We really have it all. Prostate and colon cancer on my mom's side. Heart disease and cancer on my dad's side. Scattered throughout, we have some relatives who actually lived quite long lives with no huge problems. So even though I'm glad to be healthy right now, I feel like
And THAT is why it's so important to talk about this. If you know a hurricane is coming, you prepare for it, right? Well....chances are very good that I'll one day face heart disease or cancer. I should be preparing right now for prevention.
A friend of ours lost his battle with cancer earlier this year. During his fight, he and his wife went on the Johns Hopkins Cancer diet. I read over part of it, and it was very convicting. Cancer feeds on sugar. I've never heard a better reason to get off of sugar in my life. Plus S has diabetes on his side of the family.
And I know ALL about a heart-healthy diet as I was in college when my dad had his triple bypass surgery. (His dad died of a heart attack.) I spent that summer reading labels and learning how to prepare ground meat the heart healthy way. I used to do it all the time, but I've been slacking the last few years. Why? That's silly! In fact, although I wrote a poem that summer about just wanting a donut...when I got back to college and ate pizza it tasted gross. I got over it though.
Food and exercise really aren't just about how we look today. Or about what the scale said this week. Or about how our clothes fit.
There is so much more riding on this. Research. Read. Arm yourselves for what YOUR family is up against and let's get serious.
Your turn. What are YOU up against?
Good post. Lots of food for thought (no pun intended). But if I can make a suggestion, don't anticipate that you will one day be facing cancer or heart disease. Just do the things you know to do to avoid it, and expect the best. Thoughts we strongly believe tend to become self-fulfilling prophecies. That has been proved scientifically.
ReplyDeleteGood point. I'll live like my Nanny, who died at 90--with a postive attitude! :)
ReplyDeleteI love the hurricane analogy...it's so simple isn't it? Then why is so hard?? You are right. We NEED to get serious about this! Good luck this week with your goals! I have a link to pictures of my house for you in my post :) Enjoy!
ReplyDeletefunny, i thought about going back and editing my post after reading yours. when you first posted the assignment, i couldn't think of much in our past that would affect me...but your post reminded me of several other reasons: i had cancer 10 years ago. my grandmother had severe heart disease, and died of a stroke at 83. the crazy thing..i have no idea what was on my father's side...he hasn't been a part of my life since i was five, and my mother is pretty reluctant to talk about him. so, all that said...i know that i cannot live my life fearing the worst, but maybe being a little better prepared so that if the worst comes, i know that i have done what i could. God IS in control, after all, but He didn't say i could run nilly-willy doing whatever i wanted :) thanks for the reminder, brenda. it is a serious topic to discuss, and one that shouldn't be taken too lightly...
ReplyDeleteIt is very true what you said about sugar. The brain is the largest sugar burner in your body with the liver being the next. When my honey bunny goes in for his checkups they always check the sugar levels in his brain and liver. It's a first clue that the cancer is coming back..
ReplyDeleteGin - I can understand what you say about your father, my father left my mother 2 days after I was born and I didn't have any family medical history on his side. When I was in the hospital with my pregnancies, I begged my mother to get history for me for the sake of her grandchildren. She had her mother get in contact with her ex's mother and they got all the family medical history I needed. Sometimes it just takes something special happening to get our mothers to revisit their painful past.
Great granny said what I was going to say.
ReplyDeleteBesides, you are ahead of the game by doing the things you need to do to have a healthy future.
Well. The conviction of eating sugar is around every corner (post) today!!
ReplyDeleteYou are so correct, Brenda. We do prepare for so many other things, why not our health? Looking forward to reading the other posts today.
Hi. I'm just joining you all. I hope thats ok.
ReplyDeleteAbsolutely Bethanie! Together We Shrink--Divided We Fail! :)
ReplyDeleteWoohoo! I got a blog entry up this week.
ReplyDeleteI'll be over here patting myself on the back.
That's too funny Megan !
ReplyDeleteSuch a helpful post, thank you.
ReplyDeleteThanks for this topic Brenda, and for reminding us it's not ALL about looking good. That motivation will wear thin. We slowly accept our size and shape. But if we are motivated by a higher goal (health!) then we are more likely to stick with it.
ReplyDeleteGreat post!
Hey! Did you come check out my FF post? I linked it to picture of my house just for you :) Hope you are having a great weekend!
ReplyDelete