Slowing Down a "Fast" Life

As some of you know, quite a few years ago I started to develop an allergy to milk and all things dairy. Prior to that, when I was a teenager, I suddenly was allergic to most raw fruits and vegetables, and doctors couldn't figure out why. Maybe there was something in or on the fruits and vegetables that I couldn't have all of a sudden. Their solution? Just quit eating fresh fruits and veggies! Which sounds insane! What doctor in their right mind would tell someone to stop eating fruits and veggies? Carrots, strawberries and apples were some of my favorites to eat around that time, and all of a sudden I couldn't eat any of it. Carrots had to be cooked, strawberries were just out of the question, and apples either had to be peeled or cooked in order for me to even be able to put them in my mouth. It was the strangest allergy ever, my mouth would immediately start itching and within a few minutes things would swell; my lips, my tongue, and then my throat. I've only ever had to have an epinephrine shot twice in my life and 10/10 would not recommend, and that's what they give you when you're throat swells.

Because of the allergy I had to take fresh fruits and veggies out of my diet, which means losing out on all of the nutrients as well. Let's add on to that, about 15 years ago I started having trouble drinking milk. Initially, it was just milk. Then as time progressed I started having trouble with all dairy products. I thought, maybe I'm lactose intolerant? Nope, lactose wasn't the problem. Then a friend mentioned it might be a casein problem...NOPE!! Then she found me a milk that is an A2 only milk. So, after years of not having milk I tried it. So far so good. I've been using this milk now for a few years and have had no trouble. Then recently I noticed it said "From cows not treated with Growth Hormone rBST", so it got me thinking. The Parmesan cheese I get from Aldi (that doesn't cause me stomach problems) says the same thing. So, now the question is...Could it be a problem with what we're adding to our food?

I noticed that by growing my own food, and doing a ton of research that our food isn't what it used to be. Through modern convenience and living a "fast" life we have essentially destroyed our food, and therefore ourselves. We spray pesticides on our crops to keep the bugs from eating everything, but what are the side effects of ingesting those pesticides for years? And I know what you're thinking, but I wash my veggies. But do you really? The best way to wash fruits and veggies that you buy from the grocery store is to soak them in a sink of cool water with a tablespoon of vinegar for about 10-15 minutes. So, do you do that? Oh, you don't? Then you're fruits and veggies aren't exactly free of the harmful pesticides that have been used. And they don't just use pesticides, do they? They use fertilizers and God only knows what. The real question is...What does all of that do to the food, and not just the food but your body?

I have chosen this life because I enjoy slowing down. Going out every morning and feeding the chickens, opening the greenhouse and harvesting a little bit of food that grew (overnight, sometimes it seems like). I don't have to rush around to get ready for work, try to grab something in a drive thru for breakfast, and then let someone else tell me what to do all day. I'm sorry but that just never sounded fun to me. I did it, and I acted like I liked it. But at the end of the day, I spent so much energy on everyone else's kids, I was a Teacher's Assistant and Substitute for almost 10 years, that I didn't have the energy for my own. And that isn't fair to anyone. I wish I had realized this when my kids were still young, but there's no going back. All I can do now is make the most of what I have left with my children, which isn't much. (Three of my children are adults and out of the house, and my youngest is almost 16)

When it comes down to it, I have chosen what is best for me and my family; and everyone has to do the same. But if at some point while talking about what I do and why I do it, it makes someone think about how they're living their life, well I'm not mad about it. I wish our country could go back to living more slowly. But...that's a dream! So, for now I'll enjoy my slow life.