It May Look Like It's Just A Garden But It's So Much More

Our backyard garden

Who knew that planting a garden could help save your life? Just the fact alone that I spend more time outdoors than I have in years is a big change and a healthy one. It is helping me move more. While pulling in the hose last night I could feel muscles in my arms moving. It may not sound like much, but to me it felt great. 

The reward of walking out in the morning to find a new eggplant or several new beans that weren't there yesterday is a great one. The garden is not yielding a lot yet - I really have no idea what I'm doing-  but there is a mound of fresh tomatoes in the kitchen. I had forgotten how amazing fresh tomatoes taste. Grocery store tomatoes are a waste of space in comparison. 

The biggest reward is that by savoring the freshness I am beginning to look at food as life-giving, instead of addiction soothing. My husband said something a month or so ago that stuck with me. He said that when he was growing up the purpose of meals was to fill you up, not bring you health. That really "threw me for a loop." I realized that was what I was doing. Eating to satisfy cravings. We were vegetarian, but I was eating junk with lots of sugar and empty calories. 

Now, a switch has been thrown. Last night I was craving junk - sweets, Cheezits, anything. But, then I realized I wanted to give my body health, life. I pulled some blueberries out of the refrigerator and ate a handful. What?! They were incredible. So sweet. So clean. It feels like I am eating clean food. I was completely satisfied and felt renewed. 

So, it is Day Five of our 28-day vegan experiment. I am beginning to crave healthy foods. I am feeling significantly less bloated. Oh, and did I mention I have lost five pounds? I haven't been trying to lose weight really, but by focusing on eating for my cells, for my life, a big side effect is that I am losing weight. 

And, here I thought this would be painful.

Goodies from our backyard