Since I was young, I have known that there is a connection between food and health. When I was in elementary school, my family switched to drinking skim milk after my grandmother´s heart attack. From that point on, I have tried many diets from tracking every single calorie I ate and agonizing over whether the banana was small or medium to applying complicated formulas and ratios to my consumption of carbohydrates, fats, and proteins. But, I never really looked at other nutrients or ingredients such as sodium, preservatives, or vitamins.

In 2010, I was diagnosed with hypertension, and my doctor was ready to put me on medication. Being in my mid-30´s, at my ideal weight, and in training to run my second marathon, I was not ready to start taking high blood pressure medications. So, I went home and researched hypertension and controlling it naturally. The more I read, I realized the only factor that I could change for the better was the amount of sodium in my diet. I made a decision that I would start tracking sodium in my diet. At first, I let myself eat anything as long as I kept my sodium intake low. Almost immediately my blood pressure dropped to normal range.

At the same time I was experimenting with a low-sodium diet, I was listening to Michael Pollan´s book, In Defense of Food. This book greatly reinforced the idea that the food you put into your body has an amazing impact on your health. Since that time, I have been been attempting to eat only whole, unprocessed foods. Knowing how much better I feel when I eat healthy, whole foods, I have made it my mission to pass along to others easy and good tasting ways to eat well and be well.




Submit a Comment - Suggestion - Request to this Editor

Email Address:
Comment:

If you're commenting on an article, be sure to say which one! Otherwise the editor won't know which article you are discussing.

NOTE: If you want a response, please make sure to include your email address so we can write back. Also, make sure that any anti-spam blockers you have are set up to allow mail from bellaonline.com! Otherwise our response won't be able to get to you.