Man, that must have been the toughest part of changing my lifestyle - cutting out the meat! I grew up in a household where barbeques (or "braais" as we South Africans call them) were a regular happening. And I mean regular.
My Dad was a real hard-core South African. He worked hard, and he played hard. And he loved the South African 'veldt' - that is the 'sticks' for you Aussies out there, or the 'wild outdoors' for some of you. Winter time was hunting time and every year, Dad and about 3 of his buddies would set off to a game farm somewhere remote to replenish the freezers for the year.
We usually joined the party of six "Big Game Hunters" after two weeks of men-only hunting. It was the greatest time for us as children. The campsite consisted of these large, comfortable tents set up in a clearing in the bush, a central spot for the campfire where all the cooking, socializing and story-telling took place, and just on the outskirt - away from the hustle and bustle - was the little creature comforts that no South African lady would do without. It was a Bush Shower rigged on the biggest tree around, with tarpaulin to preserve our modesty and of course the "portaloo" which worked with chemicals and magically dissolved any deposits made therein.
The set-up was ever so exciting. The adults all had their own tents, and all the girls congregated in one tent, while all the boys occupied another on the other side of the camp. Our tents were kitted out with stretchers and sleeping bags which kept us ever so snug in the freezing cold winter nights.
At night, sound traveled really far in the bush, and we could often hear a pride of lions roar in the distance. Even though they might have been a few miles away, the sound was still frightening! On one of these camping trips we had feline visitors to the campsite. My uncle heard scratching noises around the tent. He crawled out and walked around the tent but saw nothing. The next morning, upon inspection, he found leopard prints that followed him all the way round. What excitement for us all!
My biggest treat was to be allowed to go out on a days shoot with my Dad and a few others. I had very keen eyesight and was quick to spot the elusive Kudus as they flitted through the undergrowth which provided the perfect camoflage for their dark, striped skins. Kudus were prized for their delicious meat, and the best bilting and Kudu steak was a special treat.
Springbok and Thompson's Gazelle was more prolific, so we often had that on the menu. But once a buck had been shot down, it was taken back to the campsite and skinned and hung to dry in order to preserve the meat. The skin was then salted and tanned and used for all kinds of things.
My Dad was extremely skilled when it came to cutting up the meat. Once we got home, he would string the carcass up on the patio and I loved helping him cut the meat into its different sections. He made biltong by curing and hanging strips of meat to dry, he cut shoulders and legs for the most delicious venison dishes, and cut tender steaks made sausages from other portions.
Whenever I returned home for a visit, Dad would haul out a prized piece of venison, simmer it for days in his special recipe until the meat simply fell off the bone, and we feasted on this for days.
We had barbeques at least 4 or 5 days of the week. These were great social events, and my Dad's skills with a good braai were widely revered. So the consumption of meat was a deeply ingrained in our culture.
And now I had to stop eating meat? This was the most difficult decision I have ever had to make. It took me years to get to the place where I could actually stick to this resolution - and the crunch came when I had a health scare that gave me the wake-up call of my life.
In March, 2007 my Cardiologist looked concerned when he checked my blood pressure at one of my follow-up visits after a valvuplasty which relieved the symptoms of Rheumatic Heart Disease. At this point, I was feeling so unwell I did not think I could carry on living anymore, and I actually asked him if they would consider me for a valve replacement.
Now, I knew what this would mean : I would have to be on medication for the rest of my life, and the valve would only last 20 years. I was frightened and desperate and sad and angry all at the same time, but I simply felt too ill to cope.
When he asked my why I wasn't on Warfarin, I simply told him that no-one had ever suggested I should be on it. In the back of my mind something registered that Warfarin was not good, and that it would change my life for the worst forever! When my Mom told me it was essentially rat-poison, I made the decision there and then that I will not do that to myself. The cardiologist also put me on blood-pressure tablets which had the most awful side-effects. After 3 weeks I stopped taking them and decided to take responsibility of my own health and well-being.
I had learned enough over the years to know that conventional medicine just treats symptoms with medicine that is often toxic to the body and which always has some negative effect as a "bonus". Now I'm not against doctors. If it hadn't been for these wonderful people I probably wouldn't have survived the St. Vitus Dance that ended my dreams of Olympic gold. But these days I am far more discerning about the treatment I accept for problems that could be sorted out by natural means.
From my research and personal investigations into the reasons and causes of high blood pressure and strokes etc, I had found out that eating meat has a very negative effect on a person's blood. If you compare the blood of raw vegans to the blood of vegetarians and carnivores, you will make an amazing discovery. The blood of a regular meat eater is slow-moving and clumps together. The blood of a vegetarian that includes cooked pastas and rice and potatoes etc, is less sluggish and moves a bit more freely. In contrast, the blood of raw vegans flows freely and quite effortlessly.
It appears that a raw, vegan lifestyle has a positive impact on the blood flow through our system. The first big change I made was to stop eating meat immediately. For three months I had power-smoothies for breakfast, and I made green smoothies for lunch and dinner. These green smoothies consisted of lettuce, spinach, tomatoes, spring onions, carrots, beansprouts, Flax Seed oil, lemon juice and garlic.
The impact on my health was phenominal. Within three months my blood pressure was back to normal, and I felt great! Every morning I woke up without as much as a pain anywhere in my body, and my energy levels were through the roof.
I literally woke up and shouted "Yippeeee". Instead of feeling tired - constantly tired without any rhyme or reason, I felt alive and well!
When I saw my cardiologist earlier this year, he was mega impressed that I had managed to come off all my medication and that my blood pressure was normal! "Whatever you are doing, keep on doing it because you are doing great!" was his parting words.
Now I don't know about you, but for me, it was worth it. Changing my lifestyle to get my life back - it's a No-Brainer" for sure.
So, on this note, I will sign off and say :
Be Healthy and Be Raw!
No comments:
Post a Comment