There is this wonderful booklet I read almost every day (sometimes I forget...) called The Daily Word. Although it's Christian-based (from the Unity Church), it is truly one of the most heart-opening publications around. I received a year's subscription as a gift from my Godmother shortly after my mom died ten years ago, and I've renewed my subscription every year since because it really helped me get through that first year after mom's death.

I stopped eating meat 18 years ago, mainly for ethical reasons. I stopped eating dairy and peanuts 8 years ago, for health reasons. The results were miraculous to me. In exchange, I feel better than ever!

I was diagnosed with allergies and asthma around age 9. I took medication for asthma three times a day and had an inhaler to use when I wheezed and needed help breathing. I used it often, sometimes multiple times a day. At times I used it beyond the maximum recommended daily dose.

The only food allergy I was diagnosed with was a mild allergy to peanuts. As a kid, I ate peanut butter almost every day. My whole family did! We ate peanut butter on bananas, celery, bread, pancakes, waffles, and French toast. You name it, we covered it with peanut butter. Even though it was hard, I stopped eating peanuts. My asthma was still bad, though. Since it didn't actually seem to make a difference, I started eating them again.

As an adolescent, I couldn't even run around the block without wheezing. To prevent severe asthma attacks I simply avoided all strenuous physical activity. I was excused from anything in Physical Education class that involved running. When my brother and sister got a group of kids together to play soccer I wanted to join in, so they let me be the goalie. That way I could still play with them but not have to run. At times, though, even playing goalie was too hard, so I had to sit out. I felt left out, weak, lonely, and crippled.