This last week has given me an interesting change of perspective. For those who don't know, I spent the better part of last Saturday and early Sunday literally crippled with gout.

Over the week, as I've been evaluating things and learning more about my condition, I have been intrigued with how readily we embrace foods that literally poison us with no afterthought. Being crippled, even if for less than 24 hours, makes you think about those things.

I'm hoping this is the beginning of some very positive changes, but I'm also realizing I didn't get into this condition overnight and I won't get out of it overnight. To go from failing health to genuinely healthy will be a long journey, and it's going to mean making conscious decisions about what I eat every day, every meal.

The sad thing is, I live in an area where genuinely healthy foods are very, very hard to get. Most of the grocery stores don't carry enough of what I need to make up an interesting diet, and as a result, I have made some pretty poor dietary decisions that have come back to haunt me.

I realize this journey needs to be made one step at a time, but the first steps really stink!