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Have you ever done something in life, and at the time, thought it was giving you exactly what you were striving for, and then found out later, that it actually had the opposite effect? What I’m getting at, is that, I’ve always been into health……well, so I thought anyway. I was always interested in some type of sport, working out in the gym, that kind of thing. And my eating habits were generally good, better than most Americans, at least that’s what I thought. I’d eat grilled skinless chicken with some type of veggies and drank low-fat milk and thought I was right on track! I generally maintained my weight over the last 20 years, fluctuating 10 lbs up & down. From the “outside,” it appeared as though I was healthy. Because I had a relatively thin build, I thought that meant I was healthy. I never really thought about the inside or the possibility of any outside affects being contributed by my inner world, until I took a closer look.
I was amazed at what I had learned when I started to seek out the information. Things that I believed to be true were actually not true at all. I thought, well, why did I think or believe that? Or where did I learn that from? Or, who did I learn that from? Most of us learn from our school, family, friends, T.V., radio, newspaper, and society as a whole, or through our own experience. We observe what appears to be normal by most and that seems to be the right thing to do. So, if the majority is doing it, why question it, right? Well, let me ask you, would you feel the same way if the majority was jumping off a 10 story building? Would you just jump or would you stop and observe and ask yourself, is that really the best thing for me?
For the most part, when we read something, we generally consider it to be true. But have you ever thought about who was the one providing that information and where they got it from and why they think it’s true or even worse why they want you to believe that it’s true? Our society as a whole has become more and more in a hurry, always looking to get somewhere quick in the near future. Compromising our health along the way and grabbing something quick to hold us over, until we get to the next place.
Of course after learning all of this new information, it was a lot to take in. As a matter of fact, I wasn’t so sure that if the new information was the right information to believe. Although, it did seem to make a whole lot of sense, I wasn’t too sure that I was ready to give up all of these foods that I loved or was accustomed to eating. I did know that I was committed to my health and that I had a responsibility to myself, now that I’ve learned it, to see if it were true for me.
So, I considered where I was currently with my health. I thought about all the “conditions’ that I had or would get occasionally, that seemed to be normal, things like: headache, stomach ache, bloated, gas, constipation, burp, acid-reflux, heart burn, acne, dry skin, aches, pains, pinched nerve, lactose-intolerance, etc…And those are just the younger years. That also, did not include my many emergency visits to the hospital, a myriad of tests, and surgeries that I had undergone including ruptured cysts, endometriosis, upper & lower GI’s, to name a few. Then of course getting labeled with Irritable Bowel Syndrome and Lactose Intolerance. The last thing I wanted was to accept those labels & then live with that as a result. So, I chose to keep searching for a solution, striving for optimal health. Do I consider myself healthy because I don’t have these symptoms all the time? Maybe I thought, just maybe, I should be open to new possibilities that may in turn improve my health and lead me on the path of truth and well-being. And so I was and still am, and so it did and still is.
Now, I understand what works for one person, may not necessarily work for another. However in my opinion, I believe that it is still very important to recognize that what works for one person, just might work for another. So, with that consideration in mind, I feel that it is a life purpose of mine to share with you what I have learned and what I was amazed by when I started experiencing the changes, and feeling the shift in my overall well-being.
This shift occurred after feeding my mind and body with what I call higher-level thoughts and higher-level foods. Instead of watching TV, hanging out at parties, or listening to random music on the radio, I chose what I was going to fill my mind with. I chose to learn and educate myself with books & CDs. I chose to go to seminars and get educated. I chose to eat organic, raw living foods. I chose to set higher standards for myself, regardless of what other people are doing or what they are thinking about what I’m doing. Sure I experienced and still experience some discomfort as my body is getting cleaner and cleaner on the cellular level, washing away all the toxic debris that I have built up inside over the years. I accept that and choose to keep going for the reward is far greater than the discomfort. Just like most things in life, in order to get to the next level, you must push through no matter what, even if it is not comfortable. If you choose to give up, you stay where you are at. If you choose to press on, you reap the rewards. So, I choose to reap the rewards and always press on.
For me, I love variety, especially when it comes to food. I knew that if I was going to maintain this type of lifestyle, I needed to learn a lot more about it. That brought me to a fabulous school in Fort Bragg California, the Living Light Culinary Arts School. There I received my certification as a Raw Food Chef & Instructor. This lifestyle has led me on a path to vibrant health and I am now excited to share with you some of my favorite recipes and welcome you on this beautiful journey together with me!
Ps To learn more about my experiences, which may help or inspire you on your journey, you may enjoy reading my e-book.
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