FROM FAT PHOBIC VEGETARIAN TO
WHOLE FOOD ENTHUSIAST
What am I meant to eat?
This is a question that has obsessed me. For my entire life, I’ve pondered and pursued the subject in a very hands-on way. Experimenting on myself, I was seeking a better way to feel and look.
My story begins in Ohio growing up in the 60’s and 70’s. In the 2nd grade, I was put on the Weight Watchers diet. Weighing in weekly, strictly following all the restrictions, avoided all the things, like butter and bacon and desert. This early diet negatively impacted my health, leading to disordered eating and persistent depression into adulthood. I explored various remedies—diets, exercises, and spiritual practices. I struggled for years to understand why I felt this way.
In the mid-'80s, the discovery of The Vitamin Bible shed light on the potential benefits of natural compounds in altering brain chemistry for the better. While these supplements initially offered relief from the dark mood swings, keeping up with the expensive supplements was not possible. It became evident that a more critical piece of the puzzle was missing.
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I soon found my way to the “ultimate diet” of the time: vegetarianism. It lined up perfectly with what I had heard my whole life about the dangers of fat rich, animal-source foods. So I faithfully followed the “healthy” path of brown rice, tofu, beans and lentils, along with sugar free and fat free everything. Artificial sweeteners and Diet Coke ruled the day. Yet, sugar cravings secretly raged, as I wore my, “I won’t eat anything with a face” banner proudly. Little did I know the damage that the lack of vital nutrients was having on my aging brain and body.
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This strict style of eating did not serve me well, especially as I entered my 50’s when menopause symptoms began to significantly impact my daily life. Insomnia, hot flashes, and disruptive night sweats became my regular companions, often accompanied by a glass of wine. My struggles with extreme mood swings and brain fog left me feeling tired and anxious, while the distress of hair loss and persistent weight gain only added to my physical and emotional suffering. To my disbelief, I discovered I was just one point away from being classified as pre-diabetic. In a desperate attempt to regain control, I restricted even further, into veganism, and intensified my spinning classes. Yet, despite my efforts, the pounds stubbornly continued to accumulate. It was a cruel and bewildering predicament, especially considering that butter, bacon, meat, potatoes, and sweets, had been off the menu for decades. I later learned that from chronic stress and lack of nutrients, my adrenals were shot and my thyroid was struggling, further adding to hormone imbalance. Without asking a single question about my diet, the doctor offered to write me a prescription with a long list of side effects.
It never occurred to me, I actually needed to eat more, to restore my health and manage my weight. I was so brainwashed from early childhood, just eat less, and exercise more. Calories in, calories out.
The continuous pursuit of answers led me to go back to school for a year and become an NTP-Nutritional Therapy Practitioner. Finally, I’ve realized that weight management issues may not solely be about calorie intake, but rather stem from underlying hormonal imbalances. And not just sex hormones.
I remain committed to more deeply understanding the complexities of health and exploring the hormonal influences on metabolism and chronic disease.
With my own health puzzle fairly well solved, I have dedicated this next chapter in my life to helping you piece your puzzle together. Once again using myself as a laboratory, I’m exploring and challenging conventional beliefs, which clearly do not work!