I am on a diet.

[If anybody says to me "You don't need to go on a diet, you're skinny" I would like to take this opportunity to cordially remind you that going on a diet is not the same as trying to lose weight, that a skinny person is not necessarily a healthy person, and that skinny people don't always like to be reminded of how skinny they are, in the same way that fat people don't like to be reminded of their fatness.]

I was thinking of writing in my journal, but it's late and I don't wanna get out of bed to get it. And it's part of the reason I started this blog anyway, so I could write 'journal entries' without having to write in my journal.

I'm hopeful and optimistic about the future. We all have our own path to follow, and we all have to be the best person that we can be. And that's just what I want to do. I've been making major improvements to my lifestyle recently.

I recently changed my diet. This whole year so far I've been severely affected by severe eczema, which in January manifested itself stronger than ever before. It was stopping me from sleeping, I was itching constantly. I eventually made it to the doctor who gave me some creams which have been a great help in masking the symptoms so I could sleep and go about daily life easier without constantly scratching myself. They make going to bed uncomfortable, because I have to be covered in a really greasy emollient, but it's better than waking up with unbearable itching. Anyway, I recently read about a diet plan on a lady's website which she says will help naturally heal eczema:

A natural cure for eczema requires not only avoiding food allergies, but also following a complete and balanced nutritional program and including exercise, relaxation, social harmony, contentment. In short, a lifestyle in line with natural living - are necessary for complete healing of eczema through natural means.

I'm nervous about the exercising part, because when I get too hot I have a full body outbreak of the most severe itching, which is not a pleasant experience I can tell you (especially when you're with your friends in the middle of a busy nightclub and you have to walk 15 minutes to get home!). I'm going to give it a try though and go back to doing some Jane Fonda, I hope to exercise, or at least do stretching every morning. Anyway, I'm going off on a tangent, I wanted to talk about the diet:

• I've had to stop eating a lot of foods I really love. I am a huge consumer of dairy, so it is really difficult for me to stop eating cheese and milk and the like.
• I used to have a bowl of sugary cereal with milk every morning. Now I am not allowed dairy or processed grains, and breakfast is raw fruit. (I have an apple and a satsuma)
• I am discovering the virtues of fermented soy products (unfermented soy is a no-go). Tamari sauce is amazing, and I am very much enjoying miso soup with its seaweedy goodness. I hope to soon discover the many uses for tempeh.
• I eat vegetables every day. The recommended diet says you should have vegetable juice for dinner every day, but I don't have a juicer and I really don't think I could do that, so I make meals with lots of fried vegetables, sometimes just dinner, but sometimes lunch too.
• I like meat, but haven't been eating it for a while due to the fact that I haven't been able to afford it. This diet recommends avoiding meat so I haven't really had a problem with this.
• Hydrogenated oils are a no-go, so I am currently searching for coconut oil or ghee to do my frying with, but I've been so far unsuccessful.
• I have a cucumber in the fridge and I'm still not sure what to do with it.
• White rice and white flour pasta are off limits. Luckily for me, brown rice tastes just fine to me, and I have been able to find wholeweat penne, fusilli and spaghetti pasta, and I don't even notice a difference in taste.
• High glycemic foods are off-limits. This includes, besides white rice and pasta, cakes and pies. I had recently gotten into the habit of baking myself cakes for consumption throughout the week, because I have a really sweet tooth and it's much cheaper to bake your own chocolate muffins than it is to buy them. That's stopped now, and I shed a tear every day for the empty box where I used to store muffins T_T
• Other things I can't (or rather, it is recommended that I shouldn't) eat include: pastry, yeast (so most bread), crisps, salt, artificial sweeteners, preservatives, food colouring, and synthetic vitamin and mineral supplements.

So in synthesis, I've had to stop eating a lot of things which I loved to eat, and am currently searching for alternatives to them (gotta be really careful with my chocolate now, also I NEED CAKE), I read the ingredients of all the foods I buy, but I feel really good about eating so much fruit and veg, and it is much easier than I thought to do.