I spent my life blazing down the road, never slowing down even around the curves~As early as I can remember, (probably as a result of watching Bambi as a kid), I was wanting to save the animals. I didn’t want to cage them, wear them, or eat them. (OK, I did have a guinea pig ”Duke” – as a kid) But I couldn’t stand animal abuse on any level. I was involved in the National Anti Vivisection Society which focused on advancing science without harming animals. I didn’t want to add to the abuse that was inflicted on animals at the beef farms. I have an activist tendency – I didn’t want to add to the abuse that I thought was being inflicted on the beef population in the American farms that provided the beef in our freezers. I had always been interested in health and nutrition. As a high school student I wanted to be a vegetarian. My mom finally relented, recognizing me as old enough to take responsibility for my eating. I spent my senior year as a Lacto-Ovo Vegetarian. I didn’t work with the Anti Vivisection Society for long, I moved across the country, and didn’t pick it up as I settled in Michigan, with my dad. I was a young, high school graduate, enjoying the dating scene.
I was dating a young man, Tom, who shared the same attitudes about eating that I did. He gave with me the book, Sugar Blues by William Dufty, which described the negative effects of sugar. I stopped eating cookies, cakes and candies. Tom and I were eating mostly fresh vegetables, whole grain breads and delicious pastas. That lasted as long as our relationship did.
I broke Tom’s heart and Married Robby. Robby was a selective eater, eating and averge American diet, too much deep-fried foods and not enough vegetables – . Being the very young bride, wanting only to be a stay-at-home mom, I buckled. I learned to cook what my husband enjoyed. You need to know that he never insisted that I cook and eat what he enjoyed, I just wanted to please him! I enjoyed the foods that Robby loved, so I ate them! (realizing that I just enjoyed eating anything) Big Macs, Potato Chips, Soda, and candy bars. When the kids started coming, I became a “milk and cookies mom”. Almost everyday afterschool, I had fresh baked cookies or rice crispie treats or apples and peanut butter ready for them. I have always been thin, it’s in my genes, so I never had to count calories. Of course I would limit my children’s cookie quantity, watching out for their health, but as for me…
As a grazer by nature, with the cookies were already made and convenient to eat, I ate too many! Over the years, I truly became a junk food junkie! But I never got sick! The kids would bring home sniffles from school, I didn’t catch it ~ I mean I never got sick! I can remember one time in my whole adult life that I actually got the flu and threw up! I believed since my college years that all illness is created mentally/emotionally and that we have power to get over anything! You can imagine my surprise! In September, 1995….
My movie tells the story from here…
I am grateful for more years of feeling good! I am realizing the blessings of this experience! I’m anxious to tell you! You’ll read it here at LindaGraceonline!
December 30th, 2009 at 12:03 pm
Good Day!!! lindagraceonline.com is one of the best innovative websites of its kind. I enjoy reading it every day. All the best.
December 31st, 2009 at 12:42 am
Why thank you! I enjoy posting too!
January 24th, 2010 at 4:26 am
The author of lindagraceonline.com has written an excellent article. You have made your point and there is not much to argue about. It is like the following universal truth that you can not argue with: Money cannot buy happiness, however it can ask for the delivery of it; This does not mean it will get delivered. Thanks for the info.
January 24th, 2010 at 5:43 am
Thank you! Yes, my husband’s insurance and my parents money to cover expenses at Johns Hopkins has really bought a lot for me!!
March 31st, 2010 at 9:45 pm
Wow, thanks for sharing, Linda! I can see that you have the heart of a warrior – you didn’t give up and you are fighting on. And I admire your courage and strength of spirit. I am happy to know you, wish there were more like you around…
April 1st, 2010 at 5:37 am
You’re too kind George! I appreciate you saying so! We all have trials, unique to us~ I have to say I’m tired of mine
And, you need to get a gravatar! You need you picture attached to your comments! Watch this~http://lindagraceonline.com/get-the-focus-on-you/
August 3rd, 2010 at 11:43 am
I think it’s really great that you were able to determine what you wanted to do with your health at such an early age. A friend of mine has a daughter in high school whom has decided to take the vegetarian route with the exception of fish, as fish-farms are typically more stock-friendly than most animal farms where the animals barely get to go outside.
I’m personally a strong believer in purchasing local foods because I know that the area I’m in doesn’t have those kinds of issues, and I’m able to purchase meats and vegetables from farmers that I know on a personal level. I had personally considered going vegetarian at a point in my life for similar reasons, but I couldn’t do it. The thought of losing specific vitamins and nutrients seemed to scare me more than the thought of eating a dead animal. I go with the mentality of “So long as nothing is wasted, life can go on.”
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This also goes for cookies.
August 3rd, 2010 at 6:15 pm
Like you, I’m opposed to the nonsense that is going on at the farms! I support the local farmers and when I eat meat, I like theirs!
August 4th, 2010 at 6:49 am
Oh my goodness, me too! I used to live on the East coast and I usually made the effort to go right to the fish mongers to get my fish fresh and directly from the ocean to my freezer. I had once seen a program on television that said that the majority of fish that you purchase from the store has a high chance of not actually being what it is. For example, if a package says that the fish you want to purchase is “wild Atlantic cod”, it’s probably actually farmed. I don’t know the details off the top of my head, but there was a lot of extensive research about it in Guelph University in Ontario, Canada.
August 4th, 2010 at 1:06 pm
It’s so fun that you’re office read and posted on my blog! Thank you!
August 4th, 2010 at 7:11 am
Linda, I’m brand new to your blog and I’ve fallen in love with your writing abilities and experiences! Just like George said, it’s inspiring to read about such honest situations. I’m looking forward to reading more!
August 4th, 2010 at 1:06 pm
Thank you for saying so! I’m glad that you appreciate my stories!
~Linda
May 16th, 2011 at 6:40 pm
I truly admire your courage and strength to fight the obstacles in your life. I am happy to know you, wish there were more like you around…
May 17th, 2011 at 6:00 am
Thank you for saying so! You would be amazed at how many people there are out there who are taking this trials in life, no matter what they are, and inspiring others through it all!
Linda
July 11th, 2011 at 7:13 pm
Your experience was incredible. Where do you remain strong to see the man you love marry someone else. And you keep your commitment to keep eating vegetables. I really applaud for you.
July 11th, 2011 at 7:22 pm
Graham,
Wait a second I’m still married to the love of my life! He is the remarkable one, he takes care of me everyday!
Linda
ps. and yes, I eat my vegetables