A New Mindset.....A New Life

Listening to your own body.... 

I had heard this phrase many times but I was skeptical and assumed it was just another "myth". 

I was dead wrong. In fact, I had been listening to my body for a few years without even realizing it. 

While in CCU with WPW, the nurses and cardiologists were amazed that I could tell them when an episode of SVT (supraventricular tachycardia) was about to take place before it even appeared on the monitor. 

I could feel my blood pressure change from my head to my toes, it was actually a horrible feeling. I could feel my heart pause for a moment. Like when it was switching from normal sinus rhythm to SVT or Atrial fibrillation. This pause seemed like it lasted for seconds but in reality it was likely only a fraction of a second. When I would have episodes of atrial fibrillation, I could count my heart beats and fairly accurately determine my heart rate without any devices or using my fingers on my wrist. 

I was also able to tell when my heart reached a speed of more than 200 beats per minute. Basically because at that point there were no beats. 

 I began to harness this new skill. I could tell when a certain food caused a spike in my blood sugar, and what foods provided me with lasting energy. I also began to notice that I really wasn't hungry as often as I thought I was. This was perhaps the greatest realization of all! 

 How about consuming only the nutrients that your body requires, and only the amount that your body requires? I began to understand that even though I was trying to lose weight and get healthy all these years, I was actually completely consumed by food. It monopolized my entire being. 

When I wasn't preplanning my weekly menu, and making grocery lists, I was researching recipes. Every single item that I put in my mouth meant obsessing with calories and carbs. I would feel guilty for eating something normal such as bacon, or splurging on a piece of birthday cake. I can't even describe how much these thoughts consumed me. 

What happened next? Someone said to me...."why don't you try Paleo?" I began to research what Paleo was, and the more I learned, the more I loved.