Just the beginning....

Since the beginning of 2012 I have been eating clean.  I gave up refine sugar, high-fructose corn syrup, potatoes, white rice, breads, and corn.  It wasn't a New Years resolution.  It just happened to that time of year when my Rheumatologist told me that if I wanted to keep killing my brain I only needed to keep eating sugar and let my diabetes run rampant. 

I suffer from an autoimmune disease called Central Nervous System Vasculitis.  The quick and dirty description of CNSV is that the vessels that supply oxygen to my brain and spinal cord become inflamed and over time my brain and spinal cord receive less and less oxygen.  This wreaks havoc on a person!  I was on a chemotherapy drug called Cytoxan for several months and massive doses of Prednisone, but I kept relapsing.  It was then that my doctor told me to get my nutrition in line or die.

Well we have all heard of those folks who are warned by their doctors to straighten up or pay the price and they keep on drinking, eating, or smoking and get sicker or worse.  I am not that person.  I have stuff to live for!  My son is getting married, my two younger kids are in college, my nieces and nephews are always on my mind and I love just being with my husband...plenty of reasons to get on board.

Its now August 2012 - 8 months later - and I have lost 68 lbs so far and I haven't started exercising yet.  I have not counted a single calorie.  Best of all...if I am hungry I eat!  Occasionally I have day where I will eat just veggies and nuts throughout the day or a day where I will visit the fridge several times.  But I only put good food in my body now.  Big difference.

When I started in January 2012 I just simply avoided sugar.  By Feb I learned about High Fructose Corn Syrup after watching Dr Robert Lustig on 60 minutes.  What an eye-opener!  With all my 'refinements' to my nutrition I am now eating clean.  I still eat some lean meat and fish, tons of low glycemic veggies, and fruit.  I do have real cheese from time to time and will start the next phase of decaffeinating myself and lowering my salt intake.

So...as this is just the first post on my blog...I will share more from here on in.  Stay tuned...if I can do it so can you. 

This weeks grocery haul: $67 bucks...that included a $10 bag of multi-grain dark Asian rice.

 And for dinner:  A Veggie Lentil Stew....started with roasted peppers and garlic.  I browned onions, more garlic, chives, green onions, and mushrooms for a nice thick stock.

 And Voila' ... dinner is served!  Includes: Onions, pablanos, jalapenos, wax peppers, bell peppers, garlic, green onion, fresh chive, fresh mushroom, yellow cauliflower, broccoli, zucchini, yellow squash, snow peas, fresh green beans, fresh roma tomatoes.  Seasoned with oregano, sage, bay leaf, cayenne, and my evil salt.

A nice side note:  I made enough for 2 or 3 days!