Diet Support Group Needed!

Just last month, my mom got hospitalized due to high blood pressure and high blood sugar. Her discharge instructions included eating a low-fat and low-sodium diet. No pork, no beef, no canned goods.

Coming home, I honestly had a difficult time adjusting our diet. One, we have kids at home whose diet cannot be low-fat and low-sodium altogether. Also, my husband is a meatlover. He can eat humba, adobo and barbecue everyday.

So, we had to change our diet to mainly fish and vegetables. Steamed, boiled and grilled dishes, soups that we don't saute and the like. It was okay with me but I can see that everybody else, including our patient, are struggling/adjusting. On some days I have to cook two dishes: one for my mom and one for us or the kids.

I will say that I am happy with the diet. (Really!) Specially since I am pregnant and this diet really suits me well. We eat mostly fish and vegetables now with once a week dinner or lunch of pork or something not-very-healthy. We have also lessened our canned goods consumption and has since used canola oil.

What I realized is that this is how our eating habits should be. It feels lighter and definitely better for our health. However, due to the tastes that we crave for, it is difficult to maintain. If you or somebody in your family needs to be in this diet, either due to illness or just to have a sounder diet, it is important that everybody joins in. Why? Because if that person sees cakes and adobo in your fridge, he or she will be tempted to retract to that bad diet and will eventually be unsuccessful in keeping up the healthy diet.

Right now, we have sorta gave in (again) to one or two sinful foods like corned beef and fried everything. However, I am happy that we are still eating mostly fish, chicken breast and lots of vegetables.

I do pray that we can keep it up. So goodluck to us!