It's Been A Long Time

It's been a long time since I've been here; since I've had something to say - or to ramble on about.  Isn't it funny how life can be so busy, but not much is going on?  I haven't been doing much knitting.  Actually, I haven't knit in many months.  I'm not sure why.  I just have not been feeling that need to knit.

I have been doing other creative things - like mandalas.  They are soothing and they help me to sort all of the thoughts in my head.  I learned how to make them from Honey and Ollie's blog.  I love them.  One of the things I love the most about them is that the finished mandala looks so complex, but it's really just one piece added at a time.  Kind of like how knitting is just one stitch at a time, but the finished object is amazing.

I truly think that work is killing my creativity.  It stresses me out to the point that I just want to nap when I get home.  I think it is sucking the life right out of me.  Something needs to change.  I feel like I'm a juggler, who is juggling many balls.  Keeping all of those balls in the air is a challenge.  Well, some of those balls are starting to fall & that's not a good thing.

I have been a vegetarian for the past 20 years.  I have plenty of reasons why I chose vegetarianism.  I will not share those here today.  For 20 years, I have believed that eating food as close to its natural state as possible is healthier than not.  Recently I came across a YouTube video that showed a study done on 6 people with diabetes (four of the people had Type 2, two of the people had Type 1).  These people did a 30-day study where they consumed a raw, vegan diet.  The results were amazing.

Over the past year, I have had health issues and have been prescribed a number of medicines to correct those issues.  The medicines make me feel bad - tired, dizzy, nauseous.  I don't like being on them & feel that there has to be something else.  While I always believed in the power of eating healthy food, I didn't realize all of the benefits that come with a healthy diet (until I watched that video & started doing some research).

Here's one video about the program.

This led me to the decision to make some changes to my diet.  I am eating more raw food and less processed food.  I am eating foods that are high net-gain (food that leaves the body with alot of usable nutrition once the food is digested and assimilated). 

As part of this switch, I am eating alot of salad greens.  This led me to making my own salad dressings (fresh, raw ingredients with healthy oils and no added refined sugar, no chemicals, no artificial colors, no gluten).  They are mainly vegan, although I do plan on making several dressings that contain honey (which is generally not considered to be a vegan food).  The dressings are so amazing tasting!  My co-workers and I have been eating them (daily) for the past two weeks.  We love them.

This has led me to thoughts of starting a business.  A raw salad dressing business.  There are several farmer's markets in my area where I could sell the dressings.  I can use local produce (in season) for the dressings - that is an important thing for me.  I would be doing something I'm passionate about (I'm passionate about healthy food) and I would be helping people.  That's also something that's important to me.

I'm looking into the business aspect - I have signed up for a SCORE mentor, to help me with the start-up.  I think finances will be the main issue.  I do not have good credit and I do not have my own personal start-up money.  I am hoping that something will work out & that I'll be able to start this business (and leave my current job).  I guess that time will tell.