wake-up call...time to get HEALTHY!

Last weekend we had a birthday party for our little guy. It was a super day, but would have been even better if my dad would have made it to the party.

My brother called a few hours before the party to say that they were taking my dad to the hospital. He was having a great deal of chest pressure.

**insert nail-biting here**

He got checked out at the ER, and he was admitted. He was then transferred to a larger hospital about 1.5 hrs. away. He was in the process of having a heart attack.

Even though we missed my dad at the party, I'm so glad he went to the hospital when he did. He had a heart cath. done on Monday, and the doctors found he had 2 blockages - one was 80% blocked, the other 100% blocked!

SCARY, right?!?!?

The put in two stents and have now given him orders to take it easy and make some changes to his lifestyle.

I hate to say this, but events like this are sometimes a blessing in disguise. This was a wake-up call for my dad...but also for me. High cholesterol runs in our family...diabetes runs in the family...BELLIES run in our family. LOL (Sorry for the joke...had to slip that in)

In all seriousness, this reminded me of the importance of making good, healthy choices. Good food - CLEAN food - veggies, fruits, whole grains, lean meats, etc. Drinking enough water and good sleep are important too.

And exercise.

GOOD GRIEF! How many times have I put off that morning walk, or an afternoon stroll with the kids because I was too tired. Sure, I get out and run around the yard with the kids in the summer, but let's face it, in these here parts, you're LUCKY if you've got 3-4 months of really nice weather.

So, I'm done talking about it and I'm making a plan of action! I'm gettin' healthy, darnit! I'm going to make every effort to stick to a program that I know and I plan on making the best of it for my family. Fortunately, we don't eat horribly here. I cook almost every night, and we eat fairly healthy already - chicken, fish, veggies, grains, etc. But I'm kickin' it up a notch! And I'm going to make exercise a PRIORITY!

In an effort to get healthy and stay that way, I intend to blog about my journey. I plan to include recipes, ideas, struggles, and ways to get the family healthy too. Be on the lookout!

Thanks, dad, for the inspiration!

(and, of course, the KITA I needed)

I wish it would have been under different circumstances, but I'm glad, nonetheless, that we'll be able to change our lives together!