I try to live organicly and am curretnly evolving into a vegetarian again. Dont know if I could ever give up butter though, at least I eat organic butter if I do. My gardens are organic and I feed my farm animals organic feed or allow them to free range on walks with me to eat untreated grass or shrubs on my property. I avoid processed foods and dont use chemicals in general on my body. Fortunately I dont stink too bad and if I do I live on a farm and the animals just dont really care. When I go to the city I am always amazed how many people wear heavy scented smells of cigarettes, deoderants and perfumes etc air fresheners in car and have asthma at the same time?! In an elevator I can almost gasp for air with all the chemicals and it seems nobody else seems to mind. I dont use bleach, or actually have no reason to use bleach. I dont use it in my wash and my clothes look clean and fine. I was raised by a military officer who was a strong republican and the family was very typical, microwave ovens, allumiumn foil, artifical sweetners, sodas, lots of candy and processed foods, deet sprayed all over our face and arms and legs every summer, flouride treatments, nail polish, weed and feed, pre emergents on the lawns, raid when there were insect pests, new carpet shag with lots of formaldehyde and decks with pressure treated wood that is now illegal, Heck I even siphoned gasoline with our garden hose for the lawn mower using my mouth to create the suction and draw the gas out of the tank. Then I attended an environmental college and I went cold turkey and became more natural and in step with nature. It means different things to different people. But nurturing yourself and your family with organic methods is what I try to do. Once enlightened about what risks I am actually taking with my choices it becomes easier to be more responsible as a organic gardener. For me it doenst just stop in the garden, for the intent is more than just growing the food, its how its prepared, is it being counteracted by wrapping it in alluminium?! or plastics?! Its a bit and a lot of what everyone else has said, its just p[lain respecting yourself enough to become as responsible as you can and still live life.

AJ....good for you going back to the Y. I think your body will adjust as you start an exercise program ~ sounds like your starting off slow enough to let it adjust. Awm....35 degrees....Brrrrrr. I walked yesterday for 45 mins & considered getting my bike out but I wanted to listen to the iPod:) So glad you see your weight dropping:) Hhierno - great information. And good for you for going to the gym:) CB - keep up the healthful eating!! It's weird, almost like an alcoholic, I hit a bottom with my bad food habits. I smell grease and I feel nauseous. (Now, anyways) I think the suggestion that we should check with a medical professional before starting a diet or exercise regimen is often ignored. Those numbers are vital and can help alert the doctor. I thought I was having thyroid problems & had my blood work done. Not just the routine stuff that the OB/GYN does yearly. Now for that danged hula hoop....I STILL can't hoop;) My DH and my 10yo DS can hoop, but nooooooooooot ME!! I have even broken a blood vessel on my back!! I am determined, thou and will conquer that multi colored beast. Down 6 pounds and can feel the relief my zipper must be experiencing:) The yellow polka dot bikini is coming out this summer - LOL!! Not really:) Smiles:)

HI Lydia, Thanks for the great tip. I have ordered the book and am very excited about your results. I have always found diets that severely limited bread intake never worked well for me. I am inspired by your weight loss considering you also have thyroid problems. (I am recovering from a total hysterectomy and have gained 24lbs in 3months I am also in surgical menopause, and was very despondent because I thought I just couldnt lose weight). I will keep you all posted on my progress because trust me, if I can lose weight, anyone can.

Some people just have hereditary high blood pressure and lifestyle changes don't do much. So the focus on lifestyle changes can backfire if it results in a doctor delaying medication in a situation where medication is what is called for. (My mom had a textbook perfect lifestyle when she was diagnosed with high blood pressure in her 20s. Guess who also has high blood pressure? Her mom, her sister, and guess what happened when I hit mid-20s? Yup.) Luckily my doctor at the time was my mom's GP also, so knew her history very well, so he didn't bother arguing with me about what my sodium intake was like or anything along those lines.