Clearing the fog – Guest post from Brittan
Last week, Mindy told her story about the challenges and rewards that come with switching to a raw foods diet. This week, continuing with my monthly theme on food, Brittan chimes in with the physical and mental relief she experienced through the simple act of changing her diet.
I am not here to say something that has not already been said. I’m here with words we have all heard more than once, and dismissed.
“You are what you eat.”
I’m not going to attempt the role of teacher when it comes to this idea. I think your body can teach you well on it’s own. I would much rather introduce myself as a portrait. I grew up immersed in art. I was a dancer from childhood and worked in local theatre. I was a highly involved visual art student who would travel to see live music at any given moment. I considered myself to be health conscious (as in, I tried not to eat fast food) and I practiced yoga. I’ve always lived a colorful, fast paced life.
Not too bad of a building block for a healthy future, I liked to tell myself.
However, through all of that I was plagued by little things that I would constantly ignore. Migraines everyday, insomnia, I was never hungry despite being on the move constantly. I grew into a young adult with the same problems. I’d prescribe myself more coffee for the headaches and I’d use the insomnia to get things done. I never thought I wasn’t a healthy person, I just thought my stasis was “creative alien that doesn’t need food or sleep to survive, and gets headaches when she is on to something.”
At nineteen I had to have my gallbladder removed. It was the beginning of a downward spiral. My health began slowly crumbling, just enough to avoid going to a doctor but never feel at top form. I stopped dancing. I began to loose my drive. Pains that were beyond my years started creeping into my muscles. At 24 I was no longer able to maintain the mobility of an inactive person, much less myself. I threw myself at the mercy of a good friend and chiropractor mere days after I ran a stoplight in my car because my right leg was completely numb. Sitting hurt my body, but so did standing. I didn’t have a single moment in the day where I wasn’t in pain, and of course, the headaches were ever present.
I was under treatment by my chiropractor three times a week for almost an entire year for advanced sciatica when my progress X-Rays were taken. Somehow, I was worse. My doctor was concerned and bothered by the fact that I had not responded to treatment at all. I was panicked. I stopped my care plan altogether and began looking into Neurosurgeons. My home life was also needing to change. My love and I had decided enough was enough and made the decision to change our dietary habits as drastically as possible. I needed to get to the bottom of why I could never just feel ‘good’. We strictly limited our intake to fresh and mostly raw fruits and vegetables for a month. I still remember the first four days making me question my sanity. I felt like I needed caffeine like I needed air. I wanted to eat things that I didn’t even enjoy just because I couldn’t have them.
Then somehow, and without warning, the fog cleared. I felt sharp. I was alert. I went to sleep at night and awoke in the morning with ease. I was beginning to move more. Everyone around me seemed to think the way I was eating was impossible to enjoy, but I knew at the end of the day that I was even smiling more. I felt like I wanted food for the first time instead of considering meals to be just a bother to my day. I could barely realize everything that was slowly correcting itself in my world. We added nuts and beans back into our diet, then raw cheese, and almond milk. I finally got my first slice of fresh baked organic bread. Fifteen minutes later, I felt the jolt of a headache.
What once was something I’d had everyday, I had been rid of headaches for almost a month. I never thought I could be thankful fora headache, but this one was necessary. I have gluten intolerance. In conjunction with all the amazing nutrients my body was filling itself with during the past month it was definitely not experiencing gluten intake. The inflammation from my intolerance was strong enough to create issues in several areas of my being, my muscles included. I would never tell you the answer that worked in my equation is what is best for you, but I am telling you that it already knows the right answers. All my body needed was a moment of clarity to be able to tell me what’s best for it. Since learning to listen to my body, I’ve regained my mobility and my joie de vivre. I feel sorry for wasting any of my days not being able to feel this alive because I am what I eat.
And I am vibrant.
Looking to experiment with a raw foods diet? Do your research first. Consult your doctor and a nutritionist. Resources, as always, are all over the net. Try jointhereboot.com and therawfoodcoach.com
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