Kale juice and kombucha

“Trust instinct to the end, even though you can give no reason.” – Ralph Waldo Emerson

It’s been awhile between posts. And a little bit of a health rollercoaster. But as I sit here and write this (even though I’m on one of the ‘dips’ at the moment) I feel like things are finally making sense. It’s like all the pieces of a puzzle are falling together.

I’ve had years of pain and health issues – nothing major, for which I’m extremely thankful. But enough to cause me discomfort, distress and, in the last year, quite a bit of lower back and shoulder pain. I’ve talked to and seen every sort of practitioner around, I reckon. And they’ve been great…don’t get me wrong. But each one has treated their area of expertise and I never understood how interconnected everything could be.

My lower back pain in particular has been worsening. And because I’ve had tendinitis and bursitis and other fun things, my amateur thought is that I have some sort of inflammatory response happening in my body. And there has to be a reason for that, right?

I certainly don’t pretend to be any sort of health expert. But I do think we know our own bodies best. And I’m glad that I’ve pursued things, that I’ve done my own research and that, finally, I’ve found someone who is treating me from a holistic viewpoint.

Anyway, to cut a long story short…I have been diagnosed with fibromyalgia. I didn’t know anything about it beforehand, and it seems to be one of those conditions that many people and practitioners are sceptical about. Whatever. I don’t really care about labels and whatnot and I’m certainly not going to sit back and use some diagnosis as an excuse. But what it has done for me is help me to see that everything IS connected. That my gut, sleep, pain, energy, concentration…everything!…issues are all interwoven. And the hope in that is that if I can ‘fix’ the root cause, then I can address the related issues.

I’m working with a naturopath. I am sure the natural path isn’t the path for everyone. But it’s the one I’m comfortable taking and I’ve definitely seen some improvements already.

So I’m excited to see how this works for me. I’m excited at the hope of getting my energy back, of feeling well and most importantly, of maintaining my health long term. I’m glad I pursued things until I finally found the right fit for me as far as a practitioner is concerned. I’m intelligent enough to know what’s sensible and what isn’t (I hope) – to be able to work out what suits me and what doesn’t.

So for now it’s daily kale juice and kombucha to try and restore my gut flora balance. Plus some personalised supplements (what I need mightn’t be what you need). It’s trying harder to beat that chocolate addiction, working on managing stress, some gentle stretching and learning how to rest when I need to (how hard is that??).

And it’s looking forward to great health in the months ahead.

The beginning

“Eat healthily, sleep well, breathe deeply, move harmoniously.”
– Jean-Pierre Barral

This blog is a bit of a personal journey – but if you happen to end up following, welcome! And thank you.

My health is generally fairly good, but I know it can be better. And after years of struggling through different issues and following a better eating path in the hopes of avoiding the autoimmune conditions members of my family are afflicted with, I’ve come to realise the truth of how what I eat affects my body. And not just my weight, or allergies, or gut health…but my emotions, my energy levels, even my nails!

Last October I completed a Whole 30. If you’re interested in finding out how your body is supposed to run, fuelled by nutritious whole foods, I challenge you to try one for yourself. It’s not necessarily easy (three protein, veg and good fats meals per day, no snacks, no sweeteners) but it’s worth it. I felt great. My energy improved. My emotions levelled out. My pain lessened.

But the inevitable happened. You see, I’m a self-confessed chocoholic. Dark chocolate, which I tell myself is better…but far too much of it. So I allowed a bit in, and then a bit more. It’s part habit, part emotional eating, part addiction. And then there was Christmas. Enough said!

So now it’s a new year and I have a new resolve. My body can function so much better, I know it can. I have a new found excitement for cooking and baking good, clean, wholefood meals. I follow some great blogs and have some favourite recipes I’ll be sharing (I’ll always attribute them to the source!). I want to prove the link between what I eat and how my body responds. I can’t wait to get started!

So this is my story. I’ll share more along the way. Feel free to share yours with me also.