Dr. Ruth Heidrich has a new eye-opening must-read coming out!

I can't think of a better way to kick off my new blog. Ruth Heidrich has been my hero since I first saw Mike Anderson's Eating documentary in 2008. You may know her from other fantastic documentary's such as Forks Over Knives. It was seriously upsetting to learn this illness, BII, nearly took the life of such a fierce warrior and inspiration to us all. I just had the great fortune to receive an advance copy from Ruth and it was riveting. What an incredible honor and privilege to provide an endorsement:

Breast Implant Illness: A Living Nightmare should be required reading for everyone. Why? Sadly, each of us probably knows someone who is suffering needlessly. Dr. Heidrich explores the truth in depth, that not only silicone, but saline implants are causing a cascade of painful and frustrating illnesses. I was astonished to learn that mesh implants used for surgeries such as hernias are also coated in silicone. Hundreds of thousands of men and women around the world are being poisoned. You will be astounded by the sheer amount of fascinating information Dr. Heidrich has packed into, not only her own heartbreaking implant experience, but the history of implants and the full spectrum of the toxicity. I found myself reading many of the neurological discoveries aloud to my partner who's a therapist. This book also angered me. Six Ironmen, close to a thousand races... Dr. Heidrich has worked unbelievably hard to achieve her mind and body's fullest potentials, inspiring so many of us. Were she not the force of nature she is, we could've lost her to Breast Implant Illness. Instead, in her usual fashion, she's been relentless in her research, shedding her light on this alarming catastrophe and arming each of us with even more life-saving information. ~Sheri Meshal, Raw Nomadic Lens

Crossing my fingers she'll join us for an interview soon to further explore Breast Implant Illness on my podcast Raw Nomadic Lens! https://media.rss.com/rawnomadiclens/feed.xml

In other news, last night was another victory for me when it comes to staying raw while navigating social situations. We had a fantastic night with Gabe's family when his sister and her husband and kids came to town from NOLA. I've had experiences like this go sideways in a big way before, like a chef moving our entire party right next to the kitchen because they thought I had a food allergy. I was so embarrassed, because people were upset and this enormous miscommunication was the result of me just trying to be proactive and call ahead to make sure there would be something I could order. I was trying to AVOID a spectacle, not create one, lol! Anyway, last night at The Barn in Evanston, IL was SO much better. There was one salad I could have on the menu and I only had to have one ingredient omitted and add a little avocado for satiety's sake. Everyone around me was enjoying cocktails, steak, potatoes, sourdough bread and macaroni and cheese that looked straight out of a Martha Stewart magazine. I was thrilled to discover I felt completely satisfied and just happy to enjoy the great company and stunning ambiance of an old horse barn - loved it! Our waitress was super-accomodating, providing me with a side of avocado and a bottle of seltzer water, to which I added limes. It was all delicious and really filled me up. Well... confession: I ate veggies and Melissa Maris's sour cream dip (I added dill) beforehand, along with the last of my friend Kara's delicious raw-vegan apple-raisin cookies. I feel it's a smart move for me to eat before a dinner out, just in case there's somehow nothing there for me or it takes a long time for the food to arrive and I find myself surrounded by the aromas of incredibly tempting appetizers. No FOMO (Fear of Missing Out) last night, though. I felt happy and proud of myself. I don't want to get too cocky, though, lol. I will always need to be careful and mindful in these situations.

My recent roadtrip to visit my cousins in Missouri was almost as successful. I feel like I'm getting my sea legs, lol. I'm getting so much better at navigating social situations and staying raw. That trip involved a couple of restaurant outings, a dinner and an array of fast food stops. I managed to stay stocked up on groceries in my cooler bag and thanks to my now traveling Vitamix, enjoyed great dips and dressings. Armed and dangerous is how I travel best... okay, there's no danger, but I do really well if I'm armed with plenty of raw food in my travels. Of course my biggest challenge yet is coming up in a few short weeks - two weeks in Ireland and Denmark! Stay tuned to see if my Vitamix gets a passport!