Tag: healthy eating

The Compound Effect

“You will never change your life until you change something you do daily. The secret of your success is found in your daily routine.”
― Darren Hardy, The Compound Effect

As the fall weather is upon us, I am cleaning closets and thinking of the approaching winter season. Fall is my favorite time of the year. I start to organize and purge what not longer fits, including more than just clothing. Life is always about evolving and growing as we go and fall is the perfect time to slow down and reflect. In that manner, I have decided this week’s post will be a repost of one of my most popular blogs from this year. In this post, I speak about the importance of consistency and holding firm to my journey as I move through the winter season. Let’s all use the fall to prepare for the winter ahead. Much like the squirrels gathering their food for the winter, I believe we need to gather our motivation for the days ahead. I hope you enjoy the reread of this much loved post.

I first read Darren Hardy’s book many years ago as a new school leader. The Compound Effect outlined, is the strategy of being consistent with smart, tiny choices over time that will produce significant results. As I read the book I was focused on leadership, yet in the back of my mind I kept connecting back to my health journey. The concept is that smaller steps over a long period of time will have a greater, more beneficial and successful effect on your life than bigger steps in a shorter period of time (that most people will not stick to). Today as I view the predictable dwindling off of the New Year’s resolutionists at the gym I am reminded of this concept.

For many years, I was that person. The one who gets all pumped up for the reclaiming health journey. Those who have followed me over time know that every spring I have a rebirth and start over. Then, every winter I slowly fade away and fall backwards. This year has been different, albeit not easier. The temptation to fall back has reared its head repeatedly, especially on these 18 degree days. Using the concept of the compounding effect, I know that consistency is the key to achieving and maintaining momentum. I have held tight to that concept on my darkest of days this winter and continued with the small, simple habits and daily routines that will add up to a healthier life. My goal this year was to make it through the winter with habits in tact and see where I am come spring. As we are nearing February, I am very hopeful that this year will be different for me. 

Consistency is not easy if you make your habits too lofty, the key is to keep things simple and doable. When I selected daily habits, I’d say I even set the bar lower than I knew I could accomplish this winter. This helped me through the harder days and gave me added bonus boosts when I achieved more and kept me motivated. We all know success fosters motivation and failure often motivates quitting. For my movement goal, I merely set a minimum of a 30 minute walk in nature goal for every day of the week. This goal has been the easiest one to maintain, rain or shine. Setting a doable goal like this sets you up for success and avoids repeated failure that can serve to make you feel like a failure and give up. Obviously, it’s not my only fitness goal, but it’s the one I will never skip. Walking and being in nature cannot be undervalued on any health journey.

Another doable goal I set was to improve my nutrition through simple choices for my meals. I made a commitment to have a healthy breakfast every day. To make it easier, I decided to to a morning smoothie with protein and healthy nutrients, using simple recipes found in Joyfull, by Radi Devlukia. This sets me up for my morning workout and keeps me full until lunch. There are so many great smoothie recipes, but if that feels overwhelming just use a high quality protein powder shake, such as this one from Complement. I like the chocolate flavor when drinking plain and unflavored when using with the recipes from Joyfull. I have been super consistent with this goal as well. No cooking required for this breakfast and the variety of smoothies is endless. For lunch, I generally eat the main meal of the day to allow more time for digestion. I eat a whole food plant based diet consisting of protein, legumes, fruits, vegetables and whole grains. This also is very easy to do as salads are super easy to put together. 

On this cold winter day, I remind you that it’s not about perfection. It’s about the effort we put in and more importantly, the consistency we apply to our health journeys. Approach every day with a clean slate. If you ate too much yesterday (me eating pizza during the football playoffs), it’s all good, just return to your daily routine today. You slept in and didn’t do your gym workout this morning, get up do your 30 minute walk and return to the gym on your next scheduled day. Perhaps your body needed the rest. What we can’t do is give up and stop. Just keep to your routines as best you can and watch the compound effect unfold. 

If you have any questions or comments, please do reach out. I love getting emails at laurakump@reclaiminghealth.blog about your journey. Take a photo of nature from your 30 minute walk and tag me on Instagram at reclaiminghealthblog with #30minutesinnature . Let’s do this together, motivate each other and reach spring feeling healthier. It is only two months away!

Reclaiming Health: How Alzheimer’s Shaped My Wellness Journey

Your mother is always with you…
She’s the whisper of the leaves
as you walk down the street.
She’s the cool hand on your brow
when you’re not well.
Your mother lives inside your laughter.
She’s crystallized in every tear drop.
She’s the place you came from,
your first home…
She’s the map you follow
with every step that you take.
She’s your first love
and your first heart break…
and nothing on earth can separate you.
Not time, Not space
Not even death
will ever separate you
from your mother
You carry her inside of you

-Deborah Culver

I have many new followers and subscribers and thought it was a good time to introduce Reclaiming Health Blog. This is not a money making blog, rather it is a labor of love. I find it very therapeutic to write and document my wellness journey. The road traveled is not always easy, as long time readers know, but the will is strong. I’m thankful to those who are here and would love to hear about they why behind your wellness journey.

In this post, I will discuss my why. We all arrive to the wellness journey at different points in our lives. My why was cultivated as I slowly lost my mother on her Alzheimer’s journey. I made a vow then that I would do anything I could to not have my children take that same walk with me. I’m on a mission to reclaim my health, hence the title of the blog. ReclaimingHealthBlog.com, is a space in which I share my journey with others. It allows me to interact with others and also hold myself accountable to the work, but how did I get here?

When I had my last running injury, my mother was well into her Alzheimer’s journey. I sustained a torn tendon that required surgery. Following surgery, I was on crutches and unable to walk. I remember being in a lot of pain as well. My dad brought my mom out to my house to visit me as I couldn’t drive to them. I remember trying to get up to get something and feeling pain. My mother, who was mostly nonverbal at this point, suddenly jumped up from the couch and said, “Can I help you?” It was such a profound moment with her and reassured me that her love was still strong, despite this cruel and heartless disease.

The day I went into the hospital for surgery, I remember sobbing and saying this was the first time in my life that my mother wouldn’t be able to comfort me. I felt her loss so deeply. Alzheimer’s is one of the hardest journeys to witness, and sadly I’ve witnessed it twice. As a young newly married mother, I watched my grandmother fade away. Then, a mere 30 years later I was watching the same happen with my mother. It was at that point, I began to realize I could be next.

This realization has been the driving force behind this blog and my health journey. I have read, studied and learned that there are ways I can possibly reduce my risk for getting Alzheimer’s. I’ve learned that what I once thought was a disease of pure genetics, can actually be delayed or avoided through lifestyle changes. If there is even a small chance I can avoid this fate, why wouldn’t I try? What have I got to lose?

Watching my mother leave was very painful for our family. She was an amazing mother, wife and friend. When one progresses through this disease, they lose their memories and then their voice. My mother was physically there, but she was gone at the same time. She didn’t recognize any of us and couldn’t communicate. I didn’t get to hear her voice for her last 5 years with us. Truly this was a long goodbye.

When I sat at the care center with my family during those last years, I often left sobbing. It was so sad to see so many people living with Alzheimer’s. It was then that I began reading, researching and learning everything I could about this disease. I made a vow to my mother and myself that I would do whatever I could to live a brain healthy lifestyle.

Sadly, my story is not unique. In the United States, an estimated 500,000 new cases of Alzheimer’s disease are diagnosed each year. In fact, Alzheimer’s is the fifth-leading cause of death among Americans age 65 and older. In 2023, an estimated 6.7 million Americans are living with Alzheimer’s disease. These statistics are staggering. In my family alone, we lost my grandmother, mother and father in law to Alzheimer’s.

After attending the 2024 Food Revolution Docuseries, I realized there was hope.It was the first time I heard talk about prevention, and that that should be more of the focus. I’d long been following work done to find a cure and each time a trial failed, I’d feel helpless. Hearing that lifestyle and nutritional changes can have an impact, gave me renewed hope. This learning has fueled me to live better and share my experience through this blog.

I do not have all the answers and I am not a doctor. I know what resonates with me and am trying my best to continue to learn and grow. I believe the research that says nutrition and lifestyle can prevent Alzheimer’s in some cases. I am hopeful that I am one of those cases. I plan to continue to attend seminars and take courses to learn more about brain health.

I’ve written blog posts that share my learning and specific actions taken, and will continue to do so. Generally, I post one blog per week.

Posts I’ve Written About My Brain Health Journey:

Fork Power

Longevity and Brain Health: Lessons from My 93-Year-Old Father

The China Study: Reducing Health Risks with a Plant-Based Diet

IRAH: Individual Retirement Account for Health – A Personal Transformation Journey

My Mother’s Story:

I wrote this post just after my mother died. It’s a very personal piece.

The Notebook

Resources to Learn About Brain Health:

I took a course recently with  Dr. Dean and Dr. Ayesha Sherzai, co-directors of the Brain Health and Alzheimer’s Prevention Program at Loma Linda University Health. Through their research, they have found that lifestyle choices can have a long-term impact on brain health.  You can read more about the work being done at Loma Linda Memory Center at the links below:

https://lluh.org/neurology/our-services/memory-center

https://news.llu.edu/health-wellness/fight-against-alzheimers

I’ve also taken courses and attended the 2024 Food Revolution docuseries. You can visit their site at the link below:

https://foodrevolution.org/

Next Steps:

My next steps are always evolving as I learn and grow. I plan to continue on my whole food plant based journey and definitely notice improvement in how I feel. I am working with a Registered Dietitian who specializes in plant based lifestyles, to ensure that I get the right nutritional balance in my meals. I continue to follow up with blood work periodically and am due to have testing done this month. I also continue to spend as much time as I can with my children making beautiful memories, which I plan to keep.

If you are on a similar path, or have information to share on this topic, please reach out to me in the comment section below. I look forward to hearing from you and continuing this journey to wellness together.

Transform Your Diet: Embrace Whole Food Variety

“Eating healthy food fills your body with energy and nutrients. Imagine your cells smiling back at you and saying: ‘Thank you!’” – Karen Salmansohn

Imagine eating a peanut butter sandwich every day for lunch. That is exactly what I did for years. Honestly, it didn’t bother me because I enjoy them and they’re easy. How many of us eat the same food on repeat? I know I did and never gave it a thought. Learning how important variety in food choices are to my wellness has opened my mind to trying new things.

I’ve learned it’s important to eat a variety of foods as part of my whole food plant based lifestyle. Recently, I heard that you should try to eat 30 different whole foods across your week. I am, however, a creature of routine and habit, especially when it comes to food selection. The thought of having that much variety in my week did give me something to reflect upon. Initially, when thinking about increasing variety in my diet, I focused on using it to push me out of my comfort zone. I tend to eat the same few foods repeatedly. Now I know, that eating a variety of foods is more important to my wellness than I once thought. With this knowledge, I am now planning my meals with far more variety than before. It’s a work in progress for sure, as old habits die hard.

My Food Struggles

I was raised in the 1960s and raised in a family where dinner consisted of meat, starch and one vegetable. At some point, the popularity of convenience foods caused some changes to our daily menu. Vegetables readily available in cans were now seen as the better option due to their shelf lives. My mother’s favorite vegetable was the french cut string beans and they must’ve often been on sale because we ate them often. Just thinking about them still makes me gag.

It was during these years that I developed my strong aversion to eating vegetables. I wouldn’t eat them, other than corn, for decades after I left home. I wouldn’t even try them. In truth, I only started eating broccoli and nothing more until this year when I transitioned over to a plant based lifestyle. Imagine, a vegetable hater is now living a plant based lifestyle. Most people who know me chuckle over that.

My Food Transition:

In January, I took a six week course on living a Whole Food Plant Based lifestyle. As I learned about its connection to brain health, I knew I would make this transition. I was unsure how and what I would eat, but thankfully there were many resources out there to help me. I found ample recipes to try, especially on Forks Over Knives. The trouble was I was avoiding most recipes that didn’t call for broccoli.

You see, when I first transitioned to a plant based lifestyle, I liked broccoli, spinach and corn. I also would eat salad. I assumed it didn’t matter that I ate the same thing every day, as long as I ate vegetables and fruit. I made broccoli every day and put spinach in my smoothie each morning and had a salad for dinner. As I continued learning, however, I realized how critical it was to eat a variety of foods, especially when eating plant based. This may seem like basic knowledge to you, but it was life changing for me.

Variety of Foods:

I’ve spent the last nine months learning about this lifestyle I’ve chosen. I’ve heard many criticisms of it, with the top being difficulty getting the proper nutrients. This criticism can be true, if you are not careful which is why I continue to learn, study and monitor my health markers. One aspect that is critical is to ensure you eat a variety of foods. This is critical in any lifestyle, but even more so in a plant based one. Different foods provide different nutrients, so eating a variety of foods can ensure that you get the proper nutrients.  Many plant-based protein sources lack one or more essential amino acids, so eating a variety of plant-based proteins throughout the day also helps ensure you get enough of all the essential amino acids. 

When planning for meals across the week, it is essential to focus on both variety and the nutrients your food will provide. This can sound like a daunting task, but there are many resources you can use to help guide you. One resource I found very enlightening was My Fitness Pal. I use the paid version of this app and kept a food log on it for months. Keeping a food log on this app helped me see the nutritional breakdown of my food. It was there that I began to notice what nutrients come from each food variety.

Using this food log, I noticed I had a lot of overlap for some nutrients and gaps in others. Nutrients I was supplementing for were revealed to be at extremely high levels just from the food I was eating. This meant I was both wasting money on them and potentially causing harm to my health. I highly recommend using something like this app to get you started. This awareness led me to seek out further guidance with a Registered Dietitian who specializes in Plant Based Nutrition. If that is not an option for you, I highly recommend you work with your health provider to monitor your nutrition levels through blood work.

Like everything else, I suggest you start with small changes to your eating habits to gradually increase the variety of foods you are eating. There are so many foods to choose from, but just try to add one new food in each week. Here is a great list of nutrients found in vegetables.

59 Different Types of Vegetables and Their Nutrition Profile

Tips to Increase Variety :

  • Eat the rainbow, and try to include at least three different colors of foods on your plate. 
  • Swap out your side dishes. Here’s a great list to choose from – 57 Vegan Side Dishes
  • Try recipes from different countries. I now eat Indian, Asian and Thai cuisine often, something I never would have tried in the past.
  • Choose one new vegetable a week to try. There are so many recipes online to try. I started with Forks Over Knives which has many recipes.
  • Try new ways to cook vegetables each week, such as air fry, roasting, grill, stir fry, etc.
  • Experiment with less-common grains. Here’s a great list to choose from – 17 Grains You Never Heard of

Next Steps:

As I transition to increasing the variety of food I eat, I am keeping things simple. Each week, I purchase at least one new vegetable to try. I am planning my menu for the week to include new recipes and one new food item. Once I increase my vegetable options it will be easier to plan meals. This week I made a chili recipe into which I was able to add a few vegetables. Traditionally, I find soups and chili recipes are the easiest way for me to sneak vegetables in. I also purchased a copper roasting pan to roast vegetables. I absolutely love this pan and use it often. The pan also has a basket which allows for good air flow and since I rarely use oil it prevent sticking. I highly recommend this pan – Copper Roasting Pan.

Here are a few articles you can read to get more information on this topic:

4 Exciting Reasons to Rotate Your Food

What is a Plant Based Diet and Why Should You Try It

The Importance of Variety in Your Diet

I hope you’ll take some time this week to reflect on your food selections. Are you eating the same things over and over, like I was? If you are, start to think about the importance of eating a variety of foods across your week. I’d love to hear what your thoughts are on this topic. Are you a creature of habit like I was, or a food explorer? Please feel free to reach out to me via email at laurakump@reclaiminghealth.blog, on Instagram or Facebook, or in the comment section below.

Consider answering one of these questions in the comment section below –

What did you notice about the variety in your food selections?

How will you increase the variety of foods, especially vegetables, that you eat? Please do share.

Prioritizing Health: A Personal Journey to Wellness and Balance

“Your health account, your bank account, they’re the same thing. The more you put in, the more you can take out.”– Jack LaLanne

I’d like to follow up on last week’s blog, in which I discussed staying true to my personal wellness choices (Staying True to Whole Food Plant-Based Lifestyle: A Reflection). I’ve been reflecting all week on why this time, unlike others, I felt strong enough to stand firm in my decision. I believe I’m stronger now because I have a clear vision for what my balanced lifestyle entails. A balanced lifestyle is a way of living that aims to improve our wellness in all aspects of life, including: relationships, fitness, health, and emotional happiness. 

A Balanced Lifestyle Includes:

Sleep

Getting 7 to 8 hours of sleep each night is an important pillar in my life. Sleep can have so many implications on health, both negative and positive. I’ve struggled with sleep over the years and made it one of my first goals when I began this journey. Forming stronger sleep routines has truly changed my life. You can read more about the work I’ve done to improve my sleep in these two posts – Sleep Your Secret Weapon, Sweet Dreams. At the moment, I’ve been hitting my 8 hour sleep goal, but this is an area I still focus on.

Stress Reduction

Stress reduction is another key pillar. Stress without doubt wreaked havoc on my health. It was so bad that I wasn’t sure I’d ever get back to a healthy lifestyle. I was overweight, not sleeping, and most likely depressed. This was the lowest point of my health journey and I knew the only way to heal was to reduce my stress. I knew I not continue in my current situation.

COVID really changed the world and I was not exempt from that. A high stress job, coupled with personal events, created massive amounts of stress in my life. In 2023, three and a half years out from the onset of COVID shutdowns, I decided to walk away from the career I loved and devote my time and energy to my health. I’ve written about stress and my health in this blog post – Stress.

Social Connections

We are meant to journey through this life with others. Fostering and cultivating social connections and relationships is my third critical pillar. When we are too busy, or too tired to engage socially, we are missing out on an important part of wellness. Social connections can create feelings of belonging, being loved and valued. Who doesn’t want that? But, like everything else, relationships take work and time investments. It is definitely worth the effort, as strong social connections can have significant impact on our overall health. I’ve written more about social connections in this blog post – The Vital Role of Social Connections in Health and Wellness. I hope you’ll take the time to read it and then reach out to a friend, or loved one.

Nutrition

Eating a balanced diet, that your body responds too, is also an important pillar. Finding what works best for your body is the critical work we all need to do. There is not a one size fits all approach to nutrition and far too many competing options, which can be confusing. I’d recommend you spend your time figuring out the best path for you.

I chose my path, in consultation with my health professionals, by keeping a food journal and taking notes on how my body responded to certain foods. I noticed changes to my sleep, inflammation or bloating, along with other responses my body had to food. I used this knowledge to make the decision that for me, the best path was to shift to a whole food plant-based lifestyle. I’ve written about this nutrition journey in these posts – Change Our Thinking About Food, Eat to Live, The China Study: Reducing Health Risks with a Plant-Based Diet.

Movement

Movement has long been thought to be the most important piece of my health journey. While it is still one of my key pillars, I now know that it can’t be my only pillar, as I can’t use exercise to avoid everything else. I move my body daily and choose activities I enjoy. Walking twice a day is a staple daily activity that is non negotiable. I love playing pickleball as it’s great exercise and fosters strong social connection. Finally, I engage in yoga and strength training.

We all definitely need to move to stay healthy. It can’t be the only pillar we rely on though. Believe me, I tried to out run a bad diet for most of my life. I listen more to my body these days and pay attention, especially when I need to rest. That is something I never did in the past, to the point of consistently getting injured. I’ve written about my daily exercise routines in these blog posts – Move to Live, Healthy Lifestyle: Food, Exercise, and Joy in My Daily Routine

Prioritizing Health

A balanced lifestyle should include prioritizing your health above all else. It’s not about worrying over everything you do and labeling decisions good or bad. It’s about understanding the impact your lifestyle choices have on your wellbeing. I learned the concept of creating an IRHA – Individual Retirement Health Account, and make continuous deposits towards my longterm health. If you are living in balance, your deposits will outweigh your withdrawals. We all will make withdrawals as we live, but they are balanced out by many deposits along the way. I’ve written about this concept in this blog post – IRAH: Individual Retirement Account for Health – A Personal Transformation Journey

Next Steps

Ultimately, health balance is a deeply personal journey—one that requires self-reflection, and an unwavering commitment to your well being. It’s about finding what works for you and prioritizing your health. I hope you will take that first step. Here are a few more resources to get you started:

Baby Steps

Reclaiming Health: The Power of Taking the First Step

Longevity and Brain Health: Lessons from My 93-Year-Old Father

Healthy Lifestyle: Food, Exercise, and Joy in My Daily Routine

If you’d like to share your journey with us, please reach out via email at laurakump@reclaiminghealth.blog. I’d love to hear what’s working and not working for you. You can also reach out on Instagram, or Facebook, or in the comment section below.

Staying True to Whole Food Plant-Based Lifestyle: A Reflection

“One of the lessons that I grew up with was to always stay true to yourself and never let what somebody else says distract you from your goals.” -Michelle Obama

I had some questions regarding nutrition and my doctor suggested I meet with a Registered Dietician. I was psyched for this meeting and looking forward to learning and growing my knowledge. It took a while to get the appointment and I went into it feeling excited. Sadly, I left the appointment feeling confused and honestly, defeated. This response hit me like a ton of bricks and almost sent me into a mindset spiral. It came at me hard and I’ve spent the week really unpacking my response to this situation and thought I’d share the experience.

The issue I wanted guidance with was understanding ways to ensure that my meals are nutritionally balanced, within my whole food plant based lifestyle. I was not going into the appointment looking to change my lifestyle and I made that clear in all conversation with the provider. I take my health seriously and have been consistently monitoring my blood levels to ensure that nutritional targets are within range, as well as other indicators. I also have no current known health issues.

As I got into my car following this appointment, I felt I had been judged and definitely not heard. Perhaps it was a bad day for the provider, considering she was very late to our appointment. That said, I walked out with a strong feeling that I needed to reevaluate my lifestyle choices, which was not what I walked in looking or asking for. I was basically being told to add dairy, eggs and cheese into my lifestyle as the means to increase my protein and lower my LDL. I questioned what I was being told and knew it went against the current research on whole food plant based eating. I also knew this dietician did not think plant based, in absence of meat, dairy or cheese protein, was a viable lifestyle. Though she said, she was not trying to tell me what to do, she clearly was. I wondered how many others have let strong opinions derail their wellness path. As I unpacked this experience, I reflected on the following:

Be Impeccable to Your Word

In the book, The Four Agreements, Don Miguel Ruiz speaks to the importance of being impeccable to your word. According to Ruiz, your word is your power to create. Your word is all about the message you deliver, not just to everyone and everything around you, but the message you deliver to yourself.

This is important in this situation for two reasons:

  1. Your word has the power to lift others up or to harm them. In this case, this provider had a clear agenda that did not align with mine. That is totally fine, but I would have respected the message more had it been presented differently. Using your words to dismiss someone, without providing research, or clear reasoning is totally unacceptable in my opinion. Using your position of perceived power to make another feel less than is never acceptable. I know my body and it’s response to dairy, eggs and cheese and do not see them as viable means to healthy LDL levels, though they can increase protein.
  2. Self-talk – The second part was more of a personal reflection on the self-talk that I engaged in during and after the meeting. I was really doubting myself and my knowledge, and all the work I have done this past year. Despite feeling the best I have in many years, despite positive blood work and the current state of my overall health, I was ready to make a dramatic course change, based on the strong opinion of another. My inner critic jumped on this opportunity to engage my self doubt. These self doubts are what causes us to jump at the endless infomercials that sell the answers to all our health concerns.

Stay True to Yourself

It’s hard to live a plant-based lifestyle when so many have strong opinions against it. I don’t push my lifestyle on anyone. We made a personal choice, based on research and conversations with our health provider, that living this lifestyle was in our best interest. We are thriving. To change course, based on one interaction, would have been a huge mistake. I’m sharing my experience because this type of interaction happens often when people share their health journeys. For some reason, many feel it is ok to use their words to tell others how to do things in a better way, usually the way that works for them.

I think the best way, is the way that works for your body, in your current situation. As long as you are monitoring your health markers, through labs and in consultation with your trusted health provider, you do you. What works for my body, may not work for someone else. It is not the job of a health coach, or registered dietician, to prescribe one specific lifestyle to you. It is their job to help you reach your health goals, within your lifestyle. After they meet you where you are, they can educate and provide information to help you make decisions. If you have a specific health condition that warrants one specific lifestyle, that is a different situation than what I am discussing here.

I hope you take the time to learn more about your health choices, including really knowing the source and type of research you are relying on. There are so many conflicting ideas out there on wellness, it’s hard to know what to believe. I do recommend learning more about the China Study and Blue Zones. If you are considering a whole food plant-based lifestyle, I recommend you find a Plant Based Registered Dietician who truly understands this specific approach.

If this post resonates with you, or you’d like to share an experience you’ve had, feel free to reach out to me at laurakump@reclaiminghealth.blog, via Instagram or Facebook, or in the comment section below.

Embracing Personal Accountability for a Healthier, Fulfilled Life

“Personal accountability requires mindfulness, acceptance, honesty and courage.” – Shelby Martin

Personal success can be achieved through taking accountability for our actions. This shift takes time and is one I’ve embraced on this health journey. It’s also one I hadn’t embraced in the past.  It’s hard to come to terms with the reality that you and you alone are responsible for the decisions you make each day, but personal accountability is the key to living a healthy, fulfilled, and meaningful life. Even though it can be challenging, accepting personal accountability will enable you to learn from mistakes and make adjustments to your journey.

Our consistency and day to day life decisions play a huge role in the progress we make and results we achieve. Believe me, I know it feels better to blame work stress, genetics, health or other outside reasons for my failure to make progress. Blaming others or making excuses can lead to giving up when things get hard. There are certainly cases where outside factors are a key reason one is not achieving results, despite putting in the work. I would never want to minimize that, but, today I’d like to talk about accepting personal accountability for your health journey.

My Journey

I’ve been on this health journey for what feels like a lifetime. I’ve honestly tried everything there was to try. I worked with countless nutritionists who wanted to sell me endless products. Everyone seemed to have their own angle on what I needed to do. I would try what they said, not see results fast enough and give up, then blame them. I believed every advertisement I saw that spoke to those who haven’t had results, but would if they only tried their new approach. I worked out endlessly, ate clean and couldn’t seem to ever stay on track. It wasn’t until I shifted my mindset from doing what someone else said I needed to do, to taking control over my own journey, that I began to have success.

Think about this, every single decision you make in a day is in your own hands. I decide every day whether I will sleep in, get up, work out, eat out or cook. I needed to accept responsibility for the decisions I made. Recognizing and honoring this was a necessary first step toward making lasting changes in my health. It was also a powerful tool toward changing unwanted behaviors and ways of thinking about myself.

Many of us spend our days drowning in negative self talk, blame and procrastination. On this journey toward reclaiming our health, we first need to address the elephant in the room – blame and excuses. Yes, it is far easier to say I’m still overweight because I’m a middle aged woman, or my parents were overweight, or, or, or. Accepting these excuses and reasons for our struggle can lead us to accepting where we are, giving up on trying to change our way of life. I know this first hand, as I had given up on even trying. I began to accept that this was just how I was going to be.

Personal Accountability

Personal accountability is the practice of accepting responsibility for your actions, words, and behaviors, and the consequences that result. It involves taking ownership of situations, and doing your best to improve, whether the outcome is good or bad. People who are personally accountable don’t blame others or make excuses, and they try to make amends when things go wrong.

Personal accountability does not mean we place blame, or shame on ourselves. Rather, it is meant to be a means to accept that despite where you are right now on your health journey, including the reasons for being there, you have the power and responsibility to improve your health and make lasting changes.

Roadblocks

Two of the most common reasons for not achieving our goals can be tied to lack of consistency and not having a strong enough purpose – your why.

Consistency:

I’ve written about the importance of consistency on your health journey. This blog is worth your read – The Compound Effect. Consistency is your super power. Quite simply, the small decisions and moves you make over time will determine your rates of success. It’s a lifestyle, not a diet or program.

This hit home for me once when a doctor asked me about my activity levels. I replied that, I run 3 miles most mornings, swim other mornings and ride my bicycle. She said that’s a great way to start your day, but what do you do for the rest of the day? I had to pause and think. I often sat and read, worked on the computer, binged Netflix, etc. Most of my activity for the day was completed by 10:00 AM each day, leaving me feeling like I had put the work in. Sadly, I was thinking of exercise as something I needed to get done.

Exercise is part of an active lifestyle, not something you do to check off a box on your daily list. The more you move, the healthier you will be. I now move throughout my day, not just in the morning. For example, I take a brisk walk when I wake each morning for about 30 minutes, about 1 mile. I then often relax and have breakfast. A few hours later, I head down to the pickleball courts and play games or practice for about 2 hours. I then cook our main meal of the day and we eat lunch. I relax, do some reading, or computer work and then take my afternoon walk, about 1.5 miles. When I return, I either go down to the pool, or go into town to the beach area. We have a light dinner and I walk with the dog for a bit to end the day. Then it’s either relaxing evening home, or we go out. As you can see, I am moving all throughout the day. You can change the walking to bike riding in the nicer weather, or yoga for pickleball. Honestly, it doesn’t matter what you do, as long as you are consistently moving your body.

Purpose:

MY WHY -Having  strong reasons for getting healthy can help improve your focus and drive. Losing weight for a special event, while motivating in the short term, won’t sustain you over the long haul. Generally after the event is over, so is your motivation and drive to continue. Further, we often feel we have achieved our goal and begin slowly to loosen up on our decisions.

Center your purpose around longer term goals to keep you grounded when the going gets tough. In my case, my why is to maintain optimum health as I move into the next phase of my life. When I declare my why I say, “I WILL hold on to my memory and live a long, active life.”    This is my motivation and my drive.  It pushes me out of bed when I don’t want to get up and exercise.  It pushes me to think about what I am putting in my mouth.  It helps me hold on to the gains I’ve made these past years and continuously pushes me forward. It helps me not stray far off the path, even though there are bumps along the way.

Next Steps

Success on this journey will require action. This action includes accepting personal responsibility and not allowing yourself to make excuses when you fail to follow through

Here are a few of the ways I have been holding myself accountable.

Planning

They say a goal without a plan is just a dream. Planning is the biggest key to success on any health journey. When I fail to plan, I always end up making decisions that aren’t in my best interest, especially around food choice. Planning for me includes shopping for healthy food, planning for meals and scheduling workouts. Using a calendar and developing a schedule is the easiest way I get my daily workouts in. Blocking out times to move my body has been essential. I wake up, brush my teeth, throw on shoes and go for a brisk walk every day. I do this before I do anything else. It’s now a habit. After lunch, I go for another walk every day. I sometimes bring my phone and catch up with a friend. Build your routines into your daily calendar and you will see improvement in your consistency.

Menu planning and food shopping go hand in hand. If I don’t plan out my meals I end up cooking whatever is easy, not necessarily healthy. Whenever I am off target I know that it means I haven’t been diligent about shopping and planning. I am not a meal prep person, I just don’t like to have the food all prepared for the week. I like to cook easy, simple meals to avoid the one long day of prep. For example, yesterday we ate Miso-glazed Eggplant with Farro . On the table in 45 minutes, delicious and easy. Whichever approach works for you, this area of planning is essential for success.

Share the Journey

Writing this blog over the years has allowed me to share my journey. It’s picked me back up when I’ve fall down and holds me accountable. I find writing very therapeutic, as I work through issues I am facing myself. Making my journey public has held me personally accountable. I can’t write about things others should do if I don’t do them myself. This blog keeps me grounded in my why. One of the best ways to stay strong and focused is to share your journey with a friend or loved one. Find yourself a partner and support each other along the way.

Positive Self Talk

Blame, negativity and excuses are hard to stave off. I’m working hard on using positive self talk to replace them whenever they rear their ugly heads. Find yourself a means to use positivity and gratitude to keep your spirits up. This will be a difficult journey and there will be times when your emotions take over. Having an outlet, or means to keep it positive will go a long way towards keeping you moving forward. I’ve written blogs on this topic, which can be found here Kritajna Hum: I am gratitude, Things I’m Letting Go Of

Tracking Progress

At the gym I always hear this, “What get’s measured gets improved.” Tracking progress will greatly improve your motivation and drive. Don’t just weigh yourself and lament over lack of weight loss. Measure all progress – This week I worked out six out of seven days, Today I ate three healthy meals, I slept through the night, etc. There are so many areas of our life that we can look to for progress. The scale is only one way to track our progress. In past blogs I’ve talked about taking your measurements as an alternative to the scale. Taking photographs is another positive way to see progress. Recognizing our daily and weekly successes helps change our thinking around success.

Move to Live

The more we move, the better we will feel. Movement across the day is an important pillar of my journey. I plan it into each day and have cultivated strong habits around movement. Dr. William Sears clearly states, “sit less, move more, live longer”, which definitely is the plan here. I’ve written a blog post on this topic and you can visit it here – Move to Live. I hope you will take the time to read this and lace up your shoes for a walk.

Reach Out

I hope you are connecting to your current health journey. Moving forward is always our goal. In reflecting on where you are right now, perhaps ask yourself, “What are some ways you currently hold yourself accountable?”,  “How do you maintain your positivity?”, “Do I move throughout the day?”, and “Who can I share this journey with?”.

I’m always interested in hearing your thoughts.  Please take a moment to share your ideas with me at laurakump@reclaiminghealth.blog, on Instagram or Facebook, or in the comments below.  Also, consider sharing this blog with a friend who is on this path with you.

Reclaiming Health: The Power of Taking the First Step

“The first step to getting somewhere is deciding that you are not going to stay where you are.” -J.P. Morgan

Several times a month, I get asked the same question, “How did you get started?”. It is a question I’ve asked as well, many times to many people on my health journey. Getting started always feels like the hardest part, especially when you feel so far removed from your healthiest self. I was literally at rock bottom at the start of this journey. I truly had given up and felt there was no way for me to get back to being healthy. I came to the point where I accepted myself as I was, which is fine, but also had no plan to do any work to regain my health. I felt I was past the point of no return.

I wish I could have given my friend the answer she wanted, but I know it’s not that simple. There is not one way to take this journey, and my way may not be the way that works for her. The simplest answer I can give to the question of where to start is just to start. Think of yourself as you want to be, healthy and happy. Ask yourself, what would it take for me to get to that place. Pick one thing you can do right now, this minute, that will move you toward that version of you. For me, I put on my running shoes and started walking. I was way past the point of being able to run, too heavy and out of shape. But, I knew I could walk, so I put on the shoes and walked around the block. That was all I could master at that point and that was more than enough.

A month later, I walked around the block of my school every morning when I got to work to add a second walk to my day. Then, I dusted off my old Fitbit and set a goal to reach 5,000 steps a day. I didn’t always make it, but I felt better about myself for even trying. After I retired, we moved to a community in Delaware and they had a health club. At that point, I added some weight lifting using the machines they had. I did that three times a week.

A year and a half later, I feel so much healthier and am so glad I took those first steps. Imagine how I would feel if I hadn’t. If you are also wondering what to do to get started, my best advice to you is to just start. Here are a few ideas to help you.

Getting Started

  1. Set Realistic Goals – For me, I was so unhealthy, I knew I could not return to running, as much as I wanted to. It would not be realistic for me to try to use running as my exercise of choice. In order to start, I needed to use a different form of movement. Walking was the best choice for my current fitness level. Select a movement that you feel you can do at your current fitness level. Do not over do it, or you will quit. Just move your body every day and increase gradually.
  2. Be Consistent – Consistency is your ticket to success. If you aren’t consistent, chances are you will not be successful. This is a commitment to a lifestyle, not a quick fix. I made the commitment to do at least 30 minutes of exercise every day. Since I was walking, that meant I would walk every day, rain or shine and I did. I wrote about the importance of consistency here The Compounding Effect. I know that consistency was a huge part of my success.
  3. Give Yourself Grace – You cannot change everything at once. That is an important concept to wrap your head around. I did not become unhealthy overnight. It was a combination of many things, but it happened over time. You cannot become healthy overnight, but you can over time. Give yourself the grace to work at this. You will have days where you make unhealthy choices. Just today, I ate some Nutella on a spoon. It happens. Give yourself grace and don’t let one decision deride your goal of improving your health. Just keep moving forward, one day at a time.
  4. Think About Your Habits – I really needed to evaluate my daily habits. This involved looking at my movement patterns, which at that time were nonexistent. It also meant looking at my eating patterns, which involved takeout and restaurants. Examine your habits and ask yourself if they are helping or hindering your health journey. Again, don’t try to change everything overnight, but begin to make plans to make small changes. For me, I started with my breakfast patterns. I changed those first, as they were the worst and easiest place to start. Then, I worked on my lunch. Finally, I made a drastic change and embraced a new lifestyle of eating whole food plant-based. I have not looked back in the past eight months.
  5. Sleep – If you don’t sleep well, you will have a hard time regaining your health. Sleep is critical to your health as it is when your body cleans and restores. I tried so many different approaches and one day my doctor finally said, if you don’t address your sleep you will not see real change. The road to sleep has been challenging, but I am making progress. I have a set sleep schedule and really try to stick to it, within reason. I wrote extensively about sleep in these past posts, Sleep Your Secret Weapon, Sweet Dreams

It is my sincere hope that you find your way to take those first steps, because they may be the hardest. I am so glad I did because if I didn’t I honestly don’t know where I’d be right now. It’s not an easy journey, but the rewards have been so exciting. I’m feeling healthier and I have energy to do more than I have in years. I’m looking forward to continuing on my path and am proud of the progress I have made. If you want to reclaim your health, I hope you’ll take those first steps. I’d love to hear about your journey and am here to cheer you on. Feel free to reach out to me via email at laurakump@reclaiminghealth.blog, on Instagram or Facebook, or in the comment section below. Let’s do this!

Pushing Past Weight-Loss Plateaus: Tips for Success

“When you get to a plateau, think of it as a landing on the stairway to your goal. And maintenance is a lifelong plateau, so a bit of ‘rehearsal’ for maintenance isn’t the worst thing in the world”. -unknown

Since I retired and changed my lifestyle, I’ve lost weight, albeit slowly. They say slow and steady wins the race and in this case I must agree. I have been tracking my progress for over a year and love what the data reveals. I’ve noticed that I lose an average of 2 pounds each month. I’ve also noticed that there were a few months where I seemed to hit a plateau and lost just 1 pound. I’m currently in a plateau and it comes as I am a mere 10 pounds away from my goal weight. If I look back at the other plateaus, they do appear to be at critical milestones in my journey. Though it can be frustrating, for me it is a learning curve and I love to learn. I want to understand why I am hitting these plateaus and what I can do to push through them.

What is a weight-loss plateau?

A weight-loss plateau is when you stop losing weight, despite eating and exercising in the same manner. You’ve been cruising along, losing steadily each week, when suddenly it just stops. I’ve long thought a weight loss plateau is just my body trying to adapt. I believed this to be a good thing, as I want my body to settle into the new normal. I was correct about the body trying to adapt. Who knew those old Science class lessons would come in handy. I know that these plateaus happen to everyone, so thought I’d share my learning.

What causes a weight-loss plateau?

Generally, when we begin a weight loss journey, we are highly motivated to eat clean and exercise diligently. The weight generally comes off easily, due to water weight release and newly created calorie deficits. I’ve learned that this is due to the body getting needed energy by releasing stores of glycogen, a type of carbohydrate found in the muscles and liver. This causes the release of water weight.

Our bodies are indeed adapting to the weight loss and seeking balance, known as homeostasis, or a stable physiological state. This simply means that as you lose weight, your metabolism declines, causing you to burn fewer calories than you did at your heavier weight. This is what slows the weight loss. If you decrease your calorie intake further, your metabolism will slow further as your body continues trying to find homeostasis.

What I thought in the past, was that I needed to eat less and exercise more to push through the plateau. I would then become frustrated as that never worked. I mean, how many times have you said this – “I don’t get it. I’m eating nothing and working out like crazy and the weight just won’t come off. I give up. I’m going to just eat and do what I want.” I know I have. This time around, I am pushing through the plateaus each time they come.

How to Push Through Plateaus

These are a few things that have helped me continue on this journey, despite the plateaus that arise.

  • Change Focus

I remind myself that I am not on this journey to just lose weight, I am on it to be healthy, fit and happy. I continue to weigh myself, but remember it’s just a data point along the way. I also remind myself that these plateaus are completely part of the journey, as my body is seeking to find a set point. I give myself and my body grace and time to adjust and continue to push forward. It’s also important to note that maintaining my body weight is a win. Anytime you are maintaining and not gaining, you are winning. Hold on to the maintenance period as you set yourself up for the next cycle of losing.

  • Change Exercise Routines

You might hit a plateau if your body has become too used to your routines. Further, sometimes the routines get stale as your body adapts to them. What can you do to change things up a bit? When I hit a plateau, I like to engage in different routines, or exercises to change things up. For example, instead of a hatha style class I will take more vinyasa flow classes. Or, instead of vinyasa level 1, I will take more level 2 classes. I don’t increase the amount of classes I take, I just change the variety.

Other ways I change the exercise routine are to swap out one activity for another. For example, I take two 30 minute walks each day. When I hit a plateau, I like to swap one walk for either a lap swim, or bike ride. I truly believe variety in our routine can spark movement through the plateaus. And, even if they truly do not, they definitely change my mindset and thought patterns.

Finally, and perhaps most importantly, if you are not engaging in weightlifting, you need to add it in. When I started playing pickleball, I cut back on my weight training. Before I knew it, I wasn’t going to the gym to lift. I was working out every day and hard, but not doing any designated weight training days. Muscle helps you to keep up the rate at which you burn calories (metabolism). Further, having good muscle tone beautifully shapes your body. Building muscle can definitely help you break through a weight loss plateau. In fact, strength training can help speed up your metabolism and burn more calories, which can help you lose weight. Finally, muscle is denser than fat, so you might not see a change in weight even if you’re losing fat and gaining muscle. 

  • Change Eating Patterns

The same goes for my eating patterns. I am a creature of habit and routine and can fall into patterns of eating at times. In times of plateaus, I change my eating patterns. For example, I like to have nutrient packed smoothies for breakfast, as I’m not a big morning eater. I pack these with vegetables, protein, and healthy fat. When I hit a plateau, I like to change my breakfast and eat different foods. Today, for example, I had a hearty bowl of amaranth with chopped pecans and bananas.

  • Use Your Data to Guide You

What gets measured gets improved is a saying I used to hear endlessly at the gym. There is so much truth to that statement. I am a data geek. As an educator, data drove my decisions and led to success. This journey is no different. I keep a journal and track patterns in my weight, sleep and overall well being. This data is a goldmine for me to mine through when I hit a plateau. For example, I was eating a lot of Thai and Asian inspired meals when I hit my last plateau. When I looked deeply at the journal, I noticed I was eating a lot of noodle dishes. That coupled with the salt content of the tamari and soy sauce used led me to make some dietary adjustments, not cutting calories. Once I cut back on the frequency of those ingredients and meals, the scale started moving again.

When I hit a plateau in the winter, I noticed my sleep patterns were off. Then I went to my food journal and noticed that I had 1-2 alcoholic beverages during the week. Once I stopped drinking, my sleep improved and the scale started moving. If you don’t have this type of data source, it will be hard to know which direction to go in when you are stuck.

  • Don’t Cut Calories or Give Up

Resist the temptation to cut even more calories when you hit a plateau, as this can wreak havoc on your metabolism. Rather, stay in maintenance and hold the line as you implement some of the changes I’ve discussed. Even if you lose fat and gain muscle without losing weight, your body composition will change. Keep telling yourself this will pass and continue pushing forward.

Finally, I’d like to share that the most important thing I’ve changed is my mindset. Whenever I hit a plateau in the past, I got frustrated and gave up. It was just plain easier. But, I made a pact with myself this time, that I would not do that. When I hit a plateau, or rough patch, I hold on to my healthy habits. I know that this will pass. This was actually the first year in my life, that I didn’t put on weight over the winter months. I made it through that time with no gain and started the spring, and summer months way ahead of where I would have been had I quit. Plateaus will happen along the way, but it’s best to ride the wave and try some of the suggestions I have made.

If you have ideas about how you have pushed through plateaus, I’d be most interested in hearing. Please share with me via email at laurakump@reclaiminghealth.blog, on Instagram or Facebook, or here in the comment section below.

Longevity and Brain Health: Lessons from My 93-Year-Old Father

“Caring for your body, mind, and spirit is your greatest and grandest responsibility. It’s about listening to the needs of your soul and then honoring them” – Kristi Ling

My father is 93 years young, living independently and able to walk for exercise. He lives a fairly active lifestyle, going every day to the local senior club. They go on trips each week which gives him a chance to get out and socialize. He has some age-related ailments, but for the most part, he is in great shape.

left to right, My Dad (blue shirt, 93), Me, My Uncle (90)

My father has always been a purpose driven man, getting his Bachelor and Masters Degree in his early 50s, while raising three children. He was a Police Officer in NYC and didn’t need to do that, but his drive pushed him to do so. My father always believed in education and building knowledge. When my mother was diagnosed with Alzheimer’s Dad’s sole purpose was to care for her. He did everything for her and treated her as if nothing had changed. When she was in a care center full time, his purpose was to be there every single day without fail and he was. See a post on his dedication here, The Notebook.

At my first session of a new six week learning program, the doctors were talking about longevity and brain health. It was stated that, research found people who had longevity, and were still cognitively sharp, engaged in common behaviors. Specifically, they engaged in physical exercise, ate more plant-centered diets and engaged their brains in complex tasks, leading a purpose driven life. When I heard that, I immediately thought of my father, who at 93 is cognitively sound.

My whole life I have taken after my father. I pray I have his longevity and cognitive health, for the women in my family have not been as lucky. My purpose, or why, is to avoid, or delay this fate. This purpose motivates me to learn, grow and move my body every day. I’ve learned that the risk of getting Alzheimer’s is not mainly driven by genetics. Approximately 3% of the total number of Alzheimer’s patients have specific genetic disease risks that cannot be avoided. Over 95% do not have that risk factor, meaning lifestyle and diet matter most in avoiding, or delaying onset of cognitive decline. (Sherazi, Dr.)

Diet and lifestyle matter, for what we do today and most importantly for our future. Here is what was shared regarding lifestyle choices for brain health and longevity.

Movement

We all should aim to move our bodies every single day for a minimum of 30 minutes. Brisk walking is highly recommended, as is tennis and racquet sports such as pickleball. The type of exercise we engage in matters. For brain health, it is recommended that we do the following:

  • Frequency – We need a regimented system of exercising, meaning organized and scheduled. Should be a minimum of 4-5 days per week for at least 30 minutes a day. Personally, I believe that brisk walks should be done daily for at least 30 minutes. The best time, in my opinion, is first thing in the morning to let the sunlight reset your circadian rhythm.
  • Strength – We lose muscle mass as we age. We need to engage in muscle-building routines, such as circuit machines, use of body weight or dumbells. We should work all the muscles in our body, but for brain health specific attention should be given to our legs. These large muscles keep us physically moving and are connected to vascular health.
  • Aerobic – We need to get our hearts pumping regularly as this increases blood flow through our bodies. Swimming, jogging or any other activity that increases your heart rate should be engaged in at least 3 times per week.
  • Consistency – This is a lifestyle, not a reach your target weight and stop. We are signing up to do this for life, as our life depends on it. I move every single day, as does my 93-year-old dad. When we stop moving, we start declining. Make a doable schedule and stick to it. I use my calendar and book it on there and I’m retired. If you are working, you will need to book this time for yourself and make it happen. For too many years, I skipped workouts. Those days are over.
  • **As with all recommendations it is imperative you speak to your health care provider about your specific abilities and limitations. Start slow and build up to these recommendations. I started with a slow walk around the block.

I’ve written many blogs on this topic if you’d like to read more, Move to Live, Healthy Lifestyle: Food, Exercise, and Joy in My Daily Routine

Lifestyle

  • Food – the research is clear that eating more plant based foods is good for our health. When my grandmother was alive, she advocated eating our fruits and vegetables, so this is not new. Processed foods need to be greatly reduced, better yet eliminated. Eat whole foods whenever possible. I eat whole food plant based and have been for six (6) months. I also do not eat any dairy products. I feel better than ever and will continue on this path. If giving up meat is not for you, you can greatly reduce your reliance on it as your main source of protein and increase your meatless days. Eat food that loves your brain, leafy greens and berries to name two. For more information on brain healthy food, see this https://www.health.harvard.edu/healthbeat/foods-linked-to-better-brainpower. Past blogs on my food choices – Change Our Thinking About Food, Eat to Live
  • Socialization – Far too many elderly people become isolated, due to various reasons. Ensure you have systems to keep you engaged with others built into your retirement plans. That is the main reason my husband and I moved when we retired. We loved our home, but knew the challenges to stay fully engaged and active would cause too much time alone at home. We had friends, but they were working still and to do anything, we would have had to constantly leave our area. We now have a full array of things to do right here in our community. Join a club, or senior center if you do not. Like my dad, who never wanted to join one, it gives him something to do each day and he’s around people. Isolation is not good for our brains.
  • Sleep -Quality sleep is one of the most critical aspects of our health. It is when our body rests, recharges and when our brain organizes and cleans out waste. Many people struggle to get fully restorative sleep, myself included. I am doing much better these days. I went into greater detail about getting quality sleep in the blog post – Sweet Dreams. I highly recommend you read it and work on your sleep, your life and brain health depend on it.
  • Stress – Stress almost killed me and it destroyed my health, no doubt about it. It takes a huge toll on us emotionally, physically and healthwise. We need to reduce our stress. Exercise, yoga, meditation and mindfulness all help. I wrote about these in great detail in these posts – Finding Myself, Just Breathe

Purpose

Some studies suggest that having a sense of purpose in life can be associated with increased longevity and a healthier life. A 2019 Harvard Health study found that people with a higher sense of purpose were less likely to die during a four-year study period, and less likely to die from heart, circulatory, or blood conditions. A 2022 study of older adults in the United States found that people with the strongest sense of purpose had a 15.2% lower risk of death, and that this association was stronger in women than men. 

I recommend your purpose be grounded in your why. Why do you want to be healthy? Why does this matter? Why do you get up each day? This will serve to motivate you to keep going when the going is tough. Believe me, my why keeps me focused and working toward my goal. It matters to me. Find what you are trying to achieve and ask why. Frame your decisions around that why.

I love learning and was an educator my whole career. I have been keeping my brain active in retirement, taking courses, along with completing my yoga certification. I am cooking in different ways now and needed to learn how to do that as well. All of the courses I’ve taken were connected to my why – to live a long, healthy, active life and keep my memories. I do not want to be a burden to my family, nor do I want them to watch me slip away, as my mother and grandmother did. I hope you will find your why and join me on this journey to reclaim your health.

I’d love to hear from you about your journey. Feel free to reach out to me via email at laurakump@reclaiminghealth.blog. You can find me on Instagram and Facebook as well, or just leave a comment below.

Balanced Diet vs. Supplements: Meeting Your Nutritional Needs

“Marketing is no longer about the stuff that you make, but about the stories you tell.” – Seth Godin

If I even think about something, it shows up as an advertisement on my Instagram feed, or Google within minutes. Sometimes it is scary how fast that happens. This marketing technique has been preying upon us in our weakest moments for years. As a former non sleeper, I can attest to how many items I have purchased in the wee hours of the morning. Many of those products have been related to my health journey and all made claims to have found the answer I was seeking.

I’m certain everyone reading this has also seen these advertisements pop up on their feed as well. Losing your hair; there’s a supplement, cream or oil to fix that immediately. Need to lose weight; there’s a product for easy weight loss without changing your eating, or adding exercise. Can’t sleep; there’s definitely many products to fix that, believe me I’ve tried a bunch of them. The list is endless, somehow our computers have advertisements for everything we are seeking. It’s actually a multibillion dollar business and most of us have fallen prey to it, purchasing at least one product along our journeys. I still have to stop myself from buying from these advertisements, as the urge is always there.

Supplements

I’ve written about supplements on this blog since 2016. Sadly, I’ve taken so many products on my health journey, without understanding anything about them. My philosophy has changed, as my knowledge has grown. I no longer look to buy and take supplements, rather I look to get as much nutrition as I can through the food choices I make. I’ve shifted my thinking from a supplement mindset to a complement mindset. If I take anything, it is to complement the foods I eat, not to replace or supplement them. I am proud to say that I am now only taking one multivitamin, specifically made for vegans and that’s it. There was a time I was taking 20 supplement pills a day, so this is huge! I have worked hard to trust that I can get what I need through eating healthy, whole foods and make conscious choices when planning my meals.

Our bodies are amazing and truly can function without us inserting all kinds of supplements made to “assist” it. Most supplements are not regulated and without truly understanding how they interact with our bodies, medications and each other, we could be treading in some dangerous waters taking them. In general, a healthy, balanced diet that includes fruits, vegetables, lean proteins, complex carbohydrates, and water can provide all the nutrients your body needs. That said, I am not saying we do not need supplements. It can be difficult to get everything we need without some form of supplementations. Specifically, some people need supplements to fill in gaps in their diet or correct vitamin or mineral deficiencies. What I am advocating for is to find out what your specific needs are before buying, or taking a bunch of targeted marketing supplements that promise you the world. I believe it is critical to know your specific needs, and if they can or cannot be met through dietary changes first.

Measuring Our Needs

A doctor, or registered dietitian, can help you determine if you are missing any important vitamins or minerals and may recommend supplements. I highly recommend you speak with your provider and ask them to run bloodwork to check your nutritional, hormone and enzyme levels. Blood tests check for nutritional deficiencies by measuring the levels of vitamins, minerals, and other nutrients in your blood. These tests can help you identify nutrients that you might not be getting enough of, or that you might be consuming too much. They can also help you determine if you need to take supplements. 

Some types of blood tests that can check for nutritional deficiencies include:

Individual tests: Check levels of specific nutrients like vitamins A, D, C, K, and B-complex vitamins, as well as antioxidants, beta carotenes, and enzymes 

Vitamin panel: Checks levels of 13 essential vitamins

Mineral panel: Checks levels of key minerals like calcium, copper, iodine, iron, magnesium, manganese, and zinc

Action Steps

  • Take inventory of your nutritional needs

I am not a doctor or health care provider. I highly recommend you seek medical advice from a certified dietician, or doctor about your specific nutritional needs.

  • Take inventory of your food and supplement intake

I recommend you take some time to look at your food intake and your supplement intake. If like me, you are relying too heavily on supplements, that’s a red flag that your food choices need work.

  • Make an appointment

Set up an appointment to get your blood levels checked, as that can give you a true window into your individual needs.

  • Learn more

Here are two older blogs I wrote on this topic. They are worth a read. Just a note, I was not eating whole food plant-based back then. Currently, I do not eat any meat, or dairy products.

Fake News about Supplements

Food Not Supplements

Also, read the following:

Dietary supplements: Do they help or hurt, Harvard Medical

Currently reading this book and loving the simple, easy to understand common sense approach to nutrition. Highly recommend checking it out! Remember knowledge is always our super power. Further information below is from the publisher’s website:

Nutrivore is a paradigm shifting, comprehensive approach to nutrition that includes:

-An easy-to-follow plan for getting the full spectrum of nutrients we all need to reach our health goals, focusing on twelve foundational food families.

-Definitive science that identifies foods rich in the nutrients that treat common symptoms and ailments.-Comprehensive lists of foods and pain points that you can use to craft your own unique eating plan, such as eating magnesium

-rich leafy greens to help with headaches, potassium-packed sweet potatoes to help lower blood pressure, or molasses loaded with calcium to relieve PMS.

Products I Recommend

This is the vegan multivitamin I highly recommend and take. I like the company’s mission and ingredients. These are specifically designed to support your plant-based diet with the 8 missing or hard-to-get nutrients essential for your health and well-being.

If you have any questions about this blog, or wish to share your experiences with supplements, or targeted advertisements, kindly reach out to me at laurakump@reclaiminghealth.blog, on Instagram or Facebook, or in the comment section below.

*As an Amazon Associate, I may receive compensation for any items purchased. I only recommend products I personally use and love. Any purchase made is at no additional cost to you and helps offset the cost of running this blog. Thank you for your support.