Eating well/real life
When my husband Martin suggested getting
an allotment, I thought he was joking. Me, a
‘There was no
early spring evenings, going home just as
the sun was starting to fade and the birds
smart, working woman knee deep in mud and
crash diet or
were singing their hearts out. I’ve grown to
weeds? I’d had enough of people trying to love that tired but relaxed feeling at the end
make me live a healthy life and this really was
exercise
of a day’s work on the allotment, when you
the last straw. soak your weary limbs in a hot and well-
My GP had first diagnosed type 2
obsession, just a
deserved bath. So much better than sitting
diabetes in 2002, but I was having none of in the living room watching TV all day. I
it. ‘Who the hell is this doctor and what steady, healthy also unwind with a cup of green tea after my
does he know?’ I remember yelling at Martin
as we walked home from the appointment
weight loss from
weekend gardening slot. This is a big change
from the endless caffeine and sugar-filled
together. As a registered nurse I knew about
ill people, and I wasn’t one of them. Besides,
exercise and
hot drinks I used to drink every day.
I was too young to have late-onset diabetes,
healthy eating’
Pick of the crop
and how could I manage a full-time job if And it’s definitely worth all the hard work
I had something like that? I’d grudgingly once the crops start to grow. Last year we
agreed to return to the GP in a month. This ‘I can either sit down, do nothing and get had sweetcorn, different types of courgette,
time I’d put him straight and sort this out really fat and unfit, or get out, enjoy life and garlic, beetroot, four varieties of potato, the
once and for all. be healthy.’ sweetest baby carrots, as well as raspberries
I was in denial big time, and thinking back, After that the changes happened pretty and plums. Later in the year there were
it was no surprise to find the same diagnosis quickly. The following week I joined a leeks, pumpkins and sprouts. It’s so
when I returned to the GP the following local gym where I could exercise a couple rewarding and healthy too, eating fresh food
month. Far from putting him straight, I took of times a week, and I started swimming you’ve grown yourself.
the prescription, sulked and sighed as he regularly too. I even persuaded Martin Most of the vegetables are so tender you
lectured me about ‘fresh food’ and ‘exercise’, to join me sometimes. It felt good to be just need to cook them for a few minutes
and finally made my way home again to getting more active, but I still felt there was and then add some oil and seasoning. You
comfort myself with a nice cup of coffee and something lacking. don’t want to spoil the fresh taste, and that
the obligatory two sugars. really encourages me to eat a healthy diet.
It sounds madness now, but for another Planning the allotment Who wants pizza and a load of fatty, sugary
year or so I just took the medication and That was when I remembered the crazy food when you can have fresh produce from
carried on with things as they were. All sorts allotment idea, and somehow it didn’t seem your own allotment? I like stir-fries with
of people tried to suggest changes, including so crazy now. Fresh food and exercise? a dash of oil and lots of crisp vegetables.
diets and allotments, but I was extremely Wasn’t that just what the doctor ordered? Rice goes well with fresh produce too. And
set in my ways and scared of doing things Everything was starting to fit into place. I although I love eating vegetables that have
differently. I had a nice house, plenty of still wasn’t exactly sure how it would work just been picked, I always make a point
friends, and everyone loved my cooking. I out, but I bought some pink and red flowery of freezing some, to get me through the
worked hard and enjoyed staying at home in wellies, and was determined to give it a colder months.
my time off, feeling comfortable. Why should go. Within a few weeks we’d selected an There’s a real community feel on the
I go changing everything? allotment from the council’s list of plots. allotment, which is particularly nice when
Now there was no going back. you live in a big town where it’s sometimes
Changing times It was certainly a challenge. At first hard to get to know your neighbours. Quite
Then one Saturday, Martin was out and as the weeds were so high you couldn’t even a few of our neighbours have allotments,
I sat in front of the telly, looking at some see any earth! We spent whole weekends and everyone says hello to you and wants
shopping channel and eating, something down on our hands and knees weeding, and to know what you’re growing. Sometimes
suddenly changed in my head. I thought back working at levelling the soil, using muscles we help each other out with digging and
to the years leading up to my diagnosis when we didn’t even know we had. Then we had sharing produce if we have too much of one
I used to feel heavy and tired during the day, to get rid of a lot of stones and debris that thing. We also borrow each other’s tools
but wake in the night, hungry, and ready to would have got in the way of planting. On a and sometimes club together to hire out a
eat a horse. I’d been piling on the pounds for fine day it was fantastic being outside in the large piece of equipment, like a rotavator.
some time, and although I wasn’t very tall, sun, but even the rain didn’t bother us too We had a barbecue the other year, and my
my weight had increased to over 13 stone in much. It’s refreshing to feel the rain on your roasted beetroot and sweetcorn went down
the last year or so. On top of this my blood skin when you’re working hard. a treat. There’s always a lot of excitement
pressure was sky high and my glucose and I never thought I’d say this, but I loved and friendly competition when they hold the
cholesterol levels were right up. What was I every minute of it. Once the earth was flower show in a local church. Last year I won
thinking, pretending everything was fine? clear and ready for planting, the feeling of first prize for my onions.
‘I need to get my life together,’ I told myself. satisfaction was amazing. I remember those In the coldest winter months the u u
Sweet Magazine 35
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