This is the story of how I healed my body using food as medicine.
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Health Disclaimer: It is important to know that food does not replace pharmaceutical drugs. The information on how I used food as medicine is only for entertainment purposes only. Always consult your physician or nutritionist for medical advice.
You would think, well you’re a nurse you know how to heal people and eat healthily…right?
In my case, I never really cared where my food came from…to be honest I didn’t even think about it. Even when I started nursing school, I still didn’t give it a single thought.
This was when I didn’t care about the quality of my food..& the calm before the storm.
However, when my first semester of nursing school was almost over there was one night I woke up in excruciating pain.
Till this day that night hunts me since it felt like a monster was twisting my insides and all I could do was yell in pain.
Here I was only 26 years old and going in to get a Colonoscopy. Then receiving the diagnosis of Irritable bowel syndrome known as IBS.
So now what? Well to your surprise, I did nothing.
My doctor gave me medication…but I didn’t take it. And still ate like crap. I was a full-time nursing student, working part-time for the Air National Guard, which had me travel to another state when I had to work.
At home, I was also with my husband raising twin girls. I was busy, tired, and I never thought to take care of myself.
Homelife, nursing school, and the military job…you can tell I was tired.
So you ask, what did it take for me to change my unhealthy ways?
After graduating nursing school and fast-forwarding to 4 years later, my family was faced with life-changing mental health issues.
This was my breaking point and by now I was done feeling bad. So I turned to books.
I found books that changed the way I thought about food and made me want to be better.
The only way to change is if you’re ready to make a change.
The books that helped me put the pieces together and gave me the motivation to take the steps to heal my body the right way are linked below.
Both books go in-depth on how to use food as medicine, and they explain how the current food system isn’t helping us.
My hope is If you can get one thing out of reading this post, it is giving these books a chance…they changed my relationship with food forever.
Another amazing resource I used & still do today: FlavCity’s YouTube Channel
& The Doctor’s Pharmacy Podcast with Dr. Mark Hyman is worth seeing and hearing.
After I got educated, I did four big things that saved my mind and body…
First, I gave my pantry a makeover
I got rid of all processed foods and read every ingredient before I bought something at a grocery store. My post How to stock a healthy pantry is a step-by-step guide on how I did this step successfully.
Second, I started a vegetable garden
My husband started the idea of growing our food, and we started a vegetable garden. No matter how small or big of a space you may have, you should grow some vegetables. I think it’s the best way to start using food as medicine.
Growing & eating this Bok Choy was just one of the many past gifts I got from growing my own food.
Even if you can grow only one thing…do it!
Not only did we now eat more vegetables, but it was also a huge step in helping with mental health issues. But if anyone knows what it’s like to live with or be around mental health issues in their family, it’s more of a marathon than a sprint to heal.
This is my little one trying to reach our sunflowers from our garden.
However, with the changes in lifestyle, my family was falling in love with nature, growing food, and learning to eat Intentionally.
Third, I started to cook from scratch every day!
From making bread, tortillas, many dinner dishes, and even condiments like my avocado oil mayo, and berry jelly. Cooking from scratch wasn’t easy at first, but I got better at it and now have full control over the food I eat.
I also started to find ways to make desserts healthier, by baking from scratch and using quality ingredients with no refined sugar.
This is just some of the amazing food I harvest from my garden before cooking.
Fourth, I ate Gut-Friendly Food
I made sure to stick with basic gut-friendly foods when I stock my pantry, grow food, or when I cook from scratch.
Some gut friendly food I eat:
- Kombucha
- Probiotic plain yogurt
- Sauerkraut & a lot of fermented foods
- Legumes
- I cook with Garlic & onions almost every day
- oats…there is so much more here.
Now I’m at a place where my IBS is controlled, I feel amazing, healthy, and I continue to heal my body with food.
Currently, I will also be moving to my home state of Florida to build a homestead and farm from scratch.
The goal of growing 100% of my food one day will become my reality soon.
I’m not saying you have to go and build a farm, but by just taking baby steps you can be on your way to heal your body naturally.
Pay attention to what you put in your body, start growing some food and cook more at home.
To get healthier & use food as medicine, you have to pay attention to what your body is telling you.
Have you done any of these things to heal your body? Let me know in the comments.
P I N F O R L A TER
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