The "Honeymoon" Period and Questioning the Safety of Prescription Medication
It's been a while since I posted. The good news is, since I have been gone I have still been eating over 75 - 80 % Raw (maybe even more). The sad news is, I think it is safe to say my honeymoon period is over (insert sad face here).
What is the honeymoon period, you ask? It's a term that many people who eat Raw use to describe the initial high that comes with the first few weeks or months of transitioning to the Raw diet. It's pretty awesome. I was so excited those first few weeks of changing my diet. I literally felt amazing in almost every way; emotionally, mentally, physically, and even spiritually. I felt like I had discovered the secret to life (yeah, it really was that profound). When you feel this way, it's pretty impossible not to feel awesome all the time. Even when I was struggling with breaking old addictions (Coffee; that was hard) and detoxing, I still felt better than I ever had in my life. I was sold on the Raw food diet after my first 48 hour trial period and I still believe in the benefits of this diet.
I was so excited and happy with my new way of life that I think I annoyed my friends and family to death talking about it. I was changing and I wanted to tell the world, "I know the secret!" Lucky for me, most of my friends and family were encouraging and some interseted to the point of actually trying a Raw meal or two. Quite a few of them have increased their daily plant-based food intake and I definitely see them caring a little bit more about what they are putting in their body. A bit of advice, it's hard not to want everyone on board with you when you are honeymooning, but the best way to encourage others is to go on living your own life. Believe me, they will notice the change in you and want to get in on that action. Let them find it for themselves and never make them feel bad about their own choices, even if they are reaching for a donut instead of an apple.
So now, I am no longer honeymooning. I still love how I eat, but it's become routine. It's as common to me now as showering and brushing my teeth. How often do people get really eacited about everyday activities like this? I miss the high, I really do. It was such an amazing feeling, but I am happy that it's become more of a lifestyle than something you try once and abandon. I still feel great and there is still so much more to learn. Exciting days are yet to be had!
Speaking of benefits, some other exciting news to report, all of my previous physical ailments have complete reversed themselves and I am 100% healthy. I mentioned being sick all the time and having colds and flu-like symptoms once or twice a month for almost a year. I never mentioned other, more personal things though. Let's just say that I had certain, non-life-threatening, physical ailments that my doctor wanted to treat me with medicinally. As a medical librarian working in one of the top medical institutions in the U.S., I have developed a true appreciation of medicine and medical workers. I believe in the power of science and medicine. I see it save lives every single day. Yet, in my personal experience, it has always seemed that my doctors were always ready at the helm, with prescription pads in hand and ready to write off my problem with a simple solution: prescription pills, liquids, etc. Great! Sometimes I want and need that, but sometimes I want to know what my other options are. The older I get, the more I really start to care what I put in my body and if possible, I really did not want to pump my body with mass amounts of medication if I can reverse the problem with diet and/or exercise. It's shocking to me how many people would rather take a pill than give up fatty meats or have liposuction instead of taking the stairs more frequently. Okay, yeah, I know sometimes it is not that simple, but I think you know what I am driving at here.
There are countless medical studies available on PubMed which show the benefit of a plant based diet. I am going to start posting these more in the future, so please check back from time to time.
Not to mention, there are many medications which have horrible side-effects, some of which are still unknown to the professionals prescribing the medications. An individual being treated with a blood thinner might end up with liver damage. Certain medications for back-pain might cause renal failure. If you are taking any medication, I encourage you to read the packaging and read up on these medications as much as possible. http://medlineplus.gov/ is a great place to start for drug and supplement information.
Until next time!
What is the honeymoon period, you ask? It's a term that many people who eat Raw use to describe the initial high that comes with the first few weeks or months of transitioning to the Raw diet. It's pretty awesome. I was so excited those first few weeks of changing my diet. I literally felt amazing in almost every way; emotionally, mentally, physically, and even spiritually. I felt like I had discovered the secret to life (yeah, it really was that profound). When you feel this way, it's pretty impossible not to feel awesome all the time. Even when I was struggling with breaking old addictions (Coffee; that was hard) and detoxing, I still felt better than I ever had in my life. I was sold on the Raw food diet after my first 48 hour trial period and I still believe in the benefits of this diet.
I was so excited and happy with my new way of life that I think I annoyed my friends and family to death talking about it. I was changing and I wanted to tell the world, "I know the secret!" Lucky for me, most of my friends and family were encouraging and some interseted to the point of actually trying a Raw meal or two. Quite a few of them have increased their daily plant-based food intake and I definitely see them caring a little bit more about what they are putting in their body. A bit of advice, it's hard not to want everyone on board with you when you are honeymooning, but the best way to encourage others is to go on living your own life. Believe me, they will notice the change in you and want to get in on that action. Let them find it for themselves and never make them feel bad about their own choices, even if they are reaching for a donut instead of an apple.
So now, I am no longer honeymooning. I still love how I eat, but it's become routine. It's as common to me now as showering and brushing my teeth. How often do people get really eacited about everyday activities like this? I miss the high, I really do. It was such an amazing feeling, but I am happy that it's become more of a lifestyle than something you try once and abandon. I still feel great and there is still so much more to learn. Exciting days are yet to be had!
Speaking of benefits, some other exciting news to report, all of my previous physical ailments have complete reversed themselves and I am 100% healthy. I mentioned being sick all the time and having colds and flu-like symptoms once or twice a month for almost a year. I never mentioned other, more personal things though. Let's just say that I had certain, non-life-threatening, physical ailments that my doctor wanted to treat me with medicinally. As a medical librarian working in one of the top medical institutions in the U.S., I have developed a true appreciation of medicine and medical workers. I believe in the power of science and medicine. I see it save lives every single day. Yet, in my personal experience, it has always seemed that my doctors were always ready at the helm, with prescription pads in hand and ready to write off my problem with a simple solution: prescription pills, liquids, etc. Great! Sometimes I want and need that, but sometimes I want to know what my other options are. The older I get, the more I really start to care what I put in my body and if possible, I really did not want to pump my body with mass amounts of medication if I can reverse the problem with diet and/or exercise. It's shocking to me how many people would rather take a pill than give up fatty meats or have liposuction instead of taking the stairs more frequently. Okay, yeah, I know sometimes it is not that simple, but I think you know what I am driving at here.
There are countless medical studies available on PubMed which show the benefit of a plant based diet. I am going to start posting these more in the future, so please check back from time to time.
Not to mention, there are many medications which have horrible side-effects, some of which are still unknown to the professionals prescribing the medications. An individual being treated with a blood thinner might end up with liver damage. Certain medications for back-pain might cause renal failure. If you are taking any medication, I encourage you to read the packaging and read up on these medications as much as possible. http://medlineplus.gov/ is a great place to start for drug and supplement information.
Until next time!
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