Food As Medicine

In March of 2018, I woke up one day and decided I had had enough. I was tired, both physically and mentally, and I knew I had to make a change. I was 240 pounds, would sleep all day long if given the chance, and couldn't walk without knee and ankle pain. I had also spent most of January and February either caring for, or visiting family members in the hospital for various illnesses.

I consider myself a reasonably intelligent person. I know what to do most of the time. But when it comes to taking care of myself, I seldom, if ever, do the right thing.  It wasn't until I was sitting in a hospital waiting room, looking around at older family members who were comparing what medicines they were on, and noticing how much excess weight everyone was carrying, that something just clicked for me.  If I didn't do something now, at that moment, I was going to continue the cycle and end up in a hospital room of my own.

For several days during that time I had seen various Facebook posts about the Keto diet, and thought I might give it a try. I had experimented with versions of it in the past and managed to lose weight.  But as the days progressed, I knew Keto was not something that was going to be sustainable for me (my passionate love affair with the potato would have to end, and I couldn't do that. I just couldn't). I then looked at Paleo, Mediterranean, South Beach, vegetarianism, veganism, and every other -isms or diet that claimed to hold the answer to ever lasting health and vitality. Netflix also happened to have a bevy of documentaries such as "Fat, Sick and Nearly Dead," "Food, Inc.," "What's With Wheat," and "The Magic Pill," and I not only watched them all, I made my husband sit through a few with me. I read everything I could get my hands on about the benefits of the aforementioned diets, and books like "Wheat Belly", and "Grain Brain," scared the life out of me.

So I had a whole lot of information, but still no direction. I sat down, compared meal plans for the various diets, and in the end I decided to just cut three things out: flour, white sugar and processed foods. Cutting those three things was a big deal for me, as I found they made up the bulk of what I was currently living on.  To me, the common theme with all weight loss regimes and improved health steps rested squarely on the shoulders of vegetables. And vegetables were the one thing I had practically eliminated from my daily food intake. I hate vegetables, and have always seen them as a necessary evil, so working them into my diet was not going to be an easy task.

In addition to losing flour, sugar and processed foods, I also bought an inexpensive juicer. From March to July I learned to make treats with coconut flour, honey, maple syrup, or coconut sugar, in the place of flour and refined sugar. I discovered I really liked quinoa. Spinach salads miraculously became tasty to me, and I found clean eating coach Danny Spies and started following her on Facebook. I drank my vegetables. I looked for way to keep moving, like taking my dog for extra long walks, walking up and down the stairs at my house, or trying to find things to do other than sit all day. I gave up sodas last year, so drinking more water wasn't a challenge at all for me. I visited the Farmer's Market and purchased fresh produce and bought meat from farmers who humanely raised and slaughtered the animals. I did everything a person determined to get healthy (or a hipster) would do. 

By the time July rolled around I was down to 190 pounds. I was sleeping through the night for the first time in years. I had eliminated all pain in my knees and ankles. My mood was better, and I had more positive thoughts, followed by more positive actions. The acid reflux I had battled for years was gone, and I also didn't have as much trouble with gas and bloating. I just felt better.

I felt like I finally understood what healthy living was all about, and knowing that it had to become a "lifestyle" was crystal clear.

Now, let's fast forward to August.

From August until today, my life has been upside down due to a series of tragic events involving lost loved ones, big life changes, poor financial decisions, and just life in general. And I returned to all those old comfort foods to help me get through it. Luckily, the weight has stayed off, but the aches, pains, sleepless nights, and reflux are back.

I don't want to make excuses for things, though. With more work on my part, I know I can get back to where I was, because I really do know how important it is to get your health in order.  It really is the only aspect of life we have some semblance of control over. And I know that choosing food to comfort me instead of just dealing with the emotions is not the right way to go.

Having to choose between buying good food to feed your family for a week, or being able to pay the utility bill, stinks. It stinks bad. But that is where I find myself (once gain), and must make the most of it.  I also know it is not the end of the world if I have a cupcake, a piece of pie, or a cookie that isn't organic and made with a $10 one-pound bag of coconut or almond flour.  It really is about balance and moderation.

So, right now I'm making the best choices I can, when I can (and sometimes I don't make the right ones), and just trying to find some peace in my life. Peace and healing. Because there is no getting through, or out of this life without stress and pain. I just have to make sure I don't feed the stress and pain with stuff that is going to give me more stress and pain. And that is hard to do in certain moments. Especially since food can give me comfort like no other thing on the planet.

For me, getting my head right is the hardest challenge. It is like I forget what is working and always gravitate back to what is comfortable and familiar. And I can't name a single time where comfortable and familiar has allowed me to grow, develop or prosper as a person. Not a single time.

Okay, now on to this week's recipe.

This little gem was one of my go-to snacks in the early days of my weight loss journey. It is from Dani Spies, and it literally took the place of candy in my household.  I haven't made it in several months, but now that it is fresh on my mind again, chances are there will be some in the fridge by sundown today.

Enjoy

 No Bake Oatmeal Energy Balls

1 cup old fashioned rolled oats
1/2 cup ground flax seed
1/2 cup peanut butter (I love Smucker's Natural chunky or smooth)
1/3 cup honey (I use local honey)
1 tsp. vanilla
1/2 cup mini chocolate chips

Combine everything in a big bowl and mix until evenly incorporated. Then take a spoon and dip out equal portions (about 1-1/2 tablespoons), then roll into a ball (I found having your fingers slightly damp helps to keep it from sticking to you). Place on a parchment lined plate or tray, and pop in the freezer until set. Keep them in the fridge in an airtight container.

Dani says the recipe yields 20 tablespoon size balls, but I've gotten anywhere from 16 to 24 with it. It really depends on what you use to scoop the dough, and I usually just grab a spoon and eye ball amounts.

I've sometimes gone off the rails and thrown in sunflower seeds, or tried maple syrup in place of the honey. It is pretty easy to experiment and find flavors and textures that work for you, and my daughter likes mixing the ingredients ... however, she tends to run for the hills when the work of rolling them out begins.

But hey, that's one way to get your kids to exercise.