That Veggie Life

My name is Melanie…and I am a foodie..

So every year, most of us make our resolutions and try our best to follow through. In December 2022, I had reached a point where I did NOT enjoy my meals. It was the weirdest thing but I would often feel stuffed, sluggish and disappointed at the amount and the food I chose. I started to take note of when I would eat and sure enough, I was either anxious, angry, sad…almost always emotional when eating. I grew up eating meat so I didn’t think anything of it. It wasn’t until I read up on the effects of being a meat eater and decided I needed a real change. I was so interested in noticing the slightest difference in my mood, my body, just overall. So I quit. No fanfare or big announcement. I just stopped eating ALL meat, red meat included. I also cut out ALL soda. Started drinking lots of water, some fruit juice, added more greens and monitored myself when I ate. I am still eating fish, seafood, and eggs. My goal is to become a vegan. It is a process and I am starting off small. I guess I am a pescatarian now, working towards becoming a vegetarian. I started using wheatgrass, black chia seeds, Irish moss, along with fresh fruits and made smoothies for the week. The health food store in my area has become my favorite hangout spot. Learning about probiotics and the benefits of a “women”blend multi-vitamin along with raw foods.

I can remember, as a teenager, I was a curvy girl. Years later, I would accept the fact that I could now be seen as a “plus size” woman. I never liked that term or any term that labeled what our “normal” BMI or weight should be. It is a fact that many adults who are above the body mass for their age, can still be quite healthy. But, I digress.. I received a call recently from my primary doctors office and I was told that I have Type 2 Diabetes. I already struggle with Hypertension so I was thinking to myself “what next?” There are medications and if needed , a weekly shot. Honestly, I was upset and frustrated. But, determined to make the changes necessary to see improvement. For some, it can be extremely difficult to change eating habits. I get it, totally. For me, I actually lost interest. It was like every time I ate, I had a thought about what this type of food would do for me. And that was IT..those thoughts would steer me towards foods that held a purpose. Instead of just feeling satiated or so I thought, from those heavy meals. The reality is that when we don’t think about eating to live and just grab anything, slowly we are damaging our body. I had never thought of it like this, I never stopped to realize that we can choose, every single food item we intake.

Diets, trends, etc may work for awhile but deciding to eat healthier, exercise etc has to be a lifestyle. One where you choose to take care of yourself, mind, body, spirit so that you are able to function and not just survive..but thrive. I have noticed a change in my mood, I feel clearer mentally and my numbers (A1C, BP)are not as elevated. So far, I have lost 11lbs! Yes, a big deal for me because when I tried other ways like Keto, Slim Fast and so on, I remained the same weight. I do believe that intermittent fasting works and will try to include this as well. I exercise at my college gym and am taking up Yoga. Nothing happens overnight but with each small step, I know I will see progress.

I’ve been following Tabitha Brown, whose an actress, entrepreneur and a Vegan. She has been trending because she has her hands in almost everything..from food seasoning to clothing, and even hair products! I like how she breaks down recipes to show anyone how to make meals that are not only healthy but appetizing. The hit documentary ” What the Health” set her on a 30 day vegan challenge and she never looked back. She was suffering with depression, chronic head and neck pain, and anxiety prior to making the switch. Check out more here :https://www.iamtabithabrown.com

For about 4 years now, I have also been listening to solfeggio healing frequencies. I know, when you see the term, automatically you’re thinking like it’s some type of twilight zone effect lol but truly, these frequencies are known to be linked with safety, increasing energy and survival overall. A definition: Solfeggio frequencies refer to specific tones of sound that help with and promote various aspects of body and mind health. As a person who loves all genres of music, it was easy to give this a try and see how I felt. It works. You can do a google search and choose from the list of articles or go on youtube for more info. Im going to add one of my favorites below for those that would like to listen. Do not be disappointed if you do not feel any difference immediately, as you become in tune with the frequencies, you will notice more intense feelings of clarity, peace, well-being.