I am not a veggie or fruit lover. Sure, I’ll eat green beans with an abundance of pepper, I’ll snack on grapes then allow them to shrivel and rot in the fridge, and I never thought I would have the guts, pun intended, to try the new V8 juices with both fruits and vegetables added. Let me say one thing- these little drinks are the best thing man could have invented.

I went to the doctor yesterday because I’ve been suffering from severe anxiety attacks for the past several months and I have done nothing about it. When you do not have insurance the last thing you want to do is go to the doctor, for him to tell you that you’re fine to stop stressing out, give you prescriptions for medicines and a bill for $80. I had no other choice yesterday, for those of you who have never suffered from anxiety- it isn’t fun. Imagine feeling as if you’re about to do the most dangerous stunt of your life, with no net to catch you- and you’re constantly thinking, “what is going to happen? What if this is really what is going to go wrong?” and so on. My blood pressure was high, the highest it’s been ever, (for a woman who is overweight I’ve managed to have excellent blood pressure, in the 124-128/75-77 ranges). Yesterday? 158/80. My heart rate was up as well, and my doctor explained to me that since I’ve had no history of high blood pressure and the fact my heart rate was up, the anxiety, (and not doing a thing about it for months), was causing a rise in blood pressure. He gave me prescriptions for Xanax, an anti-depressant and Inderol, which is a beta blocker that not only slows the heart rate, but can double in helping in easing anxiety.

I do feel much better today and I realized the anxiety will always be with me. I was born a high-strung person and it’s difficult to change. Last night I did a little research on anxiety/high blood pressure and decided a change in diet was necessary. Yes, I have said this before, but after a scare with high blood pressure, I’m not messing around any longer. Enter the V8, V8 Fusion to be exact. Since my doctor told me Slim-Fast was safe for a 3-6 month span of usage, I determined this was the route to go. But how would I incorporate fresh fruits and veggies? West Virginia isn’t exactly the place, especially this time of year to find anything remotely fresh, so I turned to V8 Fusion. Let me tell you-this is the most delicious drink I have had-ever. I bought 3, 12 ounce bottles, Strawberry Banana and two Pomegranate/Blueberry. I know this is not a substitute for the real thing and I do plan on fixing green beans, broccoli and carrots, but if you’re lacking time to fix a meal this is a great alternative.

No, I am not being paid to write this post, I was just so excited by my find I had to share it. I finished the pomegranate/blueberry while writing this and not only was it tasty, but I’m satisfied as well.(V8 Fusion is recommended by the American Heart Association). I don’t want anything to eat, especially something sweet. I’ve been very good today, slim-fast early this morning, a salisbury steak Healthy Choice meal and my V8 Fusion- plus loads of vitamin water. This evening I will eat a small bowl of Special K berry cereal since I want nothing heavy on my stomach before bed. Here is a picture I snapped of my V8 Fusion and I apologize for the poor quality, my camera phone is on it’s last leg.