reason for my lil lemon zest blog

so the reason i'm here blogging is mainly due to two things: i love veggie food and i've been stricken with not one but two autoimmune diseases that i must now thwart with drugs and hospital stays. these two seemingly unrelated topics have led me to seek knowledge about healthier foods and healthier life options.

veggie food - over the past two years i have been a vegetarian and the more i read/learn/know about dairy the more i strive to be vegan. for me it's time to take that stand. so let's consider any recipes here completely "plant-based". no milk, cheese, or eggs. i find it fun to learn about new ingredients and techniques. cooking vegan food has become a whole new adventure and i love to document it with fab pics :)

autoimmune diseases - i have two. good grief. bet you didn't even know that could happen. actually if you have one autoimmune disease it's quite common that you will find yourself with another. i started off with lupus over 15 years ago. for me lupus was minor and i often forgot i had an issue at all. over the past 3 months however, multiple sclerosis has taken over my life. i have lesions in my brain and spine. the subsequent pain is unbearable. chemo has been my only option for treatment. mwa, mwah...

i assure you this topic will not be the subject of many future blogs. this platform is not where i lay my sorrow about how terrible life is for me. my amazing kids and gorgeous hubby make my life incredible to say the least. rather, this platform is where you will find me standing up to MS and lupus and giving them a bit of a run for their money. i refuse to go down without a fight! therefore, i've decided to try and take my health back into my own hands. i will control how i treat my body and see if i can create the healing environment it needs. and so i begin my journey.

as stated, this is a journey of self-induced healing! how I do that exactly remains mysterious i guess. one does not know where one will go during a journey, what will be discovered, and where it ends. but we take the journey anyway. i will tell you that this journey will include to start with: whole, plant-based foods (recipes and pics!), yoga poses and topics, happy things (like cupcakes!), and perhaps some intuitive or alternative health and wellness ideas that may or may not pan out. 

if you have an autoimmune disease or ailment of any sort you should join me! if not, please check in on my journey anyway. you might discover something new!

looking forward to spring! - j