Healthcare Reform Starts Here

A few years ago I began an experiment. I was 20+ pounds overweight and on cholesterol medicine. Both of my parents had high cholesterol and I could have said it was hereditary. Instead I challenged myself to change my diet and exercise regime to see if it made a difference.


The hardest part was detoxing from sugar. I don't care what anyone says - sugar is addictive. You try to go without sugar for two weeks and see how it affects you. Other sugar addicts got upset with me. When I refused candy, cookies and cakes they looked at me in shock. Then they either said they wished they had that will power or that I don't have any fun.

It took a couple of weeks, but I survived the sugar detox and substituted honey. I ate 3 healthy meals with fresh vegetables, meat and wholesome carbohydrates. I added fruit and a small combination of seeds and nuts for snacks twice a day.

I discovered I no longer had a drop in energy during the afternoon. I observed others who were eating sugar bombs becoming hyper, then sluggish. Add sugar to water and it becomes thick and syrupy. Can you imagine what sugar does to our blood?

The exercise part was fun for me. I joined a gym for $10/month. I think I can invest $120 a year in my health. I love working out with weights and becoming stronger. It's cool to be able to lift something I couldn't a week or two ago. At the gym I can ride bicycles, walk or run on treadmills or coast on the elipticals no matter what the weather is doing outside.

My experiment was a success. My blood pressure went down with my cholesterol and blood sugar. I got off the cholesterol medicine and I'm fitter in my 50's than I was in my 30's. I stopped using excuses, took responsibility for my health and it paid off.