I am trying to restart myself a little bit. This isn't related specifically to being LGBT or LGBT health. I have utterly trashed my body. I have gone through two-three years where I went out of control, and either self-indulged or self-medicated with food, depending on whether or not it was a rough time that I was going through. I have been eating massive amounts of sugar and junk food, and I am afraid that I am borderline or pre-diabetic. I have really high blood pressure, and I get out of breath and winded after walking up a flight of stairs too quickly, which concerns, as I'm 22. I want to fix this and start over. I know I'm going to have to live with the consequences of past choices, but I want to take responsibility for my health and get in shape. But I have NO idea where to start. I was wondering if anyone that has been in a similar place and had any tips or resources you could point me towards. I think probably a doctor's visit/physical is a good place to start. Any suggestions besides that?
Do you know how to cook? Best place to start is getting to know and love your local health food store, and start in the fruits and vegetables section. And visit often if you dont know how to cook - best place to start, is to learn Also drop by your local farmers market also - check for local exercise classes. I would start with stuff like Yoga, maybe even gentle yoga check local community gyms etc. for membership. find good places to go walking/hiking/swiming, and also go to all the natural areas around and start spenindg time out side, and continue t/c also - if you have become addicted, you may need to check out OA. However - i give you fair warning - there is a lot of ignorant recommendations about food and diet flying around. So while they may be experts on food addiction, they do not have as good crediblity on diet or health. t/c
I recommend consuming soy, maybe one or two servings a day. It causes arteries to widen which can result in lower blood pressure. Another thing is making sure you're getting a good amount of potassium, so I would recommend eating at least one baked potato a day as they're one of the best sources. Eating as plant based as possible is probably the best tip I can give, primarily focusing on vegetables, fruits, legumes/nuts/seeds, and whole grains. That's not to say you have to be super strict, but try to eat that way most of the time and everything else in moderation. To start with, it might be helpful to create a meal plan eating mostly the same meals every day. That way you won't have to think about it, especially if you prepare foods in bulk so you can just grab and eat without thinking about it. If you're not prepared, especially early on, it's easier to cave to temptation... especially when grabbing the junk food is so much easier than chopping or cooking. As you get more used it, slowly add in some more variety and experiment with different recipes. I would also recommend paying attention to sodium consumption. If you check your blood pressure regularly, which you should if it's high, pay extra attention if you happen to eat more sodium than usual on one day and if blood pressure rises. If it doesn't, then you may not have to worry too much. I don't remember the exact amount, but I think maybe only half of people are actually salt sensitive. Either way, I would recommend keeping it under 1500mg, but if you're not salt sensitive you can go up to 2500. The main thing to watch isn't the salt shaker on the table, but the sodium in packaged foods. That's where most people get the bulk of their sodium from, and it can be easy to get way too much when consuming packaged and prepared foods because of the high amount of sodium. You can still eat packaged foods, but watch the sodium. Frozen unflavored vegetables are great though, so stock up! And as falcon mentioned, exercise is important. Start slow and focus on a physical activity that you enjoy the most, whichever that may be. The best thing right now is to develop a routine and it's a lot easier when you enjoy what you're doing. Aim for at least 30 minutes of moderate activity (like brisk walking for example) per day. Don't overdo it, especially early on. Work smart not hard