Tuesday, July 12, 2011

The Final Straw

It seems that people are getting upset about my daily post on nutrition & exercise.  I see how changing my eating habits and exercising has improved my health. I envision my post(s) helping people but I guess people rather use FB for other reasons then to make improvements in their lives. Why not take advantage of such a powerful social media source and help people.

I know people want pleasure and entertainment but when it comes to checking in and getting "gut level"  honest about the things we need to change about ourselves we seem to have a problem with accepting the truth. The way to address a problem is to get at the root of it and fix it. In the African American community obesity is a problem, not for everyone, but for a large percent of us. It contributes to a majority of health problems that ultimately cause us to die. We are making doctors rich. We accept taking medications as an excuse to live reckless.
There is no "magic pill" that will fix our health issues.

All I want to do is share what I think can help people live happy and productive lives. My information is free, non judgmental, and hopefully can help you live a healthy life. If I get a little passionate about things I write about I apologize. If I'm being intrusive I'm sorry. It's in my nature to help people and share information I feel can make a difference.

I watched my father have four strokes and ultimately die because of a lifetime of poor eating and lack of exercise. Before his death he was taking 12 different types of medication, walking with a cane and dispite the advise from his doctors to change his diet he continued to eat poorly. I miss him and if he made the simple desision to change his diet he would be alive today. Going to the hospital and seeing my father withering away is an image I will never forget. Don't get me wrong I didn't change automaticly.

Although I had a clear understanding of what happened to my father I follow in his footsteps. I ate poorly, consumed alcohol and abused drugs. My drug abuse eventually became an addiction causing me to lose myself, my family and my dignity. I'm now clean and sober for nine years and it was in my seventh year of being clean that I was diagnosed with diabetes. I was devestated, however,I continued to mantain the same diet of sweets, sugary drinks, and bad carbohydrates. I was caught up in the "magic pill" syndrome.

I felt as long as I took my pills I could eat what ever I want. No matter how much I took my medication I continued to feel bad. I caught a cold and couldn't get rid of it, my knees and toes ached,my nails were turning dark and I couldn't run from one block to another. As a former athlete and a physical education major I couldn't believe I was in such bad shape.

The final staw came when I lost my job and medical insurance. I could no longer afford my medication. I then decided to make the change to improve my health. I went back to my athletic roots and physical education background and designed an exercise and strength training program and changed my diet. In just 73 short days my health has improved, my sugar levels are the best they're ever been ( even with taking the medication) and I lost over 25 pounds. My kness and toes feel better, my skin has improved, my energy level has increased and I feel great. I went from walking to running. I now run 24 blocks six days a week. Wow what a change. In the same way I was hooked on drugs I'm now hooked on my new lifestyle change. I know I'm telling someone's story. If so, you can change your way of living the same way I am. Give it a shot. I will continue to share my story and practice what I preach. Follow my blog and this group. It's my hope by doing so you can feel just like I feel, GOOD!
 

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