Good Morning All!. I trust you had a good weekend. I had a wonderful weekend with my little Grandbaby TJ, along with enjoying a beautiful Florida Sunday. Something to be so grateful for. Though I had planned on talking about what Fibromyalgia is, I realized that there is a ton online about the subject. I am going to refer you to fibromyalgia.com website for more information than I am able to provide for you. So far I have found it very helpful. The forums have kept me from feeling so alone and it’s always nice to get feedback on anything I have going on. If it’s happening with me, I find other people are experiencing it too. I don’t spend a lot of time on there since I have so much stuff going on such as planning and writing my new cookbook, “Table For One.” Though this is a cookbook for people who need meals for one and are time and budget challenged, I am planning on including recipes that have been helpful to me with my Fibro. Many people may not believe it, but your diet can have a major affect on your health. Yes, I know you think I’m going to harp on your bad eating habits. Probably, but I’m mostly going to leave the guilty conscious up to you. You are a grown up, right? I do however plan to educate you on healthy eating. I know from personal experience that anything I eat, especially since I’ve had cancer and now Fibromyalgia, affects me immediately. It goes far beyond any long term effects like heart disease and obesity. What I put in my mouth from first thing in the morning and throughout the rest of the day can make or break the quality of my life for that day. Ever heard that saying, “let food be thy medicine?” I totally believe it! I take food super seriously. I know you are probably saying “I don’t have the money or energy to eat right.” I totally get that. I’m unable to work and living on student loans. After paying bills there is barely enough left for food, but still I do the best I can. We must find a way to take care of ourselves even if it means we do without something else. I don’t have cable, my own car (my son shares with me) or my own place (I live with my kids) as well as alot of other things. If you don’t make the sacrifice now, you may never have any quality of life. If you can’t help yourself, you must find someone to help you. I am going to do my best to help you from here. Ok, you ready? First I want you to take inventory of what foods you eat regularly. Keep a food diary of everything you eat and drink. I’m not concerned with amounts. The whole idea is to start being aware of your food choices. I’m going to teach you about making smart, healthy food choices. You won’t have to eat or buy anything weird. Just good regular food. I’m not going to force you to eat things you don’t like either, but like I tell my little grandbaby, “just try it. If you don’t like it, you don’t have to eat it.” You might surprise yourself. I am a regular at my local farmer’s markets and I make a habit of trying new fruits and veggies nearly every week, even if it’s just one thing. If I don’t know how to fix it or eat it, I just ask someone working there. I find things I like and others not so much. Doing this makes me feel adventurous and excited. As a person with Fibro, I feel so restricted with regular activities that I can do now, trying new foods helps to make my life a little more fun and liberating. I know it’s a small thing, but that’s how great things start. That’s it. Just take any notebook or even your computer and make your list. If it’s more fun for you, head out to the Dollar Tree and splurge on a fun notebook to write in. Keep your diary for the next few days. I will check in with you to see how you are doing and then we will start on step 2. Even if you don’t write down everything, just write down what and when you can. No pressure. Until next time…
