I am an artist. I am happiest when I am creating...anything...art, food, crafts. I also value knowing what's in the things that I use on and in my body. So I began making our laundry detergent, dish soap, wool dryer balls, lip balm, skin moisturizer and, of course, meals.
I value “real” food. I believe that food is healthcare and medicine is sickcare, and we seem to have found ourselves living in a world that values quantity over quality. But there does seem to be a change in the consciousness about food. Enough people are making connections between processed food and illness, illness of the body and of the mind.
In the spring of 2007, my mother passed away from cancer and then my father followed shortly after from a broken heart. My mothers passing was difficult but expected, so as broken-hearted as I was, I was dealing with it. My fathers death was so sudden and so soon after, that I went into a state of shock. I stopped taking care of myself properly, stopped eating properly, and struggled to just exist day to day.
About 8 months later, I stumbled upon a career that I didn't realize I had been preparing for. I was hired as a web designer. Shortly thereafter, I met my soul mate. My world began to fall back into place and everything began to make sense again. But it took some time for me to put into practice all I knew to be true about eating and food and how to nourish the body as well as the soul.
This was kicked into high gear when we found out that my significant other has Polycythemia Vera. A rare blood disorder there is no cure for.
I started doing all of my food research again. And we decided it was time to invest in a Vitamix. My boyfriend's response to the cost was something along the lines of “how much for a blender?!” It didn't take him long to understand how invaluable these little machines truly are, and now his favorite thing to say is “it's not a blender, it's a lifestyle” and “you gotta check out the (fill in the blank) that she made!”
I grew up eating “health food.” My parents were hippies, and played around with vegetarian eating, and my best friend's parents were both nutritionists. I was always surrounded by healthy food, so eating well feels very natural for me.
My idea of healthy eating is always evolving. I began incorporating the Body Ecology Diet and The pH Miracle into our lives last year. It was invigorating. I've since fallen off the wagon, but I see it on the horizon. Knowing how good it makes me feel makes me want it again.
My Vitamix blender has become my ally. I love all of the things I can make, and I love knowing what's in my food. I love making my own nut milk, nothing in a box for me anymore. And our morning green smoothie is such a great way to start the day. Soups, sauces, dressings, I can even mill my own flour... the uses for a Vitamix are endless. You can even make soft pretzels!
We're stilling learning and evolving together. Everyday is an adventure!
Peace!
Dawn Selene
Dawn Selene
