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| Bruce and I at 'Sails' restaurant we recently dined at in Auckland by the harbour bridge. Aren't we glowing! |
- Smokefree (Quit date 4th January) - 10 months
- Refined sugar and gluten free (Quit date early July) - 3 1/2 months
- Alcohol free (Quit date mid July) - 3 months
- Crossfit (Start date early September) - 2 months (and it still hasn't killed me!)
Other changes:
- Reduced coffee intake to 1 per day in the morning
- Increased green tea as a replacement to coffee
- Buying most vegetables from farmers market and meat from a butcher
- 'Meat free' days
People say to me 'wow that's too extreme for me' or 'I would just focus on cutting down'.
I'm an all or nothing type of person. Moderation just doesn't work for me in most cases. I feel like it takes far more willpower and effort to be forever monitoring and thinking about how many chips I've eaten from that family size pack in one go or the amount of wine that it takes before paying for it the entire next day for the sake of an inebriated evening that lasts only a few hours. Abstinence just feels easier. It means I don't even have to start that battle with the angel Vince and the devil Vince on my shoulders. I feel relaxed!
Physically I am feeling really good. I have an even amount of energy throughout the day. I used to crash in the afternoons. On the weekends I would nap a lot. I still enjoy a nap on the weekends but I don't feel forced to do it any more. This is definitely due my body no longer relying on the rush of sugar from the high amount of bread and refined sugar I used to consume most lunchtimes and shifting to healthy fats and oils for energy.
From my early twenties I had suffered from psoriasis in my nails and then eventually psoriatic arthritis in one of my fingers, my back and my knees. As of today, my nails are completely clear of pitting and scaled areas and I have no arthritic pain whatsoever. Psoriasis is classed as an inflammatory condition and it is becoming more and more evident that the food you eat can have inflammatory effects on your body. I believe that cutting out gluten and refined sugar is a huge factor to my recovery.
Also from my early twenties I have suffered from anxiety. Over the past few months I have felt more grounded and calm than I have in years. Anxiety is something I need to manage and live with every day but it is hugely noticeable that it's something now less in the forefront of my mind. I believe this is contributed to the reduction in caffeine, no alcohol and regular exercise.
I don't feel like my life changes have been drastic. Especially with the support of my husband who is finding his own reasons and seeing his own results from being healthier. I think what is drastic is the way we have changed as a society to allow the high rates of obesity and diabetes and other inflammatory conditions which were once rarely heard of.
So far so good. I like the path I'm following. I'm happy and content with life at the moment!
