It seems like a month has gone by already this New Year, but it's only the 5th. I guess that's not a bad thing. We have been keeping busy with some organization at the house and we've got some plans in the works that will hopefully set us on a path for a bit more success and less stress this year. Though, not an ideal plan, I have high hopes we can make it work and be able to breathe a little easier.
In past years I have been lax in getting our annual files organized and moved into storage. This year I had it done on New Year's Day, with 2013 files ready to be filled. Today I picked up a plastic storage bin and will have it filled and in storage in the morning. It's good to be done with it so soon.
Mrs's boss retired and her office has been merged with another. I will miss her former boss. We had some good times with him and if not for him and prodding from Mrs, I would likely never have been on two cruises or visited Tucson. I will certainly miss him and his generosity. He was so good to allow the use of his wonderful home in Arizona.
We spent a few hours at the office yesterday moving things into storage in the upstairs portion of the building in preparation for office renovations. Mrs will hold on to her job and move temporarily to the other office. Once the renovation is complete, everyone will move back to the office. Change is hard. Change is good.
As for the shift in my food choices... All is still going very well (except for the ubiquitous wrinkled noses and blank stares - surely I am going to die because of this! - which keeps me from talking about it) and I am exploring and experimenting with new and delicious food combinations. I don't like labeling things such as vegetarian, or vegan, or whatever. I think, even these days many people envision someone starving themselves and cramming handfuls of lettuce in their mouth three times a day. In fact, over the last few weeks especially, I have been adding to and expanding on my food choices. I can't believe how much I am eating every day and how much I enjoy it.
I have also noticed how much different and better I feel. No heartburn. Sleeping better. More energy. Interestingly, I seem to not be as cold as I used to be. I would have the heat turned up and be buried under the flannel sheets and down comforter. Now, I lower the thermostat (much to the dismay of the cats and dogs!) and am pushing the covers off. I also noticed, during times of feeling cold in the house, that the nail beds of my toes would go blue. I have not seen that at all of late. Was I having circulatory issues? It is proven that most Americans have the beginnings of and progressing coronary disease. Was I headed down the same road as my Dad? Have I started to heal my arteries by avoiding oils (including olive oil)? Dr. Essylsten and others say it happens quickly and I believe it even more now. Here is a clip of one of Dr Esselstyn's talks:
For the entire hour+ long talk packed with IMPORTANT information, I have embedded it here:
And, of course, the disclaimer. Obviously I am not telling you to just drop everything and go on these diets. I am just sharing my experiences with this particular lifestyle and am constantly monitoring myself in case I find any alarming changes. I do not expect any, and my faith in the science (not bought and paid for by big pharma and big ag) is unwavering. True, I did not consult with my doctor prior to starting this, but I would never have done that anyway. That's how I fly, and how my Pennsylvania roots dictate what I do.
I like my doctor, but am certain he is more reliant on pills than natural healing. Health care is big business, after all. There is no money in healthy people. One of my first visits with him, which was also for a physical, my total cholesterol was 199. Borderline "high", but still not alarming. My BP, heart rate and the like were still within good limits and I was just about to start running. He said to me at the end of the appointment (in what seemed to me to be an exasperated tone), and I'll never forget it, "Well, I see no reason to put you on medication at this time." I was a little taken aback and held my tongue which was about to let fly a "And I wouldn't take them, anyway!" Why even go there? Do I look like a pill seeker, even if it is just a statin drug? That has stuck in my head and has bounced around in there since 2009 or whenever it was. Not long after that, I started making my diet more plant centric. I was an omnivore, but meat became more of a side dish and I got heavy into running and indoor cycling at that point. Just a few small changes and my total cholesterol dropped by 52 points, my blood pressure was superb and my weight was nearly perfect for my height. No meds. And I plan to keep it that way.
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