Making Healthy Choices

In the past few years, I’ve made conscious choices in my eating. It all started when I was diagnosed with ulcerative colitis in January 2003. Part of my initial treatment was being put on prednisone. During the first 6 months of my treatment on this drug, I gained 65 pounds, and that was with proper diet and exercise. I was also told that the weight I gained with the steroids would be harder to lose than normal “overeating” weight gain. During this extreme weight gain, I developed additional health problems such as “moon face” (common physical side effect of prednisone), high blood pressure and was border-line having steroid-induced diabetes. I was put on a liquid diet for 1.5 months because the drugs were making my weight go out of control and my health was deteriorating faster with the side effects of the drug than my actual condition it was treating. The liquid diet did help, some, but my stomach didn’t like it and I had to be taken off of it. After almost 2 years on and off prednisone, I was titrated off it. At my heaviest, I was 295 pounds and sicker than I’d ever been. After the liquid diet, I was 285, where my weight stood for a long while.

I began seeing a new gastroenterologist who specialized in African-Americans with IBD. One of the FIRST things he suggested was stay away from processed foods and eat organic meats as much as possible. This was due to the antibiotics and steroids that are fed to the animals could trigger future flare-ups with my condition.

Another suggestion from my doctor was to increase my intake of omega-3 fatty acids due to their anti-inflammatory traits. I truly believe these actions have helped my condition remain in remission since 2005.

Call me Miss Tree Hugger, but I am also anally aware about the fish I eat, now. I visited the Monterey Aquarium in 2004 and was able to learn and read about how various fish are farmed, caught, etc. The aquarium has a WONDERFUL educational program called Seafood Watch. It is a program designed to raise consumer awareness about the importance of buying seafood from sustainable sources. I often go to the site and print out a pocket guide on which fish to eat, avoid, etc. The guide is updated often.

For instance, since that visit to the aquarium, I will only purchase and eat WILD SALMON. The taste, texture and cost (yes, it does cost a little more) are TOTALLY different than farmed salmon. I ask restaurants where their fish is from or caught. I ask grocery stores the same thing (though it’s SUPPOSED to be printed on the label).

Today, I am 265 pounds. Yes, that is still very heavy, but at least now, I am able to lose weight. My goal is 145 (I am 5’10” and this was my weight throughout high school and my first 2 years of college). I’ve never been a small/skinny woman and don’t ever plan on being one. This weight is an attainable one. I’ve been exercising (though foot surgery has put that on HALT for right now, except for floor-based pilates). So, I am just happy that my body is getting back to some normalcy.

I said all that to say that I hope that you all take a moment and visit the Monterey Aquarium’s website and read about the Seafood Watch program. You, too, may begin to make healthy choices…You only have one body. Let’s take care of it.

Here’s to a healthy lifestyle for us all………CHEERS!