Slightly Shifting Focus

Although I'm still counting calories and keeping track of how many miles I walk each day, I'm shifting my focus ever so slightly away from this and concentrating on the food and nutrients that make up my calories. Last month, I went to the doctor to check on my blood pressure. After losing 50lbs, I was so sure that it would have improved and would be below 140/90. Unfortunately, it was above 140/90. I should back up and say that over the summer I stopped taking my medication. I know, it wasn't the smartest thing to do, but I had to know for sure if losing weight helped. It did, sort of, but it wasn't enough. The one piece of good news, however, was that my lipid panels and fasting glucose test results were all within normal range. Woo hoo!

When I got home I was annoyed, but I was even more determined to control my bp through diet. I remembered reading about the Eat to Live program, so I searched for it on Amazon and ordered it. In a nutshell, the premise of this program is that the standard American diet is too high in fat and sodium and too low in nutrients. In other words, we need to increase the fruits, veggies, beans, seeds, and nuts to the point where those foods comprise the bulk of our diet. It has to be a permanent lifestyle change not a temporary fix. I got it. I'm now using Calorie Count's food analysis feature to determine if I'm getting enough protein, vitamins, and minerals as well as if I'm keeping my sodium and fats in check. Last Friday, I was able to stay on target for each area.

Let's face it folks: sodium is found in just about every processed food whether it's canned, bagged, or packaged. The less processed food I eat the better. If you're curious about what this new eating regime looks like, you can click on the picture at the left. It's a summary of what I ate last Friday. Onward and downward.