The Journey

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My inspiration for healthy eating came from my Uncle Ron. He was a huge "health foodie" and taught me about supplements, exercise, and eating fresh, healthy food.

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Fresh fruit was always on the table to take as a snack, and we always had an abundance of fresh vegetables from my grandfather Poppy's garden. We considered canned food to be junk food. We bought meat from the local butcher and went to a local Mom & Pop store for the rest. We even got bread from a little old Italian couple's shop, where it was baked fresh every morning with no preservatives. You could smell that from blocks away.

 

Even though it was in Queens, NY, my grandparents came from a time when there were still farms all around. They had gardens and goats and chickens and were extremely self-sustainable. My Poppy’s family were even beekeepers and made their own honey.

 

I was on the right path to good health, but as I got older I began letting in bad foods that were processed junk. College brought on rushed meals, and by the time I was in photography at the age of 20 at my first job in NYC, I was lucky to eat at all, let alone totally healthy.

 

I thought long walks to the subway were enough for exercise. Late hours and chemicals used in the pre-digital photography world abused my body, and by the age of 21 I was suffering from hormonal problems, gastritis, IBS, hemorrhoids, and intestinal cystitis. I was a mess.

 

By the time I got married, anxiety, OCD, and panic attacks controlled my every waking moment. I was put on antidepressants and a tranquilizer. The pills made me unmotivated and my weight went down to 110 pounds. I couldn't eat and I had no desire for food--or life. I felt trapped. And my body continued to turn on me.

 

After two pregnancies, more meds were given to me for postpartum depression, and my weight rose to 200 pounds, the highest it's ever been. It was then that I looked in the mirror and thought to myself, "Who is that?" I became so heavy, my face was hardly recognizable. And then I sat and cried for a long time.

 

I knew I had to do something to save my life. I just didn't know what. Where was the girl who loved life and healthy food?

 

That was the day I began my journey back to healthy living again. I started with exercises, probiotics, a colon cleanse, and going back to eating healthy whole foods only, as my grandparents taught me.

 

The change was amazing. I was able to stop taking most of the meds I was on and lost 35 pounds. But it wasn't until I stopped eating gluten and sugar that I became balanced and no longer needed the antidepressants.

 

I started listening to my body and what it had to say, and worked on my mind by forgiving and loving myself, releasing resentments and regrets, and developing self-worth.

 

Today I'm where my body wants to be. Nobody ever told me all I needed to do was balance my body and love myself.

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In today's society, many people are nutrient deficient. This can lead to horrible imbalances in the body. God gave our bodies the ability to heal itself, and provided fruits and vegetables to nourish both body and mind.

 

Let the Healing Journey begin!