Old Habits Die Hard
I had (and still have) a very busy life. I am a 50 year old grandmother to two beautiful little girls, Alaiah (4) and Ariannah (2), and a business owner. Because times got a little hard, I took a third shift to supplement my income. Like most Americans, my life is highly stressful. At the time of my health scare, my diet consisted of fast foods, heavy sauces, sweet drinks, and meat meat meat. My only exercise was getting in and out of the car. I was one of those people who would drive around the parking lot until a parking space became available in the front. Lord knows Walmart had the best chicken wings. I used to call them crack wings because they were so addictive.
My Journey
Anyway, my life seemed to be getting away from me. It was as if I had greasy fingers trying to catch glass plates. Juggling those plates became very difficult and as a result, I began to drop a few. As luck (life) would have it, my car died...it had been struggling for a while. I started catching the city bus to work which allowed me to get a little exercise in...not much becuase the bus stop was across the street from my house. My oldest granddaughter was a micro-preemie. She was born at 24 weeks gestation and weighed 1lb 6oz. I was her caretaker during the day while my daughter went to school and work which meant that I didn't sleep when I got off from work. I was always tired. I couldn't sit down five minutes without falling asleep.
The Health Scare
I had been having frequent heart palpitations. WebMD describes heart palpitations as a feeling that your heart is beating too hard or too fast, skipping a beat, or fluttering. You could actually see my heart beating in my throat. My hair used to move with my heart beat. I knew something was wrong but I didn't tell anyone. I didn't go to the doctor because I had no insurance. I figured that I would be okay if I got more rest. I had been to the hospital a couple of times and each they told me that I had hypertension...but it didn't sink in. I really didn't connect the symptoms.
I had a horrible cough that got worse and worse. I could no longer sleep laying down. I had to sleep in an upright position. I would cough so hard people would look at me as if I had Tuberculous or something. Not having a primary care doctor to follow my health kept me from fully understanding how much danger I was putting myself in.
One Dark Night
One night while at work, I had a severe heart palpitation. It was sort of like when your computer reboots or restarts. I took a big breath and jumped straight out of my seat. The room slowly became dim and blurry, and it was as if I was looking through a tube. I was weak, dizzy, and nauseous. I had enough strength to put my coat on and grab my purse, but I only made it as far as the couch at the front door. I felt as if I was dying. I remember saying that when the first shift lady comes, she will find my body, and then I closed by eyes. Much to my surprise, at 6:50am, I woke up. It took me a minute to believe that I was not dead. My co-worker came in. I told her that I didn't feel well. I caught the bus home and did not tell my family what happened. I did however tell a good friend about the incident. He made me to to a cardiologist friend of his.
A New Day
Based on my symptoms, the description of the incident, and after running tests, the cardiologist said that it sounded like a heart attack BUT there was no evidence of me having one. He looked me straight in the face and said, "Sis, I'm going to put it to you straight. Every problem you are having is diet related. If you don't change your diet, I can just about guarantee that you will either have a stroke, heart attack or be dead within this year!"
I began juicing and eating clean. I walk and I go to the gym. As a result of my lifestyle change, my co-workers started juicing. As a matter of fact, I bought a NutriBullet and juiced for them for a small fee. It has been almost 4 years now. I am mostly a raw vegan. One of the best ways to keep from making unhealthy food choices is to prep your foods and make a meal plan. I buy fresh foods and freeze them. My family has begun to make healthier choices. I don't buy processed foods or meat products anymore so if they want to eat something else, they have to buy it themselves. I have been able to connect with other vegans which has helped me stay the course.
My suggestion to people who are beginning this high vibrational lifestyle is to find a support group of like-minded people. Don't be afraid to try new things. Most of all, don't be overly hard on yourself when you fall short of your DAILY dietary goals. Lawd willin and the creek don't rise (my grandmother's favorite phrase) you will wake up in the morning and do it again. Invest in yourself...you are worth it! Love ya...mean it!
