Lena: I've always been a girl that just loves food. Looking back, I remember
eating at family holidays and meals, feasting away as my aunt told my cousins “Look at Lena – she eats everything on her
plate!” as they picked away as most children do. To this day my cousins use
this story as an example of how I was the “model” child at family gatherings.
As I grew
older my love of food grew, while luckily – my waistline did not. As a child
and a teenager I was constantly teased for being too thin. While most would see this as a blessing, having a fast metabolism also lead
to unhealthy eating habits that would very quickly catch up with me. In my
mid-20’s I went through a series of health crises, beginning with a herniated
disc in my neck. As a result, it seemed, my blood pressure began to skyrocket
in response to elevated pain levels in my body. As the months went by, this
began raising red flags with my doctors who eventually referred me to a
cardiologist. It seemed my family history of high blood pressure, heart disease
and diabetes combined with poor eating habits had caught up with me, as I was
prescribed medication to treat hypertension.
I am
fortunate to work for a company that stresses preventative healthcare
and provides annual wellness exams to alert employees of any potential health
risks. Several years ago I also realized that along with my high blood
pressure, my cholesterol levels were not within the normal range. In fact, they
were borderline high. I began to realize that the choices I was making to feed
my thin frame were not the smartest, nor the healthiest and that, for the sake
of my life, I needed to make a change immediately.
Staying active has always been a part of my lifestyle but I began adding fish, fresh vegetables and fruit into my diet. When our next
wellness exam at work came around, I rather
nervously, awaited my results. This time was different. Each category rated as
“normal” and several as “optimal,” including my previously high cholesterol. It
was then I realized that in making smarter choices and simple adjustments to my
everyday eating habits I could indeed take my health into my own hands.
With this
being said, I will not pretend that the little girl who loved to eat everything
on her plate does not still live inside me. While I do attempt to make healthy
choices the majority of the time, I do still enjoy a great burger or Mexican
food from time to time and my occasional ravenous appetite can still shock
those around me. My rule of thumb is to
enjoy what you eat, and splurge in moderation. Take charge of your personal
health because no one will do it for you.
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| Lena's latest photo tweet from @starbucks. #obsession |
Eat what you love, but
love your body first and foremost.
Follow Lena on Twitter @PandaGirLena to savor vicariously through her tweets!
