Cooper West ponderings

Life and Health

Oct 22, 2012 | Health, Modus Operandi

Not, you’ll note, “life and death.” Nope. It’s all about Life and Health.

2012 has been the year of difficult health for me; as I’ve mentioned in earlier posts, I started the year with whooping-cough. I went through back injury and asthma both during and after that, by which point it was June and I was a mess.

I had gained weight, along with dealing with corrupted sleeping patterns again and digestive problems. In the paleo community, the saying is that “80% of your health is what you eat.” It means that no matter how much you exercise or how many supplements you take, if you are not eating well then your health will suffer.

I certainly found that out this year. When I originally went paleo back in 2010 I was very strict about it, and my health basically 180’d: I slept better, my skin problems cleared up, my acid reflux problems went away, and my irritable bowel syndrome disappeared. I lost weight without even trying.

Being sick throws everything out of whack, though, and by the time I was 100% well again (I’d say, mid-August) I was back to eating junk regularly simply because it was easier, or because I had crazy cravings. My sleep schedule disentegrated. I gained weight. I lacked energy. And so it goes.

Today marks the second day of my being back on paleo fairly strictly. For me that means no grains, no refined sugar, no soy/legumes, and very limited dairy, potatoes and nuts.

It’s an easy way for me to live, honestly, but the problem is the “hump” of clearing out the cravings for sugar and starches that for me are pretty extreme and made worse by a boat-load of psychological dependencies. I’m not looking forward to it.

But in the end, I can’t live my life if I’m not healthy. I’m lucky to be free of major illnesses and injuries, so I need to take advantage of that and treat my body with respect and not as the dumping ground for my insecurities, fears, and worries.

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