Yoga!!

Today I begin doing yoga and aim to continue at least 2 times per week to start.  Right now I am just working off a couple of Yoga videos, but once I have some money I hope to take a series of classes.

My Current Health Regime

Here is my current health regime which I aim to continue for the next several months:

1. Eliminate red meat
2. Increase consumption of fresh vegetables and fruit
3. Drink more water
4. Increase dietary fibre
5. Prepare at least 1 vegetarian dinner per week
6. Exercise at least 3 times per week

• Climb up and down stairs for 12 minutes
• Crunches, leg raises (for lower abs), and pushups

Square One

So here I am...32 years old with two kids (a 3 1/2 year old and a 6 month old).  I have been on maternity leave since May of 2012 from my job as a litigation law clerk.

Currently, I weigh 15 pounds more than I did before I had my first child in 2009.  I was 120 lbs before my first daughter and I currently weigh 135 lbs.  Here are my current stats as of November 25th (all of which I would like to see decline over the next several months):

Weight:  135 lbs
Waist: 32 inches (at belly button)
Hips: 39.5 inches

I realize that my weight is not the only indicator of my current health.  Most important to me is my overall health (blood pressure, heart health, etc.).  I plan to try and improve my overall health first and foremost, and if I lose weight in the process then I will see that as a bonus.

On Facebook I recently came across a very poignant quote.  I did a little research and discovered that the quote originated from a US food author by the name of Michael Pollan.  Mr. Pollan offers the following very simple mantra to encourage a healthy lifestyle:

"Eat food, not too much, mostly plants."

This quote literally stopped me in my tracks.  I sat in front of my laptop reading these words over and over again.  Never before had something so simple caused such a major change in my thinking.  Here is my interpretation of this phrase:

"Eat food" : At first glance, this part of the quote sounds like a bit of carte blanche to eat any kind of food you like.  However, common sense told me that the focus should be on "real" food.  Fresh vegetables, fruits, and lean fresh meats.  Simply put, home-cooked meals should take precedence over processed and frozen foods.  Luckily,  since my mid-20s, I had already made a very prominent shift away from frozen, processed, and microwavable foods.  To me, single-serve microwavable meals have a certain "taste" to them that I just cannot get around.  I have always tried to prepare the majority of my meals from scratch, without the aid of processed or packaged food...something I find is becoming harder to maintain since I've had two kids.

The second part of the quote is really the simplest to understand, "not too much".  Really, common sense tells us not to overeat and not to eat when we're not really even hungry.  But it is surprising how easy it is to fail in this regard.  Many times, I have found myself eating dinner way too fast, only to find myself over-full at the end of the meal.  Many cultures, most notably the Japanese, advocate eating only until you are almost full.  I find that I feel much better when I do this, I do have to eat more frequently (or include more snacks) throughout the day, but I definitely feel physically better when I do this.

For the third part of the quote, "mostly plants", it has been proven that plant-based diets are healthier, more economical, more environmentally friendly than diets that include meat products.  For me, this aspect of the change is going to be the most challenging as I really love meat.  I have started off by eliminating red meats from my diet (as well as from my family's diet)...since red meats are the most unhealthy of all.

So, onward and upward...here goes nothing!