Greasy Pipes
By Dondi Sheats
About two years ago I had a Gastric Bypass and lost 109 pounds, but recently started to eat unhealthy and gain the weight back. I am petrified to get fat again so I have been willing to try something new. My niece introduced me to Down to Earth Natural Foods for the first time. We decided to go there for a late lunch and as I followed her to the salad bar I hoped there would be something there that I was used to eating, but also was hoping for a new experience with salads and healthier foods. At the salad bar, I watched my niece fill her container with greens and various other goodies that I knew I liked individually but have never tried together. I know it seems silly, but salads are foreign to me since I’ve always been a fast food junkie. I guess laziness is also a part of eating that way. I’ve been single for 15 years and fast foods are so easy and convenient. But now I am very open to new and healthier ways of feeding my body. That is the way I decided to look at it: feeding my cells, feeding my bones, feeding my heart. Not just eating, because eating made me a fat woman and I lost out on a lot of life because of it. I am now 49 years young and am riding a bike and swimming and walking everywhere I go. Eating meat makes me feel nauseous, heavy, drained, exhausted and upset in my stomach. I feel bloated and greasy in my mouth. Watching
Tasty and Meatless has helped me to find a more wholesome diet that is less violent on my body and helped me to understand the satisfaction and advantages of a plant based diet. My niece and her mom (my sister) is a vegetarian and they are also helping me to find meat and dairy alternatives.
My niece giggled at me that day at lunch when my eyes lit up at the taste of my salad. I was so happy that it tasted so good. Was I really enjoying eating a salad full of lettuce, peas, corn, broccoli, carrots, sunflower seeds, and raisins? Wow, what a taste! For the price, I couldn’t afford NOT to come here everyday for a salad. I was spending at least $7 a day on food for lunch, so why not get a salad here that costs me $5 or $6 and eat that instead? Afterward, I didn’t feel gorged and thick, just satisfied and light. My pants and belly didn’t bulge; rather I walked away from lunch feeling comfortable, restful, energized and proud of myself for making a healthy choice.
Vegetables are a healthy choice and I can’t afford not to nourish my body any longer. I’ve been starving my cells for too many years. In the future, I won’t need surgery, pacemakers, or shunts. I want my internal pipes to be clean, not full of greasy buildup. I try to imagine cold grease being poured down a sink and compare that thought to my own body when I consume meat products. Quite frankly the idea of it makes me ill and I can now thank my niece and
Tasty and Meatless for helping me visualize my pipes being clean with greens and fiber, leaving them free and clear for the blood to flow generously through my veins. Since I started avoiding meat I feel healthier, have more energy, feel lighter on my toes, and a snappy skip in my feet. I used to feel tired and stuffed after eating and I don’t any more. I want to thank Down to Earth for their delicious and inviting salad bar. Now, at work, everyone stares at me when I eat my salads and asks, “Where did you get that?” They comment on my healthy choice and seem jealous that they don’t have one, so I share my little “greasy pipes” visualization with them. I have noticed that salads are becoming more plentiful around my friends’ plates! I am told that I am an inspiration to others. They are inspired by the critical choices and changes that I’ve made to better my health so that I can live a longer healthier life free from the ailments of fat and meats.
Thank you for the opportunity to share my story, it feels good to know that I’m on a better track for LIFE!
