Baby Steps to a Healthy Diet

Eating healthy is very difficult, especially in a time and money constrained world. Fresh out on our own we are trying to prove ourselves to our colleagues, keep a social life, network, stay in shape, and stay in budget. Millions of people have done it before us, so it shouldn't be so hard, right? Well, everyone is different, we all have different strengths and weaknesses and that is what makes the world wonderful, but our own lives stressful. When deciding to start something new, it is important to take baby steps so you won't be overwhelmed. In this blog I will go over some tips to hopefully get you started on eating right.Disclaimer: I am not a healthcare professional and not liable for your health (but I am doing research and following my suggestions myself, I won't intentionally steer you wrong). Seek the guidance of a healthcare professional when changing diets or starting a new fitness program.

#1: Make a food journal

There are multiple ways you can do this. You can get a small, pocket-sized notebook and write down everything you eat (write down the date and time as well) or write it on napkins and scrap pieces of paper (unless you are prone to loosing those) or use a smartphone app. The purpose of this exercise is to see what you eat everyday. You may be unaware how much junk food you eat, or how healthy you eat. At this point I just want you to write down you daily meals and snacks, go over them at the end of the day and begin thinking about them. Jot down notes when you think of them about how you feel about your meal. Are you proud of yourself for what you ate that day? Do you think you made some wrong decisions?

#2: Drink plenty of water

The rule of thumb is to drink 8 glasses of water a day. Dehydration is very serious and can occur very quickly. By the time you are thirsty, you are already dehydrated! Early symptoms of dehydration include tiredness, low energy and headaches. Do you feel this way through out the day. Try just carrying around a water bottle and drinking out of it regularly! This may solve your problem! On top of that, water helps with digestion and helps your immune system. Drinking this much water is very easily doable for several reasons:

• A single glass of water is only 8 ounces. That is about the size at least 3 medium drinks at a fast food place.
• This includes all liquids consumed: juice, fruits, soups... But keep in mind that caffeine and alcohol are dehydrating. So sodas and martinis don't count.
• It is now the in thing to carry around a reusable water bottle. No more going to the drink machine and shelling out more money every month, flattening your last dollar bill on the corner of the machine, or begging people for change.
• It is also possible to flavor water without spending much financially or space wise. Just stick a box of the flavor pixie sticks at your desk and dump a new one in each time you fill up. However, these are full of sugar also. I would suggest, instead, adding a bit of fruit juice to your water as a healthier alternative.

So I want you to go out and make a small investment in your health and buy a reusable water bottle, and maybe even a refrigerated filtration pitcher while your at it! The water bottles are usually just around $10, and they are reusable! Water is cheap, this one little change will do you a great deal of good with little cost. Maybe even just reuse the last bottle you will ever get out of a soda machine. But there are a few things to keep in mind:

• Wash the bottle daily!
• If you purchase a bottle, purchase one with a kind of a spout that you put your mouth around (I have one like a coffee mug and it spills everywhere! But if you have a trick then buy one like that).
• Do your research. There are certain chemicals in plastic that are being discovered to be harmful when used in water bottles. I would suggest reading several, recent articles on the subject, or going to a camping/sporting goods store. You would not believe how much those guys know.

This is all I will leave you with for now. Be sure to watch what you eat and drink you water. Write down how many times you drink your whole bottle a day. There is such thing as water poisoning, but that involves so much water it is very uncommon. And hold yourself accountable! Look at your food journal, and even show it to others. You may be able to hide your junk food habits behind closed doors, but once it's written down for even just your eyes, your secrets out!

Crohn's Disease and Diet

Sitting here, in the hospital, without much to do, I have begun my research on my projects. I have begun with what I think is the most important: diet. What you eat is everything! It controls how your feel physically and emotionally, and whether or not you are able to complete simple or complex tasks. Think about how you feel at the end of the day when you realize you had nothing to eat, or nothing but junk food out of the snack machine, or if you ate healthy, balanced and regular meals. What you eat makes a huge difference in your day.

I began my research with what is suggested for a normal person. The government just came out with a new method for figuring out what to eat each day called MyPlate. They have simplified the classic pyramid to hopefully help people figure out what the are supposed to each at each meal. But this isn't the answer for everyone. I did research on this and found a great article that goes over MyPlate and gives it's own suggestions for making it even healthier. For instance, they suggest putting dairy foods in with protein, rather than making them separate. I will write a comprehensive blog with this information and other information, but in the mean time, here is a link to the article.

Along with discovering what is important for everyone to eat, I did a lot of research on what is important for those with Crohn's Disease to eat. As I have mentioned I have Crohn's Disease, and am currently in the hospital recovering from some sort of infection caused by my second bowel resection about a month ago. A bowel resection involves removing a portion of the diseased intestine in order for the patient to hopefully go into remission for a number of years. It worked really well the first time, and aside from this infection, I have done very well this time.

But because of diseased intestine, which doesn't absorb nutrients as it should, and bowel resections, Crohn's patients often have issues with absorption of nutrients and it is often necessary to take supplements. Along with this, many Crohn's patients are sensitive to some foods, varying case by case, which can prevent a patient from getting the necessary nutrition. There are a wide variety of methods for getting extra nutrition into a Crohn's patient, from OTC vitamins to IV nutrition.

I have enjoyed doing my research and doing everything I can to have a healthy future, and helping everyone have a healthier and happier future.

I'm back!

Hey everyone! It has been so long since I last posted, saying I was back. I have been so busy, and have so much going on. But I realized that at this age everyone does, so why not share my experiences that have brought me away from blogging. Here is a quick run down of what's been going on with me lately.

Career change: I really feel like I am going nowhere as a Pharmacy Technician with Target. I pride myself on viewing everyone as my equal and not looking down on anyone, especially not because of their job choice, but I do look down on myself. A year ago I began trying to become an office assistant, to no avail. I then did what I told myself I would never do. I decided to pursue education again. But once again, and increasingly frustratingly, to no avail.

Health issues: I have Crohn's disease, but have been in remission for 10 years. I decided to go off of my meds almost 2 years ago, and it has finally come back to bite me. After several medical tests I have discovered that I am actually pretty sick. What is good is that I am in no pain, and that there has been a ton of research done of the past 10 years, and many new drugs available.

First time home buyer: I am looking to buy a house! I am really enjoying shopping and planning, as well as looking into decor. My primary problem is that in order to afford the house (realistically) I want, I have to have a teaching position, or at least that income.

Parental involvement: my parents have always been uncomfortably involved in my life. They have always been very open minded, and know that I am a good girl, and were only mad that I would come home late in college because they didn't know where I was and may not have slept well. They would also ask a lot of questions, just to know what was going on. But it always feels intrusive. They also still help me out financially in a big way, where most of my friends are financially independent.

Dating: why can't I find Mr. Right?

While these issues have brought me away from the computer, I think these experiences will also bring me back to it.