I keep hearing people say that 2023 was an awful year for them, as if 2023 were a long continuation of 2020 or 2021, so I feel a little bit guilty that 2023 was actually a good year for me. My word for the year was “fantastic,” and it was pretty darn fantastic indeed.
Except for my health.
In October, my doctor’s office told me that I’m prediabetic; they also said that my cholesterol was high, likely due to the high blood sugar. A few months before that, they told me that my liver count was high, so they put me on a lowfat diet. So, after dieting for three months, I was expecting to get the good news that my liver count is back to normal and that I could start eating normally again. Nope. Although my liver count is OK again, the doctor’s office said that I now have to avoid sugar and carbs, which means that I’m technically now supposed to be on a lowfat, low-sodium, low-cholesterol, low-carb, low/non-sugar diet. I was so angry about this. I was like (reminiscent of an episode from The Cosby Show), what am I supposed to eat? Air?
So, I’ve been working like crazy to reverse this prediabetes. After my chat with the doctor’s office, I remembered that my mother was once diagnosed with pre-prediabetes (which I believe was a high blood sugar level that technically wasn’t prediabetic) and my great-grandmother was diabetic, so I need to be extra careful. I’ve learned firsthand that as we get older, our bodies can’t process foods as easily as they did when we were younger. I would like to become so healthy that no one will have to tell me that I can’t eat a certain thing ever again. (For real, attending parties and church gatherings where sweets are offered is torturous and depressing now.)
Meanwhile, I’ve needed to make some adjustments. Remember me blogging last time about how I had a migraine? I think that may have been a sugar headache. After the prediabetes diagnosis, I noticed for a while that whenever I would eat a snack between meals like a granola bar or a banana (foods that have some sugar in them), I would get a headache. So, to adjust, I’ve tried to eat a low/non-sugar snack or just eat a bigger breakfast so that I won’t get hungry between meals. According to my online research, I’ve learned that the following foods are good for regulating blood sugar: nuts, apples, avocados, eggs, green leafy vegetables, dark chocolate, unsweetened yogurt, and unsweetened coffee. So, I’ve been trying to focus my diet around those awesome things. The photo I’ve shared above—stir-fried canned veggies with avocado and some Triscuits on the side—is the type of dinner that I’ve been eating at home lately.
After dinner, I’ll usually eat a small piece of dark chocolate for dessert. I decided to try some chocolate that has a high concentration of cocoa (instead of a high amount of sugar), and it was horrible and bitter at first, but it kind of grew on me.
For my emotional health, I insist on eating one cheat meal per week. Towards the end of 2023, it was a slice of pizza with a salad on the side.
So, I’ve had to get used to eating a certain way, avoiding certain foods, and saying “no” a lot to things that I really want to say “yes” to. I’ve had to adjust my eating habits in the past due to various health reasons, but this time the whole no-sugar thing has been a lot to handle. Frankly, it’s really hard to be Mexican and eat healthy. Maybe someday I’ll get to eat a cheese enchilada dinner again... with chocolate-chip ice cream for dessert... and chug it all down with a Coke... picture me drooling here...
But other than that, my 2023 really was fantastic. I enjoyed some fun moments with my family. School was challenging at the beginning of the year (e.g., one class was frustrating and awful), but I got to learn some Hebrew and connect some of the foreign-language dots that have been floating around my brain since childhood. I got to start researching early for my thesis, and I’m halfway done with my master’s degree now! I also got to lead worship in some new milieus, and I got to volunteer with my church’s choir as we’ve gradually been invited back to the platform since our pandemic-induced hiatus. This is an exciting, once-in-a-lifetime season for me.
Also—and I’m wondering if this is God having a good chuckle—during my fantastic 2023, I “discovered” the Fantastic Beasts trilogy. It’s the prequel to the Harry Potter series, and I’ve heard that it isn’t as good as Harry Potter, but it is an intriguing story. I found the third movie in the series on clearance, so I grabbed it and took it home. I can see why it isn’t as good as Harry Potter; during the first scene, I was like, whaaaaaaat?? But I look forward to exploring the film series more as I read more of the Harry Potter books (I finally finished reading the first book the other day).
So, what about 2024? My word for the year is “fantastic-ness continued,” as I think 2024 will be like a continuation of 2023 for me. Hopefully I’ll keep enjoying some good times with my family, my health will improve, my thesis research will progress, and I’ll keep getting a lot out of my schoolwork. We’ll see, and happy new year!
