Health on the Brain

Lately, Rob and I have both had health on the brain.  I attribute some of that to getting older and it being January /resolution time...but I think most of it is due to the Spirit.  I feel like God wants us to be healthier and he wants us to act now.

Here are a few things we do to be healthy:

*take vitamin D everyday during the winter (it boosts your immune system, mood, and has many other good effects). These are our kids' favorites, Sunny Gummies.

*drink a small amount of kefir everyday (another immune booster and has many more healthy cultures than yogurt. Also helps with vitamin D absorption.

*try to focus as much or more on veggies than we do on meat

*Rob exercises daily, including playing racquetball with my brother on their lunch break at BYU

*We purchased a recumbent bike so we could ride here at home (with minimal pain to my back)

*We buy most fruits and veggies organic

*We keep our counters and fridge stocked with said fruits and veggies

*I am counting Weight Watcher points. I've lost 8 pounds in the last month and am hoping to lose about 10 more. I do this more to help my chronic pain than to look better, but lookin' good is happy motivation, too.

*We've started going to bed by 10:15.  Or 10:30.  Or at least 10:45. :)
*I pray for help when I feel bogged down by pain or stress

 Here are some things we are contemplating:

*vegetarianism -- When Rob and I were dating and first married, we were vegetarians. When our first child was old enough to eat solids, we weren't sure how to ensure she got enough protein and we wanted her to not be afraid to eat meat.  So we added chicken & turkey to our diet (and I added hamburgers :)  Interestingly enough, independent of each other in these last few weeks, Rob and I both felt impressed to talk to the other about the possibility of revisiting vegetarianism. We would still let our kids eat meat when out of the house (school lunch, friends' houses, restaurants, etc) but we wouldn't eat meat in the home. This is a bit overwhelming for me as I love the ease of some of my chicken (especially crock-pot chicken) recipes.  As for the actual cooking with meat, I don't think I'd miss it at all.  I don't really want to throw out all my frozen meat.  I hate the lost expense. And I'd need lots of good recipes!  Still contemplating this one...I don't want to do it half-heartedly.

*green smoothies -- Wanting to try green smoothies a few months ago, we accidentally purchased a juicer instead of a fancy blender.  Needless to say, green smoothies just aren't what they are meant to be in a juicer. :) I have all the veggies and fruits in my fridge RIGHT NOW to make my first green smoothie.  I'm hoping my cheapo Costco blender is good enough to do the job.

When I was pregnant with Jacob, I developed very severe pain in my pelvis and about a year after he was born, in my back.  Neither have healed, despite MANY tests, specialists, and attempts.  There is a pocket of inflammation on my pelvis that just doesn't go away.  Currently, a specialist has me taking a heavy dose of Ibuprofen, hoping to kick the inflammation so I don't have to have surgery (to fix something they aren't sure is fixable...)  I'm giving it my best shot, but also notice a distinct improvement when I eat healthy.  The only time I really get frustrated about my pain is when it comes after exercising (even if I just exercise a little) or when it prevents us from having more kids.  The rest of the time, it's almost like a squished spider on the wall...I don't really notice it until it's gone.

I'm not really sure why I'm writing this post except that I have health on the brain.  Nothing beats that feeling of self-accomplishment and contentment that comes from knowing you are doing your best to treat your body well (or as LDS people like to say "like an earthly temple.")

My next post will be about how I watched Robby AND Jacob both play goalie at the same time on two different indoor soccer fields today.  Or about Erica's science fair project that is accidentally growing mold like crazy. Or about how we are *finally* attempting (after 1 year of home-ownership) to redecorate our house, a process that terrifies me.