002.1 THINGS WE WERE GIVEN FOR FREE
Stress is considered a killer, a sickness that impacts every part of your being, from your mind to your physical body. It isn’t just huge life moments that cause this sickness either, especially not in today’s climate. We’re up against the basics of food, shelter, and general decent livelihood as our new big hairy monster of a goal, when it may have been something we’d already had at some point.
I, personally, am feeling it everywhere. The overwhelm of life is showing up on my body in ways that I had never considered. I’ve overlooked the effects of daily anxiety for quite some time, never realizing how hard it previously made it to lose weight, to focus, to be happy. We’re inspired by these amazing tales of success and accomplishment, running after the same feelings in a world that doesn’t facilitate a healthy place to nurture those desires. I’ve been tearing myself up, like so many people, and as aforementioned, I’m feeling it EVERYWHERE.
When I consider the astronomical price of living we’re experiencing in the United States, that video of Orlando Brown ranting about the price of apples and grapes, “things God gave us for free!” plays in my mind. Because he’s right. The stress we have to put on ourselves to gain the freedom to think our own thoughts (over-saturation of opinion driven entertainment and over-advertising), to drink clean water, or to eat food that grows from the earth is kinda ridiculous when we already have a right to it. I’ve written before, about the madness that is fruit and veggie pricing being the most impacted by inflation when they are the least manipulated food source. A healthy existence is connected to how well you eat (and what you eat), but improving your diet has been made difficult through increasing prices for, let’s say, apples and grapes.
Why’s this relevant?
Because I’ve noticed over my years of experimenting with fitness and food that I feel and look my best when I eat a particular way even as a plant-based eater. There are subgroups in veganism, such as eating all raw foods, being a processed vegan food junkie, or deciding to be sugar free. I prefer to eat whole fruits and veggies, putting different combinations in my Vitamix and making smoothies/juices on a daily basis. I also like to eat my oatmeal in the morning, and prefer seitan and tofu for my protein sources. I don’t eat a lot of beans, and can’t eat a bunch of kale salad because of how it affects my gastric system. It took a lot of trial and error to discover, but I've recognized that the simpler, or “the least manipulated”, the meal the better.
My current concern is bringing this way of eating into my life so that I can get into the best shape of my life that I’ve really been wanting. Then wondering whether or not it’s going to break the bank OR determining what my financial limits are and deciding how much food I can get WITHOUT breaking the bank. It then goes into meal planning, what am I going to buy, and how long will that food last me? And then of course circles back to “HOW CAN I MAKE MORE MONEY?!” so that I don’t have to do this back and forth with myself. The struggle will inevitably show up on my body, and will counter my efforts if I carry on.
As the delusional queen that I am, I will continue to manifest my dream fit body, and will work on manifesting food in spite of the circumstances plaguing the physical realm. But what I want to improve on is my stress levels. I think that can benefit me and anyone else who can relate to my struggle the most.
ABOUT NAIMAH
Naimah is a 25+ year vegan model, designer, and artist after being converted to the lifestyle at only 2 years old by her parents. Growing up she was taught to prepare meals using whole foods and plant-based meat substitutes, and was educated on the variety of benefits and motivations behind having a vegan diet. Her ways of eating sparked conversations with her peers in adulthood, leading Naimah to become interested in exploring the boundlessness of vegan cuisine.
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