Today provided significance because of a health matter. In fact, it was an awakening regarding my health. Have you ever felt safe then had a rug pulled from under you? Let me employ a flashback.
In July 2005 I looked forward with enthusiasm to my morning jaunts in nature. First, the walks served a dual purpose. The Ripple of Love Plan included nature and scope for my hobbies. While I enjoyed a one mile plus hike along the coast, I photographed scenic beauty and marine life. Writing poetry is my forte; but the walks allowed me to develop prose ideas.
During one trip I accumulated over two hundred photographs. Another journey netted a little more. What fascinated me is that some photos demonstrated the artistic flair of my younger brother. His art is exceptional; and when he takes a photograph he is aware of lighting and perspective as well as other factors. Additionally, he does not photograph the mundane. He believes the photograph must convey at least a thousand words! All of this came to an abrupt end one morning.
Have you ever experienced seafood or any food poisoning? Well, the negative is that even looking at a photo of fish recently provoked itching in my brother and me! Call it psychosomatic or whatever you will. We laughed at ourselves; but it was not funny. The positive aspect is that we became thirsty for good health. During the poisoning bout we tried different remedies and adjusted our diet. Our B12 dose was super in an effort to maintain energy- until I discovered a local distributor for Himalayan Goji. He was my nephew, a Physical Fitness Trainer at a local gym.
Today, I entered Phase 2 of the Health Quest through an awakening. Whenever I visit the doctor, my blood pressure zooms. One time I met a baby who had the same problem. I soothed her; and my blood pressure had a normal reading. Between Triage and the room where I saw the doctor, my pressure dropped by 30 (top number). I credit Goji or the fact that God intervened in answer to my prayer. It may have been both. But the bottomline is that the reading was too high. Even though I have lost weight, I have to lose more. There is a relationship between overweight and hypertension.
Well, I am ready to write my own book on how I conquered weight and a killer disease. The name is not evident yet; but the book is a reality. A search online told me that weight loss is a lucrative market. All the curious cats who want to know how it is done have to pay for the opportunity. What I know is that I did it(weight loss) before when I was in college; and I can do it again. Although I got only a C for my efforts, losing several dress sizes was a fitting reward. Even my Mom could not believe my size!
My first task is finding a juice extractor. Keeping an accurate food journal is not the challenge. What I write in the journal is vital. There are foods I have to eliminate and replace with others. Fruits and vegetables will be my mainstay. As a lacto-ovo-vegetarian (who ate fish sometimes) for umpteen years, meat is no problem. An exercise program is a necessity. It may mean walking home from work (1-3 miles).
Now that I am awake, how can I return to sleep? Who will join me on this health trek to fitness, weight loss and a normal blood pressure reading?