Why is it so hard to be healthy??

[Eleni]

Im working on overhauling the food I/we eat, our personal care products, cleaners and I would like to exercise a few times a week.

Aside from the personal care and cleaners I am having a hard time of it. I am drinking green smoothing for breakfast...usually containing raw sunflower seeds, leafy greens, blueberries, banana, and spirulina algae. But then a few hours later I get sidetracked by chocolate. And then pizza...granted it was an organic pesto goat cheese pizza, but still!

 

Here is my motivation....my mother has leukemia, my older brother died of pancreatic cancer T-giving week, my sister had a colon cancer scare in April and had a tumor and portion of her colon removed and my father died of cancer 10 yrs ago.

 

It freaks me out beyond belief and I would really like to lessen my odds, eat a diet geared around veggies, fruits, legumes, grains with a little bit of organic animal products. Im trying to to ease into it, but get so discouraged. I need to lose about 50 lbs too.

 

Granted with things going on with mom right now I am under a lot of stress. She just finished her 3rd chemo treatment, and we are waiting for more info on getting a bone marrow transplant. They are looking for a match now...there is a 50% of finding one. If she does not have a BMT the odds of her being cured or staying in remission are 5% and she will likely die within a year. The odds of a BMT working are only 30-40%

 

But, the only I can control is my eating and health habits, and it is such a struggle. :glare:

[mia78]

I think it's hard because the odds are stacked against the masses in their quest to be healthy. Most people are spinning their wheels and thinking they're being healthy, but in actuality the answers to many illnesses are too simplistic to be profitable. Believe it or not, the powers that be in health/nutrition in this country aren't out for the masses to be healthy because people wouldn't need/require the services of health care providers.

 

If you really want to lessen your odds against cancer, research iodine supplementation. Start your journey with the book by Dr. Brownstein called Iodine: Why you need it and why you can't live without it. The newest edition is available on his website at drbrownstein.com. He and some other doctors apart of 'The Iodine Project' are researching this vital nutrient and its various uses in the body of which apoptosis (programed cell death) is a major function. (No cell death = cancer). Heavily flouridated population plus bromide used in many whole grain organic foods and environment = iodine displacement in the tissues where its needed. He and his colleagues have had much success in treating people with many different health problems. I stumbled upon it after dealing with my own personal health challenges of which allopathic medicine doesn't know anything about.

 

BTW, there's still mass ignorance in the medical community about iodine and how much we require due to faulty research done decades ago.

 

This short article explains how this came to be:

 

http://cypress.he.net/~bigmacnc/drflechas/IOD4.htm

 

To put it bluntly, iodine is cheap and easy to use and cannot be pantented. Iodine used to be the primary 'medicene' used by doctors in the early 20th century before big pharma took over the health care system of this country.

[Lovedtodeath]

To put it bluntly, iodine is cheap and easy to use and cannot be pantented. Iodine used to be the primary 'medicene' used by doctors in the early 20th century before big pharma took over the health care system of this country.

 

Almost everything that makes a big difference without being patented and having FDA approval (millions of dollars) is not known. There are tons of them out there.

 

A green smoothie with spirulina is a great place to start. Good for you. I do that for a few days and miss my waffles and hot chocolate.:tongue_smilie:

[mia78]

Just another note, my tiny explanation of iodine barely scratches the surface and its way deeper than that. If the OP or anyone else would like any reputably sourced info on iodine supping, feel free to PM me.

[Rosie_0801]

It's the getting started that is the hard part. Once you acclimatise it's not nearly so hard. Getting rid of all your artificial fragrances will acclimatise your nose to preferring natural essential oils, for example, which will make it very easy to avoid chemical cleaners and personal care products. You won't even try to use them because you'll be gagging as I do every time I'm forced into the laundry aisle of the supermarket! If you train your taste buds away from sugar, which takes a while, you'll find plenty of things you won't want to eat, because they'll be so sweet you can't enjoy them.

Things are difficult when getting started, you are already under stress, and you don't sound as though you are 100% confirmed in what you think healthy actually requires. No wonder you feel like some chockies! Two tips there (I'm gestational diabetic so am very experienced at this.)

1. If you must eat chocolate, buy expensive chocolate. That way you won't want to eat too many.

2. Eat those chocolate sea shells. The hazelnut paste filling is low GI!

 

You deserve big hugs and congratulations for even trying to be healthy. That puts you a long way ahead of most people.

 

:)

Rosie

[LaxMom]

All of those things probably factor into the body's ability to heal itself and defend against illness. Inadequate nutrition, constant exposure to chemicals, stress... they all make your body work that much harder to just maintain.

 

There is no simple switch to make, no panacea. It's a continuum. We don't eat processed food for the most part, and our diet is about 90% organic, but I am certainly not guzzling spirulina smoothies in the morning. (No aversion to spirulina or fruits and veggies at all, I'm just not a big smoothie person and that would not be something I would maintain, nor feel good about.)

 

There is nothing wrong with chocolate. There is nothing wrong with pizza. There is plenty wrong with heavily processed, non-food food.

 

Try addressing your eating habits in the same way you approached cleaning and personal care. I'm guessing you didn't outlaw all personal care options other than being blasted with a fire hose. You shouldn't approach eating - one of life's greatest pleasures - that way, either.

 

Examine what you like to eat, then look for ways to improve it. Like pizza - organic pesto, goat cheese pizza does not have the same evil connotation as snarfing a Red Baron in the 7-11. The raw ingredients were not sprayed with petrochemicals every inch of the way. The cheese is not full of synthetic hormones and antibiotics. There are no fake nutrients shoved in to compensate for the nutritional wasteland of such ingredients. I bet it even had a whole grain crust. Your body can assimilate the natural nutrients that occur in that. There are a number of constituents there besides the ones the USDA accounts for in nutritional labeling.

 

If you want chocolate, does it have to be half a bag of Snickers snack-sized, or would you be happy with something else? I make oatmeal cookies to quell my chocolate needs.. Use any recipe you have and use organic, whole grain, unprocessed ingredients. Then add some nuts, dried fruit of your choosing, chocolate chips, and 1/4 - 1/2 cup of cocoa powder. Yum.

 

Popcorn is a favorite snack here. Instead of microwave popcorn with questionable food and non-food ingredients, I make it in my Whirly-Pop, with organic popcorn and oil, and top it with butter, parmesan and pepper.

 

We also use meat (local, organically raised, grass finished) as more of a condiment. A pound of meat easily provides two meals for five of us.

 

Do we feel deprived? Like we need that little other "something"? Nah. Not often anyway (though I will tell you my husband looks forward to trips to Dover - about quarterly - where there is a Sonic :D) because we're really not.

 

Finally, you need to make time to relax. Meditate, pray, do yoga, hide in the closet and rock... something that works for you to keep your body un-bunchy. Chronic stress does damage.

[mariposa]

I wholeheartedly agree! I will say (not to give you permission but just to be understanding) that it's especially hard whenever there is a crisis or illness. It seems so much easier & comforting to grab something quick and often-times unhealthy.

I already eat a lot healthier than most people, I think. We pretty much don't buy anything processed except for the occasional bag of organic tortilla chips. I cook and bake a lot.

I think that for me it boils down to breaking patterns from my adult life but even from my family. My Mom is a great cook, but we still grew up on margarine and low-fat products and I'm sure lots of high fructose corn syrup that even snuck into our "healthy" cereals! As Americans, I read somewhere that we've lost our "identity" when it comes to food. I think to some extent that's true - there's so much available that we don't even know what "healthy" is anymore.

I don't know that any of this is really helpful, but it was nice for me to know that other people struggle too!

Sarah

[LaxMom]

 

As Americans, I read somewhere that we've lost our "identity" when it comes to food.

Definitely. I tend to follow Michael Pollan's rules about eating (from In Defense of Food), among them the tag line, "Eat Food. Not too much. Mostly plants.", but also "never eat something your grandmother would not recognize as food". Depending on your age, you may need to substitute "great grandmother".

[Happy]

Finally, you need to make time to relax. Meditate, pray, do yoga, hide in the closet and rock... something that works for you to keep your body un-bunchy. Chronic stress does damage.

 

Un-bunchy. :lol:

 

Yes. I relate to that term.

[Lovedtodeath]

 

Definitely. I tend to follow Michael Pollan's rules about eating (from In Defense of Food), among them the tag line, "Eat Food. Not too much. Mostly plants.", but also "never eat something your grandmother would not recognize as food". Depending on your age, you may need to substitute "great grandmother".

LOL My great grandma ate mostly little debbies last time I visited her.:lol: Those are about the most non-food substance I can think of. I don't even enjoy them anymore.

[Guest janainaz]

I think it's hard because the odds are stacked against the masses in their quest to be healthy. Most people are spinning their wheels and thinking they're being healthy, but in actuality the answers to many illnesses are too simplistic to be profitable. Believe it or not, the powers that be in health/nutrition in this country aren't out for the masses to be healthy because people wouldn't need/require the services of health care providers.

 

If you really want to lessen your odds against cancer, research iodine supplementation. Start your journey with the book by Dr. Brownstein called Iodine: Why you need it and why you can't live without it. The newest edition is available on his website at drbrownstein.com. He and some other doctors apart of 'The Iodine Project' are researching this vital nutrient and its various uses in the body of which apoptosis (programed cell death) is a major function. (No cell death = cancer). Heavily flouridated population plus bromide used in many whole grain organic foods and environment = iodine displacement in the tissues where its needed. He and his colleagues have had much success in treating people with many different health problems. I stumbled upon it after dealing with my own personal health challenges of which allopathic medicine doesn't know anything about.

 

BTW, there's still mass ignorance in the medical community about iodine and how much we require due to faulty research done decades ago.

 

This short article explains how this came to be:

 

http://cypress.he.net/~bigmacnc/drflechas/IOD4.htm

 

To put it bluntly, iodine is cheap and easy to use and cannot be pantented. Iodine used to be the primary 'medicene' used by doctors in the early 20th century before big pharma took over the health care system of this country.

 

wow, very interesting.

[Lovedtodeath]

I honestly don't know what is healthy. I have a pretty good idea what is not healthy, but in terms of what exactly is healthy, there is so much conflicting information. Some people scream about fat. Some people scream about carbs. Others scream about something else. It is enough to make a person crazy.

 

And, in the past, I have found trying to be healthy difficult in terms of just trying to find the items I need or want. I remember it wasn't uncommon for me to go to 4 stores a week to buy the items that worked with my "lifestyle". Sorry, but that is so insanely inconvenient, not to mention expensive, that I just couldn't maintain that for long. Healthier eating also means more time preparing foods. I love to cook and I rarely go out to eat, but I don't have all the time in the world to devote to constantly cooking and preparing stuff. Then, to top that off my family protested and I found myself having to make 2-3 different things at each meal.

 

I know these sound like excuses and there are people who claim I'm just not approaching it correctly, but I am telling it like it is for I'm sure a lot of people. Money, time, motivation, confusion, and etc are all words that come to mind when I have made attempts at changing my ways.

 

I hate to sound so discouraging. I would say itty bitty tiny baby steps are probably the best bet.

 

:iagree:!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!:iagree:You hit the nail on the head! When I was following the diet prescribed by my ND I was always hungry and spending all of my time preparing food, plus spending more money. And now all this talk about all of the easily available cooking oils being unhealthy (especially if you actually :gasp: cook with them) has me so confused. I wish I had never heard of it.

[Cornerstone Classical]

I think it is hard to eat healthy too. Mainly on the pocketbook. It also seems that there have been a couple of foods that I thought were healthy only to find out they are not. It gets really confusing. This is the guide line that I have adopted.

 

Eat whole grains

brown, free range, organic eggs

organic dairy

fresh veggies and fruit (organic where possible)

boneless/skinless chicken, fish and turkey natural, no additives

 

and for my chocolate fix I fix a chocolate protein shake:D

[joannqn]

I agree about it being difficult. First, there's the conflicting information about what's healthy that you have to weed through...and who do you believe anyway?

 

Several years ago, I tried one thing...one baby step...to switch to whole wheat flour and ditch the white flour. I ended up preferring not to eat anything made with flour...nothing baked, no pasta, no cereal, nothing.

 

I spent a year having to avoid all dairy because my nursing child was allergic to it. I never found a substitute (for milk, butter, or cheese) that was palatable so I gave up everything normally made with dairy products. I spent the year or so craving milk and cheese. The craving for it never went away.

 

How do you switch? I have no idea. I found I'd rather not eat than eat what healthy people call healthy so I gave up.

 

Guess I have no help other than to say...hey, you're doing better than I am. You wouldn't get me to choke down those smoothies for anything.

[Rosie_0801]

We were trying to eat an organic, whole grains, low meat diet for quite a while, but now I've been converted to veganism against my will! A friend lent me some literature which I couldn't ignore, even though I wanted to, so I'm doing a bit of study to learn how. After much thought, I've decided animal products belong in the junk food category: things I know I shouldn't eat, but am going to once in a while anyway, so don't bother feeling guilty. The tricky thing with nutrition, of course, is there is no one right way that applies to everyone.

 

Rosie

[ChristyB in TN]

I am so sorry that your family has had such a horrible year. I'm so sorry for you loss, too. There really are no words...

I think it is good to keep a constant supply of books on nutrition and such coming from the library. They serve as sort of motivation. I also like Prevention magazine and Body and Soul magazine. They both have great info every month and good articles on the newest info from the medical journals. I have recently gone from vegetarian to vegan and it is neat to feel my body change. My favorite thing is carrot juice. Do you have a juicer?

Again, I am so sorry. Christy

[Peela]

Keep reading and educating yourself. Learn to cook a few new recipes.

You cant do it all in one big jump, even if you did know what jump to make. It takes time to integrate a new approach for food.

But I think you need to go in the direction of that joy, that enjoyment of food that isnt the enjoyment of pizza that makes you feel like crap afterwards, but the real enjoyment of good food.

I have had a lifelong interest in health and food, am trained as a naturopath, and there is still so much to learn. New information comes out all the time. But there is so much bad information, misinformation, as well- particularly by people with vested interests. That means both Big Pharma and the more natural world. In fact Big Pharma is buying up herbal and naturopathic companies by the dozen, its sickening.

 

I think we as a civilization just need to get back into contact with our food. Taste it, touch it, grow it, feel it, listen to how it affects our bodies, enjoy it. It's not rocket science to eat fresh food and a diet based on alive fresh food rather than dead, overly processed food. But I agree with Rosie- if you are going to eat chocolate- buy the most expensive, free trade organic chocolate you can afford. Its more satisfying anyway, on so many levels. If you crave junk food- dont feel guilty.

 

I think junk food is addictive. It has taken me years to let go of it, and I still have a weakness for corn chips! But the healthier you get, the cleaner your body gets, the more you are naturally repulsed by crappy food and attracted to the good stuff. But it sure doesnt happen overnight.

 

I like the Weston Price/ Nourishing Traditions approach because I do feel nourished on it- rather than starved on supposedly healthy diets. If you are getting enough nutrients, your body doesn't tend to crave the crap so much. But if you are trying to survive on salads and steamed vegies and brown rice- well, your system is going to rebel, and rightly so.

[Kim in Appalachia]

First, :grouphug::grouphug:

 

It is hard to deal with so much illness.

 

My brother died of a brain tumor, my mother had ovarian cancer in her mid thirties (found early, she is fine), my grandmother died of colon cancer, my grandfather of lung cancer (his own fault, of course, he smoked since he was 10). For years I was convinced that everyone got cancer, then died. I was in shock when I heard of a relative died of a heart attack.

 

Cancer is complex, and just eating right won't necessarily prevent it, but it can help in fighting it.

 

Right now, with your busy and stressful schedule, try to focus on getting in 5 fruits/veggies a day. Eat whole grain whenever you can, and stick to skinless chicken, turkey or fish. Start eating beans (lentil soup is a nice way to get some beans in) Try to get some exercise. And this is the hardest part, try not to obsess on it. You have a lot of stress in your life, you do not need more.

 

On the medical front, get colon screening, keep up with yearly check-ups, and pay attention to your body.