Don’t Shush Me

“The privilege of a lifetime is to become who you truly are.” 
― Carl Gustav Jung

I won’t be silenced.

In my mind, life is made up of conversations and stories. That’s how my brain works. Talking, telling stories and retelling stories is how I make sense of what I learn; how I process information. I’m a reader and a doer but not much of a listener. It takes awhile for things to sink in when I hear them.

Many, many years ago I happened to be at a friend’s house when they had company over. I didn’t know their company but of course they introduced us and I became part of the ongoing conversation. 

At some point the topic of organic food came up. This was thirty years ago, so very little organic food was available and I had no idea how it all worked. Their guest was adamant it was a better choice, so I asked him why. His tone toward me felt arrogant and condescending. He made me feel like the fat, unhealthy, twenty something girl I was. Standing there ignorant in his superior presence I stopped asking questions, but I filed that conversation away because I had more to learn and thought I might need it to figure a few things out. I just didn’t have the maturity or bandwidth in that moment.

About ten years ago we had friends from the Midwest visiting us in Seattle. Organic food was common by then and I had starved myself down a hundred pounds, so I looked a little better but was still that same ignorant fat kid inside.

We took them and a friend of theirs out to all our favorite Seattle spots including fish and chips on Alki. But when we arrived, two of our three friends said they couldn’t eat there because of the oil and gluten. Gluten was becoming a big problem for many people but I had never heard of oil being a problem. We chose a different restaurant with the same great view and continued our visit.

As we ordered the friend-of-our-friends asked that his asparagus come minus the vegetable oil it would be cooked in. The waiter seemed as puzzled as I was, but agreed. But when the meal came our guest rolled his eyes and took his napkin and began wiping, what did appear to be shiny vegetable oil off, his asparagus.

I had never seen someone so committed to avoiding something that seemed so inconsequential. He was annoyed enough to wipe it off at dinner, with people he had just met, out in public, as their guest. I didn’t know whether be equally annoyed or respect the weird guy. But I couldn’t resist asking why. 

It wasn’t a tirade by any means, but his answer was reminiscent of that other, unpleasant conversation I had about organic food, twenty years earlier. I abandon this one too, feeling the tone becoming negative, and again decided to file the information away. Why was he so adamant about not putting vegetable oil in his body? I would find out but not for another ten years.

Fast forward almost ten years to a trusted friend who had always been the picture of health.  I had continued searching for the best way to eat and exercise and was trying to avoid family health issues as I aged. 

If you haven’t read “my story” in a previous blog - this is where it comes in. He told me about cutting carbs and processed foods out of my diet and eating more fat and protein. He opened the door to what would later help me reverse my Type 2 Diabetes.

But I didn’t follow his advice right away. I was swayed by the crowd and my poorly educated doctor. I was afraid. I couldn’t believe it was true, so I filed that conversation away as well.

My point is; I had to hear several conversations before I was ready to really hear what they were saying. I had to grow, things had to happen - hard things, like open heart surgery. And then I began to connect the dots for myself.

As I write this we are experiencing a difficult time and so many conversations are demanding our attention. It’s hard to tell what to focus on and who to listen to. My conversation with you at this moment is to keep your health on the front burner. Keep looking, keep reading and keep researching the best way to eat, regardless of other circumstances. Consider my story, and so many others, a warning, but also an opportunity. 

With the right information you have more control over your health and the money and time you will spend on it than you realize. It is especially critical when life is stressful.

If you have to hear this ten times, that’s fine. If you file it away, my feelings won’t be hurt. If you are already as healthy as you want to be, I’m happy for you. But if you are looking for answers, keep looking, keep asking. Listen. Don’t be shut down by some condescending asshat. I will never stop talking about this. If there is a chance someone reverses their Type 2 Diabetes, gets off their insulin, avoids open heart surgery I’m going to take that chance. If that’s not you, carry on. But, I won’t be silenced.