About Moi

About Moi
My Name is Brittany, and I'm 23yrs old. I was diagnosed with Lupus when I was 15, and then diagnosed with RA, when I was 18. I also got married when I was 18, and I'm enjoying my happily ever after with my hubby! When I got married, I was slim and trim...But not for long. After getting married, I started to gain a LOT of weight! In 1yr, I gained 50lbs! Finally, I went to the Doctor, where I discovered I have low thyroid. After being put on medicine, my weight gain slowed down, although over the next 3yrs, I gained an additional 26lbs. When I was 20yrs old, I got yet another diagnoses of Poly Cystic Ovarian Syndrome. That's 4 diagnoses in a 5yr period, if you lost count. They all effect my weight, in one way or another. Add on top of that, my love affair with food, and every 1 of those 76lbs gained was accounted for. Being 76lbs over weight is unhealthy for anyone, but it was especially unhealthy for me, and my health issues. Since starting this blog, in Jan-2010, I have lost 40lbs! I'm a new, slimmer, and healthier me! Before losing weight, I was told I needed knee replacements. Losing weight was the ONLY tool I had to help me hold off on that life changing surgery. Since losing 40lbs, my knees have never felt better! My husband and I are also trying to start a family, but my PCOS was not going to make it as easy as 1,2,3, as I didn't have periods on my own. My doctor had told me if I wanted a baby, I HAD to lose weight. Since losing 40lbs, I've had regular cycles for the first time in my life! Which is very important when trying to have a baby ;) This journey of mine is more than me simply wanting to wear skinny jeans. It has been a quest to becoming :Deliciously Healthy, so ALL of my dreams can come true! I'm almost half way there! With each new day, I get closer and closer to my goal of 120lbs, and becoming :Deliciously Healthy!

Monday, July 18, 2011

Trying new things

This week (this week as in yesterday and today;), I've been trying to incorporate more fruits and veggies into my lifestyle. The fruits aren't so bad, although I've never really been a fruit lover. The veggies on the other hand... UHG. I'd rather eat a... well a cupcake.

There are so many health benefits from eating your daily serving of fruits and veggies. I'm starting to feel like I'm robbing myself if I don't eat the healthy goodness that nature has to offer.

Here are just a few of those benefits:
  • Lowers your blood pressure
  • Helps your digestion system
  • Helps your body to burn more calories
  • Lowers the risk of several types of cancer
  • Reduces the risk of heart disease and stroke
  • Reduces the risk of Type 2 diabetes and better control of blood glucose
I know it's worth it. I just have to re-train my little taste buds. And my taste buds are snobs, so it might take a little while.

Since I don't want to eat my vegetables in the first place, it's hard for me to find the motivation to actually prepare them. These steamfresh bags have been a lifesaver. You just pop it in the microwave for 5 min. and you have perfectly steamed veggies. They're also the perfect size for the hubs and I to share. But since I love the guy, I give him the majority of the bag. There's no "I" in marriage. Oh wait, there is!

Another little thing I tried this week were brown eggs.
I always thought there was something "special" about brown eggs. They're more expensive, and they're brown...so that has to mean something, right? Apparently not. The only difference between a white egg and a brown egg, is that the white egg comes from a white hen, and the brown comes from a brown/red feathered hen. And that's it. But it was a fun little adventure ;)

THIS is a great article by Paula Deen.com, that explains the difference between healthy eggs, and not so healthy eggs.

P.S. It's my dream in life to own chickens, and a cute little chicken coop.
Chickens are the new dog. So naturally I have to get some.

What new healthy things have you been trying?
Do you love your fruits and veggies?

13 comments:

Red Deception said...

I became the transition to a vegan diet in April, which means I have to love my fruits and veggies! After googling lots of delicious recipes, I have become accustomed to trying new veggies and making it taste good!

Diandra said...

There's a simple trick to eating your vegetables - prepare them in the morning. I usually pack my office lunch with a sandwich (1 slice of bread, some tomato puree and cheese (or peanut butter, I'm not a saint *g*) and three different vegetables which can be eaten raw, cut into handy pieces. Plus I pack an apple. And since I have a berry breakfast, by 1 P.M. I've eaten the recommended amount of veggies and fruit. (There's still more veggies for dinner.)

Experiment a little, find the way you like your veggies best. You could also blend yourself a smoothie in the morning, takes care of about half your veggie/fruit needs if you add some spinach. If I had a blender, I'd totally try that as well. ^^

NAN said...

Veggies over fruit any day here; I just finished a head of broccoli- I made a salad with sunflower seeds, light mayo and red onion. I love zucchini too but those kale chips were nothing special.

Sean, Jen, Carson and Addie said...

We like to sneak in some of our kids' veggie servings in those juices that provide 2 servings of fruits and vegetables. We all love the juice at our house and go through it fast. Obviously, it's not how we should get all of our servings in because there are so many benefits to fresh fruits and veggies, but it does help if you hate veggies!

The Ninja said...

You should check out my recipe blog, I hide veggies in all sorts of things, Eating them along with some lean protein and yummy sauce is the best way to do it in my opinion.

Taylor C said...

smoothies! I love fruits and veggies so I don't mind them raw at all, but they do get boring. I have been able to make some pretty killer smoothies with both fruits and veggies (there are tons of recipes all over the internet of course) that help me get in lots of the stuff without having to eat salad all the time. Throw in some greek yogurt and it tastes almost like it isn't good for you... almost ;).

Ty said...

I loooveeee most veggies. Especially roasted or grilled on the bbq.

There's soooooo many vegetables out there and ways to prepare them... seriously girl there's gotta be something you could love. Look beyond the tasteless frozen stuff! :)

Kat said...

I always "liked" veggies and fruits but now I love them. I think the trick was eating so many of them that my body would miss meals without them. That, and I remind myself of all of the wonderful things they're doing for me while I'm eating them.

All of that aside, there are still days where I have to force-feed myself. It's just the way of the world, you know?

Renee Paj said...

I do like fruits and veggies..but I also like cupcakes and that is where my problem lies...lol

Those steamfresh veggies are a big staple in my house! so convenient. I used to have a microwave that was a sensor one, and all I did was pop them in, push frozen veggies and voila...PERFECT veggie every time! Saddly, it broke. The new microwave makes me guess a bit more on the timing. :)

Melinda R. said...

I understand about the veggies! It's hard preparing them when you don't even want them in the first place...learning how to season your veggies correctly can help the taste (help you get them down)! If fruits are not easy for you to get down as well, or you find you don't care much for them (because you would rather have the "sweet" that is sitting next to the fruit), try a fresh homehade smoothie! They are delicious and refreshing, especially during the hot summer! You can use any fruits...some of the best fruits to use are strawberries, raspberries, blueberries, peaches, pineapples, etc. They can be easily mixed with orange juice or any type of juice you like. For the best and most healthy shake, try a scoop of protein within your homemade smoothie...you will stay full longer!

Tiff said...

So good to see your doing well! Fruits and veggies are always something I struggle to put into my diet because of having to prep them most of the time (let's face it- a bag of chips is easier!) but I to like the steam fresh option! Thanks for all your encouragement throughout the years (wow- weird to say that! lol). Hope you're enjoying your summer!

Bella said...

They say to "eat the rainbow" in order to make sure you're having a balanced diet.

I grew up eating all sorts of fruits and veggies, many of which we grew in our backyard in the summer. There are very few I don't like. I think that once you try them and keep trying them, you'll see that they can be delicious - it's all in how you prepare them.

Good luck with your adventure!

Melinda Robeson said...

I find the whole "eat the rainbow" very interesting. I like that idea alot! Never heard it before...