Discipline
Since my gall bladder attack the Tuesday night before Christmas I've learned that if I want to keep this necessary organ I have to eliminate gluten, corn, and dairy from my diet. Now granted, I had already eliminated cow's milk products, but I substituted goat cheese and yogurt in my favorite recipes and they came out great. Not anymore! Oh, and I have to loose my 2-3 cup a week coffee routine. No, I wasn't really addicted, but I did enjoy a cup of coffee on work mornings or sitting at Starbucks reading a book with a nice vanilla latte. So....I have to take my discipline to a whole new level.
So I challenge you next time you go to the grocery store to read labels and look at how many times the words wheat, barley, rye, milk, casein, whey and corn appear in the list of ingredients. The frustrating thing is those aren't the only words I have to look for. If a product says "gluten free" than I know I'm one-third safe. Corn includes "corn starch, corn syrup, and high fructose corn syrup (I already avoided products with this nasty stuff)". Even the "butter" product I was using has it's color derived from corn. And if I want a baked good I have to find recipes I can make at home because invariably the stuff in the supermarket - even Whole Foods, has one of these ingredients. Plus if it's "gluten free" it's pretty unappealing to look at, never mind taking a bite.
I know, I'm not the first woman on the planet having to make these lifestyle changes in order to preserve my health, but that doesn't mean it's any less difficult to assimilate. I had made a mental goal of being back in the best shape of my life by the time I turned 40. It seems that God heard me and decided to give me a little boost in getting there. I have to admit this isn't what I had in mind.
Discipline has been a somewhat elusive trait since having children. It seems that I can take care of my kids, husband, house, etc but taking care of me hasn't been my strength. There are lots of other areas where acquiring greater discipline will come in handy. Discipline to read God's word, exercise, prepare for work mornings the night before, use a soft tone with my children, love and respect my husband more and better. The list could go on for a while. Right now, it starts with eating. I'll see where it goes from there.
Other goals for 2010:
- run a 10K
- do more painting in my house
- find where Matthew will attend Middle School
- love others better
- improve my communication skills at home, at work, and with friends
