The Food I Eat, and How I Got Here. Working though my Depression without Drugs.

For those of you just Reading my Blog, Hi and Welcome!
If you have been following me you know that I normally do makeovers of DIY's Tee Shirts, Jewelry, Shoes Etc.
Currently I am on a journey to make over myself. MIND, BODY, and SPIRIT.
Why and how this all came about was a miracle from the universe.





At the age of  51, and stuck in life,  I was dealing with overwhelming pain and on the verge of deep depression. Even those closest to me do not know how far I was down that rabbit hole. I was on the edge and praying for a way out. This originally started two years ago with a devastation that hit my family. (I don't want to go into too many details right now about that, That story could possibly come out later) . The second devastation happened a year later with  the loss of my beloved Grandmother.  (It has been a whole year and I still cry as I type about her death).
I was walking though life thinking I am way stronger, and that I would be fine but I wasn't fine, the pain took over.   I was smiling on the outside but I was deteriorating on the inside, there was no stopping it. Every aspect of my life was suffering my job, my Blog my Marriage.   I felt like I just wanted to disappear.  I remember standing in my  kitchen one morning, feeling so much pain and thinking, God Help me!  What happened next  I can only  describe as my mind taking my body over and speaking to me.  It said very loudly "OK,  enough is enough I am taking over for a while.!" and believe me it did.  I don' t remember getting dressed, but I did.  I got in my car and drove to the lake by my house. I got out of the car and just stared at the water.  "Why am I here? I thought as I stood there .?"  The voice inside of me said "Go Walk!"  So that's what I did.   I walked for one hour and it was glorious, I cried half way around the lake. When I was finished I felt so much better and for the first time the fog started to lift and there was hope, hope for me and for my family, hope for everything.

After that morning, I started to research self help and cures for depression without drugs. Did you know one of the best things for depression if physical exercise?. I made my healing a challenge. Committing to walking 90 days straight.   Walking was my medicine, a pill so to speak, and my mind was determined not to let me stop. Soon this morphed into diet, and meditation. My main focus was trying to balance my Mind, Body and Soul, quieting the pain and feeling  joy and happiness again.

Fast forward to present day. What a difference just committing to walking made in me. I can honestly say it has saved my life. Would I still be living here on earth,? OH yeah, but not the same way I live now.  I now know my purpose and what fuels my happiness.   I am better equipped when tragedy hits. I can work though my pain, searching the source, feeling the feeling   and letting it go. Not letting it over take me. I have to stop focusing on the problem and look for solutions.
Do I still have moments of sadness,? Of course I do,  but without sadness  you can not experience pure joy.
I am thankful for both.

Food was an important part of this journey.

 I have had a few people want to know what diet I follow.
I Really want to stress that   Food is a very personal thing, and to be completely honest what works for me might not work for others. 

The Three  pics above are in sequence.
The first was at 1 month, the second was at 6 months and  the last one is me today.
Weight is all a matter of muscle vs fat. Weighing more does not mean you are Fat!

My relationship with food has always been a pretty positive one. I don’t use it as a reward or as a punishment. I use it as a tool to nourish my body and keep my mind healthy.

Here are a few of my golden rules that work for me.

 *To start with Alcohol is a no, no .  Empty calories. Need I say more. Every once in a blue Moon I will have a drink, but its super rare and only one.  In the last 4 months I have had none.  The older I get the harder it is for me to metabolize it anyway.

* I cut out all processed sugars or processed foods, So sweets are very very rare , dark chocolate dipped in organic peanut butter is what I eat when I need a treat.

* Try to cut out Artificial Sweeteners
*The only artificial sweeter I will touch is sweet and low or organic stevia.... which can be processed by your body.......aspartame a whole different  topic. Don’t get me started on this poison  your body can not process this crap. It goes into your nervous system and sits there for life, reeking all kinds of havoc on your body. Look it up.
If you can stay away from artificial sweeteners That would be the ticket.  They make you gain weight anyway!

* I eat loads of fruit. I mean if that’s all I had. I would be happy.
  Vegetables   are also a staple.  I stay away from white potato’s and that’s about it.
* I snack on nuts when I need salty crunchy,  almonds are my fave!

*lean organic meats .  You would be surprised how different organic Grass fed meat taste. Its Way better!
* Chicken,Steak,  Fish ...not a lot of pork. I use to not eat any red meat. But I eat it every once in a while now
*Eggs
* I eat dairy too, but in moderation, I have this crazy  relationship with cheese, I could eat it daily, another  snack  I love is cheese and turkey roll ups with mustard. Sometimes a pickle gets wrapped  in there too.

 * Grains , Brown rice,  organic oatmeal  organic bread.  All a winner!
(One of my favorite snacks is Avocado toast.)
 * I mix a lot of fruit smoothies:  water,  frozen fruit, bananas for sweetness. It’s a perfect summer cool down. Sometimes I throw a handful of kale or spinach in there too.
*Golden rule #12:  Too much of anything is not good.  Moderation is key. And really just listening to your body.
If you are tired all the time , headaches and or Irritable  you might have to cut out carbs and sugar. And if you do........be sure to warn everyone around you, because  it take two weeks,  at least,  of detox. And it is not fun.  But once the sugar is out of your system your mind becomes clear, your moods level out and your headache should disappear.
I hope this helps.

I will do a food journal one day soon and share, if you guys would like.

Love you all. 

Have a great day.

XXOO

Anne