Well, as most of you know, I am on a journey to wellness. I had a checkup done about 18 months ago, maybe a little longer, and I had an elevated liver enzyme. Well, I have been overweight for a while, and especially since I quit smoking, 21 months ago, I had put on even more weight. When the doctor’s office called to give me my blood work results, I just said “Well, you know if you’re fat, you’re probably going to have a fatty liver!”
When I returned for another checkup 6 months later, I was still elevated, and a little higher, so they sent me to see someone at the Medical Clinic at the VA (I am a veteran so I have VA medical benefits). I saw Carol W. at the clinic. She is fantastic. I have to tell you, she really listened to me and was really interested in the way I cook, the way we eat. She opted to give me another 6 months to work to get this weight off.
Well, as we all know, I am an emotional eater, and I let my emotions have control. Sometimes the thought of making these changes is just simply so scary, that we shut down, and that is what I have done, most often. Two weeks ago, I had to have a liver biopsy and the biopsy confirmed what Carol suspected, I have NASH (Non-alcoholic steatohepatitis), it is not contagious, it is not like Hepatitis A, B, C and is not foodborne or bloodborne. The medical community is not sure what causes NASH, but some common factors in people with NASH is Type II diabetes, obesity and high blood pressure. I have had all three!
I have decided it is time for me to take control back from my emotions. I feel that I am in a fight for my life and I want to live! So, I have come to the conclusion that I have to treat food just like I have treated cigarettes. One day at a time, sometimes one minute at a time. Each minute, if I have to, I will consciously make the decision of what I am going to eat to assist me to health. A new leg on this journey.
I haven’t talked too much recently about the journey, just about the food. That’s because I was struggling with the journey. I love the smoothies, I love the vegetables, I love making the gourmet vegetarian dishes…I haven’t been successful in just eating the foods I wanted to eat, well I guess I was, because I wouldn’t have eaten the food I did if I hadn’t wanted it. Or, if I had wanted to stand up to myself and not eat it.
I know it will not be easy. Quitting smoking has not been easy, but I’ve done it.
The reason for this post, there are some of us on the Eat To Live group, who are going to do the 6 week, Eat To Live plan. We will begin this plan on Tuesday, April 1, and no this is no April’s Fool joke! I am dead serious about this! I am going to put the list of the 6-week plan on here, and if you are interested in joining with us just say so through a comment on this blog. The more of us doing this, the merrier! We will support each other.
Eat To Live 6-Week Plan
UNLIMITED (eat as much as you want)
all raw vegetables, including raw carrots (goal: 1 lb. daily)
cooked green vegetables (goal 1 lb. daily)
eggplant, mushrooms, peppers, onions, tomato
beans, legumes, bean sprouts, and tofu (1 cup daily in total of these at a minimum),
fresh fruit (at least 4 daily).
LIMITED (not more than one serving, 1 cup, a day)
cooked starchy vegetables -OR- whole grains
(butternut or acorn squash, corn, sweet potato, brown rice, cooked
carrots, whole grain breads, whole grain cereals)
raw nuts and seeds (1 oz. or 28.5 grams a day)(required)
ground flaxseed (1 tablespoon a day)
OFF-LIMITS
dairy products
animal products
between meal snacks
fruit juice, dried fruits
NUTS and RAW SEEDS, but not ground flax, are optional for obese or overweight persons while they follow this weight loss plan.
I’m anxious to see if anyone else is interested in joining in.
Happy, Healthy Eating
Jackie V.
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