So today I have made what I am certain will be a landmark decision in my life. I could never have predicted, even just yesterday, that today I would be calling myself a Vegan. I mean, I knew I could benefit from eating more vegetables. Who couldn't really? And I gave up beef and pork a long time ago. Well sort of. See, when I was about 12, my grandmother had a heart attack and bypass surgery. It wasn't the last time she would be hospitalized because of heart disease before her premature death from that very same thing. And it really struck a chord with me then. Somewhere around the same time I heard that red meat consumption was linked to heart disease and I started to avoid eating it as a result. I saw what heart disease could do and I wanted no part of that! I did eventually include it back in my diet periodically over the last 20 something years, but not often. Recently, after a devastating disc injury and subsequently lots of unplanned time out of work, my doctor suggested an anti-inflammatory diet plan and I took his advice. Eating more vegetables than ever in my life, I was feeling amazing after just two weeks. I was still consuming some fish and chicken but much much less than was typical. I was trying to fill up on veggies for most meals and maybe one meal a day included animal protein. No dairy, no eggs, but the fish and chicken were ok on this particular plan. I was NOT planning on eliminating those things. In fact, after 2 weeks, I could hardly wait to have cheese and eggs, cream in my coffee, and butter to cook with again! Eventually I was back to eating just as I had been before the injury. Only now I had a taste of what it felt like when my body was getting more plant nutrition. The affect was undeniable. I was glowing. I had more energy than I can remember having. No hint of that afternoon slump in energy that always sent me straight to Starbucks for a venti latte. My skin was clearing up. My digestion was comfortable and effortless. I felt WELL HYDRATED for the first time maybe ever in my life. And yet, I returned to eating the way I was before. Even after numerous compliments and feeling amazing. Why?? Because old habits die hard. Or at least, they do unless you suddenly get some harsh and real perspective. And that is what the video from RaveDiet.com has given me. I suddenly see the link between my diet and the symptoms I have experienced in my body. From the break down of my very spinal column to the smaller symptoms most people think are a natural part of aging. I know better. The noises in my joints because they aren't properly lubricated, feeling winded after climbing stairs too quickly, heaviness in my legs just walking sometimes, spider veins, acne and eczema, and something even scarier than all these. CHEST PAIN. That's right. I have been experiencing intermittent, mild chest pain on an increasingly frequent basis. I am only 32 years old. My grandmother had her first heart attack at 38. Her husband, my only living grandparent, has a pace maker. My other grandmother died of cancer, as did two of her children, my aunt Lori and my uncle Casey. My immediate family members also suffer from many chronic symptoms that I now know are a direct result of the eating habits we all have been raised to believe are good for us. This film has demonstrated for me not only the way my carnivorous diet is harming me, but also how it contributes to the disintegration of the ecosystem of the planet that sustains me.
There were two things that I took from the film that never really hit me before. One, that congested arteries were not only responsible for the cramping and pains beneath my chest bone that I have been trying to ignore, but it was probably the leading reason why my disc was weak enough to be forced out of its place and to compress my spinal nerves causing pain the likes of which I would not wish on an enemy. The other is a somewhat tangible for some and a bit ethereal for others I am sure, but nonetheless pertinent to my decision, maybe even THE deciding factor. The fact that the cholesterol of the animals I have been consuming is building up in my arteries. What that means to me...well it disgusts me in a way I may not be able to find words strong enough to describe. Let me put it the way it really feels. To do this I revert to my experience with my work. When I do massage, there is a clear cut energetic exchange with my clients. Some of what they come in to the room with in their energy (or mood, if you will) transfers to me. And without a doubt, what I bring into the room rubs off on them. (forgive the pun, I couldn't resist) At the end of the day, I take a shower or have someone rub my back and I can literally feel an energetic residue of them coming off. It takes the form of sensation in my solar plexus and flashbacks of them as the energy leaves me. (Some massage therapists would say I just need to "gaurd" myself better but that is not the issue here. Plus to me it seems mostly inevitable anyway.) Now when I take that degree of exchange to the level of CONSUMING another living breathing thinking and feeling creature, not only is there an energetic residue left behind, but it is literally leaving a cholesterol based residue in my very blood vessels, blocking my arteries and slowly killing me in return. They are killing me back. They died, often in unimaginable ways after horrible, painful lives, but now they are staying in my blood and taking my life with theirs.
This may come off as melodramatic to a great many people who read this. I am certain I would have thought it to be so myself a few days ago. But the seeing is believing sometimes. I want everyone I know and love to see this film. I want them all to share it with everyone THEY know and love. I don't want to watch someone else that I love die a slow and painful death because they just didn't know. And I had heard of a lot of the information in this film before, but hearing about it and seeing what it really means are two very different experiences. Once you know, you can never go back to not knowing. You may be able to suppress the knowing and try to eat like you did before, but it just can't ever be the same. I don't know about you, but I would like to have the freedom to LIVE my life well while I am here and to stick around for as long as I can. So I am now a vegan. I am a vegan. Its a weird word with a lot of baggage. Let me rephrase, I am a plant eater. I am an herbivore. I like that one the best. I am an herbivorous animal. Heehee :-) Okay, I like it. it sounds good. So now, I am going to blog my transition for all to see. And I am going to order copies of that DVD and share them. I hope you will get a copy for yourself. Go to RaveDiet.com and order yours today! Because if you are reading this, the universe is trying to tell you something and so am I!! You deserve to feel healthier. Let's explore the world of plant-eating together. Since I love to cook I plan on sharing recipes too, so check back! I love to experiment in the kitchen. This could be fun!! I'd love your feedback! Let me know your thoughts on ANY of this. Its all new to me!
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