Hello, my name is Kathy....

... and I am an addict. I am addicted to comfort food. Every time I get a cold, I want a Tim Hortons French Vanilla to soothe the sore throat. When I am feeling down, I want a McDonalds Cheeseburger. When I have had an upsetting day, I want Ice Cream. When I eat out at a nice restaurant, I want cheesecake for dessert... the list could go on and on... Nothing makes this more apparent than raw food. I can compare raw food to smoking (as a former smoker). When you are smoking, your body is so used to the ill effects, that you no longer notice anything wrong. It isn’t until you quit smoking, and even then the return to "normal" is so gradual, that you do not notice too much good being done to your body, only the bad (withdrawal). It is when you break down, and you have that first cigarette after being smoke-free for a period of time, that your body informs you that it isn’t good for you. I remember trying to quit, and when I would return to smoking, that first cigarette caused my lungs to hurt, gave me a head-rush and made me feel sick to my stomach. However, I also remembering finishing that same cigarette, and grabbing for the next, as I was a nicotine junkie. I have been smoke free for three years now, and glad for it. I can use this in order to relate to another addiction; in this case food. It is much the same with raw food. It is hard for the first few days, your body craves the carbohydrates and sugars, then after you are done with the initial cravings, you feel great. Your body feels an amazing well being. It is something that has to be experienced in order to truly understand, much like quitting smoking. Then, the thought of the ice cream at the end of an upsetting day pops up; and you think, "well, I’ve been so good, what harm is a tiny bit of ice cream going to do?" That is when your body truly lets you know that raw food is superior (if you surrender to the ice cream). You begin to feel rotten. In my case I get a stomach ache, and I pay for it for the next few hours (I’m convinced that I am somewhat lactose intolerant). And, just like an addiction, the thought of the comfort outweighs the thought of the consequence the next time around. Not only will I attack the ice cream again, but I will think, "oh well, I’m being bad, lets see how MUCH ice cream I can consume before I start to feel sick"... sick is the right word here.... So, I have come to admit, totally with the help of raw food, that I am an addict. Some days I wish that I was addicted to lettuce or celery. But some days I think I am... When I don’t juice for awhile, I crave the carrots and celery, my body actually misses it... but much in the same way it will forget it just as quickly if I make bad food choices. Luckily there is help out there! I have ordered the Raw Divas Guide to Cravings and Emotional Eating and in between packing and yard cleaning, diving into this program is how I intend to spend a good part of my weekend. I am also hoping to go to Chapters and look for Victoria Boutenko’s "12 Steps to Raw Foods" which I hear deals with some of these issues as well. Wish me luck... I am an addict....