It only took me five long months to get the urge to write again. I was stuck in a rut. A major rut. I gave up – to be honest. I gave up my fitness goals, my nutrition plan, and my motivation. I gave up on me. I gorged on sweets, laziness, and self doubt. What changed? A big old kick in the butt from the flu, believe it or not.
A few weeks ago I got sick. Really sick. Bronchitis invading my lungs has been a lifelong pattern for me. Usually, I’m sick for five weeks at a time. This time was different. While I went through seven agonizing days of hell, the duration of this sickness was much shorter. I truly believe that food played a major part in my healing.
Like a lot of you, I decided the first of the year was going to be time for change. Shortly before my body was invaded by the flu virus, I changed my eating habits. Weeks of devouring holiday sweets and treats was halted. I figured that my body, ridden with aches and pains, needed a change. Sugar can wreak havoc on your system. I figured that out real quick. I realized that my body needed natural, whole foods. No more added sugar. No more simple carbs. No more chemicals and preservatives. I needed real food.
I started eating more vegetables and protein. I started watching my sugar intake. I stocked my body with vitamin C from citrus fruit. I stopped worrying about calories and started concentrating on what my body needed. Some of my pain began to disappear.
Then, the flu hit me like a freight train. But, I didn’t let that stop me or give me reason to give up. I continued eating healthy even though I felt like death. That’s when the miracle happened. I got over the flu/bronchitis combo in record time. I truly believe that my healthy eating habits – eating real food – made all the difference.
I’ve realized that I’m at the point in my life when I need to really start cracking down on my health. In a few weeks, I’ll be 35, which has kind of spooked me a little bit. While I know this sounds kind of crazy, it’s made me realize that I’m approaching the mid point of my life. If I don’t really focus on taking care of my body now, it’s only going to get tougher down the road. I’ve seen how fragile life is, and I want to make sure I have the best shot possible to stay healthy as long as possible.
With all of this said, I want to share some of the food that I’ve been enjoying lately. I hope some of my favorites will inspire you to begin changing your diet for the better.
