More and more stories are being shared by people trying to simplify their lives. For me, these stories have been helpful and motivating! Due
to my current financial situation and lack of work, I’ve been actively
searching for ways to simplify my life.
So I’ve come to a conclusion that simplifying life isn’t
just about material things (although this is one way to simplify). That’s why I am going to post a series of blogs
about what I’m learning and what I’m doing to simplify my life (with the hope that you will find some helpful
tips :).
One area I’ve been working on simplifying is my health and eating. It’s
amazing what stress can do to your body. I’ve dealt with many stress related
illness in my lifetime. Some of them being food cravings, insomnia, migraine headaches,
high blood pressure, memory loss, weight gain, chest pain, shortness of breath,
anxiety, depression, jaw problems (Temporomandibular Disorder - TMD), and skin disorders (just to name a few). Over the past couple of months, my
fatigue had worsened to the point if I didn’t lie down and try to take a nap, I
felt like I would fall over! And that's not like me. I have never been a napper. I did not want to go on feeling like this, so I decided I had to do
something about this other than seek medical attention and likely be placed on some type of medication. I want to live healthy and be healthy!
I began by researching raw food and vegan diets. Some of the
health improvements people claimed to have experienced are weight loss;
improved or completely healed skin disorders like eczema, acne, and psoriasis;
no more migraine headaches; increased energy levels; better sleep; normal blood
pressure; decreased or absence of food cravings...Basically, better
health overall! I want this, how about
you?
***Remember: God is no
respecter of persons (see Acts 10:34). What He can do for one, He can do for all! But we also
need to step out and do our part…It won’t just happen without putting in a
little effort.
So, I’m taking a journey of my own. Over the past year I
have increased the amounts of fruits and vegetables I eat in a day, along
with increasing my water intake. I’m not 100% vegan or raw (yet ;), but I have
changed the way I’m eating. I may have meat 1-3 times a week total, if that.
What I’m finding is the more I learn about these types of diets and the more I
eat this way, the less I want to eat
meat. I will focus another blog post about some of the details of my findings.
I know many of you are probably thinking, "How does this
simplify life? Fruits and vegetables are so expensive!" That’s exactly what I used to
think. But when we are feeding our bodies healthy foods and getting the
nutrients we need from food sources, the less we have to spend on supplements,
going to the doctor, and on prescription medications.
I’ve been looking for deals and ways to purchase fruits
that aren’t as expensive. I search for coupons and store deals each week. I also find simple recipes with only a few ingredients and try them out. I have
a limited food budget, but am finding it is still possible to eat healthy. I will admit, buying organic fruits and vegetables
is more expensive and therefore, I haven’t been able to purchase much
organically. I do believe though, eating more fresh fruits and vegetables in my diet will be better for me in the long run. I am just sure to wash them really well before
eating them.
I'll share with you a couple of the deals I found this past week. I was able to pick up ripe bananas for 29 cents a pound at the local Kwik Trip. Some local grocery stores will also provide a deal on the more ripe bananas, so check that out. Festival Foods had a deal for a whole seedless watermelons for only $2.88. Strawberries are also in season here now, so you can pick your own for as low as 99 cents a pound. Blueberries are also on sale $3.00 a pound or less, melons such as honeydew for $1.89, and cantaloupe for $1.20. I know when everything is in season, it is easier to find good deals, so this will be a journey to finding different fruits and deals throughout the year.
Eventually, I plan
to start sharing any weekly deals I find to help you in your journey to better
health.
Well, this post is getting long, so I will end Part I
here...I do hope you will join me in simplifying life so we can
truly enjoy life!
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| Photo credit: Solley Eaton / Foter |
CHER-Life and live WELL \o/
Cheryll