You Are What You Eat

Wow. This book is intense. I had heard buzz about it before, but this past week one of my vegetarian co-workers suggested I read it, considering my recent jump into the veg world. I knew I was making my personal choice based on my specific health concerns, but now since reading it, I'm so glad I did! The amount of crap we are pumping into our bodies through animal products is just astounding. It's not so much the animal meat itself that I have a problem with, it's the absurd conditions in which these animals live (and die). And we end up eating them and shoving any antibiotics or hormones they ingested or were treated with into our bodies. Gross. It gets much worse than that, but I won't go into detail. I understand that people have varying viewpoints on this issue, and I just know now where I stand. Obviously for 26 years I was wandering along aimlessly, shoving McDonald's burgers and Chi-fil-A sandwiches in my mouth without a care in the world. We don't have to "see" what happens to our food, so it makes us ignorantly (and possibly blissfully) unaware.

I found an interesting part in the book though that reinforced the other research I had done about diet affecting women's health issues. The book dedicates a section to talking about PMS, mood swings, cravings, and cramps. This correlates with my problem because my pain would become the most intense during this time. I knew it had to do with hormone levels (which my doctor, of course, wanted to correct with hormone therapy) and I knew there had to be a more natural way to remedy the situation. The book explains:

"Every month, our bodies produce extra estrogen in case of pregnancy. When we don't become preggers, estrogen levels plunge, triggering bloating, irritability, and cravings. The trick to avoiding these heinous feelings is maintaining balanced estrogen levels throughout the month. Like everything else, this can be done through diet. Fatty foods increase estrogen levels, and fibrous foods help reduce estrogen production. The Journal of Obstetrics and Gynecology conducted a study exploring the effects of diet on menstrual symptoms. Women who eliminated animal fats from their diets experienced dramatic decreases of bloating and cravings. On average, menstrual cramps were reduced from four days to about two and a half days."

Now since my pain is not from menstrual cramps, but from Endometriosis, I'm not sure if the affects will be the same. But I definitely feel like this points to a possibility!

*Side Note: I went to the gym to do yoga this morning and weighed myself before starting. I weighed 144 lbs WITH my clothes and shoes on! That's 2 lbs lost in a week! The beauty of it is that I worked out moderately, but I don't feel like I killed myself at the gym. This diet is definitely helping me find a balance in my life where I don't feel dependent on caffeine to wake up, sweets to cheer up, or the neurotic need to count calories. I know that what I'm putting into my body is wholesome and clean and it just feels good!