By Guest Blogger Tomesha Davis
Just over a year ago I can remember several mornings I woke up and just lay there because I was too tired and too sore from a restless night of tossing and turning. I knew it wasn’t right to wake feeling just as tired as I did going to bed. I looked at my three little boys bouncing around with an abundance of energy, asking for breakfast, and I knew something had to give.
At this time my oldest son was five years old, my middle son was three, and the baby was just 14 months. Though I had been obese for several years, for the first time in my life my blood pressure had been abnormally high and out of whack since giving birth to my youngest. The very last time I went to see a traditional medical doctor, it was discussed that I would keep a log of my blood pressure and soon be put on medication to lower it. My whole world seemed to collapse upon hearing those words because I never thought that I would become one of the statistics that I always hoped to avoid.
It’s no secret that the majority of blacks, especially our women, are so out of shape, overweight, and filled with disease that is very much preventable. I felt a connection to other overweight women around me because I knew that they’re probably just as ashamed, depressed, and insecure as I was about my current condition. I also felt disobedient to God and not true to myself because I knew that I had the power to change and I knew that I could also inspire others to do the same.
I had just turned 33 years old and refused to take blood pressure medication to mask what was really going on. I needed to shed excess pounds and waste so a lifestyle change was in order but I did not know where to start.
A few days after my doctors visit I was introduced to a dietary supplement that was marketed as natural and safe. Out of desperation I decided to give it a try. It was helpful at reducing my appetite and giving me energy, allowing me to make better choices. Naturally I started adding a lot more vegetables and fruits in my diet but I was still consuming the Standard American Diet (SAD). It wasn’t long before my little weapon had started to fail me and complications arose with my digestive system.
A few months past and through Divine intervention I remembered a small disc of information that was given to me by Dr. Opare and Ama Opare that I had tucked away. I was pregnant and sadly an emotional wreck when I met them two years earlier. Though I knew the information I was given would positively impact my life, I wasn’t ready at that time.
Here it was two years later, I popped the disc in my DVD player and was taken aback by the lessons on nutrition it contained. I watched it again with my younger sister-in-law, and together we decided to take the leap into a vegetarian lifestyle.
That was towards the end of September 2011 and I have not eaten a single piece of meat since then. Over the next few months I had began to feel better than ever before as I went from vegetarian, vegan, and stretches of juicing and a raw vegan diet.
Today I am the most active and alive that I have been since my teenage years and I have released a total of 70 pounds. My blood pressure is normal.
I am ready to take the next step in my journey as I work closely with the Opare’s addressing my whole person and tapping into my natural healing gifts and abilities.
One of the most valuable lessons that I have learned from Dr. Opare is how important it is to be able to “listen” to what my body, mind, and spirit is telling me, as I already have the answers I need to be healthy and happy.
Over the next few months I will be under the care of Dr. Opare, using his integrative healthcare approach. I look forward to sharing my experiences past and future, as I grow and make the transition of a lifetime.
A library of courses to show you how to make delicious healthy meals, deal with your cravings, feel confident about what you are eating, and navigate the non-vegan world you live in.