Hi and
MarissaJoy!
In terms of being active, there are SO MANY things you can do at home without hurting your joints. Maybe consider some exercise tapes (Walk Away the Pounds is one, but there are SO MANY out there, many of which are low-impact). Walking is GREAT and if you're walking at a good pace and getting your heart rate up can do wonders for your fitness level. Maybe as you progress you could even drive out to the nearest sporting goods store and get a small amount of strength training equipment...resistance bands, dumbells, etc...that you can keep on hand to strength train.
Your standard grocery store is FILLED, I have no doubt, with healthy foods. Fresh produce, whole grains, and lean proteins are in every grocery store I've been to. You just have to spend a little more time searching them out!
I can't wait to hear more from you soon. Keep posting!