Healthy Living

Having a heart defect has led me to a healthy life. Healthy living for me includes a spiritual life with God, exercise and a healthy diet. These things combined help me have an overall healthy and joy filled life. Here I wanted to share a brief description of what I do to achieve that health.

Exercise

My exercise regimen depends on my current cardiac status.  When I am feeling well I work out. My routine consists of 4 days a week of 5-10 minutes of a fast paced cardio warm-up.  Then I do about an hour of weights in the gym.  2 days a week I do 30-60 minutes of cardio only.  Some days I walk the Bayou by my house which is about 3 miles and takes me around 45 minutes.  I love the gym.  I have to admit, I am a “sister-in-iron”.  I did have a weight limit, however, truth be told, I pushed it.  I lift my heart out!  And I love it!  I am also a huge fan of Oxygen Magazine, FitnessRX  and Muscle and Fitness Hers.  At the end of my workouts I work on Abs, stretch, breath deep and drink lots of water throughout the day.

For those days when I am not feeling well enough to walk and lift, I do little stuff.  I look silly, but I do standing squats with no weights or lie on the floor and do the bicycle. And if I haven’t just had heart surgery I do push ups. All of this not only helps my body feel strong… It makes my spirit feel strong too. Resting is not a strong suit of mine. When I have to rest, my body usually forces it upon me, which isn’t the best thing.  But a “body in motion, stays in motion” and I love to move!  So if you aren’t in the best shape of physical health, do as much as you can… some movement is always better than no movement… unless otherwise specified by a doctor.

Eating

Find on Amazon.com

As far as my diet is concerned I eat healthy food, real food. I am Paleo 85% of the time. It consists of fruits, veggies, protein, and nuts! 🙂 Some people do not do dairy when they live a Paleo lifestyle (which is term I prefer, by the way) because of the way it is processed and the allergens associated with it.  Take it out for 30 days and see what you think.  I suggest reading It Starts with Food.  I have been Paleo for about 7 years now.  Eating real, wholesome, organic fruits and veggies with every meal and trying new recipes all the time keeps me happy.  Plus I love eating!

If you are not at a place where you are ready to go all caveman yet, try Eating Clean.  Tosco Reno has a few really great books out about how you can eat a healthy, well balanced, clean lifestyle and still have your bread.  This is where I started before I went Paleo, and it is a fantastic way to eat right for your heart and for your life.  If you have more questions, feel free to ask by sending me and email trough my Contact Page.

Spiritual Life

A healthy spirit is vital to a healthy life and a source of strength when I am sick. I would love to tell you that I am the Christian that reads the Bible every morning, journals, spends time in prayer and then I move on with my day. I would love to be that person and I am working on it… But as of today I am not.  Most mornings I get up and read my Jesus Calling then get my rear in gear for the day.  I do my praying throughout the day.  Most nights I say my prayers before I go to sleep.  I am also in a women’s Bible study group.  I love it.  It helps me to study more.

I have a lot of work to do and you should never stop growing in your walk with God… Whatever your practice is, I recommend spending a little time everyday being grateful for what you do have, pray for those around you who you know and love, those you don’t know and for what you desire. Know that even when you don’t have the words, God knows what is in your heart. Making time to get to know Him better always helps me feel better… And when I am sick or recovering from surgery and can’t or don’t have the words to pray, I know that He knows that too…

I am far from perfect but I am in the best shape of my life and I am so darn happy.  I will be posting lots of stuff from pics to thoughts on life and even fun recipes once in a while! If you ever have any questions regarding anything on this site feel free to reach out to me.  I am happy to help in any way I can!

Blessings to you!

Gena