It does cost a lot to be healthy. Healthy food is not cheap. We have done some price comparing and find that by eliminating meat, dairy and processed food from our meal plan, eating healthy is affordable. I don’t have exact figures, but it appears that we have spent well over $2,000 in just food alone. That does count in the times that we have eaten out at restaurants. It’s also important to note that we had to purchase many staple items like whole wheat flour, spices, plant milk, mustard, ketchup, etc… The approximate cost to fix up and partially furnish Hannah’s house has been about $800.00. There have been other expenses such as appropriate clothing (for the weather) and personal necessities. All clothing was purchased used. We did do budget shopping at thrift stores, estate sales and even stopped at a yard sale or two. When all is said and done, and you add in travel costs, we will have spent about $5,000 for this to happen.
Was it money well spent? I don’t have our final figures for weight loss and lowering of BMI. I do have other things to measure by. Hannah has, what she called earlier today, “a comfortable home to come home to.” We never did get her to let us tackle her bedroom, but the rest of the house is clean, well-organized and she is set up for future success. She will be left with some healthy food to eat and, if she chooses to listen to her mother, lots of advice on things she can do to be well set up for a good future. She is also feeling much better physically and plans to use this time of us being here as a launching pad to continue improvements.
Tiffany, as I have stated in several past posts, has shown remarkable improvement in her health. The ultimate goal was for her to no longer need a heart transplant and, if outside appearances and changes are a reflection of the inner improvements, I’m feeling optimistic that she will no longer qualify or need one. Another great thing that we have all learned is that neuropathy can be greatly improved. It’s hard to describe the amount of pain and restrictions that Tiff’s neuropathy has caused her for many years. There was a time when her legs and feet hurt so badly that she couldn’t wear socks and could only wear certain types of shoes. She is now getting down onto the floor to do toning exercises and is able to kneel down! This is a huge improvement for her.
As for me, I have also seen many improvements. I have much more energy, some color in my skin, my clothes all fit much better and my legs, which had been experiencing some profound weakness, are much stronger now. I have no leg swelling, my shortness of breath, which was getting worse and worse, is now much improved and I just feel better all around. I am anxious to get home and help Greg with the completion of our new (used) house and get to walking around our new neighborhood.
So, was it worth it? I am going to say a resounding YES! The yes will be even more resounding as we continue to live healthier when we return to our “regular lives” and keep up the improvements. We all plan to continue with vegan eating with juicing for at least one year and beyond. None of us have made the decision that we will rule meat out for the rest of our lives but do plan not to eat any for a year or more. Each of us will have to decide for ourselves how we will manage our healthy eating long term on our own, when the time is right.
Day 40 is done, day 41 is on its way. “My favorite machine at the gym is the television” – unknown