I'll start with my time back home in New Mexico.
My father will need surgery for a torn meniscus. Apparently his knee was bothering him since summertime so right after my summer trip. He chose not to go to the doctor because he was scared he might have to have surgery. He lived in pain for about 6 months because of his fear! I scold him and my family in NM. I'm a perfect example of getting to the doctor to have things checked out. I could have easily been diagnosed at a later stage if I didn't pursue further testing with my cancer.
My mom's blood work came back and showed high cholesterol, high blood pressure and she's pre-diabetic. Diabetes runs on her side of the family. My uncle died from it. Of course all this puts me at a higher risk too. At least I know so I can do what I can now to offset it. My mom is retired so there's no excuse for her to exercise and eat right. They own a treadmill and a stationary bike.
They eat fairly healthy but they need to manage their refine carb intake and their knowledge of nutrition. My parents both eat a high carb breakfast. My father had toast and jelly one morning. Thankfully I finally got them to switch to whole wheat bread last year. I asked him why he didn't put a nut butter on it. They apparently do not have nut butter in their home. I explained to him that protein is vital and it helps slow down the insulin spike of carbs. They have a Vitamix but do not blend consistently. They drank my green drink when I was there and urged them to blend daily to help get their nutrients and fiber. I also noticed some fat laden muffins in their refrigerator. They were the store bought kind that was too large to be one serving size. My parents struggled when they first came to the States so they are very economical. A 12 pack of muffins would be much more economical than purchasing one muffin in their mind. Hopefully they listened to my thought of purchasing only what you need/want in desserts even if you have to pay more per serving. This limits temptation when you're at home but they still get to enjoy the occasional desserts.
It is difficult to see them get old. Technically they are not old, they are only in their 60's. They seem so old though, especially my dad. I'm glad my siblings are there to help them.
Besides that, I had a wonderful time in NM. It was busy catching up with some old friends but the bulk of the time was spent with Ryan 8.5 years old and Ben 4 years old. For the first time no tears were shed! They really are growing up!
It was so great seeing Sue. She's my friend that is in the mist of uterine cancer. Thankfully she did well through the first half of chemo. She's on a break to do radiation and it seems as if this is much more of a challenge for her. I think she'll be done with radiation soon and then she'll finish a few more round of chemo. I know she's surrounded my loved ones in NM so I'm so grateful for that.
Sugar Overload!
I've always believed in eating well so it was okay to have my occasional dessert, my 80/20 rule. Between my birthday in November and holiday snacks in December I was no longer 80/20. I was having desserts just about everyday. I'm back at home in Austin and decided to go back to basics: Raw desserts! The first week I made dehydrated "oatmeal" raisin cookies made out of sunflower seeds, bananas, apples, raisins, maple syrup, vanilla, cinnamon and walnuts.
Week two I made a pineapple-cashew-date pudding out of pineapples, tahini butter, cashew butter and dates. It actually came out too sweet. I'll use less dates next time. This time I'll just mix it with plain yogurt. It wouldn't be considered raw but it will still be a healthy alternative.
I think I will make a mango pudding next weekend. The cookies required a lot of work with my low end dehydrator. It was given to me and I love the fact that it was free and it will help me decide whether or not I want to upgrade to the Excalibur dehydrator. It's what raw foodist uses and comparable to a Blendtec or Vitamix as a blender. I need to make a raw dessert each weekend, just like how I make one big meal over the weekend to last me for several meals. The more I prepare the better. What I really like is how it's mainly nuts and fruits. I know it's important to eat fruit in moderation too but it's a much, much healthier alternative than baked goods with tons of refined sugar.
Meal Planning
So I "won" a WTF Did Sarah Palin say calendar in a white elephant. Besides getting a few good chuckles, I decided to use it to plan my meals and dessert. I'm a visual person so this is perfect. I hope this will give me a variety of nutrients as I vary my main meals each week.
Exercising
I do not believe in New Year's Resolutions. I believe in a lifestyle. I've always been pretty good at getting 3-5 days a week of exercise whether it be intense or leisurely. So far I've worked out 8 out of 9 days in 2011. I think I'll like to aim for spin class and yoga at least once a week and then mix that with weights and other form of exercise.
It's 1 am and I'm starting to fade. Just a little over 2 more hours to go before I can take my Predisone for my MRI prep and finally get to bed.
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