Where has the year gone? How can it possibly be 9 months since I put pen to paper so to speak? Why do I keep putting the things that I love doing to the bottom of my ‘to-do list’? All questions that I have asked myself on more than one occasion, as I am sure many of you have at some stage. As I struggled with the mental debate of going to the gym when getting home from work today I asked myself why am I punishing my body by forcing it to do something that is perceived as good when the idea of going is causing me such mental grief? Isn’t something that is mentally satisfying just as good as physical exercise? With that thought I picked up my laptop, poured a glass of wine and sat outside in the beautiful sunshine to see how behind I am on something that I continue to tell myself I love but yet have dedicated no time to what so ever for the last 9 months apparently!
So where to start? I
have many food adventures to share but I feel I need to start with the real
reason as to why I haven’t picked my computer up in so long before I can delve into
the food side of things. I am not sure
if I am ready to share this with anyone, anywhere, in the world but I am going
to bite the bullet as I can confidently say this will affect anything and
everything I write about in future. Who
knows, maybe it will help.
Approximately 2 ½ months ago I was diagnosed with Multiple
Sclerosis (MS). I don’t know about you
but this is something I knew little about and my only real reference was the
memory of participating in the MS read-a-thon in primary school...which was sadly
many moons ago! Just after Easter, I found
myself incredibly sick. I noticed
feelings and sensations I have never felt before, I needed to sleep at any
chance I got and the idea of a weekend was nonexistent as I just lay on the
couch the day consisting of napping between naps. Not only did my blog go missing but there
were many friends whose texts, emails or calls I never returned as picking up
the phone was using too much precious sleeping energy. Going to the gym or playing sport once a week
compared to my 5-6 times was definitely out of the question as my body screamed
at me in pain to stop. I remember waking
up during the middle of the night with such extreme cramping and pain that it
was at this point that I was confident there was something wrong with me. After months of seeing countless doctors,
being misdiagnosed with things such as kidney infections or simply told to wait
it out and come back in a few weeks to see if the symptoms had disappeared I
refused to take these answers. After a
few months these intense symptoms started to disappear and as I was gradually
getting better I started to question if there really something wrong with me
after all? Trained professionals are
telling me there is nothing wrong so perhaps it is all in my head? The silent symptoms however did not disappear
so quickly. These could range from things to severe cramps in my feet where I
could hardly walk without intense pain or constant pins and needles in my hands. As my nerves found new ways to send messages
to my body these sensations gradually disappeared but it has only been in the
last few weeks were I really feel like my body is returning to normal, or at
least a much closer version of what normal used to be. I thank myself every day
that I was confident in knowing my body and so persistent for answers that I
have found myself in such a fortunate position of being diagnosed so much
earlier than most. While I am thankful for
being diagnosed so early with only 4 lesions on my last MRI, sadly this
knowledge doesn’t stop the rollercoaster of emotions that come with learning to
live with a chronic condition that as of yet has no cure.
So how is this going to affect my blog I hear you ask!? Well, I have made the decision not to start with
medication, which let me tell you, was an incredibly hard decision to make, but
I have instead decided to make some alterations to my lifestyle including my
diet. I have recently switched to a no saturated fat diet which has proven
benefits for MS sufferers, in many cases more successful than any current
medication on the market. So over the
last few months I have said goodbye to so many things that I love, including
all meat and dairy products and I decided to get back into the swing of things
I would share with a couple of my most memorable and delicious food adventures
of this year.
I have no choice but to start with Catfish Thai, easily the
most memorable of the year. A restaurant
that has been open for a few years now in Ballarat but I have never made the
trip. It is a little more expensive than
most and is definitely ‘upper class’ Thai but wow the food is exceptional, the
ingredients are so incredibly fresh and it is totally worth every penny. If you
haven’t made the trip yet, make sure you pencil it in ASAP even if it is just
once for a special occasion as my words do not do it justice.
Something else that deserves a mention is the BallaratSteakhouse. I am not a huge steak eater, in fact I would never cook a piece of
steak at home, but some friends were going and I thought what the hell. I was genuinely surprised at how enjoyable it
was and can appreciate when people comment on a good steak but I will happily mark
this one off with a tick and feel no need to do this again in a hurry.
Apart from the obvious junk food of chocolate (man I will
miss Maltesers), chips and ice cream the thing I am going to miss the most is
the oh so comforting and reliable chicken parma and chips. No matter where you go you can always rely on
the menu having a chicken parma and even if it is crap it is still
amazing! I will miss the deep fried
crumbed chicken, the oozy cheese and the amazing chips that combine so well
with the tomato sauce that is spilling over the side. I couldn’t say goodbye to this so easily
without going out to experience my last ever parma. North Ballarat was the lucky
venue that won my last ever parma meal and boy did I enjoy every bite! I know it sounds so sad and pathetic that I am
dwelling on the things that I will never have again when I should be concentrating
on all of the things that I will be gaining by changing my lifestyle but it is
surprisingly hard when this decision is somewhat forced on you. While I am generally an incredibly positive
person, I can’t keep up this facade 24/7 as I adjust to this new life.
Not only has my blog slipped since I became sick but so too did
new recipe Sunday. Changing my diet gave
me a little push to start this up again as there are so many pre-made things
that I can no longer have thanks to vegetable oil being included in almost
everything on the shelves! I am currently on a dough theme and so far have
whipped up some pizza bases, naan bread and tortilla wraps, which by the way
you have to try. I was amazed how easy
and how incredibly delicious these were.
I have also put some time into making my own muesli, tomato sauces, dips
and many others.
While this is certainly a frustrating journey at times I hope
to share with you this new challenge and how there are still so many delicious
options out there, sweet, savoury and all things in between. I finally want to thank all of those who have
and continue to support me through this journey whether it be by sending a
text, getting me out of the house for a weekend away, bring me some flowers to
brighten my day or cooking me a meal that both you and I can enjoy it has not
gone unnoticed and I appreciate each and every one of you. A special thank you to the guy that cops the
brunt of my tears, constant venting of frustrations and who knows what mood he
will have to weather tomorrow. He has
continued to support and surprise me daily through this journey, I even scored
a surprise air fryer that very much excites me, hello crispy fries! Don’t worry
you will get a review on this soon enough!
Before I sign off, as always, keep smiling and remember put
the things you love at the top of your to-do list.
