Confessions of a Junk Food Junkie

For most of my 54 years, I have been a junk food junkie. In high school, my breakfast of choice was a bag of Nacho Doritos and a diet Pepsi. However, a few years ago I lost my mom to complications of diabetes. At the end of her life she was nearly blind from macular degeneration and had such severe vascular dementia that she would introduce me to her reflection in the mirror, who she called Jean. People would ask if she still remembered who I was and I would respond with, "she no longer even remembers who she is." It was devastating to see the strong, vital woman I had loved all my life become a confused, agitated stranger. When I lost her, I determined I would not follow that path and end up like her.

Being in my mid fifties, I realized that it was pay back time for all those poor eating choices I had made throughout my life. I began to research diets. I will confess that I am that girl who researches recipes for green smoothies while munching on Pringles. Yes, the junk food habit dies hard...sigh.

I tried Atkins, which is the old school version of Keto. I lost exactly eleven pounds and that is all I lost. No matter how strictly I followed it, the weight loss wouldn't budge. I tried the green smoothies, which I adored; nothing could be more refreshing. I felt great, energized and my mood was amazing. However, the scale still did not budge.

Then I discovered the Mediterranean diet. Actually, it is more of a lifestyle than a diet. It was the happiest, most joyful weight loss I have ever experienced. The weight seemed to just melt off of me, which was weird since I was using more olive oil than I thought possible. The food was great and since I didn't have a car at the time, the pedestrian lifestyle was easy. I lost twenty more pounds and bought smaller clothes.

Somehow, the junk food habit began to creep back and so did the pounds. I began to worry about lifestyle diseases again, such as diabetes and heart disease. I never was much of a meat eater but was not above a fast food hamburger now and then. I knew what to do, I just lacked the motivation to do it. I never would have guessed that my left knee would provide that motivation that I desperately needed.

That's right, my left knee started to not only hurt but also to give out on me. That's a huge problem since I am a caregiver and need my knees to be strong and stable when I do transfers. A bum knee is just not an option. Prescription painkillers are not an option either since I have to be sharp, alert and on my game to care for my client.

So I turned to my upbringing. My grandmother was way ahead of her time in the area of natural remedies. I learned early on to not cough or sneeze around her or I would be dosed with the vile concoction of apple cider vinegar and honey. However, I hoped that with age, I had gained some measure of maturity.

Since my grandmother had long since gone on to her reward, I turned to the internet. I researched natural remedies for pain relief and discovered ginger. Ginger has been proven to be as effective as ibuprofen to reduce inflammation but has no side effects. I bought some fresh ginger root and made a tea. The recipe is below.

Ginger Tea

1 green tea bag

1/2 inch fresh ginger root, peeled and diced

Dash of cinnamon and ground cloves

Put all ingredients in a mug and add sugar if desired. Heat water to just under boiling so the enzymes are not destroyed. Pour hot water over ingredients. Let steep for four minutes and enjoy!

It's funny how habits have a way of snowballing. As I cultivated the habit of drinking this tea daily, I once again felt the urge to return to whole food plant based eating. I watched the documentaries, What the Health and Forks Over Knives. I listened to Dr. Neal Barnard. I became convinced that this was the answer to a long, healthy active life.

I love vegetables, actually. I can eat raw sugar snap peas like potato chips. I adore butternut squash. However, my addiction to junk food is constantly at war with my desire for healthy food. As I fight this battle daily, I am determined that my healthy habits will win. For right now, I will give myself grace when I fall off the wagon, get up and try again.