Once I embarked on this journey of new eating and “clean” eating I should say I devoured myself into a new way of living really. Not just diet and healthy eating habits but the way I looked at food. Yes, I was that person that looked at food as love. I’m Italian. It comes with the territory. Me not eating pasta and cheese would basically mean I’m not Italian anymore. Then what would be ancestors say? I’m a faux-guinea now. Nevertheless, my sharp wit and quick temper still colors me within some short of shade of the country that’s shaped like a boot. Eating clean can also have your setbacks.
When I learned of my diagnosis I began reading “The Wahl’s Protocal”. Dr. Terry Wahl’s challenges us to explore options and test our bodies to see what we need and what we can go without. Processed foods, sugars, fats, coffee, out the door baby. I also removed red meat from my diet as well and told myself I will limit this to once a month. I had a burger about 2 months ago which I would gladly give my left thumb for again. Then today I treated myself to an amazing organic steak salad from “Urban Plates” in Aliso Viejo, CA. Bomb! Clean organic no hormone meats and literally 1 hour after I was doubled over with stomach pain. My body was rejecting red meat. Rejecting it with rage and hostility. Red Meat- No more. Lean meats only. This was the day I broke up with beef.
I’ve learned that by slowly removing certain things from my diet and then “testing” the waters sort of speak a few weeks to a month later allows me to have a clear district answer of what my body gets revengeful against. I’ve found it the easiest way to make these decisions of what I needed to “break up” with as far as food goes.
I get nervous with the holidays approaching so quickly. No more “real” lasagnas from Claro’s the Italian Market in Tustin which is basically the Italian’s Mecca by the way. How will I make my Grampy’s meatballs?! With turkey meat instead I suppose. I’ve always in a tiny way judged people with special diets. Like why are you so special you can’t eat what the rest of us savages have to endure? Now I find myself one of them. Ordering a salad with salmon for myself while the rest of the party has pizza and sandwiches. Do I feel better because of it? Darn right I do but it’s still another thing that sets me apart from the rest. The feeling that I am not among the “normal” ones anymore. But who is to say the rest of the bunch consists of “normal” individuals with “normal” bodies? Just because we can drink a coke without being doubled over doesn’t mean we are not slowly rotting our organs like we just dipped them in turpentine.
So today is the day that I officially end my relationship with red meat. It’s been a wonderful 30 years red meat, but this gal is sticking to fish and the occasional organic free-range chicken or turkey. I’ve learned that with fish I can not go wrong.
Sorry meat, it’s not you it’s me.
xo A Hot MS
