People in Real Life

The funny thing about social media is that you get an impression of people that isn't entirely accurate.  For example, I try not to post really negative status updates as a general rule, because I see Facebook as a way to communicate and share ideas.  If I want to post something that I see as controversial, I post it on my Facebook page instead of my profile.  That way people can opt in and out easily to participate in my ramblings, without feeling the need to unfriend me.  

A couple of days ago Jennifer Hudson was on the Today Show talking about her successful weight loss with Weight Watchers.  She said the hardest thing she had to go through was rejection and ridicule from friends and family.  I can relate.  If I had a dollar for every rude thing said to me in the past five months because of my choice to not eat meat (because it means that the excessive swelling in my leg is cut in half) I would be able to buy a lot of organic bananas.   Last night I almost started crying when a women new to my book club asked me about my vegan cookbooks and then said she eats about 95% vegan. 

A few weeks ago I was asked to do a seminar on healthy eating this month for my church's womens' group.  When I was first asked my walls went up and on the inside I was saying, "Oh...please no."  The reason is that in real life when I talk to people about how I eat and what my version of health is, they either embrace it or they reject it outright without hearing a word that I say and can get angry at me about it.  That immediately triggers my defensive mechanisms.  I'm still working on that.  The truth is, I have spent the last six months reading so many books on health that I have a solid understanding about how completely overwhelming it is to implement healthy eating.  Truly - I do.  I had to dig through a great deal of ideas and philosophies to get to the core of what is right for me.  And because of the sheer amount of research I have done, I believe that it is right for everyone even when people tell me otherwise.  Does that mean that I have any hope of people miraculously changing their lives based on anything I say?  Ha.  I know well how addictive food is.  We all have our favorites.  In my view, if even small changes are made it is a good thing.  But I wasn't able to even make the small changes until I opened my mind to educating myself about food.  Thank you to Barbara Christensen for that! 

I finally suggested that I just do a short class on the benefits of green smoothies.  How to make them, what to use, what makes green smoothies taste good, etc.  My hope is that it will empower a few women to incorporate them into their daily eating and hopefully get a few additional nutrients that they need.  I have a deep sorrow for women that I know who are constantly sick and depressed, because I am convinced that the answer is in nutritious food.  Eating this way has changed my life, the health of my family, my mom, my bestie, and a few other people who maybe think I am on to something with all of this.  

2 comments:

  1. Have to admit - I'm interested in the whole green smoothie thing. In fact, I bought a whole bag of spinach at Costco and it is begging to be made into a delicious and nutritious drink, I just don't know how to do it. So I will be at enrichment and excited to learn! Thanks for being willing to share :)

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  2. Hope this session went well. How smart you are to know your limits ...and what others will accept. Excited to learn more about what you've learned on this blog.

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