Falls Lake

Having been hungry to water view for longtime, I finally got chance and energy to go to Falls lake, a place that is only 25 minuets drive from where I live. The trip was "delicious, but not without "price".

It was unbelievably warm and windy. I wore short t-shirt, felt like Summer, but, it's only February!

Lying on this pier, feeling the boat-like swing and listening the sound of water, really was best treat of trip!

This flight of beautiful wooden stairs was what I paid "price" for!

An Unexpected Relapse

Image via Wikipedia

My January of 2012 was pretty bad, compared with previous "success" - I did feel wonderful during most of last summer and fall. Now it seems that I am in a more serious condition than I expected: my first major relapse in more than one year. I have nothing to do except rest, and rest again, because my heart simply doesn't allow me to do anything.

But I know things will be better. All I have to do is good rest, and good diet. I roughly have idea what was the cause this time - not much different from before. And I know very well that just because I know the cause, it doesn't mean I could prevent it from happening again, because... well, it's complicated, even a daily normal life can contain tasks that overdraw my energy. But again, I know I can deal with it, it's just a matter of time.

It seems that I do need to live a much more "reserved" life style than what I had before: accept the difficulty, spend much more time on cooking, sleep longer (as much as I need), never sit still for too long, and super important: do not challenge my body, exercise must be less than I estimate.

This relapse doesn't discourage me much, if not any, because my whole last year was a steady improvement. All these mess was caused by my recent negligence due to my feeling so well before the end of last year.

Lifestyle

Image via Wikipedia

(Current energy level: ~70%)
In a Chinese forum an online friend said that all diseases are just warnings that our bodies giving us,  telling us that our LIFESTYLES DO NOT WORK! I think this is a very true (Except the "all" part)! For my own case, I am fully convinced that 90% of my health problems are caused by my bad lifestyle. So changing life style is just what I need. Even after I recovered completely, I shall still keep in good life style: never sit down for too long! Always keep enough physical activities!

Winter - a season for storing energy

Since a middle scale relapse over one week ago, I realized the most important regimen for me during the season is REST. I have been doing well on following this rule, no exercise except stretches or simple housework. I started feeling quite good for a couple of days.

I am convinced that during my past several of years "exercise" was my primary cause of all problems. "Exercise" became a "faith" since almost 10 years' ago, when I first realized walking helped my heart. However, my health situation changed along time but my "faith" did not catch up. Now, mentally I have completely come down and able to put all of elements together, I seem to find the simple solution, which was there always, but never truly appear to my observation until I was ready.

However, the past year was a major progress, mostly due to my careful diet. This year, I certainly look forward for a more completely improvement. 

A Relapse

After couple of weeks "hard" working, I had a relapse for couple of days. I would score it 7 (10 would be my worse). However it didn't last long, as I know the reason and I also coped it with right strategy.
Now I know my summary of 2011 end with 90% of my energy level was a little too optimistic.

My 2011

Image by aliweb_gt via Flickr

It was a year of improvement! I had no major relapse and my energy level steadily climbed up from less than half (beginning of the year) to 90% (end of the year).

My last relapse occurred in middle of August of 2010. That was a cruel battle and it forced me to see my blinding spot in my diet, which I believe was the last missing piece of my health puzzle. Since then, by adjusting diet alone, I recovered from the worst symptoms, and my energy level was lifted up to over 70%. During late summer of 2011, I found my diet alone might not be enough, so I equipped my diet with supplements - Calcium and multi-vitamin. The result was positive - soon my energy level climbed up again to around 90% during the fall.

However with overall a upward progress, I still had often some small relapse, which usually took several days to be recovered.

I believe 2011 was the turning point of my "middle age adversity", during which my health went toward positive direction. Of course, after all these years' struggle, I no longer expect a sharp end point of my chronic condition, rather, I prepared for a long journey which requires the utmost patience. So I look forward patiently for more improvement in 2012.

Regarding "Diet", Humans Are "Opportunistic"

Image via Wikipedia

By John McArdle, Ph.D.:
www.vrg.org/nutshell/omni.htm
I really like this part: "They are basically *opportunistic* feeders (survive by eating what is available) with more generalized anatomical and physiological traits, especially the dentition (teeth). All the available evidence indicates that the natural human diet is omnivorous and would include meat. We are not, however, required to consume animal protein. We have a choice."
However, I tend to believe we only have a choice as a "whole" (humans), individually speaking, some are more adapt to these or those (carnivores, herbivores, frugivores, etc.) and a counter account: ecologos.org/mcardle.htm

Is "Homemade" Food Really Healthier Than Restaurant Food?

Image by Dimitrios Dalagiorgos via Flickr

I guess the answer is "yes", if you have a wonderful mother or partner who can cook "professionally", or, if you are a good cook yourself. If not, I think sticking on your own food might do more harm than good to your health.

In my experience, getting take-out foods from restaurants really is one of reasons that helped me tremendously on my health recovering. The reason is simple: since I can only be that much "creative" by myself, eating my own boring food everyday really could not supply all nutrition my body needs.

Recalling my past years, my diet had been never good but "Ok" until 2009, when I stopped almost completely eating outside of my house (because that's the time I started working at home). Back then I learned a "scientific" common sense that eating at home was always better than the junk foods from restaurant. So I started cooking myself everyday. However the truth turned out just opposite: after I mentally completely settled in peace, my physical health which was supposed to be on progress just went down, all the way down to the bottom. Finally, after my last serious relapse, which was summer 2010, I "woke up" from my false "belief" on some sort of healthy diet structure, and gradually realized that my own foods were the primary reason of my illness. So while I improved my "homemade" foods, I also started getting take-out foods from restaurant regularly, just give myself some alternatives on the taste and nutrition. Since then, my health started climbing up, from 20-30% of energy level to now, over 90% everyday.

Food, or diet, really is the last piece of the puzzle of my chronic health problem. I knew food was important many years ago but I did not really know what's exactly I missed until a little over a year ago. What I really learned? 1: listen to my body instead of listen to "professional". But of course, I do not mean "absolutely"; 2: diversity. Never stick on just one type of foods for too long; 3, health care is a personal thing, so is diet. It is up to everybody him/herself to find out what's the best.

Wellness

Image by Getty Images via @daylifeI have been feeling pretty well for a while and this morning, I do feel 100%!

My last serious relapse happened one year and 2 months ago (August 2010). Since then, I believed that I found the "last" cause for my problems and believed that I would be on a right path to get well and it's only the matter of time. Looking back, I was right. I reached 80% over half year ago, reached 90% about half month ago (after I equipped with vitamins). And this moment, I do feel completely 100%. I have not felt like this for years!

I know I would not be feeling like this 24 hours a day 7 days a week straight from now on, but this is a milestone on my recovery. It proves that I am on the right path and I only need to hold on tight, continue to do what I have been doing, and eventually, even better than that "original" me - the person who always got sick sine very young.

Yes, I feel very happy and I do also believe, that the true happiness would not be possible without a good health.

Tobacco Trail - My Heavenly Free "Gymnasium" (3)

I live only 2 miles from this trail, but just discovered it very recently. What a shame! I took bunches of pictures ( I simply could not stop taking pictures of those stunning looking trees!). Considering I come from a country where people don't have chance to get so close to nature, this is quite overwhelming to me. For longtime, walking around neighborhood has been already very enjoyable, but walking on this trail where I could feel more "intimacy" with nature, is just a joy beyond "ordinary"!