The fog is lifting....

I've not been myself for a bit now,

and as I write this, 

  looking back.....

I feel as if I've been living in a fog!

Have y'all ever felt like that?

Let me explain, if I may.....

After my Mom had her heart attack, we soon learned that she just wasn't able to take a lot of the medications they  put her on for A-fib because of their horrible side affects.  About that time, Pappy lost his job and along with that, we lost our health insurance coverage.  Soon after I began having some issues with my own heart and  researched as to what supplement I could take since there was no way we could afford for me to go to a cardiologist.  What I found was that magnesium was helpful for my symptoms  so I started taking it because I was able to buy it OTC.....and I asked Mom's heart doctor about her taking that supplement also, since the prescription drugs so totally went against her.  She was placed on Magnesium Oxide and that helped her.  She was so grateful that I was able to help her get off the prescriptions and just take a natural supplement.  Also, during this time, I began suffering from really bad headaches.  It kinda dawned on me one day that possibly they were stemming from high blood pressure, so I started documenting my BP with a monitor that my mother-in-law bought me for Christmas one year.  At the time I thought that was a crazy gift.....but it's truly come in handy.  Anyway, sure enough, my BP was running pretty high so I was placed on a BP med that I was able to get on Wal-Mart's reduced drug plan.  Now to the problem at hand.  I had no idea that Magnesium Oxide could also be used to treat high BP.....until one day this week I felt about as lousy as I've felt in ages (and my mood wasn't any better).  Again, I had a light bulb moment and decided to check my BP.....it was LOW.....like 104/69.  No wonder I felt like I was living in a fog.  My Mom had a follow-up appointment with her cardiologist yesterday so I asked him if the Magnesium Oxide would lower BP.....he said "yes".....that it's not given to patients with the statement, "here, take this to lower your BP".....but he said that studies showed that it does.  He just confirmed what I already knew.  So....I took myself off my prescription BP med and continued the Magnesium Oxide (my doctor knows I'm taking the MO).....and feel like the fog is beginning to lift.  As I'm typing this, my head is clearer than it's been in quite some time only after one day of not taking a combo of the MO and the prescription med.  I will continue to monitor my BP in the coming weeks to see if something needs to be "tweaked".

So.....if I've said/done/acted EXTREMELY moody......

okay, even moodier than normal for me.....

please accept my apologies!!!

Like my Mom's always told me.....

"you can't even take an aspirin without it affecting you".

If how I've been feeling is how some people want to feel.....

then, they truly have a problem!!

Thanks, sweet readers for taking the time to read this.

Listen to what your body is telling you.

Seems like I'm a slow learner!!!

Thank goodness that I can keep on.....

Breathing in Jesus,

Deb

"Food" for Thought.....

Last Thursday, I wrote about how I had been having some problems with my BP.  You can read about it at "The Fog Is Lifting".  I wanted to give y'all an update.  Often I get all gung-ho about something, then it has a tendency to fizzle out.....but I've found out that happens when God's not in it!  

As I'm getting older

(just old, according to one of the grand's who will remain nameless.....

but he's the firstborn one.....;-)

.....I'm hopefully.....

and prayerfully.....

getting wiser.

I'm still doing really well.

Except, for this past Monday and I know it was because of what I had eaten over the weekend, and my BP ran high most of Monday and I had a terrible headache.  Since then, my BP has leveled off.  So, I feel the Magnesium Oxide is doing it's job and I haven't had to go back on the prescription med.  I've been off of it for about a week and a half now and truly feel better than I have for MONTHS.  I didn't realize until that light bulb moment that it was causing me to feel so lethargic.....

and also causing most of my night sweats.

 (TMI?....sorry....but I think it's just us girls chatting here)

A few other things I've done that I feel will improve my health.....

~~~~~completely, totally cut out soft drinks.....

which for me was my addiction to Diet Mountain Dew!!!

I tried to justify by buying caffeine free!!!

Now, I drink only tea and water.

Stevia is my #1 choice for sweetener,

not sugar.

~~~~~I'm getting more exercise, but it's not deliberate exercise.

I still can't do a lot because of my knee,

but I've been working outside a lot and that makes me feel so much better.

~~~~~Although I know it has health benefits.....

I still haven't been able to drink coffee.

It seems I've lost my appetite for it.

And, that's a good thing for me because.....

#1....it costs way too much!

#2....caffeine isn't good for BP!

~~~~~I've also tried to cut out salt.....

so difficult for a salt-o-holic!

Mrs. Dash is a wonderful substitute!!

~~~~~Limiting breads and sweets.

This is another biggie for me because I'm also a carb-o-holic!!!

BIG TIME!!!

~~~~~Eating more veggies and fruits.
Sometimes, I'll throw a handful of spinach in a smoothie.
If the  green color is a bother, 
I just close my eyes while drinking it!!!

~~~~~~This one should have gone at the top of the list.....

covering it all in prayer!

And trying to listen to that "still small voice" about how to eat and treat my body.

These changes I'm making.....

they're not so that I can have that body I had as a teenager.

It has everything to do with my health.

I've watched my Mom suffer from heart issues and I've seen some of the things she's done that contributed to her decline in health, including smoking and diet.

(Praise the good Lord above, I didn't take up the smoking habit)

My BP issues have really scared me.....

especially, the headaches and the thought of having a stroke.

I've felt the great need to loose weight in the past.....

so many times I've lost count.

For me, if it's Monday, I'm on a diet.

This time it's just different.

It's totally because of a health scare!

Here's my main reason for wanting to improve my health and take better care of the body HE gave me!!!

OUCH!!

"honor God with your body".....

hoping and praying I can get better at doing that.....

because I've done a very lousy job for the first 59 years!

.....but so often I do!

Breathing in Jesus,

Deb