Letting Go Of Fear and Not Being Perfect

When I started on my journey to health, it felt a little rocky in the beginning. It was hard to figure out what to eat. Is animal protein good for you or bad for you? Is fruit healthy or not? What about dairy? Ahhhhh!!!!!

Did you know that nutrition is the only science where two opposing theories can both be proven to be right? After several years of going back in forth, I am finally feeling good about my choices and I want to share some insights that perhaps can help you in your own journey.

Having eaten mostly raw and vegan diet, I realized that I wasn't feeling my optimum best as I should have been given my regiment. Yes, it works beautifully for many people and I absolutely love raw vegan cuisine for its enzymes, vitamins and life-force, but I can't do it at 100%. I have said it many times that I am Alina, not "vegan" or "raw vegan." I don't believe in "labels" in food or fashion, but I do believe in creative designers and guess what? WE can be our nutrition designers!

Did you know that even Dalai Lama eats animal protein because it is necessary for his health? (Learn more here) Did you know that chimps eat other monkeys? I absolutely respect Dalai Lama and in no way want to compare him to a monkey, but I do want to point out that they don't eat animals out of cruelty. They do it out necessity for their health. I have been torn for many years on whether or not I should or shouldn't have animal proteins and I have suffered tremendously, both emotionally and physically because of it. I am now finally accepting myself as someone who needs to have eggs or fish for my physical wellbeing. I don't eat them for entertainment and I don't eat them often, instead I eat them as medicine for my body. 

While some may disagree and show me many different sources to prove that I am wrong, I am committed to the internal wisdom of my body. What works for one person may not work for another and it is our responsibility to be as kind to ourselves and to nature. 

With that in mind, I do choose the best quality eggs from chickens who are NEVER in cages, who are pasture-raised, fed with non-gmo feed and humanely treated and raised (Vital Farms is my favorite brand). As for the fish, I do my best to find wild-caught and sustainably harvested kind. I also bless the food I eat and give my gratitude for the sacrifice a being made in order for me to live. 

Going forward I will be posting more pictures and recipes featuring organic, non-gmo, humanely raised animal proteins to share my journey and to inspire others. It will still be a small part of my diet as 90% of what I eat is plant-based and mostly raw and unprocessed. I am absolutely passionate about raw vegan cuisine and think that it is one of the most creative ways to make food and one of the best way to get nutrients. I will still be posting, talking and promoting the benefits of plant-based eating and detoxification, but devoting 90% of my posts to it.

I do want to say that it has been incredibly hard to come out and share that, hey, I am human and I am not 100% perfect. There has always been a deep fear of rejection if I don't live up to someone else's expectations. It has been such an honor to be welcomed into an amazing vegan community and a fear of not being a part of it has been holding me back from opening to who I am and what I need. But a life lived in fear is a life half-lived, so here I am sharing my journey and letting go of fear of not being perfect.

I hope that this inspires you to tune in to your body, listen to its voice and nourish it with what it needs. Choose the best quality foods and treat your body and our planet with respect they both deserve. You are one-of-a-kind. Eat accordingly and upgrade your health!

With love and gratitude, 

Alina

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