Home / Health / From Ice Cream to Green Beans and Brussels Sprouts!

From Ice Cream to Green Beans and Brussels Sprouts!

WellnessWednesday

From Ice Cream to Green Beans and Brussels Sprouts!
By Donna Martelli (Fitness Trainer)

 

Last week I had green beans for an evening snack; last night I had Brussels sprouts.  I chuckled as I thought about a typical evening snack in the 80’s and 90’s – a bowl of ice cream, sometimes with various incredibly rich toppings.  True, I weighed 25 lbs more back then and was concerned about the continual expansion between my waist and my knees.  I did exercise and was somewhat physically fit – but…oh, the ice cream!

How Things Have Changed

Education started it – learning about the extra calories and sugar and how they were affecting my body.  Often I could not sleep because of the late night sugar onslaught.   Then the next day, I would try to wake up with lots of coffee.  The ultimate motivator to change things was not feeling well and getting sick too much.  I also had a stressful life and developed Fibromyalgia.

So, What Happened? 

Just like everyone else, I wanted to feel good!  So, I tried to eat more fruits and vegetables (it always comes down to this, doesn’t it)!  And I started taking a multi vitamin.  Better?  A little.  I still had to deal with the rest of my diet which was similar to the average Americans.  I never really liked fast food (except Taco Bell),  so that wasn’t a major problem.  I just ate what I was trained to eat – eggs and bacon or cereal for breakfast, a sandwich or salad (with lots of goodies) for lunch, and  meat, potatoes, vegetables and dessert…plus the ever present bowl of ice cream at bedtime.  No wonder I was carrying around that extra 25 lbs and gaining more.

Considering the options, I remembered my diet as a dancer: fruit and cottage cheese, yogurt, tea and coffee, meat twice a year or so – not so great for being healthy but effective for keeping weight down – especially with all of the strenuous dancing I was doing at the time.

OK, Back to the Future

I’ve studied and learned, listened to my body, and trained it to like the right things.  Am I perfect – emphatically, NO!  But I no longer carry that extra 25 lbs; my diet is full of whole grains, fruits and vegetables, and a small portion of lean meat every day or every other day.  I drink plenty of water and take the right vitamins and supplements recommended by my doctor.  A bite of dark chocolate in the morning zaps my desire for sugar and gives me some great antioxidants.

One More Change for the Better

One habit I got into through socializing and trying to medicate physical pain was drinking wine in the evening.  It was a great sleep aid but became too important to me.  It was great fun but it sharply cut into my creativity and leached my energy; not to mention, I felt sleepy and shaky most days.  A minor health scare and a strong word from my doctor convinced me that this was NOT  the answer. Excessive alcohol use has been linked to breast cancer and osteoporosis!!  That is certainly not the path I am taking!

So, another turn for the better…and, I think it’s time for my evening bowl of…Brussels sprouts!  Yum!

Photo by Make it yours

About Kellie R. Stone

"I make no excuses for my diverse roles as a Rock Your Feminine Type Coach™ and Branding Expert, best-selling author, and crime thriller novelist. Yes, I do still chuckle a bit at the irony. I kick ass as a women’s biz coach by day and kill off vulnerable fiction characters at night. What the hell, it makes for some interesting dreams. I believe that everyone should pursue their passions no matter how out there they seem to be. One of those pure heart-fluttering passions for me has always been writing. Since I did, indeed, chase my dream of being a writer, I've published two non-fiction books in the self-development genre, co-authored an international best seller, and now I'm finally pushing my much-too-old-to-be-in-the-nest novel out the door and into the world. My whole world is empowering and I adore showing others how to live life unfiltered, whether I do that through the written word or my coaching work. I love my job!" ~Kellie R. Stone

Check Also

mental health warning signs

3 Mental Health Warning Signs

Many of us are aware of red flags in our physical health, but what about …

5 comments

  1. I totally agree with the one day at a time theory. Making better choices is how you gain health and train your body to enjoy good food.

    The other thing is; don’t buy it, and you won’t eat it! Someone tell my husband this, please!

  2. You do have to train your body/mind and it might not happen as quickly as you want – but the results are so worth it. Your body is very adaptable and it WILL totally change – you never have to be a slave to doing things the same way all the time. Isn’t that great news? Just take one step at a time in improving your habits, If you mess up – forgive yourself and keep going.

  3. I’m interested to hear more about this.

  4. Well, good for you! I eat a ton of vegies, but I haven’t done the brussel sprout evening snack yet…lol. 🙂

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *