I love these quirky little daily holidays that no one has heard of! I especially like when these special days coincide with what’s going on in my life. When my day and a holiday overlap, I receive it as a synchronous event, a marker along the path that indicates I’m going in the right direction.
Evaluate Your Life Day was created by the good people at Wellcat.com to encourage us to check out what’s going on in our lives. As we journey, it is good to know where we are headed, without being anxious about how life will unfold. And it is encouraging to see that we’ve made progress in our lives.
Today happens to be the three month marker for my healing journey. Three months ago today, I radically changed my dietary habits, switching to a plant based lifestyle, to improve my health and well being. I’ve given frequent progress reports during my healing journey, amazed at the changes that have occurred in such a short time.
However, to celebrate Evaluate Your Life Day, here is my most up to date evaluation.
My breakfast every morning, a fruit smoothie
* I continue to eat, and enjoy, a plant based only diet. Fruits and veggies are the mainstay of my diet. I also include brown rice, cashews and occasionally, brown rice pasta (it is gluten free). That’s it! That’s all I need.
* The health benefits of such a diet have been tremendous. They include:
- drastic lessoning of nerve pain in both legs
- walking better and easier with less stiffness
- no use of a cane
- sleep well and wake rested
- my skin is clear and healthy
- down 34 pounds and still losing
- no headaches
- lessened tinnitus
- no indigestion, acid reflux, or digestive issues
- no allergies, and fall is typically my worst allergy season
- no colds, coughs, or sinus congestion
I feel fit, healthy, strong and young. I feel light, have more stamina, I’m more flexible, and overall, I experience a sense of euphoric well being.
A typical lunch…fresh veggies with a “ranch” dressing made from unsalted cashews.
What other differences has this change made in my life?
* I don’t eat out often, preferring to prepare my own food at home. I can be sure about what I’m eating and I enjoy the creativity of cooking.
* I can do more, physically, without suffering painful consequences.
* I’ve met amazing people on similar journeys. We encourage each other. We share our stories of healing.
* I get to talk to others about what I’m doing and answer their questions so they can make changes too, if they choose to. This has been an interesting part of my healing journey. Most people are encouraging or at least curious about what I am doing. A few are confrontational. They would like to see me go back to my old way of eating. It would make them feel better about their own choices. However, this is a lifestyle change for me, a forever one. The most frequently asked question I get is, “How long are you going to eat this way?”, followed by, “But…what about the holidays?” I answer, “For the rest of my life.”, and assure people that I will be joyfully celebrating the holidays, just not with food.
* I will be launching a new blog in January, My Healing Journey, while continuing a daily blog.
* My relationship with food has totally changed. I appreciate wholesome food and the differences nutrition is making in my well being. As a result, my relationship with myself has changed. I don’t need to eat sugar, bread, meat or dairy products to be happy. I’m happy, period, and good food keeps me healthy. I’ve celebrated birthdays and a wedding, during the past three months, without eating cake…and I don’t feel like I missed anything. Instead, I feel very good about who I am and what I am doing.
Dinner tonight: brown rice, stir-fried veggies, cherry tomatoes.
I appreciated Evaluate Your Life Day. It was good to look back and see how far I’ve come in three short months. It is exciting to know that my health and body will continue to shift and improve in the months ahead. I’m committed to this journey and I am not veering off of this path. Turning back is not an option. Here’s to the road ahead!
