more on health...

a fresh and newly inspired attempt at being healthy has once again struck. i had a visit with my doctor recently because i had some inexplicable chest discomfort that felt like a boulder was expanding in my chest which is, needless to say, alarming. i was afraid that my heart might actually give out on me. so the doctor pointed out the first obvious problem - my weight. i am at this point, considerably overweight. most of the weight has been gained in the past 6 years. the second issue that she pointed out after an ekg and exam is that my body is producing a "stress response". my body is under the impression that i am under some kind of duress and is responding by raising hormone levels and perpetuating my weight gain. the problem is, i am not really under any unusual stress. honestly, i am comparatively stress-free.

so, what could this stress be? anything. seriously, it could be the most minute little thing that builds up, or is combining with other little things which magnify, mulitply, whatever. here's my theory: my general health is fundamentally comprimised due to many factors, the majority of which is caused by my weight, so obviously i need to lose the weight. but that doesn't happen overnight so i need to have a plan b to follow while i lose the weight so a sudden illness or injury doesn't send me back to square 1 as it always seems to do. it's hard to exercise on a regular basis when you are sick, injured, in some kind of mysterious pain, tired, crabby, and hungry. but all of these things are inter-related so i will simply have to suffer through the symptoms and attack my lack of health regardless of how my peg leg feels or how depressed i am.

i have to thank the cosmos, or maybe modern technology, but it seems as though information (or inspiration) lands in my lap as though i conjured it with my mind. i literally was thinking about how to boost my nautral immune system so i can fend off the cold or flu or whatever might come my way. heck, i would be happy if my body could heal minor cuts and bruises in a timely and effective manner, and bam! in my email inbox is a newsletter about the immune boosting effects of meditation. also, this weekend i get a phone call out of the blue from my good pal kim who is telling me about the benefits of using a sauna. she mentioned that spending like 20 minutes in the sauna detoxifies your body as much your kidney would in 24 hours. don't quote me on that, but its definitely worth trying out.

all this in addition to the healthy steps i have already implemented and there may be hope for me yet. if you are wondering what healthy steps i have already implemented they are the following: completely quit smoking (yes, hard to believe i even had this horrible habit, thankfully i wasn't hopelessly addicted), i stopped eating so much junk food, quit drinking soda everyday, i actually did exercise regularly until my ankle broke, i learned to control my temper, i weeded the negatively influtential people in my life (ironically, my mother isn't quite in this catagory), and i began researching and implementing natural health remedies and techniques. this is monumental because before i was too stressed and depressed to really give a shit about hypericum perforatum and arnica gel and natural toothpaste. i give a shit now. a really big shit.

so i have a follow-up appointment with my doc in 4 weeks, and i would like to impress her by losing a few pounds by then. i am going to concentrate on eating less carbs and walking a little more. small steps. maybe with some positive reinforcement and some support i can emerge from my current situation a happier, healthier person.