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It's been nearly four months since I've written a post. A lot can happen in four months. In my case, the problems with my back finally resulted in the surgery I had put off for years. So in February, I had a spinal fusion done between L4 and L5 and a decompression done between L5 and S1. It's been over 8 weeks and I feel like I have a new lease on life! Had I known I would feel this good, I would have done it two years ago. Here's a crazy picture of the work Dr. Ha completed on my back. The circle in pen demonstrated the space he was able to create with the spacers so my nerves could breathe again. Just amazing!

The recovery from the surgery was not bad at all. However, all of the other issues I went through made for a tough journey back. Chronic low blood pressure, sinus infections, UTI's made recovering from the surgery a difficult road. However, in the midst of my recovery, our youngest daughter, Stephanie, gave birth to our sixth grandchild, McKenna Lynn. The joy of her birth made the recovery worth every moment.

So, I'm finally back and ready to write once again - happily so. My hope is to continue writing about the areas of life that I have gradually begun to peel back in my life in an effort to live a more abundant life of true joy. Free from the encumbrances of debt, physical and emotional stress (that I can control), poor health, religion (more on this in future posts) and more. This first post picks up on my last post discussing our health journey. I made a mess of my former blog (DayTwentyTwo) so, I've opted to pick a new title and start over. When I thought about the process of peeling back the layers, a picture of an onion was fitting. In my case, I've been reluctant to peel back most of my layers, so the name was fitting.

When I left I had just started a 21-day diet to address some of the health issues that had plagued me for years; overweight, high cholesterol, lethargic and a number of minor allergies. The plan I adopted was developed by PCRM (Physicians Committee for Responsible Medicine). It was designed to introduce people hoping to improve their health (and other motivations) to a Vegan diet. The results of the 21-day plan were staggering. I lost over 10 pounds, decreased my total cholesterol by 50%, improved my skin and hair, gained a ton of energy. Not to mention, the plan was instrumental in my recovery process.

To my delight my husband Larry wanted to join me on the journey. He is a type 1 diabetic and had hoped that the diet would help him lose a few pounds, lower his blood pressure and help with his over-all blood sugar results. Once again, the results amazed us. He successfully accomplished all of his goals as well. Most notably was the 30% improvement in his A1C (blood sugar levels).

We were surprised how easy it was to give up meat. It was another thing to give up dairy. It's amazing to me how I had become absolutely addicted to cheese! I've learned that there are actually casomorphines in cheese that have the same effect as a drug. (See the word morphine in casomorphine). I can attest to the fact that cheese is addicting.

With these amazing results and more reading, today we are embarking on the next step of our food journey. We are beginning a 28-day journey to plant based living. We are convinced that this is our best option for optimal health and clean eating. I'll update you as our journey unfolds. If you'd like to learn more or join us, we'd welcome the encouragement. Visit Engine 2 Diet, for more information.

It's good to be back! I welcome starting the dialog once again.

Jan