Why I Need to Feel Better

For many years, food has been an enemy of sorts. At 19, I developed an ulcer that wreaked havoc on my life for 4 years. It seemed the only foods I could eat without paying dearly were white rice, cream of wheat and graham crackers. Life was better once it healed up but I was gun-shy for a long time. It took me almost a year to add a decent variety of real food back into my diet.

Even before the ulcer, I never felt right eating in the morning. In fact, for several years I would make it to 3 or 4 in the afternoon before the first hunger pangs kicked in. Even now, some days I can just feel it. I know if I push it, I'll pay and so I put off eating until I absolutely have to. If I'm feeling ok, I don't want to rock the boat. Things seem manageable until I eat and then all bets are off. It's the same reason I have an aversion to taking vitamins. I feel sick so often that I can't bear to willingly take something that will spin me out.

Not being able to tolerate most veggies doesn't help much. I do Broccoli, Carrots, Corn and Potatoes of any variety and that's about it. It's the texture that I find the most objectionable but I also find that I am immediately grossed out by the greeness of the flavor. Visually, I find them appealing - especially cucumbers, tomatoes, celery, aparagus, artichokes and the list goes on - but I physically just can't do it.

To top it off, I am extremely sensitive to narcotics & stimulants of any kind. Caffeine is not my friend. I've got all kinds of sensitivities - sight, smell and touch. Smells are the worst - coffee, onions, asphalt tar & other chemicals - I have an immediate reaction to them. Serious Nausea.

In 2003, I was diagnosed with Lupus and that only exacerbated my existing food issues. I had unbearable fatigue and no appetite for weeks at a time. I started drinking smoothies with immunity boosters but I seemed to be getting worse. I did some research and realized I was boosting my already over-active immune system. Smoothies were the only thing I could bring myself to down but I couldn't justify taking in all that sugar with so little to show for it - besides a week's supply of Vitamin C.

Somehow I stumbled upon Acai. The poster of a cold sweaty glass filled with dark purple slush is what drew me in but it was the exotic berry flavor that had me at hello. The gigantic bonus was how it good it made me feel. No acidic burn or sugar sick crash. It's like it got me back to even. I actually felt good for a long while after and found that I got a 'safe' energy lift that didn't have a discernable end.

Sambazon Acai was my first real 'feel better food' and by far the best. That might explain why I am so sold-out on it. I sing it's praises to anybody who will listen. I know what it does for me and others who have humored me and given it a try. It definitely lives up to the superfood hype - Omegas, Fiber and more Antioxidants than anything else on the planet. (If it is processed correctly - frozen within 24 hours of harvesting, like Sambazon does. I'm sold on it for more reasons than one.)

Discovering Acai got me interested in finding other things that work. So I'm going to get back to what I know & keep searching for ways to break out of this nutrition-free zone I find myself in.