My 'Week'ness and Easy Virtue

You would have thought last Friday night, while I was burning the midnight oil working on cake orders and chose to snack on a mini Aero bar from the kids Halloween stash that tasted like a *@#$* mothball, that such karma would have taught me a lesson and prevented further trips to the said stash.  But no, it was not to be, and thus found myself knee deep in my week of weakness, in short - my 'week'ness!

So, we've been 'pigging' out on chocolate, chips and candy.  John put all the loot in one big box - it's disgusting seeing it all together like that - and knowing it won't last a week!  On Monday, after working in Kristen's classroom, I went to my in-laws to see baby Lucy who was visiting.  She's such a sweetheart and her smiles just melt your heart!  I felt so good after getting my baby fix that I decided to stop at the drugstore on my way home to check my blood pressure.  I took 3 tests and the results were as follows - 161/96, 145/88 and the best one I've had yet was 134/88!!

While I was at the grocery store late the next day I tested myself again.  I've come to close my eyes and think of my puppy or Lucy to reach a state of calm during these tests.  Unfortunately it didn't work as well this time.  My results were 157/97, 142/98 and 154/94.

And to make matters worse, I must confess that I hit rock bottom late Tuesday night.  Or, rather, the bottom of a 500mL carton of Haagen Dazs 1/2 the fat Lemon ice cream!  Yes, I probably deserve a good 'lickin' for this, but I devoured the tub in its entirety without remorse.  The good thing about hitting rock bottom is that there is no where to go but up!  Now, I could reason with you by saying that I only buy Haagen Dazs when it's on sale, and that I usually buy a tub of chocolate and a tub of lemon, and at the time of purchase while pondering the dilemma of buying one, none, or both I thought I was improving by opting to purchase one lone tub of ice cream.  And I truly did mean for it to last for at least two sittings!  Immediately following I did feel unsettled and thought I might be sick so I grabbed a bucket to put beside my bed - "Just Incases"!  Luckily I didn't have to use it, although if I had - it would have likely made my resolve much stronger the next time Haagen Dazs goes on sale!

The next day I went to workout at Curves and weighed in at about 149.5 lbs.  I was going to type "Damn Haagen Dazs"  but that wouldn't be fair - Haagen Dazs is not to blame for my mishap, so "Damn Me!"   This fight just got tougher and I've got to step up my game plan!!  Cut out the crap, go to bed earlier, drink more water and exercise more!! 

After my workout I decided to go next door to the library.  I lucked out!!  I found two Colin Firth movies that I hadn't seen before!!!  Easy Virtue and A Summer in Genoa.  I couldn't wait until the kids were in bed so I could snuggle on the couch with my dog Rocket and swoon over Colin in Easy Virtue!  If you haven't seen this movie, I highly recommend it!  Colin plays a relatively small role but I loved him!  Especially the ending - he was comical and impulsive!

Yesterday I was much better behaved.  I went to Curves and weighed in at 148.75 lbs!!!  Would you believe that karma came to bite me in the ass again - I thought I would have just one treat from the kids' stash and it turned out to be the 'other' treat from the neighbour's house!  I took a small box of Smarties, tried one...and blech!!!!  Moth balls again!!!  I'm telling ya - I forbid the kids to go to that house next Halloween!  Lesson learned!! 

I'm going to digress now and move onto another one of my addictions for which there is no cure - books!  As mentioned in a previous post, I recently purchased a copy of "Wheat Belly" by William Davis, MD.  The back jacket of the book claims that a wheat-free diet can result in weight loss of 20-50 lbs, alleviate metabolic syndrome and type 2 diabetes, recovery from ulcerative colitis and celiac disease, improve overall cholesterol counts, improve bone density and more.  Well, those claims alone are enough to grab my attention - diabetes, cholesterol and weight loss?  My personal dilemma.  I have read the first three chapters so far and everything I've read makes total sense.  The difference between this book and other 'diet' books is that he backs everything up with scientific studies and research and explains the evolution of 'wheat' and the consequences of that unnatural evolution.

One of the last paragraphs of the introduction reads:
"If you find yourself carrying around a protuberant, uncomfortable wheat belly; unsuccessfully trying to squeeze into last year's jeans; reassuring your doctor that, no, you haven't been eating badly, but you're still overweight and prediabetic with high blood pressure and cholesterol; or desperately trying to conceal a pair of humiliating man breasts, consider saying goodbye to wheat."

My mom has ulcerative colitis, an aunt has celiac disease and other relatives suffer from IBS (Irritable Bowel Syndrome).  There is diabetes and cancer in my family.  I am prediabetic with high cholesterol and high blood pressure.  My gene pool and DNA suggest disaster!  Can eliminating wheat from my diet change the odds?  Well, according to Davis, "Diabetes in many cases can be cured - not simply managed - by removal of carbohydrates, especially wheat, from the diet".

I was gobsmacked when I read that eating whole wheat bread is just as bad, or worse than drinking a can of soda or eating a candy bar!  I feel like the manufacturers of wheat products are pulling the wool over my eyes and playing dirty tricks on me!  You think you are being healthful and wise by opting for whole wheat choices instead of white bread - but it's just a rouse.  Just as with claiming foods as cholesterol-free!  Cholesterol is found in animal products, so when that bag of chips claims to be cholesterol-free, it never had any cholesterol to begin with.  The wiser choice would be to avoid it altogether!  (I know, I know - I'm the one who inhaled the whole tub of Haagen Dazs, so who am I to judge!)

Davis also writes, "The bigger your wheat belly, the more inflammatory responses that are triggered; heart disease and cancer."  I do a lot of research on cancer related issues and I facilitate a support group for Family & Friends of cancer patients once a month.  I know that estrogen is stored in fat, so the bigger your 'wheat belly', the more fat and estrogen.  Higher levels of estrogen can lead to breast cancer in both men and women. 

That's as far as I've got with that one so far, but I signed out a book at the library along with the Colin flicks called The Dash Diet for Weight Loss that I've been reading as well.  I'll let you know if I find any helpful tidbits there!

One more reference I'd like to bring to your attention is an article titled, "The Hunger Game"  by Josephine Matyas that appeared in this month's issue of Canadian Living.  It was about mindful eating - taking time to savour and appreciate each bite of food that you eat, knowing when you are full and being aware of your feelings while you are eating that food.  One thing I've become aware of during this journey of mine, is that I am becoming more mindful of what I am eating.  My refrigerator has never been so full before, nor so full of variety!  In fact, it is so full of good healthy food that yesterday when I opened the door, a container of blueberries spilled out all over the floor and I ended up playing a game of what resembled Hungry Hippo with Rocket, my dog - trying desperately to pick up all the stray berries before Rocket gobbled them up one by one!  It was pretty funny to watch!  The kids and I had a good laugh afterwards!!

As Colin says in French while looking at a painting with Jessica Biel's character in Easy Virtue, "God is a comedian playing to an audience too afraid to laugh".  Never forget to laugh - it truly is the best medicine!  And Colin hopping in the passenger seat of my car wouldn't hurt either!!