Three Small Changes that Radically Improved My Health
In September 2024, I went in for my annual physical and everything seemed "fine". I had no aches or pains to complain of, yes, my clothes fit tighter than they had a year ago but I'm also on the verge of menopause. My body has changed and I didn't have any issues with that.
However, all was not as it appeared.
Listen/watch the podcast episode at https://bywdreams.mailerpage.com/129
For the first time ever, I had elevated blood markers in EIGHT categories: liver enzymes (liver disease concern), all the cholesterols (heart disease concerns), hemoglobin A1C (diabetes concern), APOEB (cardiovascular disease). It was a serious wake-up call.
My cholesterol has been inching up every year of perimenopause, so that wasn't completely unexpected, but I realized that it was pulling the rest of my good health along for the ride, so I decided to focus on the cholesterol and the A1C and hope the other things came down with it. ONE YEAR LATER...all but one of the markers is in a healthy zone and I weigh ten pounds less.
Here are the three small daily changes that have had an outsize impact for me!!! (I'm not a doctor, nor do I play one on TV. This is just my experience.)
1) Stopped eating half a banana every day: For many years I've started my day with a green smoothie. Water, kale, cilantro, spirulina, pea protein, maca, creatinine, amla, flax, wheat germ, hemp seeds, and cacao. For taste and consistency, I also included half a banana. I'd long heard that banana's could spike blood sugar, and since my A1C was elevated, I decided to cut it out. I did the math the other day; half a banana is around 55 calories which adds up to over 20,000 calories in a year. A pound of fat is roughly 3,000 calories, so one can see how that calorie deficit could lead to most of my weight loss. AMAZING!
2) Added more fiber into my diet. Dr. Michael Greger talked about the benefit of a daily fiber intake greater than 20 grams in his book. When I did the math, I realized that my kale salads weren't getting me as much fiber as I thought. A quick way to get daily fiber (and protein!) is 2.5 tablespoons of chia seed. I've added it to my smoothie and the added benefit is that it helps add back the texture that the banana used to provide.
3) Upped my weighted vest from 20lbs to 40lbs. I've been walking with a weighted vest for a couple of years, but when I went on a hiking camping trip in 2024, I was disappointed at how taxing carrying a backpack was. Granted, the backpack was probably close to 50 pounds. I don't know for sure because I didn't weight it (amateur!). The experience convinced me to increase my weighted vest. I've been walking with a heavier vest for about nine months. I didn't just switch to 40 overnight; I built it up over time, but WOW, did it make my walks a work out. I work up a sweat on every walk, although I can tell I'm going to need to add more weight soon to keep challenging myself. I'm convinced that a lot of the fat burning I'm experiencing (listen to the podcast for more on this) is due to this change.
What change do you want to make in your life in the next year and what small, dailly changes can you implement? Let me example remind you that "Big change can happen faster than you think possible, but slower than you want." ~Alegre Ramos
Listen/watch the podcast episode at https://bywdreams.mailerpage.com/129
Next Episodes
Nov 13, 2025: Interview with Flow Expert Diane Allen
Nov 20, 2025: A Chat with My Friends
Nov 27, 2025: Planning for Holiday Leftovers (rebroadcast)
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