Cheers to a New Healthy Life

I forgot to mention that while this blog's main focus is indeed my fashion and style, it is also going to be a HEALTH blog. Yes. I never would have imagined I'd ever write about health because I was probably the most unhealthy person on this planet earth. I sat at my desk at work from 9-5. Sat more driving my commute which is a total of 2 hours. Came home and am exhausted from the commute so I would just sit some more and laze around the couch. Never giving any time to exercise. I ate foods with absolutely no nutritional value but thousands of calories.

But every night I still have nightmares from when I was hospitalized, unable to move. I lay there in bed and I can't seem to stop thinking about the miserable days. I couldn't toss and turn by myself, scratch my nose, tuck my hair back behind my ears, use the restroom by myself, or even pull my own wedgie out! Yes, TMI I know but that's the extent of how terrible it was. Not being able to do anything on my own, even breathing. It was the most humbling thing in my 24 years of life. God can truly give and take away ANYTHING. However, God graciously gave me another chance at life and I can't let myself go through that again. I don't want to be that hot-pocket-eating-at-3am-girl-whose-exercise-at-the-most-was-walking-to-my-car-or-shopping any longer. It certainly is not going to be easy because I am really guilty of living this terrible unhealthy lifestyle so it is definitely going to take time. I still can't control and stop myself from eating a chocopie at 11pm but I definitely have gotten so much better at food control and forcing myself to work out even when I don't want to.

I don't want to speak too soon but it has been day 4 since I have worked out every single day straight. Even little exercise is better than no exercise. Even I'm amazed at my quick progress. I still remember in November I cried to my Occupational Therapist in my hospital room saying I'm never going to walk again. I'm never going to get my life back. In two weeks I went from walking a quarter of a mile in 50 minutes to walking half a mile in that same 50 minutes! Not only that I will be back at work soon!! Hard work does pay off...!

I am currently still on a bunch of medication for my asthma, hypertension, edema, insomnia, acid reflux, blood pressure, and crapp ton more. But the answer to most of these chronic degenerative diseases does not lie solely in modern day medications... but rather a holistic lifestyle change. I have been reading books on health ever since I have been home from the hospital and they basically all have the same point: attaining a healthy life will not happen overnight- nor will it be easy at first. It's a complete lifestyle change. And medicine prescribed by doctors will not always solve the problem. These are the current books I am reading and I sincerely recommend them all. When I finish them I will review them each more in-depth. BUT if I could recommend one right now please get Eat This and Live!! It's colorful and in a magazine-like format so it's not really a "read". I got mine on ebay. It's simply astonishing to realize how much I DON'T know about health, food, the body and etc.

One thing I really didn't take seriously were vitamins and minerals. I also started watching a documentary last night called Hungry for Change (which I might do a seperate review post on later after I finish the second half of the film) and it felt like I just witnessed a revelation-- NUTRIENTS AND CALORIES ARE NOT THE SAME THING. It's so simple that I didn't really know this. I didn't know a lot of things. Well, I knew them but I didn't really take it seriously. But when life throws you lemons and you get ill... THEN you will wake up and smell reality lol. I obviously had to learn the hard way but I do not wish ANYONE I love family and friends to have to suffer what I went through so I hope you will join me on this journey to living a healthier lifestyle and NOT just for January and February because of the 'new years' high. And it's really not just about being skinny. It's about actually being healthy. Although being skinny and looking good is a good motivation lol :P

^things we ALL know yet don't really take seriously until your doctor tells you you have serious health issues. Don't let it get to that point!! :)

The biggest thing I need to work EVEN harder on is sleeping at a normal time. I've gotten much better at food control and forcing myself to exercise but it's so hard to get myself to sleep at a normal person time. I know there a lot of fellow insomniacs out there too and I have found that chamomile tea works pretty well. If you're determined. Of course as we insomniacs all know, if you know you're not gonna fall asleep and you're set on that mindset- you wont. I finished a whole box of this chamomile tea from Revolution which you can buy on Amazon. It's pricey but it worked realllly well. I finished the box so then I decided to try a different brand just because I like trying new things so I bought a box of Harney & Son's chamomile tea which is also available here on Amazon. This one's been working pretty well too. I've been off my ambien for weeks now and I've been trying to ween off the melatonin and just drinking the tea but it's still difficult to fall asleep but I think it def does work at making me sleepy.

Seriously trying to take a natural approach with my health by drinking tea versus sleeping aids, exercising versus more medication-- basically trying not to solely depend on modern day medicine. It can only do so much.

As I narcissistic-ally stated up there before that hard work pays off- it sure does, but I cannot forget to thank the true Healer. The Great Physician. My heavenly Father for letting me LIVE!