WMAn
Well-Known Member
I want to share something with ya'll that I started to work on over the last few weeks. I have decided to change the way I eat and what I eat. The change is motivated by two factors.
Number one, through church and family, I know a lot of old people. Increasingly I see old people who get to be 65-75 and health wise they go over a cliff. They experience a major health problem (stroke, heart attack, diabetes, chronic pain, etc.) that leads to less mobility. Their lower mobility leads to dramatic weight gain and an incredible decline in their overall health. These friends of mine want the church to pray for their surgeries and health issues to which I don't object. The problem is that their doctors first option is a pill or surgery. No one, not the doctor or their church family, is saying, "Hey, you need to eat right."
The second motivating factor is my family. I am 29, and I weigh 175 lbs. My health is good, but even now I am noticing a few little things crop up with my health. Little things that make you think, "Hmmm, if this is what 29 is like, what will 39 be like?" Also, my wife and I are having kids. You don't have to look far to realize that Tennessee is full of fat kids, and they are getting fatter every day. My habits will be the habits my children adopt, and I want to set them up for success.
So, starting two weeks ago, I began researching the topics of eating, nutrition, and health. I watched a lot of documentaries which included:
- Food Inc. - Very informative about the changes in the way food is produced that have occured over the last 75 years
- Food Matters - Points out a lot of what's wrong with modern medicine.
- Fat, Sick, and Nearly Dead - The most entertaining documentary I have watched on this subject.
- Forks Over Knives - The best at presenting the benefits of a whole-foods, plant based diet.
I am also reading In Defense of Food by Michael Pollan, and I have a long list of other books to read as well.
Starting last week, I began working toward a diet that is roughly 60% vegetables, 20% fruit, 10% nuts, and 10% meat. My goal is to only eat foods that grow out of the ground or graze on what grows out of the ground (that is no processed foods). Now, I believe that going organic is beneficial, but I can't afford to do it yet. Also, my dream would be to eventually grow, raise, and harvest the majority of the food that my family eats, but I'm probably 5 years or more from being able to do that.
What are your thoughts on what I am doing? Is this something others are trying to do as well? Any suggested books or resources?
Number one, through church and family, I know a lot of old people. Increasingly I see old people who get to be 65-75 and health wise they go over a cliff. They experience a major health problem (stroke, heart attack, diabetes, chronic pain, etc.) that leads to less mobility. Their lower mobility leads to dramatic weight gain and an incredible decline in their overall health. These friends of mine want the church to pray for their surgeries and health issues to which I don't object. The problem is that their doctors first option is a pill or surgery. No one, not the doctor or their church family, is saying, "Hey, you need to eat right."
The second motivating factor is my family. I am 29, and I weigh 175 lbs. My health is good, but even now I am noticing a few little things crop up with my health. Little things that make you think, "Hmmm, if this is what 29 is like, what will 39 be like?" Also, my wife and I are having kids. You don't have to look far to realize that Tennessee is full of fat kids, and they are getting fatter every day. My habits will be the habits my children adopt, and I want to set them up for success.
So, starting two weeks ago, I began researching the topics of eating, nutrition, and health. I watched a lot of documentaries which included:
- Food Inc. - Very informative about the changes in the way food is produced that have occured over the last 75 years
- Food Matters - Points out a lot of what's wrong with modern medicine.
- Fat, Sick, and Nearly Dead - The most entertaining documentary I have watched on this subject.
- Forks Over Knives - The best at presenting the benefits of a whole-foods, plant based diet.
I am also reading In Defense of Food by Michael Pollan, and I have a long list of other books to read as well.
Starting last week, I began working toward a diet that is roughly 60% vegetables, 20% fruit, 10% nuts, and 10% meat. My goal is to only eat foods that grow out of the ground or graze on what grows out of the ground (that is no processed foods). Now, I believe that going organic is beneficial, but I can't afford to do it yet. Also, my dream would be to eventually grow, raise, and harvest the majority of the food that my family eats, but I'm probably 5 years or more from being able to do that.
What are your thoughts on what I am doing? Is this something others are trying to do as well? Any suggested books or resources?
