Food Matters!

In the past week I came across numerous blogs raving about the two films Food Matters and Hungry for Change.  Since I had some time off work thanks to the kidney stones, I was able to watch both...and I think they were just the motivation I needed to not only keep going with eating healthy, but to realize how important it is for my body in the long term!  I have not resigned to the common thought that I will most likely have a heart attack in my 50's and be lucky to ever hit my mid-60's.  I don't feel entitled to stuff harmful food down my throat.  I feel a responsibility to this planet that gave us life.  These films educated me and helped solidify my desire to eat healthier!

 Here's a preview for Food Matters - go to www.foodmatters.tv to watch and learn more!

It's one thing to read about the pink slime in our ground beef, or the arsenic that is in our chicken breast...but somehow images from films stay with me longer.  Quotes stated by professionals will stay in my memory and randomly pop up like a song stuck in my head.  If you're the same way, I definitely recommend watching these films - don't worry, there are no grotesque images trying to sway you to become vegan.  Instead they show how we can prolong our lives and end most of our suffering simply by choosing healthier, fresh, organic options!  I have no desire to become dependant on medications as I grow older - I do believe my body can heal itself, and I'm going to join in this revolution!  I will give my body the best fighting chance I can!

Ok - stepping off my soap box for now.  Give it a watch and I hope it motivates you in the same way!



"Rocking" My Kidneys, Not the Gym

As you knew from my last post, I had big plans to step it up and not allow anything to get in the way of my fitness and health goals! Well, life can have a morbid sense of humor at times, and decided that I had to wait to start my journey again - against my will!  I went to the ER yesterday when a small back pain grew into the most excruciating feeling all over my midsection, from under my hip bone up to my lungs!  Within 30 minutes of the pain starting, I was curled up on the bed and unable to move or speak.  I have never felt anything remotely close to that type of pain!

My husband rushed me to the hospital, where they quickly checked me in and proceeded to play musical chairs on my arm with the IV needle.  Finally they started pumping some pain meds into me and after a cat scan and some blood tests, they determined that I had kidney stones - ONE IN EACH KIDNEY! I didn't win the mega-millions lottery, so my body thought it'd make it up to me by granting me double the stones, double the pain.

One of the three marks made by the med student fishing for my vein...

I've since read online that the pain of kidney stones is worse than child birth, and this was confirmed by a facebook friend who has had both...so I guess I'm now ready for anything life can throw at me!  I'm currently towards the end of a cycle of percocet, so while the pain is pretty bad right now, my mind is clear enough to actually write an update post!  I won't be so lucky in about an hour...

So now my main goal is to drink as much water as I can until the pain on both sides goes away.  While I do have some fruit that I've been snacking on, it's not really a balanced diet that I'm on, and don't even mention doing something like running to me right now!  I think that if I could ignore the pain enough to do that, I'd probably get lost and disoriented with the meds that I'm on...

So, as soon as these stones pass, I'll get back into the healthy lifestyle again - hopefully it'll be sooner rather than later!