My weight has been up and down all my life. Mostly ups with a few downs. The times I felt the best were the downtimes! I was full of energy, happiness, had a mental clarity like you wouldn't believe! Mostly, I just felt good! No pain, no wondering if I'd sleep through the night, no waking with a headache or stiff neck.
In late 2018 I was told I needed a nuclear stress test. I had been experiencing chest pains and inflammation in my legs so bad I could hardly stand up when I would wake in the morning. Heart disease runs in the family. My mother passed in 2017 from a heart attack at age 66. I had every reason to be nervous. Dealing with the stress of the job I was in and a fairly new and difficult marriage wasn't helping matters. During the whole process, I was told by two physicians and two physician assistants to quit or die. I decided I wasn't ready for the latter.
After quitting my job and dropping a ton of stress, I lost 22 pounds!! I started looking forward to feeling better! I was ready for my body to heal and be pain-free! It didn't happen. The stress switched from work to home. Things weren't getting any better things were getting worse! My body was shutting itself down. Everything hurt. Something as simple as a hug was becoming unbearable. Doing the dishes became nearly impossible! My back, the pain, was becoming my biggest enemy. I felt so helpless. I was angry, agitated, and mean. I was starting to think I couldn't do anything about it. I really didn't want to be medically labeled with a disease, didn't want to be disabled. I wanted a happy, pain-free life!
Skip to 189 days ago, March 27th, 2020. Things at home drastically changed. I am now a small business owner, single, with two young adult children at home. One is a full-time college student. The other is still trying to find their path in life. Oh, and we have four cats between us!
Along comes May. Covid-19 has changed the world. Things are nothing like they used to be! Once a huge hugger and a people person, I was now staying home. IF I went out, I was keeping my distance, even from friends. During a routine trip to the chiropractor, I was diagnosed with arthritis on my spine of all places! It was time for me to take back my health, and this time I meant it, for good! Besides, I've done this before, I know what to do, right?
In the last 189 days, I managed to lose another 20 pounds! Some days I struggled, but mostly I did and ate what I wanted to. My daughter loves to bake and make pasta. That has been my biggest struggle of all, staying away from the sweets and treats! With September 27th came the six-month mark! I knew I had to make some drastic lifestyle changes. The name of my company is Kahn's BETTER HEALTH, after all!
I've added a little meditation and some essential oils to my routine. I do know that I need to do these more often, I just haven't gotten that far as of now. I am concentrating more on what I eat at the moment.
So here is what I have done on this fine Saturday afternoon. I picked up the book I bought (always listen to your gut, physically and metaphorically) a few months back and started to read. Chris Beat Cancer is an inspirational book to help heal from the inside out, no matter what your body is doing "wrong." I went online and searched for all the top foods that help remove inflammation and those that cause it. It is not a coincidence that most of the foods on the list are things I ate daily four-plus years ago! I will need to set a goal to do a bit of Yoga daily, adding a little more as my body heals! In the attached photo, you will see what I had to eat just before sitting down to write this. Zucchini, sliced thin, with orange olive oil, Braggs seasoning, and parmesan cheese, baked at 400 degrees for 20 minutes.
Follow my progress here for more recipes and ideas to be a better, healthier you!
P.S. July 1st, 2019, I weighed 211.8 pounds. I was nearly back at my heaviest of 222 when my twins were born! Today I weigh 169.8! I am starting to feel the inflammation recede! I am so excited to know I can live pain-free once again!
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