Receta Looking Back...
I was so excited when Blanca approached me to do an interview for friendseat.com last February. I revisited the interview the other day, and it was interesting to see where I was this time last year, in comparison with where I am currently. Please see my personal comments below about where I am today.
UPDATE: This article was posted about a year ago. It's interesting to read it now and see where I am compared to where I was. I'm okay not eating 100% raw right now and while I still believe that "sweet" raw desserts are MUCH better than any processed, sugary dessert, in my world, it's still a "treat." I have to be careful about ANY food addiction, sweet or salty, so I try to rotate my diet frequently, not staying with any one food for too long. I still have health issues that I'm struggling with, but my holistic doc seems to think we are moving in the right direction, and urges me to be PATIENT! I had lost about 25 pounds, and recently gained a couple back, so weight loss is not happening for me right now either. Again, my doctor assures me that when we clear up the underlying health issues, the weight loss will come.
I spent several months caring for my mom in the hospital, out of state, and it was the most stressful and painful experience of my life. Living out of a hotel, spending 10 hours a day at the hospital, watching my mom deteriorate in a matter of weeks, and trying to eat raw was difficult. My body got used to prepared food again, which conjured up C R A V I N G S.
My sweet mom passed with me at her side, and this wreaked holy havoc on my body, mind and soul, which didn't do great things for my health either. According to my doc, it took a downward spiral and he was quite concerned. He basically told me that if I did not find a way to deal with all of the emotional stress, it was going to kill me. Wake up call! It's okay. I got the warning message loud and clear, and I will do what needs to be done!
After mom passed and I returned home, I was in a very deep depression. Living in ICU, away from home for 3 months really changes you. I had no oompf for life and certainly no desire to step into the kitchen. I found myself eating the cooked foods my honey likes to make. I'm not going to beat myself up about this, but at this point, I'm going to commit myself to getting back on track.
I WILL start a regular, very gentle exercise program and I will get back to eating more raw. It's cold right now and I do enjoy cooked food, but I have done it long enough to see that I'm not feeling as good as I was when I ate a high raw diet. I'll give this a month or two, and see how I am feeling. It seems I've been all over the place in terms of knowing what my body wants and/or needs. With the physical stress of traveling and and the emotional stress of losing my mom, there was too much "noise". As soon as I noticed myself craving sweets again, I knew I needed to step back and revisit some healthier alternatives. I'm publishing this article again, as a reminder to myself of where I was a year ago and a strong motivator to get myself to a better level of health. It's what I need to do!