I have found the very best most wonderful diet in the whole world. It is
THE diet that everyone should be following. I have found this diet many times in the past and each time I have sung its praises to all my friends and family and yet, sadly, most of them failed to listen to me or follow in my footsteps. What is wrong with them?
The first time I found this perfect diet I ate nothing but meat, cheese, eggs, oil, salad smothered with mayonnaise, shredded cheese, and crumbled bacon, coffee and diet sodas laced with heavy cream. I lost lots of weight, my hair grew longer and thicker, my nails were long and strong, I had lots of energy and slept like a baby.
The next time I found this perfect diet I ate cabbage soup. I ate it all day long with near miraculous results. Then there was the Cambridge liquid diet, Slim Fast, the grapefruit diet, Fit For Life, Weight Watchers, and the list goes on and on, each one more perfect than the rest, until it wasn't the perfect diet anymore. Yes, I have come across the perfect diet many times in my 55 years. Each time I knew that I had FINALLY found the perfect way to eat for the rest of my life and I could see no reason whatsoever that everyone else should not join me.
Now, I eat fruit. I have the option of eating fruit, vegetables, nuts, and seeds. But for the time being, I eat fruit. I feel good. I am feeling better every day. This too seems like the perfect diet. Think how easy it would be for me if everyone ate this way. But oddly enough, some people I know think this is not the perfect diet. Even most people following the raw food diet do not want to eat this way. What is wrong with them? Don't they realize I have found the perfect way to eat?
I have read some blogs and some web sites that "advertise" veganism, raw food, 811, fruitarianism, as a cure all. I have even seen claims that people who follow this style of eating will never be sick. They claim this diet will insulate them from all physical ailments. Sometimes you see fights on raw food forums between people eating different styles of raw food. Only one can be perfect so one must protect one's turf, mustn't one?
So if there are arguments and non~agreement between people eating raw food, how can we decide which diet is best? How can we know who is right? How can we possibly convince the whole world to eat the way we do?
I do not think there is a perfect diet, or rather, I think there are lots of perfect diets. I think the perfect diet is the one that is stress~free, easy to follow, enjoyable, and can be thought of as little as possible. I am sick and tired of thinking about food and trying to determine what I should and should not be eating at any given moment. For right now I eat fruit. It is simple, delicious, and I feel great. Is it the diet for the whole world? Sure, if the rest of the world wants to eat this way and leaves me enough bananas and grapefruit to create my daily staple; the more the merrier. Am I trying to convince the whole world to eat this way? Nope. Do I think you are wrong if you eat meat, cheese, wheat grass, hemp seeds, super foods, olive oil, or pickled squid? That is not my call. You have to answer for your own choices.
What I would like to see is people loving each other more and agreeing to allow everyone to make their own choices about food. Many vegans see their way of eating as a moral choice. They believe animals deserve the same consideration humans do. They want everyone else to agree. But they are going about it in such a way that they offend others and have no chance at all of promoting their cause.
The first time I ever heard the word vegan spoken was at an open house at a local health food store. They had set out a beautiful spread for their customers. A slim, attractive, young woman came in and asked if there were any vegan choices. I cannot even remember what the owners said or what the choices were, but I do remember the girl. She looked disdainfully at each dish, tasted and made faces, asked a dozen questions about each offering, and seemed an altogether rude, judgemental, unpleasant person. Does she represent all vegans everywhere? Of course not, but she did to me that day. I still am not comfortable saying I am vegan to anyone outside the inner circle of raw foodists because she represents what a lot of people think vegans are.
So what are we to do if we think vegetarianism, veganism, raw veganism, low fat raw veganism, fruitarianism, or any other kind of ism is the perfect way to eat? My suggestion is to eat that way, set a good example, be kind, stop judging, show your glow, rawk your rawness, and accept that everyone may never agree with you and it's OK. Be the new face of veganism or vegetarianism, gentle, loving, and welcoming. Eat your food and allow everyone else to eat theirs, in peace. You just might be surprised by your former critics suddenly showing an interest in your lifestyle. How can you expect people to be concerned about the feelings of animals if they don't think you are concerned about the feelings of people? How can you care passionately about animals and continue to have a mean spirit toward those who disagree? Are humans less important than their animals brethern? By maintaining a loving non~judgemental spirit at all times you can live in peace with yourself and everyone else knowing you have done your very best and trusting everyone else to do the same. Isn't that the point?
Love & Sunshine!
Connie
This is one of Martha Stewart's trees. Templates for the ornaments can be found here.
I think I might have a tree like this next year. It looks simple and unbreakable. 
I have been part of the 29 Days Giving Challenge for a while now. I have recorded my gift giving, made sure I offered something to someone every day and yet I have not experience the exhilaration that the creator, Cami Walker, describes. Maybe I am not giving properly? I had to give it some thought. Was I giving to receive? Was I giving expecting to get back? Not giving with a loving spirit? I thought about his and no, I was giving just fine. I didn't mind the giving; I love to give. I just wasn't feeling anything special. Then it dawned on me; this is not what I need. I don't know why Cami needed this challenge to heal, I don't know her particular circumstances, but I know how to give. I am an expert giver. Like my shirt? You can have it? Like this necklace? Take it; it's yours. I give and give and give and never tire of it. It is receiving I have trouble with.
This is a picture of me a year ago visiting Santa with my grandchildren. I borrowed Santa's chair for a photo. I weighed about 200 pounds and was miserable. I hated having my picture taken but really wanted a picture with the boys. Like many other years, I vowed to never be fat in another Christmas picture.
50 pounds lighter, I still don't like having my picture taken but at least I didn't have to worry that I would break the arm of the chair when I sat there to get Gavin next to Santa this afternoon!
As most of you know, I have been absolutely addicted to grapefruit banana smoothies for most of the last year. Many days I drink them all day and want nothing else. Right now they are the absolute best because the grapefruit are fresh and sweet. Well, imagine my surprise on Friday when my first smoothie didn't taste good. I couldn't even finish it. Later in the day I made another one and the same thing; didn't finish it either. I asked Tasha and she said it was delicious, as always. Friday evening I started having some recurrent sinus problems. I also started eating cuties. Three days later that is still what I am eating, I can't get enough of them. I pick up a half dozen or so and peel and eat them several times throughout the day. Luckily they are on sale right now. I'm sure I will return to my smoothies, but right now these juicy little clementines hit the spot.=D
It's the most wonderful time of the year, right? Whether you celebrate Christmas, Hanukkah, Yule, Kwanza, or Festivus for the Rest of Us, we are supposed to be having fun and experiencing joy, aren't we?
My daughters talked me into buying these jeans and the Betty Boop Christmas shirt. Still not sure how comfortable I am with either. Then Tasha gave me the jeans I gave her last Christmas since she has lost weight lately. I didn't even want to try them on. Nothing is quite as demoralizing as trying on clothes that are too small. It certainly was a shock that they fit and that made me feel good. =)
I have not worn the skinny jeans in public yet but I did wear other new jeans I just bought because nothing fit any more. Could I possible be out of the 150s and into the 140s? Maybe. If not now, soon =D
Yesterday I met some of Andrew's co-workers. After I left they asked Andrew how old I was. They were surprised I was 55. (Andrew is almost 28. I was not a young mom. I was 27 when he was born. I was 37 when Suzanne was born.) At least that's what he said. He could've made it up. Either way it made me feel good. I do not mind looking 55 but I think before I looked about 65, so there is definite improvement. 
I have found the very best most wonderful diet in the whole world. It is THE diet that everyone should be following. I have found this diet many times in the past and each time I have sung its praises to all my friends and family and yet, sadly, most of them failed to listen to me or follow in my footsteps. What is wrong with them?
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