Healthy Habits
I've been trying in the past few months to keep up with some healthier habits that I started for several reasons. High cholesterol and diabetes run in my family. I have high cholesterol, which seems unreal to some people since I don't even weigh 100lbs soaking wet (I'm almost there, though!). I didn't think I could get diabetes because of my weight, but apparently, the possibility is there. This scares me, because living with pulmonary hypertension is bad enough. I do NOT want to add diabetes to the list!
For that reason, and several others, I've been keeping up with some healthy habits, or at least, I think they are healthy! They include:
**Since a couple weeks before Christmas, I decided to start eating an apple every morning as part of my breakfast. I thought it would get to be a boring routine after a couple weeks, but I actually miss my apple when I run out of them!
**I just recently decided to have some sort of cereal for breakfast with my apple and orange juice. I've been trying to eat more oatmeal, since I know that is healthy, but when I don't feel like making any, I'll eat a bowl of Grape Nuts. Yum!
**For about two months now, I eat 10 almonds after I eat my apple in the morning. Not only are almonds my favorite nut, they are known to be very healthy for you in moderate amounts! Hence, I eat only 10!
**I think it was around Christmas when I decided to eat 2 pieces of dark chocolate after dinner every night. I keep hearing about the benefits of dark chocolate. I figure 2 pieces a day can't hurt me. And shockingly, I don't ever eat any more than that! I really find that hard to believe, since I'm a chocolate addict!!
**Just yesterday, I made a decision to start a new healthy habit that I should have been doing forever. I read that you should drink half your body weight in water a day. For me, that would be about 48oz, or 6 glasses, a day. I am lucky if I just drink 2 glasses of water. That is horrible, and I'm not doing my body any good by not drinking that much! So, I decided that when I get up in the morning, I measure 6 cups of water into a pitcher, and I have to drink all of it by the end of the day. So far......I've done it 2 days in a row!! Whooo hooo! I think this is one habit that will definitely be a challenge for me, but I hope to keep it up!
**Not only am I trying to eat some healthier things, I'm also trying to keep up with exercise. I've been doing pretty well with it since January 1st. There are still some weeks where I don't walk as much, but then there are some when I walk almost every day. I have to say one thing, I do have my muscles back!! I walk and then do some light cardio, since I am not allowed to do a ton of things. I don't want to wear out my poor heart! It feels great to be back into exercising, and I hope it will continue for a loooooooong time!
**I know this one sounds dumb almost, but you wouldn't believe how many people don't do this habit. Every time I blow my nose, I wash my hands or use antibacterial sanitizer. I seriously think that this is one reason I have not gotten sick this winter! Knocking on all the wood around me!
I hope to keep up these habits for quite a while, maybe the rest of my life! I plan on asking my regular doctor if I can have another cholesterol test done the next time I see her. I think that is in May. I haven't had one done in at least a year, maybe longer. I'd like to see what my numbers are, and if anything has gone down since the last time. Hopefully I will also continue my streak of not getting sick! It's actually been a great feeling to not deal with a cold. I had a few doozy colds last winter, and it takes so much longer for me to get rid of them since I can't take decongestants. So those are my healthy habits! Maybe I'll come up with a few more soon!
For that reason, and several others, I've been keeping up with some healthy habits, or at least, I think they are healthy! They include:
**Since a couple weeks before Christmas, I decided to start eating an apple every morning as part of my breakfast. I thought it would get to be a boring routine after a couple weeks, but I actually miss my apple when I run out of them!
**I just recently decided to have some sort of cereal for breakfast with my apple and orange juice. I've been trying to eat more oatmeal, since I know that is healthy, but when I don't feel like making any, I'll eat a bowl of Grape Nuts. Yum!
**For about two months now, I eat 10 almonds after I eat my apple in the morning. Not only are almonds my favorite nut, they are known to be very healthy for you in moderate amounts! Hence, I eat only 10!
**I think it was around Christmas when I decided to eat 2 pieces of dark chocolate after dinner every night. I keep hearing about the benefits of dark chocolate. I figure 2 pieces a day can't hurt me. And shockingly, I don't ever eat any more than that! I really find that hard to believe, since I'm a chocolate addict!!
**Just yesterday, I made a decision to start a new healthy habit that I should have been doing forever. I read that you should drink half your body weight in water a day. For me, that would be about 48oz, or 6 glasses, a day. I am lucky if I just drink 2 glasses of water. That is horrible, and I'm not doing my body any good by not drinking that much! So, I decided that when I get up in the morning, I measure 6 cups of water into a pitcher, and I have to drink all of it by the end of the day. So far......I've done it 2 days in a row!! Whooo hooo! I think this is one habit that will definitely be a challenge for me, but I hope to keep it up!
**Not only am I trying to eat some healthier things, I'm also trying to keep up with exercise. I've been doing pretty well with it since January 1st. There are still some weeks where I don't walk as much, but then there are some when I walk almost every day. I have to say one thing, I do have my muscles back!! I walk and then do some light cardio, since I am not allowed to do a ton of things. I don't want to wear out my poor heart! It feels great to be back into exercising, and I hope it will continue for a loooooooong time!
**I know this one sounds dumb almost, but you wouldn't believe how many people don't do this habit. Every time I blow my nose, I wash my hands or use antibacterial sanitizer. I seriously think that this is one reason I have not gotten sick this winter! Knocking on all the wood around me!
I hope to keep up these habits for quite a while, maybe the rest of my life! I plan on asking my regular doctor if I can have another cholesterol test done the next time I see her. I think that is in May. I haven't had one done in at least a year, maybe longer. I'd like to see what my numbers are, and if anything has gone down since the last time. Hopefully I will also continue my streak of not getting sick! It's actually been a great feeling to not deal with a cold. I had a few doozy colds last winter, and it takes so much longer for me to get rid of them since I can't take decongestants. So those are my healthy habits! Maybe I'll come up with a few more soon!
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