Fueling Body And Mind

I’ll be honest. When I was fresh out of cancer treatment hell, I did all the things: gluten free, paleo, pescatarian, flexitarian, everything in moderation, and I tried veganism as well. After all of that, I decided to simply stick with” as close to real” (no additives or preservatives, few ingredients, and ones I can pronounce) as possible. I did not want to exclude an entire food group from my diet. It would have been too stressful for me and the people with whom I wanted to enjoy food. I also cared too much about what people thought of me. (Food police, food snob, purist are some of the passive aggressive labels I had thrown in my direction.)

Fast forward 20 years later to today. I did not ever anticipate going back to anything “restrictive.” However, new information about my own health and potential risks, came to light in recent weeks that made me see all of this differently. I decided to go full in.

I admit I spent a day allowing myself to grieve the “losses,” and then – like I have done a thousand times before I said “I can look at this like a loss or look at the gains of health and vitality that are on the other side.”

The next day, I began the new way, and I am now 98% plant-based whole foods. I do not buy pre-packaged vegan food. Most of it is gross and made with chemicals that mimic real food. I still consume minimal amounts of dairy and eggs. I do not use flour made in America, so the gluten I consume is far less inflammatory than what is sold here. I hope that this will change in the future. Until then, I will buy it elsewhere! Besides, I happen to love my herby focaccia bread, and I am not giving that up! I enjoy being creative in the kitchen, so this new way of eating is an adventure in many ways and not a chore. I do not consume much sugar anyway, but I use only pure maple, coconut, date, or raw honey for sweetening. I started juicing a few times a week and have been doing intermittent fasting for a few months.

The result? My body has already thanked me for this change.

I learned a long time ago that health is not only about what we eat and drink. You can make all of those changes and leave the emotional, mental, and spiritual aspects the same and not become healthier. Wellness is about balance. All aspects of life must be in harmony for one to experience the best potential for health. Nothing occurs in isolation. Therefore, there is no set timetable for gaining health. Much like grief, health is a journey that does not end. It is something you learn to work with every day and with every new season of your life. I have never been more certain of this than I am today.

In addition to the new way of eating, I have a daily movement rhythm of gentle, slow breathing with tai chi, qigong, and/or walking. Deep slow breathing is when I set intentions for the day, pray to my Creator and Good Shepherd for guidance and wisdom, and all that the day brings. The physical is the bridge to the spiritual, and when these two are in sync, the emotional and mental benefits are also present. My journey into the mentoring and coaching space is largely because of the lessons I have learned (the hard way) regarding health and wellness. I speak with clients about prioritizing their emotional and mental “bandwidth” because I know what it is like to be overworked, stressed, sick, and overwhelmed. I know what it is to feel like you are living someone else’s life, trapped in a cycle with no idea how to escape it. You secretly wonder whether it is possible at all. I know that knot that forms in your stomach when you think about showing up somewhere you’d rather not be and meeting deadlines that you wish you could erase.

I have been the one to bite off more than I could chew, spread myself too thin, and burn the candle at both ends. I have lay awake at night wondering: how can I say no to this or cut back on that without it hurting someone else’s who’s counting on me to deliver? I have thought things like, “I should be stronger. So and so can handle it without any problems. Why should I not be able to?

I was deep into a destructive cycle that needed to break but I did not know how to do it so I kept spinning until- I crashed and burned. From burnout to cancer and everything that went with it, my body spoke loud and clear: Enough is enough. Time to make changes.

To be clear, I am not suggesting that burnout leads to cancer. That is my story. It does not have to be anyone else.

When all of these come together in harmony, you are unstoppable. If you want support, please contact me.

Here again is the link to watch the podcast with Jeanne and her guest https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VmC_WPaqo3U

I hope that 2025 is ending on a happy, healthy, peaceful note for you. I pray many blessings are in store for you in the new year. Thank you for being with me on this blogging journey and in the other ways that you consume content.