Intervention

I have to say, I find it absolutely amazing how non-vegan, non-runner, non-like-me people can criticize my healthy lifestyle. Inversely, it would be considered entirely inappropriate for me to openly criticize another person for having diabetes, high cholesterol, heart disease, obesity and/or an overly-sedentary lifestyle filled with poor nutritional choices. It is socially unacceptable to tell someone they are "too fat." So why would someone consider it acceptable to say to another person: "You are too thin!" or "You are too obsessed with healthy eating." I have been victim to these types of "interventions" and this is my response.

As my life has evolved and I have become more and more enlightened through my incessant research and education, I have taken my knowledge and practically applied it to the way I live my life. I have taken previously-ingrained bad habits and replaced them with good and healthy habits. For example, I used to reward myself with a bag of Cheddar Cheese Combos and a Sam Adams Cherry Wheat Beer. Now, I would not put that garbage into my body. (Well, I might have some beer once in a GREAT while...but definitely NOT the Combos.) Now, my idea of rewarding myself is giving my body something ultra healthy like a spirulina-gojiberry cookie, some yummy kale chips, or a green smoothie. And I would be indulging in this sort of "reward" not because it was Friday or because the kids were at the grandparents. The reward would be a compensation for successfully completing a 10 mile run in less than 90 minutes. My mind has changed because I have discovered what is best for me. My body has changed because I do what is best for me. I have taken my beliefs and made them into my habits. Since when is being "too healthy" a bad thing? Or more realistically, one must ask the question, "Is it possible to be too healthy?"

My happily overweight brother-in-law has an expression he likes to use regularly in regard to healthy living: "You don't live longer. It just feels like it." For him, eating nothing but nuts and berries would be torture. So, to imagine being forced into a raw vegan lifestyle, he imagines an ensuing misery. In reality, I have no desire to live to be over 100 years old unless it is God's will. Longevity is not my goal. I could get attacked by a wild bear tomorrow and my life would be over, regardless of how healthy my eating and exercise habits are. Rather, my goal is to live the healthiest I can possibly be each and every day of my life. There is nothing worse than to see people with chronic, degenerative, debilitating diseases which rob them of their livelihood and eventually lead to a slow and often painful death. If I have the tools to prevent going down such a path, I am going to use them! If I am ever stricken by such a disease, at least I will know that I have done everything possible to prevent such an occurance and have no regrets about living a lifestyle which contributed to my demise.

I have been told by well-meaning family members time and time again that I am "too skinny" and/or "I worry about you." I am at an ideal weight for my height and frame. My BMI is totally within normal limits and I even had a full blood analyis done to verify that my raw vegan lifestyle has not adversely affected my health in any way. I started running two years ago and have placed first in my age group in several races. I have gone from being someone who couldn't run a block without becoming winded to a well-conditioned athlete who is capable of running a half-marathon (13.1 miles) in under two hours. I am proud of myself and of what I have accomplished. It's too bad that my family is too "concerned" about me to share in my joy or offer positive encouragement.

As far as being "obsessed" with my healthy lifestyle--if I were truly overemphasizing my running or eating, I wouldn't have time to clean the house, do the laundry, drive the kids to all their activities, read stories to my preschooler, go to concerts and movies, work in the garden, watch t.v. with my husband, read books and magazines, or work on my websites. I cook "regular" food for my family and do not force my raw vegan choices on them, but always leave it as an option (an option which they will sometimes voluntarily choose). I believe that I have found a nice balance and have been successful in prioritizing my responsibilities to both myself and my family. It seems that the only people criticizing me are those who are "on the outside." Maybe these people are secretly jealous because they have been unsuccessful in following a more health-conscious protocol in their own lives. Maybe they wish they could fit into size 2 jeans. I don't know what their "deal" is, but I've had more than enough of it!

I am happy with my body and my diet. My husband loves the way I look. My kids aren't complaining about me being too busy with running or food preparation to care for them. We are all quite content. Why can't everyone else be?