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I was one of those diehard people who did not think that working out would help me in any way. Not that I formulated this opinion without proof, I did work out every now and again along the highway of my life!
I would do sit-ups by the hundreds – for nine months in a row! And I would never get that much anticipated 6-pack in the abdomen area.
I would take a few months and workout while in Russia to see if I could effect change, and I would be in the gym for an hour a day. When after three months, my body looked the same, I would give up because hey – I was eating RAW and so my body was actually already the best it could be, right?
Oh, and don’t get me wrong, my body LOOKED just fine. I even did Playboy with the caveat that they did not re-touch my photos so that the world could see what eating RAW looked like at 48!
So my desire to work out was not so much because I thought I needed that 6-pack. I worked out to see if I could get it, and to see if I could control my body and those changes that have been happening every year now since I turned 40.
But, even being with an athlete for 11 years and hearing him tell me how to do this properly and how to do that properly, did not effect change. I still FELT like things were moving around and there were some things that now, even RAW food was not helping to keep together!!
And just to make it clear, my Playboy Photos were not of the: “Don’t hate me because I am beautiful” kind. They were a celebration of triumph of RAW food over cancer; and the fact that I would have been cut to bits if I had not changed how I ate.
In fact, at one point the doctor told me, “I am surprised that ALL you have is cancer! You were so malnourished and in such trouble when you came to see me that I did not tell you because I did not want to scare you or to make you feel like it was hopeless.” When I thanked him for all his help in changing my diet and for saving my life, he looked at me and said, “Don’t thank me! I didn’t do anything. Do you realize how many people I teach RAW food eating to? Tons. Do you know how many people actually change their diet and effect changes in their health? It’s depressing…No, you saved your own life.”
So Playboy was my way to celebrate. I was scared and I was sure that some people would get the wrong idea-even if the article was about RAW, I knew that many people would judge the messenger and not hear the message. And I am sorry for that because I only have so many tools at my disposal to get this message out-my body being the biggest tool since RAW food is all about the body! I just thought Playboy would hit a bigger audience and make a bigger buzz than, say, I LoveVegan Magazine!
Anyway, THIS article is about Yoga. And well, I started my classes with a big frown on my face. But seriously, someone I respect very much, who had turned me on to RAW food, and who had found my most fabulous physical therapist told me—“you are missing out.” (You can read about this person in Eating in the Raw, my first book!)
His exact words were, “I think I would have had a heart attack by now from stress if I had not started Yoga. I do it every morning. You really need it—not necessarily for keeping thin, although that will happen, but for stress.”
And, well, since one of the big factors in cancer is stress (I believe it goes like this: adrenaline from stress becomes cortisone becomes cortizol becomes estrogen and estrogen whether it is from plastics in bottles, from natural chicken’s hormones, or from breathing in pollution is all cancer causing- and, yes, women’s bodies supposedly take in car pollution and turn it into a xeno-estrogen–xeno meaning ‘foreign’) I felt that I was cursed to forever be in the battle against estrogen, and if I could cut my stress level, that would be another brick in my wall of prevention.
So I started yoga. And well, Lo and Behold, I hated it-but I love it, too! Hate it when I have to put the time aside to do it, I hate it just as I am about to start the class, I hate it ‘cause I sweat and grunt and groan. But I love it for the changes that I have had-not only in my stress level, but INTERIORLY (if that is a word?)
Yoga has effected so much change that I would need a book to write about it. But not since I went RAW did so many people tell me how great I look and how young! Yipeee! No matter how much I hate actually doing Yoga, I LOVE looking younger more!!
But even better than that (and what could be better than looking younger?):
My hips do not hurt any longer, my back feels better, and I have also become more flexible in my joints and ligaments (my boyfriend loves that!!)
My shoulder that I fell on while ice skating (after all, I date a hockey player you have to skate at some point!) has gotten mobility back-but most important-I have opened my pelvis because I drive a lot and sit a lot these days and I needed that relief.
I know my friend Russell Simmons does Yoga, as did my friend Jack and Christy, and well nearly everyone I know does it. You can see women walking on the streets of NYC carrying their Yoga Mats—I just thought, how pretentious!
But, you know what? I was the one missing out- I was the pretentious one.
Of course, I worry about when my schedule picks up, how to keep this up. But I am sure I will find a way. My coach, Liza has made me one ‘simple’ routine and one ‘difficult’ routine to take on the road when I travel so that I can do it in my room by myself.
She gifted me with a yoga brick, which I cannot live without! I carry it with me even if I go on an overnight business trip—sitting in airplanes and at airports and in cars can be lethal on the pelvis…..
Well, ok, I have gushed enough about Yoga, I just want you guys to know that it is great- the best thing I have done since going RAW—of course, this is my own humble opinion.
Oh and I also want you to know that I have joined the 20th century-I am tweeting….
