I am not a vegetarian.

The last several years I have learned things about myself. Some things I was glad to learn. Some things came out of struggle. Some things I had to eat a piece of humble pie while admitting them. But this past 9 days I have learned something that I am proud of and its out of a struggle: I am an omnivore. I like veggies. I like fruit. I like meat. I don't think I would be a super happy person if I ever HAD to be a vegetarian.

But I have also learned that I have more willpower than I thought I had. I have really pushed myself this past week. I've had to smell garlic breadsticks and not touch them. I've had to listen to people drink Dr Pepper and not partake. I've had to sit and watch others eat fried chicken and sip on my water instead. But I have done it. And I can still smile.

It's been overwhelming. It's been frustrating. I'm glad it has an end. My energy has increased to a degree, and I can tell there are some internal things going on, such as my temperature seems to be regulating a bit. For those who have intolerance to cold or hot flashes (of which I've stuggled with both, the heat being just because of pregnancy).  Only time will tell exactly what all is happening inside, and that is what I cling to when I really want something else to eat besides fruit and veggies (& only certain ones of those).

I'm sharing about this journey & finally speaking about my personal struggles only because I have met so many women who are or have struggled with the same issues I have. Here's just a short list: fatigue, muscle and joint aches, dry skin & hair, diminished appetite with no weight loss, feeling cold most of the time, anxiety, some depression, brittle nails, problems with menstruation, brain fog, did I say fatigue? And on and on. Just the other night I saw that super dry feet may be a sign of thyroid issues. The thyroid is basically the regulator for every other system in the body, especially hormonal systems. I have been saying to myself and only a few others that I don't believe I should have to just live with these ailments like I've had some doctors tell me. There HAS to be something wrong internally that is causing these things to happen. Finally I have found someone in the medical field that believes that, too. I feel like I've become an advocate for this. So many people deal with this stuff and we don't take care of ourselves, usually because we don't know how & we can't get others to take us seriously. After all, I don't LOOK like I has any real health issues.... In my case, I would try, but I would get so tired of trying different things & nothing working. I now have 'evidence' that something IS going on internally and I now have tools to help myself. I also had to come to a point mentally that said, "Enough is enough. It's time to get serious about this, and keep searching until I find answers." It has been and probably will continue to be a long process. When it comes down to it, I am the only one that can change it. I can have help and support, but I have to be the one to drink more water, to eat better things that my body can process easier, to change some habits, to take the supplements I need, to seek out the right help & go to those appointments. So I'm in that process. Purifying out the toxins in order to rebuild the minerals and other essentials my body has exhausted.

And starting tomorrow, eating meat again. Hallelujah, pass me the cow.