, had to leave to get screws that actually fit [why, oh, why would they give us screws that were a 1/4" longer than we needed??? one of life's little mysteries, I guess...], and by the time we sat down to lunch it was 2:00. Ouch. I was crashing just before that… I can’t survive on just a banana. I know plenty of people who brag about how they ‘forgot to eat’ or only ate an apple all day long. I don’t know how they do it. The thought of skipping meals terrifies me because I’ve come so close to passing out when I’ve inadvertently let my sugar get too low, and it’s the worst feeling. Like a robot shutting down, one system at a time. Being so out of control of my body is not my idea of a good time. Nor is it a good time for my poor body. But I digress…
So… It was a great lunch – just a simple salad with some roasted chicken tossed in. My dad loved it – I tend to go a little over the top with salads. They’re like painting a beautiful picture, but with veggies in a bowl. I can’t help myself. I love the colors! I used romaine, thinly sliced red cabbage, celery cut on the diagonal, fresh red pepper, red seedless grapes, strawberries, grape tomotoes and then tossed it in a quick, homemade honey mustard dressing with whole grain mustard and white balsamic vinegar. YUM. Tonight I threw together a stirfry using the same chicken and it came out great. I didn’t find myself craving the pasta with meat sauce my husband was eating across the table from me.
I have to say, I feel so much better already without grains and dairy in my system. My lungs are clearing up again. I have asthma, and it got really bad after one of those insane ’summer colds’ I woke up with on July 4th. I was out of commission for 2 weeks, and then my lungs never really recovered. I’d been coughing for over a month and having to use my inhaler at least once most days. We had an extreme hot and HUMID July and my lungs definitely don’t tolerate humidity, so that was part of it, too… but I’ve had this remnant cough until a few days ago. It’s so nice to wake up in the morning and take that first, deep breath, and not feel like I’m choke to death.
I’ve also been sleeping like a log, too. I don’t know if it might be a gluten sensitivity, or what, but I feel too good to be tempted by everyday wheat products. Every now and then I know I’ll need some pizza, or just a great sandwich from one of the italian cafés in the North End in Boston, so you won’t catch me saying ‘never’ – but it needs to be something special to get me off the path I’m on. And even when it does happen, I’ll be back on with the next meal. I love moderation. I wish I had figured this out years ago! lol
I honestly don’t know what the big deal was with all the other attempts I’ve made at eating healthier. I think it was always about losing weight quickly, not about my health. Now I’m 34 and earlier this year I had a taste of what my life could be like if I sat on my arse all day and ate horribly, and it was scary. No thanks… I can never let myself get that weak and out of shape ever again. Life’s too short. Why make it shorter???
Accessibility is definitely the key. Fresh food takes preparing, but most of it can be done in one day and stored in the fridge, ready to go. Chopped veggies and fruits keep a lot longer with a little lemon juice tossed in. Greens stay better when they’re cleaned and wrapped in paper towels, and then in plastic. Having plenty of frozen fish and chicken on hand helps too. I’ve discovered microwave-steamed fish and it is awesome. [Check out my Micro Fast Mahi Mahi recipe HERE].
I’m already looking forward to going to bed. So weird for me… normally I avoid sleep like the plague. I can stay up all night so easily… not anymore. I wonder if having too much ‘toxic’ stuff in the system causes the body to react so that it clears it as fast as possible??? It could just be plain old adrenalin… when you have a blood sugar crash, I know the body tries to artificially raise it with adrenalin. Maybe that’s why I’ve had such an ongoing struggle with insomnia when I eat crappy… I don’t go overboard with sweets, but maybe it doesn’t matter… maybe too much bread with dinner is all it takes to cause enough of an imbalance…? As we say in Boston, “irreegaahdless…” I’m feeling good. =)
