CONSISTENT HEALTHY EATING
HEALTHY EATING DOESN’T HAVE TO BE A DREADFUL EXPERIENCE. YOU CAN INCORPORATE HEALTHY EATING IN YOUR EVERY DAY LIFE ONE DAY AT A TIME TO ENSURE YOU MAKE A TRUE LIFE CHANGE
It can be scary when you finally realize that you can’t do “crash dieting” and you fully understand that in order to make a lifestyle change you must truly change your eating. Eating healthy and clean requires you to be consistent and read the labels. I learned when doing the #WHOLE30 diet with a group of friends that there was so much I consumed that had “hidden sugars”.
I have done 4 rounds of the WHOLE30 and it has been truly life changing because I have learned how to cook fresh foods (something that I had never fully understood before) and with each cycle I learned more about how clean foods can heal you not just internally but mentally and emotionally. I remember having such high anxiety as I was diagnosed with PTSD and I begged the doctors and my therapist to PLEASE help me not be on medication. This decision was years before I was introduced to the WHOLE30.
Yes, me not being medicated also required a lot of healing work, but with foods and learning about their true benefits, through Ayurvedic medicine and of course diving deeper into eastern medicine; I realized the foods that I was consuming were enhancing my anxiety.
I remember speaking to a dear friend who specializes in eastern medicine and getting extreme anxiety to the point where I wanted to cry (and probably did) because I didn’t know if I could truly make that life change. No one had ever taught me this lifestyle and I did not like most of the foods the diet suggested.
SO I STARTED SMALL
I knew I liked lettuce, spinach, celery and certain fruits. I loved avocados and carrots. So, I started with a meat and vegetable. I sometimes repeated the same meal multiple times a week. It was difficult and I had to meditate quite frequently because it was such a mental challenge. My mind constantly trying to convince me to have a cheat day while my body was going through the changes of this detox and in such grattitude to me for going through the discomforts so that I can heal myself.
With each cycle, I have introduced myself to more vegetables and through research I learned that my body actually loves greens. It needs greens so I try as much as possible to give my body that nourishment. Now 4 years later, it has become a lifestyle.
I am not where I want to be yet weight wise but I celebrate with love the victories that mean so much to me.
Eating clean is not a crash diet. It takes time, love and patience. Sure, I could go on a quick diet and lose lots of weight but I will most likely gain it all back. When I started to eat healthy my energy increased and I have become an outdoors person who enjoys hikes and can handle long walks without getting winded like I used to. I still hate stairs and inclines but hey, no one is perfect!
I BLAME COVID
I have a love hate relationship with covid. I hurt for all the lives lost and at the same time I am grateful for life in general because if it were not for Covid I don’t believe I would have been as serious about getting my health in top shape.
With Covid, it was said that people with pre-existing conditions were most likely to contract the deadly virus. This scared me because I had not been diagnosed with anything but I KNEW in my HEART AND SOUL that something was wrong with me that had not been diagnosed. My body began to speak to me. I had inflammation in my feet and sometimes my fingers would go numb. I was depressed and unhealthy.
So, with the lockdown I reconnected with my best friends (I call them my TRUE BLUES aka FAIRIES) and I learned so much. It was like having my own cheer squad and 2 of them ate exceptionally clean. My mind was blown and I am so thankful. I can honestly say that I have not had any anxiety attacks, my memory is back (because that was my side effect from PTSD) and I am just so happy! YES! THIS IS BECAUSE OF THE LIFESTYLE CHANGES I’VE MADE.
This journal entry is a reminder for you to be gentle with yourself and remember that slow and steady wins the race!
You’ve got this and I’m with you on this journey as well.
With love,
Ericka
xox
