Health Matters: Week 1 Update

 

Photo by: Rick Ligthelm

Week one of living our new healthy lifestyle was such a blessing. I'm rediscovering my love of vegetables and excited about challenging myself in the kitchen. In just a weeks time, I feel more energized despite the fact that I'm up with a newborn! I've also noticed my waist getting smaller! This Sabbath I wore a shirt to church that I had not worn since 2005!  God is really blessing our efforts. My husband even noticed that the dark circles under my eyes are diminishing.

So what's on the menu at the Brownie home? Listed bellow is a sample of what we eat in a day. I'm having so much fun reinventing our favorite recipes and creating new favorites. I've discovered I can forgo the oil in my salad dressing and  enjoy eating my salad with just a little lemon juice and seasonings. I've included my new go-to salad dressing below. I hope you enjoy it as much as I do.

Breakfast
Fruit- banana, apple,strawberries,blueberries, pears, or whatever we have on hand served raw. We usually eat as much as we want.
Pancakes (gluten-free, dairy-free,soy-free,nut-free, egg-free) (Catherine and Tim)
Brown rice(For Mom)
Homemade pinto beans with fresh avocado,tomato, and green onion (For Mom)

Lunch
Baked sweet potatoes
Loaded Raw Veggie Salad (mixed greens,romaine, spinach, carrots, avocado, tomato, cucumber, broccoli, onion, or whatever is on hand.)

Dinner
Kim Snyder's Glowing Green Smoothie (For Mom)
Multi-grain gluten-free pasta
Homemade mushroom red sauce
Garlicky green beans

* We are drinking at least 64oz of water a day. I must admit I still struggle with drinking during meals rather than in between. I'm a work in progress.

Emily's Classic Dressing
Juice of 1/2 lemon
2 teaspoon of nutritional yeast
1 teaspoon of dill weed
1 teaspoon of dry oregano
1/2 teaspoon of garlic powder
1/2 teaspoon of onion powder
1/2 teaspoon of black pepper
pinch of sea salt

Mix well and pour over your favorite veggies.

Health Matters: Breaking The Chain

On the eve of my mother's death, I'm so excited to share with you some of the changes I'm making in the Brown home and what inspired them. Many of the changes have to do with living a healthier lifestyle.

After the sudden and unexpected death of my mother, I was devastated. There seemed to be no answers to the question, "Why Lord?" I  prayed so often. The only clues my family received about what caused my mothers death from the medical examiner was that it was related to diabetes and high blood pressure. As a relatively young person, I have struggled with the fact that I lost my mother too soon, to two common, but very preventable diseases.Upon hearing the news, I knew deep down inside I need make changes to my diet or a similar fate awaited me. I knew that I needed to take control of my life and break my addiction and love affair with food. I knew I wanted to be around in good health for my children and future grandchildren. I knew I had to take a stand. Finally, I knew I needed to break the chain of heart disease, diabetes, and hypertension in my family.

So here I am. Knowing first hand how making small changes can make a big impact on your health, I have decided to reincorporate the essential health principles outlined in this post ,NEW START: An Acronym For Greater Health.Also, I have personally decided to adopt a mostly raw vegan diet. It hasn't been easy, but so far I'm sticking with it. God has blessed me with several partners who have entered this journey with me and I am thankful daily for there kindness and encouragement. I  claim victory  now over food addiction and illness, because I know ALL things are possible with God.

Each week I hope to share with you my stats and how things are going health wise. My hope is that in being open and honest about my weight loss and health journey, I can in turn inspire others.  It also helps keep me accountable. Feel free to comment and share your ideas for greater health.

Starting Stats                                

Height: 5'6
Starting Weight: 175lbs
Goal Weight: 135lbs
Current Medical Conditions: Asthma