VEGAN

Yes, I know that sounds a little extreme, but for some it isn't, like for me. I found myself over 40, overweight, with health issues and over every single diet I've tried in the past, and I tried them all! I coddled and babied myself through each diet with my own "Lolita version" of each, maybe that's why they failed? We may never know!

Then during a very stressful time in my life, death, divorce & child custody, I had a stroke. While at work, I began having difficulty typing with my left hand. In disbelief, I walked over to my co-worker and told her what I was experiencing. She immediately gave me some baby aspirin and asked if I wanted her to call an ambulance. Upon my examination, I was told I had a stroke! What ya talking bout, Willis!

I'd had a mini-stroke, TIA (Transient Ischemic Attack), the flow of blood to part of my brain got cut off for a short time, they called it a mini-stroke. In my mind, there was nothing mini about it, it scared the bejesus out of me! Did I really go so far down the rabbit hole that I was going to die from what, let's be real, I put in my mouth? I wouldn't allow myself even a second to realize what may have happened. Or, to seek any solace for how truly blessed I was, to get this caution sign, and not a full-on stop sign. I only took enough time to thank God, and then I got mad, really mad, at me. Then, I punished myself, really punished myself, so much so, I lost 40 pounds in a little over 3 months. Whew! Right? Then, I became comfortable, and started to re-introduce all those foods I restricted previously. At first in moderation, then moderation became, what ation? There are no forms of ations here, and I gained back my 40 pounds, with interest! Then, everyday became a blessing, and not because it should be, but because I was lucky to be alive, because I had gone back to slowly killing myself.

One day after waking up from, what I can only describe as a diabetic coma, I stopped full on. No more, diet sodas or candy bars, no more salads with extra chicken and dressing. I just stopped the coddling and babying myself and began to take real control of my eating issues. I knew intermittent fasting, and wanting to incorporate it with the benefits of a vegan diet. I knew by combining the two, in my case, would be the best thing. So as simply as a light switch being turned off, I switched from unhealthy, to health wealthy. My A1c is finally below 6, my high blood pressure is finally within range, and my blood sugar readings have been perfect. They say, to keep yourself motivated, on any quest, you need to let people in on it. I need to tell as many people as possible, about my new vegan lifestyle, to hold myself accountable (I guess judging eyes and all). That is the purpose of this essay and my new Instagram page (SheRawYallll) and all my FaceBook friends knowing way too much about me!

I know this sounds cliche, but I am finally in control of my life, in relation to food. Food has been in the driver’s seat for far too long, where I go, what I eat, how much I eat. All these decisions, have been made with food being the deciding factor, where I go, always became, are there any good places to eat around there? What I eat, always became, I ate that this week already. And, how much I eat, always became, will this be the only meal I have today? All these decisions made about food and based on food! It should be simpler than that! The only questions I needed to answer were, am I hungry? And, what have I prepared to put in my body? I needed it to be that simple, everything else, only complicated it for me. Now, I live vegan lifestyle, I sleep better, my stomach does not poke out as far, my swollen feet and ankles have disappeared! I know I am finally going in the right direction; my body is telling me so, and now, I am finally listening!