Begin Eating Healthy Foods #53

I wrote a while ago about President Clinton changing to a vegan diet.   I am not sure if he had a heart attack or not, but he did have heart problems and I believe stints used to open some blockage in his arteries.  The vegan diet, vegetarian, and pescetarian diet all offer some things attractive to me.  And each has it's own unique appeal to those who practice or follow it in their eating habits.  From my view, as maintaining a heart healthy lifestyle and being qualified to offer my own opinion, all three should appeal to us.  All promote eating vegetables, fruits, and nuts.  Consuming eggs and dairy products are acceptable, but not necessary to vegetarians, and pescetarians.  None of the three diet practitioners eat red meat.   Pescetarians eat fish but no other animal meat products.  Vegetarians may or may not eat dairy and eggs, but do not eat animal products.   Vegans strictly do not eat dairy, egg, cheese or any animal products.

So what does all of this mean to you and me?  Well, needing and desiring to eat healthy, I am taking the approach of eating what I find is the healthiest for me and not depending on a belief or diet book as my one and only guide.  I want to keep my focus on my goal. To live a good healthy lifestyle in my later years, by practicing weight control and my overall heart health, through the foods I eat.  I have to be truthful here.  The reason I don't eat red meat is because I believe it is bad for my overall health, not because I have any deep beliefs that would guide me to any particular diet.  I am going to continue to eat seafood.  Cooked in a healthy manner (I really like boiled shrimp.)    I am putting my health first.  What is good for my health I will eat.  If you are needing to change to a healthy lifestyle, and most of us have, what you eat or eating healthy should be the first change you consider.  Exercise, and weight loss and control really don't fit or serve your best purposes and recovery if you are not eating healthy.  If you have read some of my earliest postings, you know that I consider a key to being successful in changing is finding healthy foods that work for you.  Gather as much information as you can from your cardiologist concerning heart health diets. Read and research healthy foods,  and from that information find something that fits you and will work for you.  Exactly what do I mean?  Well, I did not put a lot of emphasis on fish and or seafood.  My wife does all of our meal cooking and she doesn't care for or prepare much of any seafood dishes or meals.  So I knew I could work around seafood.  I did add eating canned tuna several times a week for the protein and helping with my weight loss.  I do eat a wide variety of fruits but stay away from what I consider to be exotic or hard to obtain fruits.  Again I wanted something that fitted our lifestyle.  Cindy doesn't shop at health food stores, so I eat fruit that is available year round at our local supermarket. Mango, papaya, kiwi fruits are some I eat, that I consider exotic, and do not eat often.  Again find foods that work for you, make the transition as easy as possible for yourself.
Remember your goal is eating healthy foods and finding foods that work for you.   I am sure if I dug deep enough I could find some reason based on the weather, soil erosion, photosynthesise, or some other reason that I should not be eating oatmeal.  You know, sorry, but it is great for your heart health and is part of my diet.  The point, eat what is healthy and will work for you....It may be great for me, but taste awful for you, find something you like.  Use a diet book as a reference not as your life guide.   Remember, it is your health you are concerned about and you should know and practice what is best for you, and your heart....

We have discussed exercise a lot the last couple of months and how important it is to your heart health and recovery.  Diet is equally important, maybe more so.   What you eat can immediately effect your heart health.   Eating healthy improves cholesterol, and your cardiovascular system.  Eating unhealthy foods has the reverse effect and works against the time and effort you spend on exercise.  

It is still amazing to me to think that I can say I eat healthy foods and exercise vigorously on a regular basis.  Three years ago I would have laughed at that thought.  My immediate response would have been, "what for," eating right and exercising at my age?  Of course I didn't think I would have a heart attack, or heart surgery, or heart health problems.  And there are many folks out there thinking the same thing.   And to lose over 70 pounds, never imagined that.  Never thought I could do or would do any of the three.  Eat healthy, lose weight, exercise daily and benefit from it.   So I guess all three are equally important when considering avoiding heart health problems or recovering from the same. My point is to encourage you out there who are getting over a heart attack and heart surgery that if I did it,  anyone,  and I do mean anyone can.  Don't rush into it.  Don't expect quick easy results, just little short obtainable daily steps.  Walk, don't run, don't stop eating meat in one day, eat less red meat, try to lose just a few pounds.  A little bit at a time, just be consistent.  And you know the best part.  Not only as you go along does it all become easier, you will enjoy exercising, eating healthy and different foods.  And you will feel good and proud of yourself.  And your family will too.

This week is Thanksgiving and I am looking forward to it.  Our family will all gather for a traditional dinner with lots of good food.  I am looking forward to Michelle's  coconut cake and Cindy's pumpkin and pecan pies.  There is a rumor we will also have strawberry cake.  Wow I am excited and can't wait.