Today on my travels I went to Arlington, VA to see one of the most influential people in my Dysautonomia journey. Diane Sanfilippo. I regard her highly because she thinks like I do, in a way. She is about information and the power of it in the hands of those that want it. To find out more about Diane Sanfilippo and what she is about, I suggest visiting her website called Balanced Bites. There is also a podcast of the same name that she co-hosts with Liz Wolfe who is an author of, Eat The Yolks. I read it and its a great book. The podcast features people from various disciplines and backgrounds who offer insight on wellness from the inside out.
I first found out about Diane through the recommendation of a nurse after my second tilt table test. She came to me privily and told me that I should look in to Paleo and read about it's health benefits for the conditions that I have. She specifically recommended, Practical Paleo by Diane Sanfilippo. Ever the researcher, I looked it up and read the reviews on various websites because Iwas basically clueless. I didn't want to eat like a caveman but I figured that there had to be more to it then that. Well I can write about it more at a later date but just know that it really helped me understand why things were happening and how to fix it with food.
Getting there was easy enough because Arlington is not that far from where I am. It was held at a Barnes and Noble in Clarendon Market Common. I am almost ashamed to say that after being here just over ten years, I haven't done much exploring in Northern Virginia which is thirty minutes away.
Still, it was a nice area, a bit congested but nothing that I couldn't handle being from Brooklyn, NY.
The event was held in back area across from the main door directly behind that Information Desk. The actual area where we were in was modest in size and it allowed us to have an intimate gathering. I attended with three of my friends were doing Keto in their own already. They didn't know about Diane Sanfilippo but were very interested when I gave them the information. Sharing is caring.
We arrived early enough and I was able to purchase my copy at the store to be signed. The full title is, Keto Quickstart: A Beginner's Guide to a Whole-Foods Ketogenic Diet. Yeah it is a mouth full of a title for an equally full book of information about Keto for people like me, clueless :o). I also got there early because you know that I need to be seated because of my Neurocardiogenic Syncope. The whole thing was to be between 1pm and 3pm EST and I am happy that she started basically on time. She gave almost 10 minutes for everyone that wanted to come to get in. Diane was joined by Cristina Crup, the author of, Made Whole:More than 145 Anti-inflammatory Keto-Paleo Recipes to Nourish You from the Inside Out. Yes it is another mouth full but I am going to add this to my list to get as well.
Cristina was the Emcee and she asked questions that many of us would have about Keto and Paleo and what to expect. You could tell that Diane was extremely knowledgeable and passionate about the topic. You can even tell by the way that she responded during the Q&A. I loved it. Oh, it is all on Facebook Live if you care to watch. It is just over an hour but it is FULL of great information. There was a raffle for great prizes and then it was the book signing. I came with my Practical Paleo and 21 Day Sugar Detox books to be signed as well. They are heavy to lug around but it was worth it.
The actually book signing was orderly and I stood in line with my heavy books but my heart was light, filled with joy. I waiting since November to share with Diane how instrumental that she is to me. She is one of the reasons why I have gotten this far. I had to let her know that she is not just writing in to the void but her willingness to share is saving lives, making people know that they are sane and that something truly is wrong but it can be managed. I shared my joy with her and she knew it. Mission Accomplished. I left with my heavy books, signed by Diane and armed with even more information. This is not a book review but I have not read one page of the book yet. I plan to do so over the next few weeks and see if I can find more ways to heal myself. This year I plan to go at it fully and see how my body handles it.
I already had a full few days because it was my birthday on Thursday and my children helped me celebrate on Friday. On Saturday I took both of my children to work bright and early and then off to the book signing in Virginia. I decided to write this now because I am tired and tomorrow is Worship. I hope you read her books and gain something to better yourself.
One day at a time.