I Laughed So Hard I Turned All Shades of Red

This picture was taken quite some time ago, and to everyone else it means very little, but to me it is the start of a new friendship. This picture was taken under some bunk beds at a high school winter retreat. We had been playing sardines and I had the best hiding spot one could ever imagine. Leslie was the first to find me and as we lay under the bunk bed we laughed and laughed and laughed some more. I have no idea what was actually funny, but the freedom that came out of that night changed our friendship forever.

Leslie is my dear friend and yesterday she got on a jet plane and headed over seas. At this current moment she is an hour away from her final destination. And I thought I would be sadder on this day, but I have had this overwhelming peace about the whole situation. I will no longer get to have the normal friendship experiences. I can't walk over to her house just because I feel like it. We can't stay up late laughing about who knows what. We can't go get coffee. We can't do the normal friendship things, but I've accepted that. Don't get me wrong, I've shed tears, but I have a peace about the situation. And although our friendship will be far from normal for the next three years, she is still my friend whom I love and will always appreciate. My friendship with Leslie has made me a better friend, wife, and person and for that I am forever grateful.

Here are a few things I've learned from Leslie:

I've learned to give people the benefit of the doubt.

I've learned to have fun and laugh.

I've learned to put others first.

I've learned how to not eat popcorn at the movie theater.

I've learned to make others feel special and good about themselves.

I've learned to love females.

I've learned to put Kenny above myself.

I've learned amazing new dance moves.

I've learned how to make Nutella Crepes.

I've learned the inch worm.

What I value most is the freedom I have to make new friendships and form new bonds. I have always had a wall up when it comes to friends. I was afraid I wouldn't be able to make friends, they wouldn't like me or we'd hang out and have nothing to talk about. I was afraid we'd become friends, but our lives would grow apart and I'd be left empty again. Friendship is a sore subject for me and I'm sure a lot of other women too. But for the first time in my life, I'm not afraid of the prospect of making new friends and forging new bonds. I almost relish the opportunity. I will miss my time with Leslie and nothing will replace the openness and understanding we have, but where we left off, I feel open to move forward and keep growing in my ability to love others.

Here's to continued and new friendships!

Eating Journey

At first I thought I would just become Vegan and that would solve everything. I was wrong. I was wrong in the sense that becoming vegan would make me healthier. Just because I eliminated animal products, there is still a whole host of unhealthy foods out there. Through research I've come to realize my ideal diet would come from only whole foods.

Whole foods are foods that are unprocessed and unrefined.

We are making daily strides to become 100% whole foods, but I am not a wasteful person, and I do not have enough time right now to take on this endeavor completely. It has been a transition that has occurred gradually, but within the next 6 months, I believe the transition will be complete. Below are the steps we've taken so far. 

1. We first eliminated dairy, meat, and eggs. Since making that initial elimination of those foods, we've added back meat, but only meat we kill ourselves. ie: venison, fish, chicken. Someday we might add back eggs, but only eggs that are free range and live in a healthy environment. I am not completely against the consumption of meat, dairy, and eggs. I am against what most stores sell as meat, dairy, and eggs. I refuse to eat things that I don't know what's in them. I have no idea what they feed the cows whos beef I eat. I don't know all of the hormones they pump into the animals, so I've chosen to go cold turkey on everything except the animals we kill ourselves. That way I know where they come from.
2. Eliminate a majority of processed foods. The only processed foods we've maintained thus far have been: pasta, tortillas, white rice, sugar, and flour. Ideally we will transition from store bought pasta and tortillas to homemade and whole grain versions. Transition from refined white sugar to honey, agave nectar, or other natural occurring sweeteners. And go from processed white flour to whole wheat flour.
3. Cut out white rice. After a month of eating white rice, we finally ran out. Instead of buying more, we've replaced it with brown rice which  retains the bran that surrounds the kernel, making it chewier, nuttier, and richer in nutrients. We actually prefer the brown rice to white.

As we continue to run out of the remaining processed foods, we will continue to replace them with higher nutrient dense foods.

Please don't take this post as me being perfect. There are days where I have consumed cheese, but they are few and far between. And there was one day when I had a handful of skittles. And another day where I had some movie theater popcorn with butter. I am not perfect and this is a journey. Don't judge me.

Benefits to eating healthier

Over the last 2 months Kenny and I have made a serious commitment to eating healthier. It has been a process, and it has been challenging, but man has it been worth it.

Benefits

Energy

I have been bursting with energy. I don't remember being tired in the last two months and mornings aren't a complete drag.

Weight Loss

I have lost 9 lbs in the last two months without even trying. I don't keep track of what I eat. I don't worry about exercising. I just eat healthy, nourishing foods, and my body does the rest.

Hunger

I am never hungry. I eat breakfast, snack, lunch, snack, dinner, and sometimes one more snack. And I am never hungry, and I eat substantially fewer calories.

Overall Health

I have not been sick. No colds. No flus. And this is a minor miracle since I frequently work with kids who are sneezing and wiping their snotty hands everywhere. 

Skin

My skin has been amazing lately. Fewer breakouts and overall healthy glow.

There are numerous more benefits, but these have been the highly noticeable ones thus far.