I have officially been 100% Raw/Vegan for over 6 months now, yay! I have made this way of eating a lifestyle, not a diet. It's been a long road but so worth it. I made this decision as many of you know to rid myself of the thyroid disease (Hashimoto's) I have had for the past 10 years. Is it working in that aspect or not, it's too soon to tell. I was hoping I would notice a change in my TSH numbers by now but that has yet to happen. Am I discouraged? No! I feel so much better day to day without burdening my body with processed foods of any kind.
My latest Raw adventure, EMOTIONS! I have always used food as a medication of sorts. When I was sad, angry, annoyed, tired, bored, etc., I would get myself a special "treat". It could have been anything from a coffee to a piece of cheesecake, just something to make me feel happy and content. Well, guess what? All of my usual special "treats" are gone now that I am Raw, so what am I left with? ANGER.
Yep, anger is my new best friend. Believe it or not this is a good thing. I feel like I may be getting to the bottom of my eating disorder. I am always upbeat and happy, joking with people all the time so this is an interesting development for sure! I had been told by many of the Raw nutritionists that anger might be an issue and until now I hadn't experienced any. Annoyed yes, angry no. Now most of the nutritionist said it would be a detox symptom but 6 months in I have come up with a theory of my own, I have pacified myself for so many years with food that I never got a point where I had to deal with what was going on inside. Now I'm not saying that there was a traumatic childhood incident or any reason that I know of to be angry but alas, here it is. The question is, what do I do with it? I know I can do something constructive, but what?
With every other diet or eating lifestyle I have adopted I have never dealt with this kind if emotion. When the going got tough I would just let myself have a little treat here and a little treat there and eventually I would feel good again. Of course, I would gain weight, feel lousy, and the whole cycle would begin again. Feel bad, treat, feel better, gain weight, feel lousy, lose weight, treat, gain weight, fell bad, etc.....
This made me think of all of you, my fellow foodies and fitness buffs. How many of you out there may be ignoring an emotion or feeling that may be stopping you from reaching your goals? I am not talking about any mumbo jumbo here, just honest, true feelings that we may not realize we have because we are pacifying ourselves with food or working out. Maybe distracting ourselves from the issue is a better way to look at it. Have any of you ever dealt with this? I would love to hear from you!
By the way, I will always post Clean Eating recipes, vegan or not. I will also continue to post Raw/Vegan recipes because I love creating new ones : ) I have no issues with others choosing to eat animal products. Now I know this will relieve some and make others angry but it is what it is. I am Raw/Vegan out of necessity, not out of conscience. Because of my thyroid issues and my lack of a gallbladder I have a hard time digesting animal proteins. I also have to avoid soy because the affect it has on my hormones. I have found many vegan alternatives so this has been such an exciting journey!
Another note, I will also continue posting my favorite workouts, moves and reviews. Fitness is my first love and what really gets me excited! It makes me feel good and endorphins are so important especially at this hectic time in my life. Fitness has always been my constant and it will continue to be for as long as these little legs can keep up : )
So what do you think? Do you agree with any my little ramblings? Did you learn anything? Did it make you think? Let me know!!
Nicole
14 comments:
I'd love to know how you got out to eat? I'm working on totally eating clean...and always looking for insight from others who've already been there - done that
I always feel so much better when I eat well and exercise regularly. You can always try the method of taking ten seconds to breathe and respond rather than react....I know it's easier said than done, but if I repeat that phrase "respond don't react" throughout the day it helps!
Hi Angie! Thanks for reading my blog : ) I have such a passion for clean eating and fitness and I'm so happy when I see others catching the "bug"! You're doing awesome!
When I eat out I keep it fairly simple. I usually bring dressing with me and get a salad with lots of veggies. You could add chicken on it and just ask for it dry no added fat. Yes, they may act like it's an inconvenience and I don't care. Their "inconvenience" keeps me in my favorite jeans: )
If you're sick of salad, fish is always a good option as long as it's broiled with no additional fats. You could bring some olive oil with you and drizzle a little on it for some extra flavor. Also ask for a wedge of lemon to splash on there too, yum!
Because I am now Raw I usually get salad with raw veggies and maybe some fruit but I keep it pretty low key and avoid eating out, it's just easier : )
Hope that helps, if it doesn't just let me know,
Nicole
Nicole, this was your best post ever, hands down.
It was honest, real, and not just someone else's words, but yours, and very powerful ones.
I am gluten/soy/dairy free & vegan for health reasons, too. I have autoimmune issues that I dont blog about but you and I should talk. I have rheum arthritis which if you have Hashi's, we are both autoimmune sufferers. I dont treat mine with meds as everything has horrid side effects and the best thing I have ever done for my health is cut out gluten and dairy, and then soy. And not cheat. For the past 3-4 yrs, I have been really strict and it's been sooo awesome. I cannot digest animal proteins well either which is why I am vegan. Anyway, another thing we have in common :)
Anger...hell yeah! When I was first diagnosed with my RA when I was 26 (but after a lifetime of pain) I was angry and felt cheated. And then 3.5 yrs ago when I went GF, DF, SF, and went from vegetarian to vegan, I felt angry that I "had to". But being that I feel alot better now than ever before, it's worth it. Not always easy, but worth it. But yeah, anger is something you have to work thru.
Hello, my yoga practice? Yep, that helps me so much.
Hugs to you for such an awesome and honest post. Keep these up and wishing you strength on your path. Write me privately anytime you wanna vent on the Hashi's or the diet stuff....b/c I've been there too :)
xoxo
Thanks Averie, I now have a partner in crime : ) I did yoga all week and feel great!!
Lizzie, I'll remember that the next time I get peeved : )
The raw diet, when done properly, is great in boosting energy. However, I've never wanted to stick with it for a long period of time. Congrats to you for 6 months! Yoga (previous post) is also a great energy booster!!...I've at least been able to stick with that haha. Nice blog!
Hey F-F-FA,
Thanks! Yes, yoga is my favorite exercise and I so wish it could be my main staple. For now though it will be a regular in my rotations.
I never thought I'd make it 6 months let alone longer but I have! I may eat a few vegan cooked meals but will probably stay 90% Raw. We'll see when it's the middle of January if I feel the same : )
I am striving to eat clean most days. I love the way I feel. I, too follow Tosca Reno as well as Bill Phillips. I have a long way to go but I am trying. I am a definate work in progress. I love your Blog and find inspiration here even though I'm not a Raw eater. Thanks for all you do!!
Leslie
Thanks Leslie! I love writing my blog : ) I'm glad to hear others are enjoying it too!
Way to go with this post. I completely relate to allowing myself to indulge (sometimes to excess!) when I am feeling sad, disappointed, frustrated, tired, defeated, etc. - basically any negative emotion and I turn to food! It is something that has become more and more obvious, now I must take the next step and act to find better coping methods.
Great Blog...i just found you and been reading for over an hour!
Thanks Diane, I'm glad you like it! It's a great outlet for me : ) Enjoy!
Nicole
Bravo, this magnificent phrase is necessary just by the way
i just found this post :) i tried to do a raw fast for three days...friday, saturday and sunday. it was miserable! i still allow myself (with clean eating) the simple treats like a coffee or treat, here and there...yikes! maybe i need to deal with these things too...any suggestions? :)
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