And, I now know better.
I was raised in a
household with 3 smoking adults, and ate mostly processed foods growing up. I ate meat for most all basic meals, and A LOT of fast food. I made some pretty at-risk behavior choices as well, whih have no doubt affected my overall health. I’ve always
been interested in health and nutrition, but my real journey began when I was
20 and my mom was diagnosed with lung cancer, and died within 11 months. This
was many years ago, but the feeling of helplessness remains to this day. After
that, I bought my (almost solely meat-eating) father health supplements as a
gift for almost every holiday. My father’s bad habits lead to several heart
attacks that eventually lead to his premature death, as well. My maternal grandmother died of Alzheimer’s
disease after living with us for 11 years. (Yes- you read that right! Family history of lung cancer, heart disease, Alzheimer's.....not to mention diabetes). Personally, I have been diagnosed with chronic sinusitis and “one of the worst cases” of sinus polyps. I have had surgery twice to remove sinus polyps and have been on an uncountable amount of antibiotics over the years. Yeast, bladder and sinus infections (and loss of smell/taste) became a part of my normal life. Despite numerous opinions and prescribed antibiotics from medical professionals, my issues continued. None of the conversations involved nutrition or natural remedies (besides a daily nasal rinse), and in fact, was waved away when I would bring up the topic. I look back now and find it incredibly disheartening.
As an adult, and semi-new mom (4
year old daughter, Klaire), I got serious and decided to take matters into my own
hands. I refuse to let my genes and the chemical and environmental exposures
(my mom also loved bleach!) of my past lead to my premature death. As soon as I
was “on my own,” I slowly eliminated chemicals from my household (including
bleach…I am still haunted by that smell today) and cleaning regiment. When I had my daughter, my sense
of mortality and the main importance of her health (and mine) lead me to
whole-food and plant-based nutrition. I turned my house into a vegetarian
household (and now almost completely vegan). As I made her baby food, I slowly
learned about and changed my diet as well. (This was slow.....I know what a roller coaster it can be to change a lifestyle). My daughter has never eaten meat and it’s
one of my most proud choices. (For reasons why...please read Skinny Bitch, among many other books about animal protein). My daughter is one of the healthiest humans I
know, and doesn’t even compare to her peers in days sent home from preschool
sick.
I spend time each and every day learning something new about nutrition,
and often find myself involved in conversation about it. I bought a BlendTec
over a year ago, and have not looked back since (where was this wondrous
machine when I was pureeing baby food?). I am known for having baggies of any
and all kinds of frozen vegetable cubes filling my freezer. I began making & consuming green smoothies (1 quart per day= 7-14 servings of raw fruits and vegetables!!!) as soon as I purchased my Blendtec. I was introduced to the
Green Smoothie Girl website by a friend and feel a bit obsessed since. It
encompasses everything I am and aspire to be. I recommend the GSG website to
almost anyone who asks about nutrition and/or my green smoothies. I ordered pure, safe and EFFECTIVE doTerra Essential Oils and have eliminated all chemical medicine from mine and Klaire's diet (no tylenol, advil, benedryl, neosporin, antibiotics, etc.). If you do not know anything about Essential Oils....I look forward to sharing their magic with you! I
have noticed visible changes to my health just by adding green smoothies and essential oils.....weight loss, better digestion/elimination, more energy, glowing skin, my smell and taste have started to come back!, less anxiety, better sleep (I was a chronic Tylenol PM user for 2 years), etc.
I started this blog to centralize a place for all my learning, and thought maybe others could benefit from it as well. Cheers to health & happiness!
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