Healthy Living

Warning: This is one long post. Read at your own risk. Hehe.

Back in April, I was almost rushed to the emergency room because I was having extreme stomach pain, was sweating but feeling cold, and was feeling dizzy. It was midnight and I was inside our bathroom calling for my husband to give me water. I was seeing stars already. I didn’t know what to do so I told Josh to get dressed and bring me to the hospital. It was midnight. Noah was at the bathroom door looking confused and scared.

I tried walking to the sofa to rest. Actually, I didn’t remember how I managed to get there or if my husband was assisting me. I sat on the sofa feeling really dizzy, almost crying because I wanted the pain to just go away. I was sweating profusely yet was feeling chilly. Oh God, this was something I didn’t want to feel again but it was happening (it wasn’t the first time). It happened so fast. I was calling on the name of Jesus, praying that He would heal me quick. I remember I was already having a hard time breathing so I laid down on the sofa with the electric fan in my face. Thank God I became okay after some time. I stopped panicking and told my husband that I was feeling better. I needed more water. At this time, Noah was still confused. I don’t how you would call what happened but it’s something I don’t want to happen again. Nahilo lang? Vertigo? I had no idea but I knew something was wrong with me then.

I always sleep late. As in 4am the latest. The night..err, morning before, I slept at 5 AM. And then I woke up at 2PM. I didn’t eat right away. My first meal was 4PM. I spent the rest of the day at Megamall shopping. Next meal was 12:30 AM (midnight). As soon as I took a few bites of a sandwich, the tummy pain and the episode started. That day was just wrong. I wasn’t feeling hungry and when I finally did grab a bite, something bad happened inside of me. We started eating healthy already having steamed food most of the time and less fried meals as influenced by my husband’s boss but I still wasn’t healthy.

Around this time too, my husband was feeling pain in his feet and knees. We were thinking arthritis but he was too young. And so we went to the doctor. But before going to Dra. Yee, we had blood chem done at Alviar Medical in Taft, Manila as suggested by my mom. Dra. Yee’s patients were given discount so we only paid P500 for each of the test. The result we took the next day. It turned out I had high LDL(bad cholesterol) and minor UTI.

As for Joshua, his SGPT level was high which meant he had a fatty liver. His uric acid levels were also beyond the normal range. This meant he had gout. G-O-U-T! It’s a kind of arthritis as I understand. The uric acid crystals had been forming in his joints. We brought the results to our doctor and she gave us prescription.

We went to the mall to buy all the meds. We didn’t think of the cost because we had no choice. Since we’re both working from home, we don’t have medical insurance to cover us should we get hospitalized. Buying meds and supplement, even if expensive, was our only choice then. Right then, we talked about our plan for a healthier lifestyle.

We were thankful that we already started eating healthy, steamed food plus veggies, but those weren’t enough. What happened to me the other night could have been worse. We were living a sedentary lifestyle at such a young age. There were weeks when we’d only get out during weekends, not seeing other people and never being kissed by the sun.

It was time for a major change. We decided to go for a full abdomen ultrasound just to be sure. If we’re going to get healthier, might as well have everything checked. We had the ultrasound scheduled at HP Diagnostics Plus in Rockwell. We know it’s not the cheapest but it’s the nearest, the most convenient, and the cleanest clinic we know. Good thing the clinic had promo then so we only had to pay something like P1,800 for each of our full-abdomen ultrasound test. Remember, we had no medical insurance to use. We were spending our own money so we had to be smart.

True enough, we were happy with how the ultrasound went. It took us a total of 3 hours to finish because of the waiting, lunch break, and the liters of water we had to consume. Only one technician was assigned to the two us. There were only few customers that day so we were grateful. I had my ultrasound there before so they already have my records. Thank God the technician didn’t see anything wrong. We wanted to know if we had kidney stones, gall stones, etc. but good thing there was nothing. Only Josh was found to have fatty liver which was somehow possibly connected to his having high uric adic level. I have yet to go back and have a pelvic ultrasound. One of these days I will.

And so we accepted the fact that we weren’t healthy. When we’d tell people about my high bad cholesterol and his gout, they would always say we’re too young. As for me, I saw it as an opportunity to finally get healthy not just for ourselves but also for our son – a wake-up call from God. We’re turning 30 next year and we’re certainly not getting any younger. I thank God that He’s reminding us this early.

We’re not really unhealthy people. We neither drink nor smoke. We’ve stopped eating fried and processed food already. We thought we were healthy….good enough to live longer than the average people. Problem was–we didn’t have enough physical activity. We weren’t burning the stuff we were eating.

Times are changing. The environment isn’t as safe as before. There are just too many chemicals that could affect us. So many things around us are considered cancerous. Simply put, we could die young. You never know. Not that we’re afraid of death but we don’t like the fact that we’d leave each other and Noah early. It’s time for a change.

And so we did. We took our meds with diligence. We continued our steamed food diet. We only eat chicken or fish with lots of veggies. You won’t find our fridge without any fruits inside. We’ve stopped eating processed food as much as possible. Anything foil-packed is junk food. We checked out Healthy Options for snacks and bought flax seeds to add to our meals. We drink coffee and green tea. Then we also added sesame oil, turmeric, etc. More veggies, more fruits!

We still eat out. I still eat my favorite French Fries, chocolates, cake, chips but now in moderation. There are still times when we eat a lot but we regard that as special treat or cheat day. Tao lang rin nagugutom at nasasarapan sa mga biyaya. Hehe.

Plus we started to exercise. We bought a tread mill machine for us to use. We started walking and running around in place…even just inside the house. We started sleeping early too.We were finally on the road to a healthy Joshua and Reah.

Five months into this “Healthy Living“, we’re feeling better. Our headaches and sleepiness gone. More often than not, we would be having headaches or feel drowsy most of the day before. That was before. But since we changed our diet, all those were gone. We weren’t feeling sickly too except for the occasional cough and colds we would catch from Noah. We were feeling better. It felt good that we were exercising too. I felt lighter and stronger. I even lost weight! 10 lbs.! Hooray! I’m now back to my pre-pregnancy weight after more than two years. Hallelujah! But I’m reserving the weight loss challenge for another post.

As for my husband, he no longer has gout attacks. It was challenging for me to prepare our meals because he is lactose-intolerant and his food should have low purine.I would always tell him, “Damo na lang papakain ko sayo”. Hahaha! Even if I wanted to prepare more veggie meals, I had to check the purine content of those vegetables. Food and drinks must be low purine. Period. No more burgers and beef steaks for now. Boo. Turning vegetarian is not an option for now because we cannot live without fried chicken, french fries, and lechon. LOL!

Our grocery budget went up by almost 50 percent. I realized getting fit and healthy in this country can be so expensive. But like I said, we have no choice because really, HEALTH is WEALTH. With no medical coverage, it only makes sense that we take care of our health and fitness. Thank God for His provisions! We’ve been more than grateful to God for those “unhealthy” episodes because we were reminded to MAKE A CHANGE.

It’s a continuous challenge— this healthy living– but we know we are on the right track. Cliche as it seems, but our body is the temple of the Holy Spirit. Taking care of our earthly bodies is just one way of honoring God.

My husband and I, we know we could still be more fit and healthy. We’d love to go to the gym or engage in sports but we can’t right now with our work-from-home setup. But the food we’re eating and our “Galaw Galaw Baka Ma-stroke” mantra are a good start.

You may say, “OA naman” or you can say life is too short so it’s best to enjoy all the food, drinks, and all things this world has to offer, but it would really make a big difference if you are on your way to a healthier you. And oh, God would be pleased too. πŸ™‚

“Don’t you realize that your body is the temple of the Holy Spirit, who lives in you and was given to you by God? You do not belong to yourself, 20 for God bought you with a high price. So you must honor God with your body.” – 1 Corinthians 6:19-20

It’s an everyday struggle for us especially for me. But God’s grace enables us to be disciplined and make the right choices. I am not telling you to stop eating whatever you’re eating. I’m just saying– evaluate your lifestyle and make the right choices. If you eat, burn those calories. Don’t just try, do something!

And so I end this entry with a special prayer I read in a devotional for moms* that helped me a lot:

“Father God, I present my body to You as a living sacrifice. I offer this time of exercise time to You as a time of worship– to glorify You in my body. I purpose in my heart to sow seeds of self-control, endurance, faithfulness, and I believe I receive a one-hundredfold in return. I earnestly expect to become more and more like Jesus, therefore I press on toward that goal, for the prize of my high calling. I decree that with every step I take, I am increasing in health, strength, and discipline. Thank You for anointing me to succeed as I prove Your good and perfect will in my life. In Jesus’ name, Amen.”

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*Make Your Day Count – Devotions for Moms

 

11 thoughts on “Healthy Living

    1. thank you too for reading. it was quite long and i wasn’t sure if people would bother finishing it. hehe. God bless. πŸ™‚

  1. I am guilty because though I try to go for healthy living, my work could really be harsh on me πŸ™ But I’m glad you’re better; I really have to start seriously minding my own health now too.

  2. This gave me some perspective on what I have been feeling this past few months. I haven’t gone to the doctor, even after a minor accident last Monday, because I’m not ready to face whatever he/she will say and I can already imagine the additional expenses I have to make. Best way for me now is to continue my healthy living mantra. I’m still praying for strength and wisdom to go through a check up.

    Praying for you and your husband’s full recovery. God bless.

  3. ayy grabe, super nakakarelate ako. Really, health is wealth. Almost everyone in our family were rushed to the hospital . Soon when dad’s condition seems getting worst, super huge turn around ang nangyari samin. From cooking pans oils, utensils, etc.. pinalitan namin.. haaay mejo expensive pero better than being in the hospital always. Hope you’re ok na .. πŸ™‚

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