At the beginning of 2022, I made the decision that I needed to finally take care of myself, both inside and outside. You know that old saying, "Life has a way of sneaking up on you". As a kid, you think, naw, I'll be happy and healthy forever!!! MMhmmmm. Not so much.
Last year I lost my big sister, who was essentially the matriarch of the tiny family we have. I realized that I was now in the role, that I took for granted she would be here for, forever.
I wasn't taking care of myself like I should... I didn't visit the doctor regularly, I knew I was still suffering from depression - which of course was made worse by her passing. Life was closing in on me pretty hard. I had to make the decisio
n to do what I needed to do to be happy and healthy. I started seeing a therapist once a month and following through with my decision to try a holistic approach to my health!!
I met a wonderful Doctor (Dr. Ebony White) who has introduced me to a holistic lifestyle! What started as a chance meeting at a farmers/craft market I was participating in, has become a friendship and lifestyle change that will and has changed how I feel about myself.
I will admit to anyone who is listening that I have a very addictive personality, and it's true! Where many people are addicted to things like, drugs and alcohol, I was addicted to food... candy, fatty foods, etc. When you are raised
in the south, chicken is best eaten fried, after all! ;) I was becoming more and more aware that my body was not feeling right, bloating, heaviness, sick to my stomach a lot. (I do have some food allergies, which I try to avoid, but sometimes, it sneaks into products you least expect). Once I started seeing Dr. White, and she put me on a "detox" meal plan, I honestly didn't know if I could do it! This, of course, was step one of the "food war" for me. Can I make it day to day without having the "junk" my body was used to?
Dr. White gave me great confidenc
e to stick with it and watch the progress I made. I have, in the last 4 months, lost 15 pounds (the first two weeks was mostly water weight), my body feels happier and lighter. Which I attribute to not only eating healthier but all the "gunk" that resides in your body when you eat bad, is leaving in one form or another. (Yes, bathroom breaks are a bit more frequent, LOL). It started out as a very strict - 3 days of smoothies with detox water during the day to very clean eating (raw veges galore!!) for 2 weeks. I have now transitioned to eating vegan meets and "cheeses" wit
h my vegetables.
Yes, I stray a bit here and there and had some time in which I was unable to keep on the meal plan. As Dr. White says, "I would rather you splurge on yourself a bit, than to engorge and destroy all the work you have done". I am very aware of what I eat now, I also don't over-eat. One of the biggest takeaways I have... eat slow, eat small bites and savory your food, stop when you feel full.
I still struggle with including exercise into my day as I am, I feel, always busy and by the time I get home from work, I am ready for bed. I'm trying....
15 pounds later and I am still working at it. I am in no way "perfectly healthy", however, I am now listening to my body and learni
ng all I can to make my quality of life so much more than it was before. I want to be around to see my daughter graduate from Veterinary school, watch all my children be happy, and my grandchildren grow up!!
It is not an easy road to go down, but always remember, your life is yours to take those journeys. Be happy, be healthy and don't be afraid to look and ask for help from those around you! You are beautiful inside and out!!! We are here to help each other and lift each other up!!!