Okay, so Christmas is right around the corner and I have had the opportunity to spend time with loving family and friends for a few days of this season before stepping back into brutal reality once again. All I can say is it's a good thing I am a strong and determined Soul! Being a human with heart dysfunction, I really don't need added stress in my already stress filled Life!
I need to remember that if I was working at this time I most likely would not have had the opportunity to visit with the kids and grandsons right now. I need to remember that everything happens for a reason, and I am right where I am supposed to be! Everything is an illusion ... all is illusory and in the big picture all is well. Always.
Thank God I'm resilient and willing to see my character flaws and change them for my own betterment and for my own happiness! One just can not be happy and peaceful within if she is focusing exclusively on the negatives in her environment! Life happens, death happens, and Life moves forward either way ... I miss those who are leaving the planet ahead of me, but I know they will be preparing the way for the masses who will be following in the coming years ...
Now it is time for me to get ready to travel ... in the meantime, please have a lovely day and remember that only YOU can make it a GREAT day!!
Nope. I haven't begun my training as of today. I'm still gearing up for that. I am on the 7th day of this vegan cleanse, though. And I feel very different, so much better than I did last week at this time. Last week I had a "sugar/carb/turkey hangover" lol. I began my cleanse on Saturday 11/26.
The cleanse consists of fruits, vegetables, and legumes/beans mostly. What is suggested to eliminate from your diet for 21 days is: sugar, gluten, alcohol, animal products (including all dairy!), and caffeine or a combination of a couple or more of these items. I have eliminated sugar, alcohol, animal products, most gluten but NOT caffeine! And I don't drink alcohol so that really isn't a biggie for me, either lol ... but I feel much better eating vegan. Vegans don't typically give up gluten.
Gluten is a choice because some people have sensitivities to it. I feel better when I do not eat gluten, but a little here and there doesn't seem to affect me at all. I am eating cleaner, healthier, and less in my portions now. I find it helps to juice as many fruits and veggies as possible, too. Whole oats and grains are wonderful!
Anyway, I have been enjoying this cleanse so much that I've pretty much forgotten I'm doing one! I really love the almond cheddar 'cheese', almond milk, vegetable based 'meats', everything I have been enjoying for most of this year is on this cleanse. Eating this way has lowered my triglycerides considerably and in August my numbers were amazing! My cardiologist was very pleased, except for his on-going gripe of "You need to lose weight!" lol ...
My triglycerides prior to surgery were an extremely unhealthy 526! The norm is below 149 ... when I had my lipids analyzed in August, my triglycerides were down to 112!! This is due to a combination of eating differently and taking a statin regularly. My overall cholesterol was 166, where the norm is 199 or lower. And my LDL/HDL ratio was perfectly balanced for the first time in my adult Life! Score!
So now, to get back to gearing up for this heavy duty training! I'm getting psyched! It's gonna be fun :) Doing yoga at the West Palm Beach library every Saturday morning with my sister-in-law and niece! Awesome!
Namasté, my friends!
Wow! It's December 1st already and I'm feeling better than I have in a while! This week Linda and I have been on a vegan cleanse with my sister Celeste, my brother John, and another friend Kara. We keep in touch via Facebook in a private group called "21-Day Cleanse" ... it's been wonderful so far! We are barreling towards the end of this year and what a year it's been! So much has happened!
I made a decision this week. After discussing some things with my sister-in-law Martha on Thanksgiving, I decided to make a commitment to my health. Not to wait until 2012 or New Year's Day or even for "Monday" to start, but to begin immediately and move forward one day at a time. My CABG (cabbage) surgery was on April 14th, so on December 14th it will have been exactly 8 months. My surgeon informed me that it would take approximately one year to feel up to par and back to normal again ~ whatever 'normal' means LOL ... one year will take us up to April 14th 2012!!! Unbelievable!!!
I have decided to begin some hard core training for mini-triathalons in 2012. Naturally, I need to reduce some of this excess weight, but as I train I am confident that the weight will begin to fall off steadily. Currently, I'm on a vegan cleanse for the next 15 days. I did this same cleanse last August (2010) and did not feel as good as I do now, but that may be because I was already struggling with four blocked coronary arteries at that time.
I do feel much better now than I did last year and I'm certain that as I continue to reduce and train, I will feel a little better each day! I hope that you are all in on supporting me in my endeavors this year. I would definitely be there for you all if the situation was reversed, that is for sure!
Thank you all in advance!
Peace, Love, Happiness!
Kathi
