Tim Russert

I don’t know about anyone else, but I was pretty shocked and then sad to hear about Tim Russert dying of a heart attack. It so much bigger to me than just that a well-known (and personally watched) news anchor passing away. There is a history of heart disease in my family and I worry about my grandpa pretty much daily. When he was in the hospital one time (of many) for heart-related problems, I remember bringing him a "get well" teddy bear, and that was so long ago that my memory is noticeably vague. So the more time that passes, the more worrisome Papa’s health becomes to me.

But it isn’t just Papa. I worry about my Mom and Dad too. We didn’t grow up on the BEST eating habits. We ate the typical meat and potatoes type meals, and Mom made dinner at home every single night. So we weren’t eating fast food or anything ultra-bad. But it all contained quite a bit of fat and salt, which of course we now hear will kill us dead if we consume it in excess once!!! Or so the news would lead you to believe. But my parents still don't make very good choices about what types of foods they eat.

Stu and I have altered our eating habits considerably in the past year. When we first got together I was making the same foods I grew up eating, Spaghetti with white sauce, vegetables with salt and butter on them, heavy ranch on salad, etc. And it's not like we ever got real fat or that unhealthy looking. But a few months after Kaden was born we both got really into getting back into shape and eating right (admittedly, initially just to facilitate weight loss). The healthier you feel, the more you want to do to keep feeling good. So I still find myself eliminating salt and extra fat from every dish I make. I have found new ways to use foods for the flavors they naturally have and reduce the stuff I add to them. Before, I added salt or butter or whatever simply because that is how I was taught to make something. Then last night we decided to buy a scale just for the heck of it and I got on it and it said 60 kilos… Stu whips out his phone to do the calculation and he’s like, “It’s 132.” I’m like, “No it’s not. That’s impossible.” So I calculate on my own and what do you know… I weigh 132 pounds… Huh.

I haven’t been under 135 since I started college, so it feels pretty nice. Especially that I am 11 pounds lighter than when I got pregnant! Haha. So it is motivating to get my butt on that elliptical and keep eating healthy. But it goes so much farther than just weight. You really do feel so much better (plus your skin and hair look better as well) when you are eating right.

So, to bring this all back around to my original point, Tim Russert had Diabetes and died of a heart attack. He was 58. We have to eat well starting as soon as possible and take good care of our bodies. They’re the only ones we get! (Ok, stepping down from my pulpit… thanks for the audience!)