About Me ~ Part One

I am not 100% raw, though I realize from all the research I have done that its the best thing one could do for their health. I have to admit it's a bit daunting to think about, but as with everything I have learned it all seems that way at first... trying to re-educate myself after years of abuse to my body... some self inflicted others just part of the world we live in. I just keep pushing on trying to learn and implement new truths about our intricately woven anatomy and how our everyday lives affect it.



I was raised in a home where macaroni and hot dogs were staples. We maintained the SAD (standard American diet). Eating meat with most meals... though early on I didn't care much for meat, I used to feed it to my dog under the table and he didn't complain! The Schwans man knew our names as we ordered a lot of food from him. Corn dogs, ice cream, deep fried this and that supplemented with some ice berg lettuce and some veggies. I used to drink about a gallon of milk a day!Now, believe me, I know my parents did what they could.. both working a lot, they did what they knew how, what they had been raised.



I thank God that we lived in the country, we may not have been eating well, but you'd be hard pressed to find kids who exercised more. We got fresh air, went hiking, bike riding, swimming, built forts, you name it. It helped that my aunt Kellie who watched us after school hardly let us come in her house... by us I mean my sister Heather who is 4 years younger and my cousin Joe, 3 years younger. Now that I have a family I understand why... it sure is hard to clean up after kids! I was very fit, always running, hiking and having fun in a beautiful forested area with hills and an abundance of fresh air.



Growing up both my parents smoked. I really never wanted to until we went to visit family who lived in Colorado. I had a cousin who was older by 4 years that I was hanging around with who smoked and I told her I did too, to fit in. From then on at the age of 11, I was a smoker. Starting with stealing cigarettes from my parents and smoking around 5 a day, to to around a pack a day when I was in my teens, back down to half a pack, until I found out I was pregnant when I was 24. For most of that time I wanted so desperately to quit, I thought about it all the time, prayed about it (sometimes half hearted because part of me enjoyed smoking) but it was hard, very, very hard to quit! Finally I got to the point where I was praying "God, whatever you have to do, if I have to die.. please let me quit smoking!" ... I have been smoke free for several years now.... almost like I never have, though I know it has affected my health. Now when I go places and see people smoking, in there cars sometimes with their children in them, on the street, in their homes, I thank God that I no longer have the desire to smoke and I pray I never will.