Getting Started! Healthy and Happy

Hello all!  To start this blog off, I wanted to share a little bit about who I am, and why I even wanted to create this blog.  So here it goes...

First off, I want to admit to two very important things about me...  First off, I LOVE food!!!  I have always been this way.  You can ask my mother.  She always says that I have been one of the easiest of her children to feed.  She meant this in two ways.  Not only was it easy to get me to eat, it was easy to get me to eat my vegetables!  Yup!  you read that right.  I have always had a love for good fruits and veggies.  My Mom loves to tell the story of how when I was young and if she would put a cookie or a fresh veggie in front of me to eat, I would always choose to eat the vegetable.  Now I hope that you don't misunderstand this story... I do love cookies!!!  More then I probably should, but I grew up on a small farm where the produce was fresh from our garden or small orchard, and no cookie can ever beat the taste of fresh yummy produce.  I also enjoy eating LOTS of food.  I have never been one for being nit picky about counting my calories or dieting. Because of this, I want to assure you that the things that I want to talk about in this blog will emphasize how to live a healthy and happy lifestyle without having to hurt your brain with all of that counting.  I hope instead that we can look at how to enjoy eating in a way that we can eat foods that we love, in moderation.

Now, this brings me to the second thing I wanted to tell you about me... I love exercise!  Okay... so let me explain before you stop reading because you are thinking, " wow!  this girl is crazy!" or  "I can't relate with this girl at all!"  Please hear me out.  I do love exercise, but I love it in the non-traditional way.  When I say exercise, I mean that I love to use my body to move.  I think that there are so many ways that we can find to keep our bodies healthy and fit without having to groan our way through.

This brings me to the purpose of why I am even creating this blog.  Recently, I have been placed in a situation where both of these things that I love have been, in a sense, taken away from me for awhile.  What I mean to say is that I am pregnant and it has not been an easy ride.  I was sick from the very start.  From the very beginning, food became one of my biggest enemies.  I couldn't even think about food without wanting to throw up.  Also, at about 12 weeks pregnant, I had some serious complications with my pregnancy that put me on bed rest for almost a month, and then limited activity for almost two months afterwards.  I am currently able to move more, but now I am almost six months pregnant, and have to be cautious.  Not only am I pregnant with all of these complications, but I also recently found out that I have gall bladder complications.  These complications put me into terrible pain for hours if I eat foods with much fat in them.  Now, for the first time in my life, I am having to eat a special diet.  Not only that, but I am unable to move as much as I would like. Two of my most favorite things have been yanked from me, and I am having to learn to adjust my life to these changes, but still be healthy.  My experiences have created a desire in me to reach out to others who are trying to be healthy in their lives, but are having complications with finding ways to manage it.

I want to help.  Many of the things I write in here may have a pregnancy twist to them, but my hope is to talk about things in such a way that everyone who reads this can find something to help with their situation.  I want to discuss how to be healthy(in mind and body) and happy no matter what our current situation in life is.

I will be updating this blog regularly to post healthy hints, and fun exercise routines to try.  Also, if any one as any requests about something in particular they would like to try or learn about, please comment.  If you have any questions, ask those too.  If you have questions about my credentials, check out my "about me" section.  STAY TUNED!!!