In 2018 I unintentionally lost 23 pounds and never gained it back. A lot of other good things happened to my body too. Turns out I just needed to learn two things: the power of small steps, and the magic of fruits and vegetables.
"It's Just Old Age"... Or Is It?
That year I was about to turn 49. I hadn't given it much thought until one morning while climbing the stairs I realized that I was hobbling like an elderly person. My hips hurt, my knees, feet and back hurt, and I got easily winded. I was so annoyed.
I had also noticed that when I first got to my feet after any amount of sitting (like in a car), I had to move carefully and slowly to get the hitches out. Walking across the parking lot at the grocery store was tricky as I tried to hide my crickety shuffle and pretend to walk smoothly -- like a young person.
At that time of my life I was also suffering from frequent migraine headaches with aura, and even had a terrifying stroke-like incident that sent me to the emergency room, unable to speak clearly or move my arm.
Subsequent visits and tests with doctors confirmed that I had very high inflammation and other concerning markers. I even started developing arthritis in my hands and fingers. Because of pain, I gave up some favorite pastimes like hiking and running.
Most of these things I just chalked up to old age. Just a sad reality of life. But because my mother had unexpectedly died of a stroke at the young age of 54, I was also starting to get worried. I finally started asking myself if I could (and should) do something about it.
By my calculations, I had practically half of my life left, and I suddenly didn't want to be hobbling and creaking my way through it, sitting on the sidelines.
The Magic Of Small Steps
I wanted to change, but here's the thing -- I have no willpower. I'm perpetually disorganized, a tiny bit lazy, and not very mentally disciplined. I needed to find something I could actually do, without too much effort.
I also had no idea what would actually work. There are many voices out there, and I didn't really know who to listen to. I was getting a lot of advice, but much of it was conflicting.
Then came the catalyst that changed everything in my life. I joined a family health challenge. I won't really lay out the mechanics of the challenge. I'll just say it's during that time that I finally learned the power of ridiculously small steps.
"Embrace the power of small steps. They matter, they count, and they’re the best way to create habits around what actually matters to you". -- Kendra Adachi
These are the small habits that came into my life because of that challenge:
At least 7 hours of sleep a night
20 minutes of moving my body each day (for me that was just a walk, not even a brisk one, or yoga)
2 quarts of water a day
Only whole foods - No sweets or junk food (except on our weekly free days)
At least 5 servings of fruits and veggies a day - which eventually grew into 10 servings.
That's it.
And then when the six-week challenge was over, we did it again. And again. And again. We pretty much lived the health challenge rules all year long.
That's when the weight came off, the arthritis and joint pain went away, brain fog disappeared, and energy returned. Since that time, almost five years ago, I've only had two migraine headaches with aura.
Tests confirmed shocking improvement in inflammation, blood pressure, and other health markers.
I resumed hiking and running, climbing countless mountains and even hiking 26 miles in a day across the Grand Canyon from north rim to south with my family last year.
I feel years younger. My stamina is better than it's been for over a decade. Sometimes I just can't believe it.
And yep, you guessed it. I can climb out of the car in the parking lot of the grocery store and walk like a 30 year old through the front doors. :)
The Power of Fruits and Vegetables
I'm going to make a long story very short here. I knew quickly that although all of the health challenge steps matter and are important, the food part was the most critical. I started studying more about fruits and vegetables and knew I was on to something kind of important.
No supplement, no processed food, no powder or pill contains the same phytochemicals, compounds, and nutrients that fruits and vegetables do.
"Vitamins and minerals are most potent when they come from food. In food, they are accompanied by many other beneficial nutrients, including hundreds of carotenoids, flavonoids, minerals, and antioxidants that aren't in most supplements." (June 2015 Harvard Health Letter)
Scientists haven't even discovered all of those compounds yet! Every day new phytochemicals are being identified, and no one understands yet...not even a little...which ones fight cancer and other diseases and in what combinations. In fact, studies have shown that just taking supplements of some phytochemicals exclusively can cause harm.
As a side note, I sometimes wonder, in astonishment, at the audacity we have, thinking we can duplicate or improve in a lab what God gave us in nature to fuel our bodies. It's a head-scratcher, for sure!
Then there's the fiber -- that "other" nutrient. The one that Americans almost never get enough of. Seriously.....only 5% do. Five percent. Incredible to consider, especially knowing that fiber is a major part of the solution to everything from heart disease and cancer to intestinal troubles, and yes....even weight loss -- and every other malady so common to us today.
"Watch things change that you didn't think were possible, because you didn't realize how much your brain and body were starving for fruits and vegetables." -- John Hatch, DC, Neurology and Brain Health
Weight loss is one thing, but the other magical things that happened in my body could only be attributed to the power of fruits and vegetables. I simply cannot overstate what has happened to me.
Since 2018, I've slowly transitioned to eating a mostly whole food plant based, or "plant-focused" diet. It works well for me. I remember what my life was like before, and I don't want to go back. Turns out willpower was not what I needed. It was just a taste of the good life.
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