what drummer boy has learned about taking care of himself and not taking care of himself.
67What I used to Eat
Health Tips on How to take Care of Yourself and become a Healthier You by drummer boy
Two nights ago I woke up with a scary reality. I woke up sweaty and had some very irregular heart beat patterns going on.
I am 31 years old and thought that life was going well when all of a sudden I realized that life for me could be coming to an early end way before I am ready to go.
I woke up to my heart beating in many different patterns and beats. As long as I can remember, I have always had a regular heart beat and this was something that was totally new to me.
I began to wonder what was going on with me. Not even for a second did I feel like I needed to go to the emergency room. I kept thinking that I was just sick or something.
I went back to bed and woke up several times and decided that the next day I would make an appointment to go see my doctor.
When I woke up, I went to work and on my way I called my doctors office. I left a message on the answering machine letting them know who I was and that I wanted to make an appointment.
I let one friend at work know what was going on and within 30 minutes I had several people coming up to me at work asking if I was OK.
It was nice to know that the people I work with care and I wish I could have given them an accurate answer, but I couldn't. For maybe the first time in my life I wasn't sure if I was going to be OK.
I am a 31 year old male that doesn't smoke, doesn't drink but on occasion and to my knowledge am pretty healthy.
I am engaged to be married next year and definitely want to be the best that I can be for my future wife and step son to be. Family is very important to me and I am so looking forward to having one of my own.
The doctors office called me while I was at work and the nurse told me to go to the emergency room.
I grew up in a family that didn't go to the doctor unless you were dieing. The emergency room with the high prices they charge wasn't even an option for me.
The lady asked me if I was going to go and I told her that I didn't know. Well I did, I just didn't want to tell her that I wasn't going to go.
I asked her if there was any way that they could run some tests without me going to the ER. She asked me what it is with men and not wanting to go to the ER?
I kindly let her know that I couldn't answer for the other men she was referring to, but for me money is way to tight to go blow a few grand at the ER.
Nothing like going to the ER to have them tell you that you are under a lot of stress and then send you a big bill in the mail that does nothing but add to the stress that you are already under lol.
She asked me how expensive would it be if I ended up dead, and I said that I have a pretty good life insurance policy so it wouldn't be all that expensive at all.
Now don't get me wrong, I am a born again Christian and definitely don't fear death, but I am not ready to leave this earth just yet. I feel like God has much more for me to accomplish in this life.
One of my favorite movies of all time is It's A Wonderful Life. I love the fact that knowing all through out the day every decision we make, we actually can improve one another's life.
By writing this hub, I am in hopes that I can touch at least one person out there. If I do that, than this was all worth it.
Ok, back to the doctor stuff. I did get an appointment yesterday with my doctor and they did the usual of weighing me and getting my height. I found out that I weighed in at 282.5 lbs and am 70 5/8 inches. Which in feet is almost 5 foot 11inches.
With that newly found information I have to admit that I was bummed out a little, or who am I kidding, I was bummed out a lot.
I have gained a lot of weighed as well as have shrunk an inch. I loved the fact that I was 6 feet tall, but I guess the weight and the gravity had taken over.
They checked my heart rate and it was fine, it was 138 over 83. They did an EKG on me and that checked out fine. I lost some hair when I pulled off all of the sticky pads though lol.
When the doctor came in, he asked me some questions like how I had been sleeping and if I snore. I let him know that I haven't been sleeping to well and that I do believe I snore and that is when he talked to me about obstructive sleep apnea or OSA.
All of a sudden I realized that I didn't even need to have the sleep study to now that I had obstructive sleep apnea, you see I used to be a delivery technician for a home medical equipment company.
I have all of the tall tell signs. I have listed them below.
1. Over Weight
2. I snore when I sleep
3. I stop breathing and wake up a lot in the middle of my sleep.
4. I am tired a lot during the day.
5. I get head aches often.
the list goes on and on. The only thing I had to do now was ask him some questions.
The doctor asked me if I would do a sleep study and I agreed. He also told me that he wanted me to come back tomorrow and do blood work for a cholesterol, blood sugar, thyroid check. He listed off several other things, but those were the main three that I remember.
I let him know that I get shaky at times and when I do, I know that my blood sugar is low and I just eat some sugar and then I am fine.
He then let me know that eating sugar is one of the worse things I could do. He asked me if I ate a lot of Carbs, and oh buddy do I.
When I started listing off the things I have been eating, he just shook his head and then next he gave me some information that is literally going to change my life.
My doctor told me that I need to lose weight and that I needed to stop eating so many carbs, processed foods, as well as foods that are high in sugar.
Ok, this just listed everything that I have been eating.
I love pasta, pizza, bread, cereal, soda pop etc.
The big questions started entering my head like they usually do 90 miles per hour. They were questions like-
How am I going to deal with this?
Am I going to take this serious?
Can I really do away with drinking soda pop?
What I am even going to eat?
How will I be able to function?
These questions just went on and on and at the same time I am trying to listen to everything that the doctor is trying to say to me.
I asked him the question of what foods he suggested that I eat? He gave me a list of Nuts, low carb foods, salad, fruits and vegetables, meats.
I thought cool I like cashews, he told me absolutely not. I asked what kind of nuts then because I was just about ready to go out and buy a case of cashews lol.
I kindly let him know that these were some details that I really needed to get straight.
He told me to get some almonds, walnuts, he said to basically look at and read the labels.
He also suggested eating more whole wheat's. He said no white bread but some whole wheat bread would be OK.
He told me that I might want to ween myself off of pasta by eating whole wheat pasta instead of the processed pasta.
I have also been given some very good tips by many other people through out yesterday and today.
I have yet to decide if I would like to try the low carb diet or not, but I can tell you that I know that I am going to need to make a change in life.
Zig Ziglar has been well known for saying that the definition of insanity is doing the same thing day after day and expecting different results.
So with that said, I know that I need to make a life style change.
I am going to drink more water.
Cut way back on my fast foods.
Increase my level of exercise.
I can tell you that I haven't had a soda pop in two days and boy have I had a lack of caffeine head ache.
Well, I had better wrap this up as I could go on and on.
I hope that this has helped you some and I will write a follow up hub to let you know what I have learned and hopefully we can be healthy together.
Thanks for taking the time to read this.
drummer boy
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Comments
drummer boy, you are telling the story of most of us...we all seem to get caught up in the fast food lane, grab it and go and it's seldom from the vegetable aisle.
Here's what my nutritionist brother has told me ( http://www.level1diet.com ) -- in a "nutshell" eat the rainbow. anything orange, purple, red green yellow. etc. Drink the rainbow -- low sodium juices (V8 is Great) -- walk walk walk. did i say walk.?? LOL Leave out as much white as possible...even white dairy at least for a while. (Soy milk is good -- add a 1/2 tsp of vanilla.)
If you reaaaaaaaally want to get into it...eliminate gluten for awhile...it's harder to do tho' as it's in everything. Go fresh, raw, lightly steamed, and use olive oil.
Last and most importantly -- get the highest concentrated capsules of fish oil...with the coating for no "burp." and take them first, then eat. you probably need about 9 a day, meaning 3 with each meal. You will be a new man in 30 days. I promise!! Blood pressure will be down; energy up...and worry will decrease. Even the sleep apnea (spelling?)_ will improve as health improves.
Ok, end of lecture, been there, though and am wishing you good health!! Marisue
I have sleep apnea and I have been trying to buy a machine on line, but you can't get one without a doctor's prescription. And eBay stopped seeling them after a suit by medical companies forced them to take off the used machines they had offered for sale.
Like with you, money is tight, and in my case, job is gone, house is near foreclosure, and I still have sleep apnea. I can't find a job, for various reasons, yawning during an interview is not condusive to finding a job! What's a guy to do?
Hi Chef Jeff, Maybe I can help. There are two machines that will help you. You may already know this, but the names are a CPAP, and the other is a BIPAP. The CPAP stands for continuous positive airway pressure. This is the most common. Do you have a local party line? I have one here where people call in and buy and sell used stuff. The purchase price for one of these machines run about $1,300.00. You might be able to pick a used one up for $100.00 to $200.00 dollars. You might also want to place an ad in your local paper. Now here is the most important part. You will need to know what your settings for the machine are. This is the most important of all, plus you will need your own mask or nasal device. I could write a hub on all of this and probably will someday. I worked for a respiratory company for 10 years. I do know that the company I worked for has a hardship program as well. Send me an email at shane@adventurestudenttravel.com and I will give you their information. They will work with your insurance company and if you don't have insurance, they have a hardship form that you can fill out and they will accept a very low price that meets your budget to help you. Again for who ever else reads this, I get no kickback what so ever for talking about this. I am doing this to help my friend out. That is my reward. Hope this helps Jeff
Take care of yourself. Once you have a family, your responsibilities and obligations take on new light. I too had a physical shakedown about 4 years ago. Lay off the sugar as much as possible, drink plenty of water, get moving as much as you can, and watch the empty calories. There are many other things we can all do to be healthier. I plan on a few hubs in this area. Living here in KC is tough because the BBQ is SOOOOO GOOOOD! Peace and blessings!
I here you Rob. I have had Bo's BBQ. I know that I didn't spell it right. It was really good though.
I agree with the water and sugar. I already feel so much better since I replaced my soda with water.
drummer boy!! Damn!! impressive Pizza, but not your life style! Im not going to lecture you what you know you should be doing! right!?
Your picture with the Pizza is a (before shot) and i look forward to the (after shot) pic with you all trim holding a healthy plate of salad instead!;)
I am looking forward to being able to take that picture as well. I have cut soda out of my diet and now am just driking water. I can already tell I have more energy.
Marisue, good advice. Did someone say walk? I was thinking while reading this hub, "Geez, this guy's got terrible eating habits... where to start?" But, you did it in a nutshell. Cool. Again, emphasize the V-8. The elixer of life! -cue dramatic music.
Also, Drummerboy, go with your basic common sense. You KNOW what's real food and what's not - hint: fast food is NOT - and definitely drink water instead of pop. You won't be as thirsty all the time.
Also: Pizza is made with real foods. It's not that bad. Just don't LIVE on the stuff.
Shane, on the lighter side, I enjoyed your hub on Make Money Eating Pizza and am bummed to learn that you'll probably never take another crack at that 12 pound bad boy. But on the serious side, I wish you well. Being around a long time to enjoy a full life is priceless. BTW, nicely written hub. I agree completely with you. Wen I am confronted with spending money on healthcare (it ain't cheap), I am always tempted to just soldier through. I look forward to updates on this hub.
thanks for the tips constant walker. CarpetDiem, I still haven't given up on beating that 12 lb pizza. My friend wants to do it again and when I get myself in better shape and am sure I will be ready to take another crack at it.
I have spent the last 20 years going up and down the scale, and found it to be very true that each time you put the weight back on, it's always 5 lbs more than the last weight gain. Very depressing!
Do I know what to do? of course. It's the 'getting started' that stops me,,,always a reason/excuse why 'today is not a good day'. I won't bore you with all I've tried and even been successful at,,,all I can say is it is a mindset and a major life change that will ultimately make the difference.
Good luck to you, I'll be interested to hear of your progress :)
Trish
Yes, soda is the worst. You should check if one of your parents has diabetes; it's heriditary. Find a physical activity that is fun for you. I've found Contra Dancing, no leading, no fancy footwork, just walking briskly in pattern to music. It's like square dancing, but without the square. Live music gives lots of energy.
nice hub. I learned some things. Thanks
DrummerBoy, you keep resisting the message your body is sending you about food and exercise. It's telling you enough to save and extend your life, if you listen.
There is a bit more to learn about health than what our bodies are equipped to tell us. However, it really isn't all that much. You could fit it easily into a 2 hour seminar, and then fit menus and meal plans into an inch thick book or so if you want.
Our basic problem in the "western civilized nations" is that we have created foods and agriculture that will keep us alive and reasonably healthy until we are perhaps 50 or so. Then we begin to die a slow painful death from degenerative diseases that have been "cooking" us all through our life. Some of us die well before 50, and some 10 or 20 years later, but our food and drink choices and inactivity will kill us.
What can kill us is a big list, but what will get us or keep us healthy is much easier to understand. Here it is:
1. Get the 45 minutes of daily brisk walking or cycling that everyone has told you about. It will burn the sugars and fats that are filling your muscle cells and preventing their responsiveness to insulin and blood sugar spikes. Only exercise can improve this "insulin resistance" efficiently. And, it has no bad side effects like medications do that are aimed at lowering insulin resistance. Plus, it's cheaper!
2. Avoid saturated fats and vegetable oils with omega-6 fats. Both of these kinds of fats block a major digestive enzyme called D6D, which controls inflammation. When this is blocked, you become chronically inflammed and tend toward insulin resistance or pre-diabetes. Instead of vegetable oils and sat-fats, use extra virgin olive oils.
4. Balance the remaining omega-6's in your diet with supplements of fish oil. Usually this amounts to 10 to 12 capsules per day, or about 2/3's of a tablespoon of the flavored liquid kind. This should make your omega-6 to omega-3 ratio about 1-to-1. That's your goal. This will reduce your inflammation, lower your triglycerides, and block COX-2 naturally, which lowers aches and pains, cancer growth rates, and generally improves health in many ways.
5. Eliminate all sources of "high glycemic" or sugary, or processed starchy foods from your diet. This includes bakery goods, pies, cakes, pastries, cookies, cupcakes, breads, most breakfast cereals except rolled oats, syrups, candies, sweet sodas, and so on. No more pasta of any kind. No rice or white potatos. These foods cause spikes in blood sugar that overwhelm your ageing, pre-diabetic body. You are not responding well to these spikes, just like all of us, and are beginning to show the early to mid-range symptoms of insulin resistance and pre-diabetes. Eliminate those foods and you'll be fine again.
6. Increase high fiber vegetables, beans, legumes or roots, by eating at least 9 servings per day, 3 per meal. A serving is 3 to 4 ounces on your plate. The more colorful and chewy, the better. Use fresh or frozen and never fry them. Steam them in water or with a bit of olive oil.
7. Increase fruits, berries and whole unsalted nuts, up to 5 whole fruits per day, avoiding the very sweet kind like grapes, pineapple, etc. A handful of whole almonds, cashews, walnuts or pecans and other unsalted nuts is great. Add spices like ginger, cinnamon, chile powder or cayenne for variety. Any fresh or frozen berry served 2 or 3 times a day is good, 2-3 ounces per meal.
8. Eat only small amounts of meats, and make them "free range" or "wild grass fed". Avoid grain fed, farmed, or caged animals. These animals are fattened into beasts with large deposites of saturated fats that give us chronic inflammation, high cholesterol and make us pre-diabetic. Free range animals eat largely grass and other plants that produce meat with a high omega-3 content that helps us stay healthy.
Eat only 3-4 ounces of even the leanest of meats with any meal. Avoid large steaks, BBQ meats, hamburgers, etc. Concentrate on chicken, turkey, and other lean cuts.
9. Avoid cows dairy products of all kinds. These contain caseine, a protein that the human body does not need and does not handle well. This foreign protein causes inflammation and should be avoided. Instead, you may use small amounts of sheeps' cheese, goats cheese or milk, and products like soy-milk, rice-milk, etc.
Well, if you want to know more about healthy eating, and how to avoid problems with degenerative diseases, visit my Level1Diet site, or DrWeil or ZoneDiet or Perricone (all dot-coms) -- people with similar diet approaches dealing with inflammation and exercise issues.
The sad truth is that we cannot go on eating what modern industrial agriculture and fast food companies are selling us. If we continue do so, we should remember to say goodbye to our family and friends first. Because a bit further down the "fast food" road, we may not have time to say goodbye, just before the lights go out on us for the final time ...
This is all much easier than you might think. And, doing it all "cold turkey" all at once that is, is the way to go. Trying to change little by little will be frustrating and end in failure. Just jump into it and have fun... and watch how fast your life improves!
Hi Tom Bond
Thank you so much for taking the time to share this with us.
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Decrescendo says:
2 years ago
Interesting tip. Do you have any new updates coming?