Two Steps Forward, One Step Back

Good afternoon, foodies. :) 

I apologize for the delay; this past week has been an enormous struggle. Lots of tears & emotions ran amuck. I came to a very vivid conclusion; fruit is not my friend. While living in Denver, staying hydrated was on the top of my to-do list so I decided to introduce grape juice. To be safe, I cut it down by about 50% with water to dilute the high sugar content. Then things began to drastically change. Normal bodily functions suddenly became difficult (going to the restroom). I missed my "time of the month". Weight was (still is today, actually) suddenly an issue again. Pain quickly arose in my legs due to extensive swelling. It felt as if I was wearing an unbearably tight body suit. Basically, I had forced my body to go to war. Signals were being sent but none of them succeeded in catching my attention. I thought it was the altitude change giving me problems. (Boy was I wrong...) To add insult to injury, I tried a new fruit just recently. Upon arriving back to DC last week, I was eager to expand my food repertoire. Peaches were next on my list. Full of excitement & ready to indulge, I cut into a sinfully sweet peach (cooked, of course). Three days later, the bottom fell out. Acne, inflammation, contact dermatitis on my feet, bloated stomach, irritability, absolute nastiness. Total rejection of the peaches. This major meltdown made me think twice about the grape juice & whether it was safe or not. NOPE!!!! The grape juice proved to be extremely detrimental to my health, along with the peaches. :( My poor body was put through hell for about 4 weeks while battling the grape juice, then again with the peaches. SUGAR OVERLOAD. Legal foods aren't necessarily acceptable for your body whenever you please. Although you might feel capable of welcoming another food into your diet, your gut might feel otherwise. 

Two steps forward & one step back. This giant setback has taken a toll on me but I know it will smooth over sooner than later. Chicken soup & bone broth shall do the job. Until then, I will do nothing but relax & wait for this storm to blow over. The "me" you see in public may appear to be alright but what you're actually seeing is a solider. A soldier putting on her best face to conquer the enemy & achieve great health once again. Difficult? Perhaps. Possible? Absolutely. I've also decided to never be ashamed of who I am today & what I've done in order to get well; more specifically, drop out of college. I ran into an old high school friend of mine yesterday & was without words when asked about school. I was embarrassed to admit I had to drop out because of my illness & take time off until things settled down. Never again will I hesitate to inform others of my plans to get well & lead a fulfilling life feeling fabulous. I want to thank him for waking me up & allowing me to see there's no harm in what I've done to heal my body: you know who you are. :)

Cheers to tackling speed bumps, growing stronger, & continuing to move forward!!!!!! A few tears might be shed but that's part of the healing process as well. I can get through this, I know it. Positivity is something I've always believed in so I'm going to stick to my beliefs!!! <3 My huge support group on facebook helps a lot, too. I would've gotten nowhere without them!!!! Stay happy, foodies. Cook like there's no tomorrow!!!!! :) p.s. check out my meal below!!! I apologize for lack of a better shot; I ate it quite quickly! & let me know how you cope when you've taken two steps forward and one step back. <3

AWESOME omelette! (2 eggs, spinach, zucchini pasta, pre-cooked chicken thigh chopped into bits, DCCC)