Health Talk: Habitual changes becoming Permanent

Image: Sura Nualpradid

I haven't fully immersed myself into a true healthy lifestyle diet, but I've come to notice that in the past year the new habits I took on, are now becoming permanent. Finally.

A few years ago, you couldn't get me to drink water all day or even drink water after every meal. I would prefer to drink soda, juice or any other type of sugary drink filled with empty carbs. I was not aware of what I was putting in my body.

Fast forward to today, I am fully aware and borderline paranoid of what I allow near my mouth.

In June of 2011, I decided that I needed to drop about 20 pounds for health's sake and then I would venture on into physical strength training, purely for aesthetics. I lost 14 lbs. Not quite, but close. In the process of losing weight and exercising everyday, my gross habits became clear to me.

I started out by logging everything I put in my body. I drunk as much water as I could, I worked out for 60+ minutes a day, and unless I was busy working or viewing something important, I stayed away from the computer and television. I was on my feet all the time.

A shocking discovery was made.

It never occurred to me how out of shape and unhealthy I was. Just simply logging for a week with my regular everyday routine, I saw that I was consuming somewhere between 2200-2700 calories a day, no activities included. My sugar intake was off the charts (quadruple the FDA recommended maximum average), my sodium level screamed 'high-risk', my cholesterol was fair-game but risky, and my fat intake was deplorable.

My first healthy meal on one June day was a cinnamon bagel with fat-free cream cheese, a cup of green grapes, and a tall cup of water. This meal would become my standard, go-to easy breakfast choice.

Although I still have some more pounds to shed, I look forward to seeing more changes.

Considerably when I eat now, I'm drinking water, water, and water. If I must drink juice, I prefer orange juice. I noticed that in my diary, I was not getting enough of my daily potassium requirement. Orange juice is pretty much how I can get at least 30% of my needed potassium, as well as vitamin C. Maybe once in a while I'll choose apple juice, which also contains potassium. However, apple juice interferes with my digestive system and unless it's available to me I'm not going out of my way to drink it. Besides that, I drink water most of the time.

If I go an hour without drinking water, my brain is already asking me: "When are you going to drink water today? Don't let the day go by without drinking at least a cup!"

Whenever I have the option between water and a drink, I find myself debating which choice would be more beneficial to me. How about that? That would've never happened less than a year ago. Now when I have the choice to choose between juice and soda or water, I think of all the unnecessary sugar I don't want in my body. While there are times I cave in, water always wins. I can confidently say, I love water and it no longer tastes nasty to me. Mission complete!

Next step: reducing meat intake.

I definitely see the meaning now, when fitness advocates preach that the power to be healthy, begins with you and your mind.