Family Health History

This morning at breakfast, we were discussing our family health history, and it got me thinking. And please remember, I am not a doctor…these are my personal thoughts and opinions. So, I started thinking about how some diseases may creep into our lives slowly just because they run in our family, and you really can’t do anything about the genes you’ve inherited. BUT, I think that the decisions we make and the lifestyle we decide to adopt at a younger age will make a great impact on which diseases decide to show up when. For example, if you were to examine my family health history, you would see four major diseases/conditions at the top of the list – diabetes, heart disease, high cholesterol, and high blood pressure. Multiple people on both sides of my family have one or more of these, and not all of these people are “old.” Now, I could take the easy way out and say to myself, “I am bound to get one of these at some point, why not just enjoy life and take it easy on the healthy stuff.” Or I could look at it in a different way. Why not incorporate exercise and good nutrition into my way of being, so that I don’t have to be another pill popper. I am in no way saying that you shouldn’t enjoy your life. In fact, I am saying quite the opposite. Knowing full well what others in our family go through, we should try to beat the odds and make decisions that will help ensure that we live a long life, so we can do the things we love and be with the people we love. I am a big believer in two things: doing all things in moderation and taking small steps everyday that lead to an overall healthy lifestyle and mindset. And I believe that it’s these two principles that can help us not be another statistic when it comes to some of the more prevalent diseases/conditions.

Anywho, let me tell you about the rest of my day as I have some fun “recipes” to share.

I decided to go for a run at the park this afternoon, knowing full well that it was almost 80 degrees (summertime weather). I started off strong, but then started feeling really tired about 25 minutes in, so my run turned into a run/walk. It was just too hot! Note to self (and readers): don’t push yourself in extreme weather…it’s not worth it. I guess I had just forgotten what a Tucson summer felt like.

As soon as I got home I ~~gulped down~~ sipped on a Very Berry and Banana Smoothie I made as my pre and post run snack. It was very very easy to make. All I did was blend together half a cup of Greek yogurt, a handful of frozen strawberries and blueberries, a large banana, and a cup or so of OJ. Delish and refreshing!

I promise I didn’t add any beer to it, despite the glass. 🙂

Since I am moving in a couple of weeks, there is a lot to do. So after showering, I did some laundry and cleaned out my closet. I then thought to myself, “Parita, you are not going to have any other weekends to just relax, so why don’t you look through Netflix and find a fun Sunday movie to watch.” So that’s what I did! I watched “My Girlfriend’s Boyfriend” with Alyssa Milano, Beau Bridges, and Christopher Gorham. I highly recommend it!!! If you’re looking for a fun romantic comedy, then this is your movie. It’s full of cheesy lines, witty humor, and all around cuteness. Perfect for a Sunday afternoon!

After finishing the movie and talking with my mom, I made dinner. I am trying to use up all of the food items I currently have on hand, so tonight’s dinner was my very own concoction inspired by recipes I’ve seen in the blog world and elsewhere. I made a veggie stirfry with soy chicken and a sunflower butter sauce. Sounds weird, I know, but it was really good. All I did was saute the soy chicken in olive oil and add the veggies (I used frozen). While that cooked, I made a sauce using a spoonful of SB butter, soy sauce, water, and red chili powder. The amount of water you use is based on the consistency you desire. Here is the final product…