In the fight for my life...and fighting for kid's lives too!

I get asked this by people a lot...why do you workout? The answer is simple...I am fighting for my life and my health. So right away they think I am sick or something along those lines. No, I'm not sick or dying...but I could've gotten to that point easily had I let my weight spiral anymore out of control. Obesity is not a joke, it is not something that should be overlooked or sighed upon. People who are obese (as I was) shouldn't be looked down on...it is a REAL disease. I want people to know that a food addiction IS REAL...it's not a joke. I was literally addicted to food. I ate it to get a 'high' so to speak whenever I was feeling depressed. Just smelling a chocolate bar would instantly lift my mood...and eating it was even better. Then the downward spiral began...eating that chocolate bar would make me feel good temporarily...and after it was gone the horrible guilt would set in, making my mood extremely depressed again...so what happened next? More food...and it just went on and on. Some people lie and say, "Oh, I have NO idea how I got that big!" well I KNOW how I got that big...I know what I did wrong...I literally tried to eat all my problems away. I binged when no one else was around. When everyone would go to bed, I'd sneak back downstairs and raid the pantry...eating cookies, chocolates, bowls of cereal, sandwiches, anything. Within one summer I had gained 45 pounds...45 pounds in three months! It has taken a long time to get my thinking straight. It has not been an easy journey at all up to this point. Even though I am still on my journey, I still have little struggles along the way...losing weight has probably been the hardest thing I have ever done in my life. I still have depression issues, but I don't go to food anymore. I instead do something else....I paint my nails, talk to a friend, take a walk, or something else to keep my mind busy. I started out having to lose 110 pounds...I only have 40 more to go...40!! I can't believe how little I have left to go! I don't want to be a toothpick or be "skinny"...I want to be lean and healthy. So don't ever let people tell you that food can't be an addiction...or that obesity is not a real disease...it IS real.

This is taken from https://health.google.com/health/ref/Obesity:
Obesity is a significant health threat. The extra weight puts added stress on all parts of your body.

Medical problems commonly resulting from untreated obesity and morbid obesity include:

•Type 2 diabetes and metabolic syndrome
•High blood pressure, heart disease, and stroke
•Obstructive sleep apnea and other sleep disorders
•Certain cancers, including breast and colon
•Depression
•Osteoarthritis

Whenever I am out, I notice how many overweight people there are and I wish I could reach out to everyone of them and help them out...let them know that losing weight CAN be done. I feel sad to think about how they must feel everyday...waking up to body aches...headaches...getting out of breath just walking up a few stairs. The rising amount of overweight people is alarming...as it is now affecting children too!

FIGHTING FOR CHILDREN'S HEALTH
Childhood obesity is also becoming a rising problem. There are so many children who are getting diagnosed with Type 2 diabetes becauase of weight :( There are children with heart disease, sleep apnea, depression, high blood pressure. How would you feel having to put your 8 year old on high blood pressure medication? Childhood obesity is even more serious than adulthood obesity. We have to fight for these kid's lives. Next time you're out at the store, take a look at the cookies you buy them...is there high fructose corn syrup? Hydrogenated oils? other ingredients you can't even pronounce? Well guess what...they aren't doing your kid any favors! Give your kids fresh fruit for dessert...there are so many delicious and juicy fruits available out there! If you are going to give your kids a treat once in a while, go to your local health food store and get the products there! Annie's products are wonderful! There are many other wonderful products that are healthy, nutritious treats for your children as well...here's some brands, just to name a few:
-Annie's
-Clif for Kid's
-Organic Kettle Valley
-Ian's
-Back to Nature
-and my favorite: Yummy Earth

There are so many other brands out there, but these are great to start with. Also, if your child is 'diagnosed' with ADD or ADHD...try changing their diet before putting them on any medication. Medication IS NOT healthy! Most of the time, kid's just need more Omega's in their diet!! (Omega 3, 6, and 9). Animal Parade has a great Omega vitamin for kids (they taste lemony!)...they are about $22.00 at the store...but think about how much that'll save you versus hundreds of dollars on medication! Also, make sure they don't have a food allergy...gluten allergy is very common in kids. High Fructose Corn Syrup, Dextrose, Sucralose, all that crap also makes any ADD/ADHD problems 10 times worse!! Do your kids a favor and stop buying processed crap...buy them healthy, nutritious foods rich in vitamins and minerals. And don't use that excuse, "well they just don't like it"...Have you really given them an option? I guarantee once it's out of the house, they won't miss it. Especially when they have amazing tasting treats that won't hurt their body.

Another thing...try to buy organic as much as possible. Pesticides are designed to kill bugs, and sometimes they kill small animals...do you really want that inside your kid's and your own body? If it can kill bugs and small animals...think about what it's doing to your insides. Apples are one of the worst when it comes to pesticides! Buy organic whenever you can! If you really can't afford to make that change...buy only one major thing organic (such as apples since they are the worst). Bananas don't need to be bought organic unless you plan on eating the peel...same with oranges, lemons, limes, etc.

NO MORE KOOL-AID...NOPE, I DON'T CARE IF THEY CAN'T LIVE WITHOUT IT...THEY WON'T LIVE LONG WITH IT!! There is absolutely NO nutrition in kool-aid...it is just SUGAR, SUGAR AND MORE SUGAR!!!

Find a fun activity to do with your kids...plant a veggie garden, go for a bike ride, take them to the park, go swimming, dance around your house with loud (fun) music, get involved in their lives. Check out the lunch program at your kid's school...see what your kid is eating for lunch...I guarantee you won't be happy...not to mention they only get 5-10 minutes to eat...sometimes less if they are the last kid in line. This is so sad. We need to stand together and fight for these kids to have a good life! Turn off the video games/ipods/computer/etc and play a board game with them and the rest of the family...they will not only enjoy it, but they will love spending time with you.

Here is a recipe to try with your kids (taken from: http://www.mambosprouts.com/2009/10/08/cider-shortbread-cookies/):

Cider Shortbread Cookies
Ingredients: (use organic whenever possible!)

1 cup melted butter
1 cup blue agave syrup (or honey)
2 eggs
1 tsp. Simply Organic vanilla extract
2 Tbsp. Simply Organic Mulling Spice
4 cups all-purpose flour
2 Tbsp. baking powder
Plastic wrap
Directions:

1.In a large mixing bowl, cream butter, agave, eggs and vanilla together.
2.In a spice or coffee grinder, grind Mulling Spice to a coarse powder.
3.Sift out any larger pieces and then whisk powder into cream mixture.
4.Slowly add flour and baking powder, stirring constantly until completely blended.
5.Divide dough into 4 equal parts.
6.Roll each section into a cylinder approximately 10 inches in length by 1 ½ inches in diameter.
7.Wrap in plastic and refrigerate a minimum of 1 hour.
8.When ready, preheat oven to 350°F, slice dough into ¼ inch rounds, place on cookie sheet and bake 8 to 10 minutes or until light golden on top.
Servings: 48 cookies

Note: Dough can be frozen and saved to be used at a later time. Thaw 15 to 20 minutes before slicing and baking. Frost as you would sugar cookies for a sweeter treat.

Nutrition Facts: As prepared, each serving contains 190 calories, 8 g of fat, 40 mg of cholesterol, 115 mg of sodium, 27 g of carbohydrates and 3 g of protein.

That is all I'm writing for now!