As we round out the first month of the new year, I am thanking the good Lord that I am off just about all my medicines. You see, all that prescription medicine cost me over $700 a month.
As young as I am, that simply doesn’t make sense. But, I was on eight different medicines that I couldn’t live without.
How do I get here? I thought at an early age I could eat anything and it wouldn’t bother me. My thought was, “Eat what I want and just exercise a little more.” Then there are times when life is busy and you don’t exercise, but you keep eating the same.
Over time, you keep going and say you will make it up later. Later comes and you never made it up.
Then you get to the point where you can’t exercise because you are too overweight and unhealthy. I figured out you can’t outrun your fork.
I was the number one fan of fried foods. My favorite was French fries — McDonald’s French fries fresh out of the grease with extra salt. Crazy I know but who doesn’t like a good French fry?
Last March, when I got my blood work back, everything had elevated sky high. I knew I had to either make a choice to get healthy or go on more insulin and more medication.
I was already taking four shots of insulin per day, and insulin prices are through the roof. I don’t know how some pay for it and able to make it.
My son is fighting the insurance company right now because he is a type 1 diabetic and has to have insulin but can’t afford $600. Who can? He has to have it to live.
So what did I do? I decided enough was enough and I was going to do whatever it took to get off all the insulin I was taking. As a Type 2 diabetic, I knew I had at least some control over the disease.
I had been watching some friends who were losing weight like crazy and decided to reach out to them and see what they were doing.
Up to that point in my life, I have been on all the fad diets — all of them. None of the ones I tried would work for me. I would either get sick from the things you had to do or lose 10 to 15 lbs and stop. In addition, I would also have to workout so hard.
Well, thanks to those friends, I found a program that works for me. After being on it for two short months, I was off all my insulin shots. After six months, I got off almost all the other ones.
However, I still have to take some meds. You see, there is a thing called heredity, and you can’t out-diet or out-exercise it.
That being said, I am off all blood pressure medications, and I was taking two of them. I’m also off anti-inflammatory medicine.
Changing my mindset changed how I saw things. One’s diet is 80 percent of weight loss. When I removed the not-so-good-for-me food from my system, the inflammation went away. My energy is through the roof. An added bonus is that once you get all that food out of your system, you don’t crave the sweets or salty anymore. It is amazing.
It seems like I am going on and on about this, but I just can’t seem to shake this topic. Someone needs to read this. It is so amazing how great I feel now and how I am not putting this poison in my body to make it operate. Instead, I am fueling my body the right way, and it works the right way.
I don’t think the price of prescription drugs are going to change anytime soon. We all need to stop and think what can be done to eliminate the need for so many prescriptions.
Who wants to have more energy? Who wants to stop most of their aches and pains? Who wants to be able to keep up with their kids or grandkids? All of us I am sure can have a hand raised.
I am a certified health coach, paying it forward helping others get their life back. I can help you also. I am just a phone call away. Call (318) 639-0007 and we can chat about your health and see if you are a fit to the program my husband and I are doing.
Chicken Enchilada Rollups
Ingredients
1 tsp cumin
1 tsp dried oregano
1 tsp garlic powder
1 tsp chili powder
1 10 oz. can mild red enchilada sauce
1 4 oz. can mild green chilies
l cup diced tomatoes
4 6 oz. raw boneless skinless chicken breasts, butterflied
1 cup reduced fat shredded Mexican cheese blend, divided
3 cups grated cauliflower
1 4 1/2 oz. avocado, cubed
1/4 cup chopped cilantro (optional)
Directions
1. Preheat oven to 375° F.
2. In a small bowl. combine the cumin, oregano, garlic powder, and chili powder. Rub on both sides of each chicken piece.
3. In a lightly greased baking dish, pour a thin layer of enchilada sauce on the bottom of the dish.
4. Lay chicken, cut side up on a work surface. Top each piece. in the center, with about teaspoons chilies. 1 tablespoon chopped tomatoes, and 2 tablespoons cheese. Roll each one up and set them seam side down in the baking dish. Top with remaining sauce, chilies, tomatoes, and cheese.
5. Cover with foil and bake for 30 minutes. Remove foil and continue to bake 10 to 15 minutes more, or until chicken is cooked through.
6. Meanwhile, microwave grated cauliflower with 1 tablespoon water in the microwave 6 to 8 minutes or until tender.
7. Place each chicken roll up on a bed of cauliflower rice and top with avocado and fresh cilantro.
Tina Specht is co-publisher of the Minden Press-Herald. She shares her thoughts and recipes each Thursday.
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