What to do when you are unhealthy

What to do? Keep it simple!

“How do you feel? How much weight has crept up over the years? How much pain do you have? What other symptoms do you have? What reasons do you have for going to the doctor? How many diagnosed conditions do you have? How many medications do you take?”

Why should you care?

In this series of posts the point has been focused. COVID-19 virus seems to be really dangerous the more you are plagued with chronic conditions that create “symptoms.” Those people who die with the virus or are left with long term health issues just happen to be the ones with underlying conditions, otherwise known as comorbidities.

Maybe you aren’t buying this COVID-19 thing. Maybe you think its a hoax just drummed up to complicate your life. I will defend to the end your right to see it that way. But I will argue forever that being unhealthy is a very bad thing.

All those symptoms, doctor visits, and medications are still a problem because you are not healthy, a miserable thing in multiple ways. So lets just go for healthy.

Options

Over a lot of years I have researched, investigated, dug deeply into just about every “diet” getting any significant press in science or the media.

Eat meat, eat no meat? Eat only beef? Eating (or even killing) animals is unethical? Eat only plants, eat mostly plants? Milk, no milk? Saturated fat (whatever that is) okay or not? Keto, paleo, LCHF? Eat ? percentage of protein, carbohydrates, or fat. Count calories or not? Take this supplement or that one?

In fact, it has become quite political. Maybe you know something about politics. Various positions attack other positions. They tend to argue loudly for their way in books, ads, on podcast. There are many product manufacturers selling stuff with just the right words plastered on the label – keto, paleo, vegan, dairy free, wholegrain, etc.

If you are on any social media or the internet those books and product ads are coming across your eyes every single day. You can’t fool me. I get them too.

So what happens? You don’t have a clue! So while you are unhealthy, sick of being sick and/or overweight, you have no clue what to do. Your doctor didn’t mention all this stuff.

Well guess what, despite their differences, all those options have one thing in common, the one thing that will allow almost everyone to be healthy.

And why haven’t you seen it? Because the one thing they have in common doesn’t make them any money and, in fact, takes money out of the producer’s pockets. Doesn’t make for productive ads.

So here it is.

Eat whole food

Eat whole food. This will be meat and seafood (including cheese. eggs, butter) and vegetables/fruit in their original form, not processed by a manufacturer, including only one whole food ingredient or not requiring an ingredient list at all. Mix them up any way you like.

Orange juice is not whole food. Oranges are whole food.

You remember starch don’t you? The winner of the “sugar in the food” contest. The one ingredient you will find in almost every processed food on the grocery shelf, every sandwich you ever ate, special sweet treat you whip up in your own kitchen, any typical breakfast like pancakes or cereal. The ingredient in the batter for fried meat/fish at your favorite restaurant.

Sugar, the one thing that will drive up your blood sugar and push you to insulin resistance. The insulin resistance that eventually contributes to every single one of those famous underlying conditions.

If you are a typical American, your eyes may be crossed right now. You might be amazed by the number of people who get white around the mouth even thinking about no bread. In fact, I may have just suggested that you remove about 60-70% of your diet.

Is being healthy important enough?

Is that worth a try? Is being healthy important enough to you? It is pretty remarkable how quickly that diet change can reduce body weight, aches and pains, and other symptoms.

But in honesty that first thing you may notice is a craving for the sugar, hunger, maybe fatigue. Your body is going to wonder what the heck is going on. It is for this reason I suggest you just try it with commitment (even if you have to grit your teeth) for a week. Note that I didn’t say cut back or eat less, I said commitment. Surely you can do anything for a week.

If you are hungry eat something that is on the OK list. If you know yourself to be allergic to something (maybe eggs, dairy, or some plant) then don’t eat that.

If you don’t feel better at a couple of weeks you can just throw up your hands, call me crazy, and go to the doughnut shop. I’m kidding of course. Give it another week. Because it is just very important to your health.

Got questions? Call me.

Pat Smith is the author of “It’s All about the Food,” a book that guides nutritious food choices as the way to avoid illness and maintain a healthy weight. Proceeds from her book benefit the Montgomery County Food Pantry. Her website is http://www.allaboutthefood.org/ She can be contacted at patsmith2@live.com, 870-490-1836. Her Facebook page is www.facebook.com/patsmithbooks.