The reflection starts as such: Over the past several years, I've been through a few variations in diet and eating patterns. The first major shift I experienced was early on in high school, when I made the choice to become vegetarian. Then there was the brief period of time in college, where I spent several months trying out a vegan diet, and then slowly shifted back into ovo-lacto vegetarianism. There I remained for a few years longer, until recently, maybe about six months ago I started to become a pescatarian.
Overall, looking back on it, it's about eight years of these permutations. Yet despite my somewhat 'long term' commitment to this way of eating, I've found myself still feeling dissatisfied with the bodily results. (I don't mean to sound like I regret my choice in any way, however - there have been countless other benefits of vegetarianism, my choices were never made solely on a health-related basis, and I still stand strong with my choices.) Throughout these years, I've felt my weight dip up and down- I've had friends alternately urge me to eat more/less of this that and the other, worried that I was somehow off the mark of health. Yet throughout it all, even when I have been at an 'optimal weight' and a place of 'sound nutrition,' I find myself wondering if I've ever felt truly "healthy".
In addition, since adolescence, I've suffered from a depleted immune system, due to a rapid succession of illness following a bad bout with Lyme disease. Adding into the mix a hereditary predisposition to anxiety and depression, it certainly starts to appear to be a lot to be up against. Yet despite these odds, I still maintain the belief that proper nutrition could help remedy all these ailments.
Then comes along the disadvantages of eating food in general, and all the terrible ups and down that come from ingesting and digesting, which has many times for me proved to be debilitating. I recall having to drop a class once because it was scheduled right after lunch, and I'd suffer from such a food-induced coma that I wasn't able to pay attention in class. I've tried all sorts of variations, yet even with pursuing a schedule of well-spaced, smaller meals, I still experienced negative effects from the burdens of digestion. Even with this sort of diet and snacking throughout the day, I was inching closer to a phase of almost constantly being in a state of eating. My appetite was insatiable.
This disproportionate appetite has plagued me since childhood. I have distinct memories of comparing the size of my packed lunches with those of classmates and being surprised by my hunger. This never ending issue has been plaguing me for years. It's inconvenient to always be hungry. It becomes disruptive and panic creating. Even though I've lately been able to control it better, the bottom line is the fact that I'm fed up.
So here I am, at 23, hoping to pursue a new radical dietary shift, one which I have a lot of hope for and I am hoping will help reset my body to a more stable food intake mode. I hope that by pursuing a raw diet, I will able to restore my energy levels and finally feel healthy and balanced and stable. Camilo is on board as well, so together we will try to transition to a raw diet, and I aim to document my transition, for my own benefit and hopefully for that of others.
