It felt right to be back in the groove of relationship coaching. We talked about detachment. I am going to listen to the show again over coffee after I finish writing today's blog!
If you have been following the return of my blog, you know that last year, against my better judgement and intuition I had dental implants put in where I had lost two molars. The amount of dental work I have needed is in direct response to my body's state of being overly run down and abused by focusing my attentions on everything and everyone else but myself. This is not an unusual event for many women, especially those with households and children. For me it was sick animals and a huge home and property.
I left off at developing food allergies. I could not tolerate any refined foods at all. It was not just wheat or gluten but rather anything processed or pasteurized. I also realized that by keeping a diet of more alkaline ph foods I could control the burning in my mouth. One afternoon I indulged in a rice cracker. The result was a blood blister that broke immediately in the back of the roof of my mouth. That was the last refined food I have eaten.
As someone who has been deeply involved in nutrition for dogs for nearly twenty years you would think my diet would have been better than it was. I allowed sugars and sweets and ate sourdough breads even though I never really felt wonderful after indulging in foods made from flours. It was time to really focus on what I could eat to maintain myself through figuring out how to handle what had happened to me.
My diet became all about the greens. Green salads, green vegetables like Brussel sprouts and green peppers and loads and loads and loads of kale became the focus. A year before this I disliked kale. But the more I focused on green as the center of my food universe, the more I found myself craving it. Quinoa with sauteed garlic, Brussel sprouts and a squeeze of lemon became a normal breakfast. Though lemon is acidic is alkalizes the body and I bought lemons by the armload. My acupuncturist recommended adding lamb for the protein which worked out for me. People are usually surprised to hear that I am not a vegetarian. I am not and that is not easy for me in ways I will one day discuss here.
My other discovery came by intuition. I had found I needed to bring something to drink with me where ever I went in case my mouth felt very acidic (which is always did). I forgot to bring a kombucha drink with me when I had to go wait for my car to be serviced. I ran into the Rutland Coop and discovered that the GT's Kombucha line available throughout the US now has a three flavors with chia seeds in them. It looked rather odd but I was very drawn to it. Chia is known for its use in endurance sports. The native Americans used to use it to keep their stamina over long treks. I purchased two. For the first time since being ill I found I had a bit of energy. I was amazed at how one bottle of the Cherry Chia seemed to help revive me. I now buy two cases of this at a time and drink one to two a day. It is rather an indulgence because of the cost but it is worth it for the energy it gives me to get things done like work!
My diet now is not unlike what someone would do for any illness, higher alkaline ph, no refined or pasteurized foods, raw milk from grass fed cows and fresh organic foods preferably locally grown. It is more time consuming than throwing a sandwich together but I have found the average meal takes me 20 minutes to pull together. Next summer I am adding raised beds to my yard to grow my own greens and a juicing garden. For once I am coming first and it is working for me.
I know that when I have the implants removed and my body finds its way back to normal that I will not be going back to eating the way I was. I have truly felt such a connection to the way I am eating now - very cleanly and for nutrition rather than culinary delight. Oddly and thankfully the way I eat now has become the only culinary delight I want. I crave quinoa and juiced drinks. I make an ice cream with no sugar but rather raw cream, egg yolks and a few chopped dates as the sweetness. The raw cream and eggs are so good for my teeth! and health!
Photo ©2012 by Bethanne Elion
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Hi Bethanne. I finally have had a chance to read your blog. (and just or the record, it is a lot more in line with my life than a lot of traditional food people.) Have you ever looked at the Body Ecology diet? The way you're eating, with the alkalizing foods and quinoa is actually rather compatible with the principles. It's not a vegetarian diet either, even though the main book does seem heavily geared toward a more veg*n audience.
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Hi Soli - I have the book and know the principles of food combining quite well. The issue I have with it for me is no milk and raw milk is truly a life line for me now more than ever!!
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