I grew up in the 50’s and 60’s. I ate a balanced meal each night at home when my mother fixed the meals. When I was in seventh grade, I started making the evening meals because my mother rejoined the workforce.
Balanced dinners were a protein, starch, and vegetable along with a sugar-sweetened drink. Breakfast initially consisted of cereal and milk with an occasional fruit added. Lunch varied but mainly consisted of a sandwich and chips that my mother fixed.
Upon leaving home and going to college I changed my eating habits. I gave up on breakfasts – I would rather sleep the extra few minutes. Lunch was usually fast-food – a burger or something. I drank a lot of Coca-Cola back then – and, continued to do so into the 90’s.
This morning, I read about the mother of a medical doctor who had many, many heart problems/surgeries and was told that there was nothing else the medical system could do for her. She was 67 years old at that time. She changed her lifestyle to eating primarily plant-based foods and lived another 31 years without any further heart issues.
Diet is important. A plant-based diet is more important if you want to live a long and healthy life. It is difficult to convert from old habits to mainly plants (fruits and vegetables) for each meal. But, once a new habit is established, it is relatively easy to maintain.
I had 31 flight physicals during my career in the Navy. I had an occasional problem with blood pressure, but that was easily corrected with exercise and/or weight loss. I usually kept pretty close to the maximum allowed weight standard for flying for the last twenty years in the Navy.
I never monitored all the blood/medical test results. The flight surgeon would tell me if there was a problem. However, as my interest in health and wellness started to grow in the past several years, I have been much more in touch with where I stand against the health/medical standards.
I had my annual physical earlier this month. There were 44 blood test results along with the typical blood pressure and other physical checks. Two years ago, I had zero results out of the norm. Last year, I had one value out of the norm. This year, I had three. Obviously, my health is trending in the wrong direction.
I can understand a single value being out at any point in time. It happens. However, I had to reflect on why I had so many more values out this year. We had Hurricane Harvey ten days before I donated blood for my annual physical. I was definitely stressed during that ordeal. We were fortunate in having no damage from the storm. But, the anxiety and stress were present. I developed a fever blister a couple of days before the blood-draw.
Further analysis of my lifestyle showed a consistency for the past month. My diet has changed to reflect an earlier version of my life. It was more comfort food and fast food compared to the time before Hurricane Harvey. Today, I started back on my typical Wahls Protocol derived diet (mostly plant-based foods with a little protein and healthy fats).
We enjoy our comfort zones. We don’t pay attention to how long we stay there. Incremental changes can get us out of a healthy lifestyle and it takes a major shift to return to the healthy norm. Are you eating healthy foods; or, do you think you are? Past history/knowledge does not always equate to reality.