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Are you suffering from the plague?

Yes, it is a plague, is often referred to as a plague as well as an epidemic. Bordering on pandemic. Let's hope it stays there!!!!

Epidemic ~ The rapid spread of disease affecting a large number of people.
Pandemic ~ When an epidemic spreads throughout the world.

Although both conditions usually describe a contagious disease, this epidemic, though not in the viral bacterial sense, is most definitely contagious. It's passed from parents to children, spouse to spouse, friend to friend. Although it isn't in the air or water, although I wonder at times if the air & water do affect the contagion.

The disease is so commonly accepted, it may simply be thought of as just a part of genetics, life in 2020, age,  something to be accepted as well as, at times, embraced.

Some, just some of the contributing factors to this disease are:

~ Hella clever marketing
~ Delicious deception
~ Social pressure
~ The spread of unrelenting disinformation
~ The very substance needed to live is causing it & killing us
~ I'll put BIG Pharma on this list as I believe it to be a contributor

Have you guessed what it is, my oh so clever reader?

The big O.

No, not that big O. Get your noggin out of the gutter. Ha ha!
(Although it truly is sugar & spice and everything nice)

The "other big O" I'm referencing is Obesity!

This subject is so very controversial, studied so widely, bandied about so frequently, feared by many, embraced as fate by many more, it would seem to over saturate the consciousness of life.

Please be kind as I attempt to dissect this insidious plague.

It would have been oh so convenient for moi, personally, to simply accept obesity as my fate, to give in with an "oh well" sigh, reach for another chemicalized bag of chips. Swigging on a diet cola to wash it down. That's an oxymoron if ever there was one!

The thought patterns I had were:

~ I don't touch alcohol
~ I don't take multiple meds whether OTC or prescription
~ I don't smoke cancer sticks or use any tobacco
~ I don't drink coffee as most people do. Coffee, all doctored up with sugar, hundreds of calories, sugary syrups, creamers which are also laden with sugar
~ I don't have that grey cast to my skin that most coffee drinkers as well as the afore mentioned, have.

I must be healthy, right?

Wrong, oh, so wrong.

As a child, often, there was not enough food, healthy food, that is.

My father hated salads although he grew a huge garden every summer. We had some fresh veggies, most of it was canned by my mother, put up for the winter, often shared with neighbors, family.

It was my faux summer vacation. Working in the garden.

There was a lot of fried food, always enough Pepsi & ice cream to go around.

I understand my mothers mindset.

Give the children Pepsi = Love
Give the children ice cream = Love
Dinner at 1630 every day whether she was sick, well, sad, happy, busy, not busy, fry up the meat & taters, Hallelujah! = Love

As I moved out of my parents home, out into the world, there were  a gazillion different food choices that I had never eaten nor heard 
of .

In modern day, I realize this is fairly common. The foods offered in the home when a person is a child are those which the parents like as well as sometimes, could only afford.

Children are expensive critters to raise to adult age. 
Been there, did that.

At one point, as happens to many women, my weight began to climb. I have only experienced this as a female, so, my perspective is from that view. 

There was a turning point for me when I said, 
"Wait, what? That can't be me. NO! It won't be me."

In my early life I was skinny,  naturally. With every sweet baby I gave birth to, my metabolism slowed just a little more.
UGH!

Finally, I woke up, figuratively.

Having never set foot in a gym in my entire life. I was one of "those" girls who felt that sweating was nasty, dirty, stinky. EW!

That attitude was the first one to get rid of.

As I began working with a personal trainer as part of my gym membership, I let myself sweat! Before that point, I would exert myself. When I started to feel the sweat, I would STOP.

F that noise. LOL.

My trainer gave me tidbits of information as she tortured me through cardio, free weights, bodyweight exercises, weight resistance. When we were not training, I was looking up information, wrote down questions for her for our next meet.

Was I sweating? OH YEAH, BABIEZZ!

I have had 7 PTs total since then, some were better than others. I gained a bit more information, a bit more of their own personal information. 
After the dust settled from a deeply painful divorce, I had a very hot  PT, 22 years younger than me. 
As a side bennie, I had a makeout sesh after every workout with him! 
No names, lol.
It was motivation!

There is so much information out there, I began studying the effects of food on the body. Specifically, the effects of different foods on my own personal physiology.
I began to examine the learned behaviors from childhood. The sodas, ice cream, home made bread, fried foods that meant love to me.

As I began to change my unhealthy eating & life habits, I began to hear "the voice." Really, it was more of a feeling, impressions being relayed to me by my very own body.

As a wife & mother, the foods in the house were mainly made to satisfy my childrens father. He had also had a childhood of often scarce food or food that was either fried to death or boiled to death.
I cooked to please him.

F that noise, too.  😁

In my quest to become more healthy, it was an army of opposition. I worked at SAIC where there was a slew of donuts, cookies, cake, candy, sodas, chocolate. There were no fresh fruits or veggies.

I began bringing something healthy to steer me away from it.

There was a girl whose town home was right across from mine. A gorgeous hispanic girl who I will always be grateful to for teaching me how to be single, again. I wouldn't have made it without her!

I could go for days, even weeks, sometimes a month without fast food or processed edible crap. This girl was so much fun, when we were hitting the town, I convinced myself that it was okay.
I had never been one to drink alcohol for a myriad of different reasons. She would tease me, chide me, even pay for my drinks.
She would tell me :
"I'll provide the alcohol, you'll provide the entertainment."

She constantly told me that was a blast of fun when I was drinking!

After a week of no processed sugar, processed or fast foods, home girl would come over, convince me to go out with her. I gave in!
Regretting our good time of the night before. Going for "drinkies & snacks" at Jack Quinn's, then shaking mah boo-tay at Blondies or Southside Johnny's until closing. My sluggish brain, sugar cravings, bloatedness from too much salt would return.
UGH.
It was fun, though!

All good things. R.I.P. Southside Johnny's.

I had relocated to The Broadmoor Area & so, I gave up my gym membership after awhile. Since I still had (& still have) a valid military ID Card, I started going to the Peterson AFB Fitness Center. It was financially advantageous. My lil gold shingle !!!!!

Some of the PTs approached me, I politely declined their "help".

I was getting in closer touch with my body. It was telling me what it needed, what it wanted, what it had to have each time I set foot in the gym.

I discovered Yoga, Pilates. I overcame the intimidation of the elliptical machine for my cardio. I began diversifying between the treadmill, elliptical, stairmaster, stationary bike.
It was a new world!

Along the way, I listened to my body, more closely than ever.

The friendship with the "girl next door" fizzled out so that took away a lot of temptation. It was easier than ever to stay away from the processed sugar.
Then, one day, I did it!

I went through cupboards, pantry, "secret hiding places", refrigerator, freezer. Even my handbags!
Throwing out anything that was processed, mixes, chips laden with salt, processed sugar. I gave it away or put it in the trash.
A fresh start.

I had very little left.

YIKES!

The only candy I kept was some to put in the candy dish on Sundays when my darling daughter would come over for Sunday dinner. After she would leave, I would put the candy in a ziplock bag, put it in the cupboard. Out of sight!
Every Sunday or when I had guests, I would bring the candy out, encouraging guests to have as much as they wanted.

My body felt so good without processed sugars!

Little by little, I began to listen more to what my body was saying. A sort of "Body Wisdom", I s'pose.

When I feel a twinge or a dull ache or pain, I listen to it. I sit quietly, tracing the discomfort to its source.
Getting in touch with the message, guiding me, telling me what I need to do to make the beyotch calm down.  😎

Many people equate Yoga, Pilates, Meditation with evil, with Satanic rituals.
The truth is?
Mostly, the people who believe this are only following blindly, having never understood it nor done it, sheepling along after a person who has never done it nor understood it, either.

During Yoga, Meditation or Pilates is when my body speaks to me the most.
Must be Satan, right?
(Churchlady SNL)

Listening to the messages from my body, encourages to me to get in touch or get in closer touch with my bodys messages.

Get in touch with your own body. It speaks to you:

~ With pain, that something is not right
~ With fatigue when you need more rest
(Denying your body enough rest is just as unhealthy as smoking)
~ With a craving for something healthy
~ With excess phlegm in your throat when you need water
(NOT soda NOT tea NOT coffee NOT sugary fruit juice NOT milk)
~ With a stomach ache when you are troubled

What is your body trying to tell you?
Pay attention or pay in other ways.

Mostly green veggies are your friend.
Pay the farmer today or pay the doctor later. Mm Hm. Yup. Ha ha!

Get in touch.
Peace.