A Year in Review

Wow, 2010 where did you go? Occasionally, I like to interrupt my diet blog for just some general thoughts...this is one of them.

Looking at the year in review it started off not that bad but I guess everything was saved up for the end. The highlight of the year came in July, when my husband and I renewed our wedding vows. It was a great celebration with friends and family.

In August, I lost my job shortly after my three year anniversary. That was a challenge in itself. However, God has been good and always provides for us when we need it most. He knows our needs and always meets them for us. I am still actively seeking work and I have a few things in the works. I have a feeling this is going to be one of those things that falls on God's time and not my own.

The end of the year brought challenging issues. Again, God has been good to me. He has shown me who my real friends are and they have been a great sense of support for me over the last few weeks. These friends have lifted me up in prayer when I have felt like I could not go on any further. It really brought true meaning of Moses in the book of Exodus. If by chance any of you are reading this...I just want to say I love each and every one of you with all of my heart and you mean the world to me. Thank you so much for being there for me and just listening.

My wish for the new year is that relationships that need to be mended will find healing and the Lord. That I will continue to grow spiritually and remain focus in my studies. Lastly, that I will make WW lifetime sooner, than later. The word that I am going to focus on this year is humble. (I heard this on Klove this morning and though what an awesome idea.)

Happy New Year my friends!!!

Supersize Me Part 1 - Uric Acid

One of the interested facts I took away from the movie Supersize Me, was that after two weeks on the fast food diet the doctor's warned him about his uric acid levels. I decided to take a look at the long term effects.

First, high uric acid level (hyperuricemia) is an excessive concentration of uric acid in your blood. Uric acid is waste produced during the breakdown of purine, a substance found in many foods. Uric acid normally is carried in your blood, passes through your kidneys and is eliminated in urine. A high uric acid level may not cause problems. However, some people develop gout, kidney stones or kidney failure due to high uric acid levels. A high uric acid level may appear prior to the development of high blood pressure, heart disease or chronic kidney disease. OUCH! However, it's often unclear whether a high uric acid level is a direct cause or merely an early warning sign of these conditions.

The number one cause of high uric acid levels....Obesity! Obesity increases the likelihood of developing gout. It is a known fact that food is fuel for our bodies but many of us (including myself) use food for pleasure and comfort. However, when we over indulge in high caloric items such as fast food and sweets, are bodies are unable to process it correctly. God did not develop our bodies to consume massive amounts of fast food and processed foods. We have become a society of quick and easy...therefore fast food sells. High uric acid levels is just one of the bodies warning signs that our bodies are crying out for help.