The Support of Family and Friends

I feel so blessed to have such fantastic, supportive friends and family. I’m definitely very new to this raw food lifestyle and I know this is just the beginning of a wonderful journey. It can sometimes be hard when you make changes to the “basics” of your life (such as what you eat, where you live, even how you dress). Hard for yourself, but also hard for those around you. I’m fortunate that I have a living situation that is conducive to my changes. I don’t have to worry about food coming into the house that I’m not “ok” with right now. I have talked to and read stories about people who are trying to make significant dietary changes, but because they have a family (kids, spouses), it’s much harder. What you choose to eat is such a personal choice. However, when you are responsible for preparing food for others, well, it gets tricky. Their “personal choice” and your desire for change don’t always match. I admire everyone who chooses to make these changes, regardless of their situation. It takes much strength and courage.

My family and friends have been awesome about my transition. They know that I am making this change so that I can live a happier, healthier life. My parents always have fresh, organic produce when I visit (and take me back and forth to the health food store, as necessary!). They even drink my green smoothie concoctions with me! My friends meet me for dinner at Live or Rawlicious (raw food restaurants in Toronto), instead of typical places where we might have dined in the past. They happily come over to my house so that I can prepare the meals. I’m so lucky.

The other night, I got a huge surprise! My friend Cheryl and I were planning to go out for dinner. Earlier in the day she called me and invited me to have dinner at her place instead. ”All raw”, she says, “I’ve been researching all day”. I was so touched (and so excited) that she would go to such lengths to prepare a raw dinner for us. We enjoyed zucchini pasta with a creamy spinach-rosemary-avocado-and-more sauce with chopped veggies on the side. For dessert (which we ate well after our all veggie meal), we devoured a plate of fresh berries and Raisin Walnut Chocolate Chunk cookies from Live. I was in raw food heaven!!!

On my way home, I thought a lot about how we need support when making changes. People aren’t islands; we can’t do it alone. Whether it’s a friend, a family member, a waitress at your favourite restaurant, find someone you can lean on for support. It makes the changing easier when you feel as though someone has your back. The Vega Community is such a wonderful place to gain support. It’s awesome for sharing with and learning from people who are also on a food-changing path.

So, my question to the community is this: what inspires you to keep making the choice for change? Who or what inspires you, challenges you every day to choose to THRIVE?

xo Lisa