Not just a diet but a JOURNEY

I was reading one of my last posts about my experience at the dentist. Well, I guess that's where it all starts. A short time after that, I began dating a dentist. He explained to me that it is not possible to be allergic to epinephrine, since this is a natural substance produced in our bodies. So, what might have happened is that the dentist injected it directly into my bloodstream and it went straight to my heart. Hence, the feeling of fainting. After this incident, my new "boyfriend" became my new appointed dentist. When he decided to re-do my filling (bad idea!), he injected me with the minimum amount of anaesthesia. But, because of my clean diet and my detoxified body, the dose which was supposed to act for 30 min had an effect for at least two hours!

As I was saying, I began dating the dentist...what to do when you are a raw vegan who believes in compassion for all sentient beings and non-violence and your boyfriend is a carnivore who believes animals were put on this earth for us to eat? Well, at first, I tried explaining the reasons for not eating meat...the fact that meat production is one of the leading causes of global warming, that meat consumption is detrimental to our health, that by adopting a vegan diet we could feed the whole planet...I even provided him with some of the research. Actually, he was the one questioning me over my eating habits and challenging my opinions. As far as I was concerned, I decided to respect his choices and do my own thing. Well, it seems people tend to become quite emotional when their belief systems are shaken. Especially when it comes to meat eating, many people tend to react quite aggressively and attack vegan ideals. This is exactly what happened. He told me I would hate his friends if I ever met them because they would provoke me by eating raw meat in front of me. Personally, I think this is very childish and immature and not really my problem if they do decide to eat raw meat. But, eventually, the dentist decided I was too extreme and narrow minded and that it would never work between us. I totally agreed (not the extreme and narrow minded part though :)).

As a consequence, I questioned myself, wondering if indeed I was too extreme with my raw diet. In the meantime, I was introduced to a meditation technique and fully initiated. While I went for my initiation, I decided to eat whatever food was there and prove to myself I was not too extreme. The food was all vegan but cooked. Most of it was Vietnamese food and it tasted wonderful. What I noticed is that I could not stop eating, as if I could not get my needs satisfied. When you only eat raw, your body receives all the nutrients it needs and therefore, you feel satiated quite easily. But, on cooked foods, your body cannot access the essential nutrients as easily and therefore needs bigger portions. The whole initiation experience was wonderful and unforgettable. So, I did not feel bad about breaking my 100% raw diet.

Following this experience, I began making more and more exceptions to my raw diet...and feeling not so happy about myself. But, I guess it is part of the learning process and finding balance takes time. We need to follow the middle way...Now, I am still making a few exceptions for vegan cookies, but I have introduced many more green leafy vegetables and drink my green smoothies daily. Furthermore, I have finally decided to grow my own wheat grass and juice it every morning. Talking about wheat grass, I just read a wonderful free e-book written by Ann Wigmore, the founder of the Hippocrates health institute: Why Suffer?
This book was a true inspiration and helped me to go back to almost 100% raw!

This raw food diet is not just a diet, it is a journey: a physical, emotional, and spiritual journey! I can feel the changes on all levels. I have always felt deep compassion for all the animals, but what is more now, is a deep sadness and realization of what is happening to our earth. It is as if I have become more sensitive to the suffering of our planet and its inhabitants...

At a spiritual level, I now realize that every single action will have a consequence. I really believe that at this time in history, we need to act immediately and do what is right. There is no more time to loose...we need to wake up to the reality of the critical situation. As some have named it: the Terminal Triangle: global warming, peak oil, and economic collapse, is happening before our eyes. There is no need to blame our governments and politicians, or nations about the current state of affairs. It is too late for this and it is urgent we take personal responsibility. As Ghandi said "be the change you want to see in the world". We need to change our behaviors first and foremost. The rest will follow. We need to look into the mirror before pointing the finger at others. We are all in this together.

Once you remove the veil of ignorance and realize what is currently happening to our planet and its inhabitants, you might go through the stages of grief delineated by Elizabeth Kubler-Ross: Denial, Anger, Bargaining, Depression, and Acceptance. I would say that a majority of the people today are still in a state of denial. The reality is too overwhelming to be accepted. Once you move into the anger stage, you might begin arguing with others and accusing them of causing too much pollution by their meat eating habits and their waste of energy. Well, the more you accuse and blame someone, the more they will remain entrenched in their destructive behavior. This is where it takes enormous amounts of patience and compassion. The best way to help someone change is by being compassionate. We all have been ignorant at one time or another in our lives. It takes time to grow and not everyone evolves at the same rate. There is a reason for everything. We are all students put on this earth to learn. Some are about to graduate and leave the "school", some are repeating classes, some are just beginning, and some are almost there. Those who are almost there only need a little push. The rest need more time and there is not much we can do about it.

So, what stage are you in?