So I Did A TEDx Talk…

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I love TED and TEDx talks. Ever since I first discovered them I was hooked and in the back on my mind I thought,”I want to do one of those one day.” I’ve been able to see people I admire speak about their lives and experiences or been introduced to individuals I had never heard of before but after their talks had me madly Googling them to find out more.The first one I viewed will always resonate with me and I have watched it countless times – Aimee Mullins: It’s not fair having 12 pairs of legs.  Aimee is so incredible on so many levels and I love speaking of her, sharing her images and her point of view with children when we talk about body image and self-esteem. Amanda Palmer: The Art of Asking is so brilliantly delivered that it upped the game for every presentation I saw after. I was completely smitten by Ron Finely’s A Guerilla Gardener in South Central LA talk. Have watched it numerous times and it is powerful yet amusing. You have to catch Brene Brown’s The Power of Vulnerability. And one that deeply touched my soul and had me tearing up was Monica Lewinsky: The price of shame.  Incredible. I tried to hug her through the computer.

I put it out to the universe that I wanted to do a TEDx talk by the end of 2015…and then I got an email in February…asking me to do a TEDx talk. I almost fell off my chair.  (I need to keep manifesting!) I was invited by Craig Zimmer, an incredible teacher,  who has been sharing his passion for TED talks with his students, school – and the entire school board –  through the TEDxStMaryCSS event and the TEDEdClub. I love that he is encouraging the next generation to speak up with confidence! I figured I had until June 5, the date of the event, to get my body and brain working better together while healing from gluten ataxia.  Lots of time I thought.  After many revisions, I decided to entitle my talk An Exploration of Identity and take the audience through the journey I had been on that had opened my eyes to so many lessons. I thought I was doing well as the date was approaching…even if my walking was still not up to par, my brain seemed to be working better. I just needed my brain and my mouth to work on that stage for less than 2o minutes and all would be fine.

However, the more I spoke aloud and practiced, the more scrambled my brain got. My brain is still building up its motor skills and connections and speaking was taking me down. Leading up to the talk, I was slurring my words, stuttering, flipping words in sentences and was unable to remember anything that was not in chronological order.  My head hurt in a way it had never hurt before – not a headache….like someone who was injuring herself by repeating an action.  I was sobbing in my friend Shelli’s arms in my kitchen 2 days before my talk. Not only did I not think I would physically be able to do it, I questioned if I would ever be able to give a talk or work on TV ever again.  I explained to my friend that it felt like a runner trying to complete a marathon on a broken leg in a cast – could it be possible? Yes. Would it lead to long term injury? Probably. Would it be a very good idea? No. It must be noted that Shelli is a complete and utter rock star and has literally hugged my soul daily throughout this journey.

With fellow TEDx speakers Ashley Rose & Simone Denny.

With fellow TEDx speakers Ashley Rose & Simone Denny.

I asked if I could speak at the event first and meticulously planned what I ate that morning and when, when I meditated and drove there in silence. Eating with precise timing helped stave off severe blood sugar issues which would also lead to severe brain fog, stuttering and slurring. Knowing I could speak first meant I knew my food would help keep my brain operating and I would not have to worry about how the day’s timing unfolded. I wouldn’t have to worry about how much I spoke with others or how much I walked because both would take up a lot of energy needed for the talk. I did anything and everything to calm down my brain. And I made the executive decision to eliminate all slides. It may sound simple to talk while clicking the remote in order to pull up a few pictures but for me that seemed the equivalent of running backwards while patting my head and rubbing my belly while trying to tell a joke. I asked if I could put up a few bullet points on the prompter instead. I could. I exhaled. Salvation.

I am really proud of my TEDx talk – for standing up there and simply speaking. I climbed a mountain to get there and presenting it was a sweet-as-all-hell gift. It didn’t matter to me if I was standing or sitting – I just wanted to speak. I literally spent all summer after that looking into getting a scooter wheelchair because I just kept getting utterly exhausted – and I realized that being able to speak meant more to me than walking everywhere.  Every day became a day of bartering with my motor skills. Ok, you want to use this motor skill?  You’ve got to give up these ones for the rest of the day. You want to use several motor skills today?  You will need to nap for the rest of the week… I wanted my energy….to speak…to be me…to express myself to the world, share my thoughts and ideas – and I did not care anymore if I was standing or sitting. Where once I was completely gutted by the thought of sitting in a scooter, I started to get really excited. I could feel the wind whipping through my hair on the path by the beach and pictured myself buzzing around airports going places. I looked up rentals at The Louvre and figured I would have an advantage and actually see way more incredible art on a scooter! THAT got me really excited. And I was introduced to the magic of an electric bike which further opened up my world of possibilities. If it could conserve my energy to be able to speak and communicate and socialize more, and enjoy more moments,  it would be worth it to sit more often.  I realized even more so how much I truly loved and valued my brain and the thoughts in it and the expression my lips could convey to the world.

What a hell of a way to truly know body love and to appreciate every single day on this planet!  I continuously tweak my “health homework” and made some more health changes at the end of the summer that have helped turn my energy levels around.  Every day has been a gift in more mobility, increased energy, better brain function and creativity. I know healing will be an ongoing process for quite some time but I am overjoyed with the changes and revel in walking a little longer as each month passes. I am so beyond honoured to have been able to present this talk and now know that my desire to get out there and do more talks is possible. Bring. It. On. Thanks so much for taking the time to watch my TEDx talk. Every view means more to me than I could ever convey. And please…

Stop being so hard on yourself.

Love yourself more.

Hug your soul more.

Tell your body it is amazing regularly.

Stare at your body parts in wonder.

Stop stepping on a scale every day.

Don’t worry about what size you are.

Thank your body for its magnificence.

Know that you are ridiculously amazing throughout all time and space.

You are utterly perfect – never forget it.

Liis xo

 

 

 

 

 

Want To Be Healthier But Don’t Know Where to Start? Three Simple Ways to Rethink Breakfast

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I chat with many people who want to make healthier lifestyle choices but just don’t know where to begin. They want a few easy attainable ideas to get started that aren’t overwhelming and can be implemented immediately.  I tell them to rethink breakfast. Making a few simple changes will start your day off on a better, more energetic foot and set the tone for the rest of the day. Also, it just feels good to know you rocked something before even leaving the house! Here are three simple changes I made to my breakfast routine that you can too…

Don’t skip breakfast. Ever.

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I used to do this regularly. Worse, I would go do a full cardio workout on an empty stomach messing with my poor body and then go home to a big fruit smoothie packed with too much sugar.  But it’s fruit…it’s healthy I thought! Just not five pounds of it pulverized into a glass! My blood sugar levels protested. Majorly. Recipe for disaster. Something to think about:  If you wait until lunch to eat, you aren’t just waiting a “few” hours from the time you awoke. If your last meal was dinner the previous night, you could be looking at no nourishment for 12-17 hours…not a great idea and you are making your body work far too hard. It took a while for me to adjust to eating bigger meals in the morning – I just didn’t feel hungry. But as my body adjusted, my energy levels improved throughout the day. Now I never leave home without eating.

Ditch the fruit juice

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Most of us were raised to have a glass of orange juice every morning – or something similar. It’s what you see in most breakfast commercials right?  It’s also a big shot of sugar without the fiber to help digest that hit to your system.  If you’ve been sleeping for several hours, and your last meal was hours before going to bed, the first jolt your poor system is going to have in the morning is a big shot of sugar.  Switch to room temperature water (throw in a squeeze of lemon) and start paying attention to how much sugar you are starting your day with. Start looking at how much fruit juice you drink every day, then figure out how many pieces of fruit it would take to make that juice. If you shouldn’t eat 10 oranges in a day, and it would take forever and a day to peel them, you shouldn’t be drinking the equivalent either – especially in one sitting! (And if you are experimenting with juicing, make sure you get more veggies in there than fruit!)

Rethink typical breakfast foods

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Who says we have to eat the “typical” breakfast of cereal, toast, bagels and take-out breakfast sandwiches and muffins? Who says you can’t reinvent the first meal of your day? There is still a lot of sugar hiding in North American breakfasts. Start getting way out of the cereal box if you will….cook up some extra protein at dinner and try a chicken breast, sausage, homemade patties, fish and pair them with low glycemic fruits or veggies. Avocado is especially satisfying and filling and filled with good fat. Have a mini dinner to start your day like the salmon and asparagus in the photo above. Or scramble some eggs with veggies and put it on a mound of greens. I have found that the more I cut down on sugar in the morning, and eat some protein, the more energy I have throughout the day and the more alert I am.

The more I delved into my reinvention of breakfast, it struck me how many lunch and dinner options we have created for ourselves, yet we’ve  made so many “rules” as to what a typical breakfast should be and have kept the selection so limited. And why does it seem so weird to eat veggies in the morning?  It shouldn’t! How did this come about? Things that make you go hmm… Shake up breakfast for one week to see how you feel. I admit, it was a bizarre feeling for me at first. The first change I made was eliminating fruit juices in the morning. That seemed like a simple start. Once you conquer a few changes, the overall task of reclaiming your health won’t seem so overwhelming. Think of this as your grocery shopping  list. When you head to the store, you don’t pile everything on your list into your cart at once. You systematically go through the store and tick items off one item at a time. All small changes add up. You rock for starting!

You Can Call it Paleo – I Call it Getting Old Timey

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I have seen several articles lately referring to the Paleo way of eating as a “fad diet.” Whoa! Anyone who knows me knows I don’t believe in diets. Not for this babe. Weigh-ins? Counting calories? Being obsessed with the numbers on a scale?

No thank you.

I say good day.

Buh bye.

I have got to know many amazing people who follow a Paleo way of eating through social media, some I have interacted with and some I have admired from afar and several friends are now on board too. I’ve learned about their health struggles or those of their family members – the majority of which have some form of autoimmunity. All of them approached what they were eating and how they were eating for pretty much the same reason: They were out of options through traditional means to heal themselves or their loved ones and they needed to take matters into their own hands. Food became the greatest healing tool in their toolboxes.

 
The big factor in all of this “diet fad” talk some media outlets aren’t seeing? That Paleo cooking initially adopted for health and healing became the joy of cooking. The thrill of concocting new dishes. The fun of getting old timey in the kitchen and back to basics and flavourful simplicity. The enjoyment of getting in touch with food that doesn’t come ready to go in a bag or box filled with ingredients we can’t pronounce. There is a resurgence in food creativity that leaves me smiling. Leaves me wanting to go out and buy a slew of cookbooks. Makes me want to have 1960’s potluck dinner party throw downs. A movement that has me experimenting in the kitchen and coming up with stuff that 75% of the time is pretty damn good (with the other 25% being comical – yet edible – errors).

 
When I would visit my grandparents, I don’t recall ever going to a grocery store with them. We would visit the butcher. The baker. We would visit a man who sold honey out of his basement. Milk and ice cream would come from down the street and vegetables popped up from their garden. Fruit was picked fresh from their pear tree and condiments were to be found in the cellar after pickling. Neighbours would swap fruits and vegetables and sometimes homemade wine. Sometimes rum would be exchanged for an exceptionally large eggplant. Everyone’s specialty was celebrated, acknowledged and supported. I am sure they went to the grocery store sometimes but for minimal purchases. I remember asking my grandfather why they didn’t buy bread at the grocery store and he looked at me quizzically and said,”Why would we do that? We know this is baked fresh daily. We know what they put into it. We know the baker. ”

 

Would my grandmother understand me using coconut flour to bake? Maybe not. But I know that if I told her I was getting back to a way of eating, cooking and baking like she did in the old country, in which the ingredients are simple, healthy and basic without preservatives, she’d say that’s a smart idea. If I told her I was getting back to a way of life like they had in which they rarely got sick and that I have not had a cold or flu in 4 years she’d think it to be pretty smart. If I told my grandparents I regularly go to farmers’ markets and like to know where my food comes from and who is creating it, they would say,”When are we going?”

 

Getting old timey has brought back a love of cooking for me. It’s made me excited to experiment with new recipes. It has me traipsing to the library every week trying to work through my long list of cookbook holds. It’s also introduced me to new people and their stories. It’s brought me together with people around the world who feel joyful for empowering themselves and their families and revitalizing their health. I think for the majority of those who follow a Paleo lifestyle, they would chuckle if you suggested they were on a diet. It would kinda sound ridiculous actually. And I have yet to hear of one talking about counting calories…

 
So, if getting old timey is considered a fad so be it. I am now going to hunker down to savour my Paleo chocolate cupcake with icing that I baked last night. Super healthy – ridiculously delicious – and my body agrees. There is energy and joy in my food and in its preparation. I always said my grandma’s cooking tasted so good because she put so much love into it. It is so true. Every meal is a gift to heal and is a way to infuse joy into our lives. Bring on the old timey I say…

Welcome to a New Liis on Life!

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Thank you so much for visiting Liis on Life! I am so happy to share this space with you and am looking forward to connecting often. Yes, this website is a play on my name… but it really does reflect a new energy for me, a new direction, a new purpose in life. If we are meeting here for the first time then a big hello to you!  And if some of you know me through my over 20 years in the fashion industry, I am happy to connect with you again.

Sometimes you blissfully walk through life thinking your future is going in one direction then all of a sudden a giant hand swoops down and declares, “Change of course! You are now going this way!” You find yourself on a completely different path, one you never envisioned or chose.  You protest, you reflect, you rage, and then a moment of calm clarity comes about and you realize the universe chose your experiences for a reason, that you attracted in your experiences for a reason – or a million – a million really, really important ones.  And you realize all your experiences are meant to be shared in order to help someone else in the exact same spot you were just in.

Looking back I was physically falling apart for years – but always with a smile on my face, always while keeping busy and moving onto the next project in my life. (Sound familiar anyone?) There were warning signs that my body was crying out for help. There was a growing disconnect with my mind, body & soul – they weren’t having the same conversation. The universe kept bellowing:

Hey Liis!

Can you hear me now?

Can you hear me now?

Can you hear me now?

HOW ABOUT RIGHT NOW?!

It wasn’t until I completely fell apart and started putting back the pieces that I realized all this, until I heard the universe LOUD and CLEAR. I was diagnosed with Hashimoto’s, an autoimmune thyroid dis-ease in 2011, endometriosis in 2012 and the clincher, the rare dis-ease cerebellar gluten ataxia in 2013. My list of symptoms was enormous and the daily pain was off the charts.  Were there good times in there? Absolutely. Some great times in fact. Some travelling and some nights of dancing even. Some amazing career projects. But to say I have done a lot of soul searching, health homework and deep reflection would be an understatement. I feel as if I just completed a university degree I didn’t realize I had signed up for!

I like to call the last few years my “spiritual time-out.”  In all the pain and all the frustration, there were so many lessons, so much knowledge gained, so many moments of amazement and wonder. To the general public who have seen me on numerous TV appearances and in fashion campaigns, it may not have seemed like anything was wrong but every event – even if only one or two hours – required meticulous planning and then recuperation. From first adopting a gluten free life in 2011 to embracing a Paleo lifestyle in late 2013, I have grown to realize the healing energy of food, meditation and positive thinking and the power we have to change the course of our dis-ease, our happiness, our lives.

As I sat in my time-out chair, I did reflect on a lot, and came to new levels of understanding on so many platforms.  After labour, mothers will always say of course they would go through it all again in order to have their children. Although not a mother, I can relate to that sentiment – I have come out the other side with a new lease on life I wouldn’t trade for anything in this world.  There is no going back to “before.” I have wept so many tears of gratitude and sit in such gratefulness every day.  My friends now lovingly say, ”Aww Liis, are you crying from happiness again?”

I have created this space and welcome you here to learn, to grow, to laugh, to embrace your inner child and hug the hell out of her. To reach out to your future self and proactively take care of her right now, this very instant – and let her know how amazing she is. To love yourself today, just the way you are in all your amazing perfection. To live in joy daily. To shake up your routine. To ask questions. To not only think outside the box but live like it never existed. To cry tears of total joy. To surprise and amaze yourself. To do your health homework because it is really, really good for your mind, body and soul!

Let’s lose the obsession with what size is on the label of our jeans and daily weigh-ins and always calorie counting shall we? My shape and size has changed dramatically through all this and it is but one  small part of my story. My curvy body allowed me to travel the world with a career I loved, connecting with incredible people around the world. I honour my body throughout time, whatever shape or size. Weight and size is such a small part of who all of us really are.  This site is about body love for everybody and every BODY.

If I can help others from going through the same health issues and rude awakening I did, I sure want to try.  As this site grows, and as I continue to grow, I hope you will join me. I am so looking forward to it!

 

So Liis, Why Are You Eating Paleo Anyway?

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You will notice on my site and in my social media posts that I reference Paleo food and share my healthy concoctions quite frequently. If you have found your way to Liis on Life, you may already know a bit – or a lot – about the Paleo way of eating. Or you may have no clue and are envisioning cavemen running around hunting for food and picking berries scratching your head wondering why I have signed up for such a “crazy” way of life. Many crossfitters have adopted the Paleo diet but I am not a crossfitter – but kudos to them and their workouts! And some adopt a Paleo diet strictly to lose weight which is not the reason I changed my eating habits. As a proud curvy model and fashion diversity and body image advocate for over 20 years, I want everyone to know I don’t count calories, this has nothing to do with weight or size – it has to do with making a necessary lifestyle choice for health. I think if you are “on a diet” you can fall off. Ouch. No thanks. When you’re “in a healthy lifestyle,” that’s being true to you every day. I feel as if I am getting back to the healthy way my grandparents ate before preservatives took over the shelves – or as I like to say: Just Eat Real Food (JERF).

In 2011, when I was diagnosed with Hashimoto’s, it was recommended that anyone with any autoimmunity eat gluten free so I jumped in with both feet to help heal myself. It is believed that once the body starts mistakenly turning on its own body parts – in my case, my thyroid – it often starts to mistakenly attack gluten as well thus keeping up the body’s inflammation levels. I also eliminated soy – not great for many reasons but especially with thyroid issues. Still, the varying levels of aches and pain and brain fog problems didn’t go away. There were many improvements (health homework is key!) but my quality of life was far from ideal. I was existing not thriving. Painful endometriosis came about in 2012 and I noticed some different symptoms in the spring of 2013 but kept thinking, ”I have to be patient and give my body time to heal,” and attributed them all to Hashimoto’s.

 

The fall of 2013 brought about severe changes to my health and suddenly many days I could barely walk and the brain fog I had struggled with turned into what I can only label the decimation of my mind. Some days I could look and act fairly normal, other days, not even close. Every day felt like a game of chance and making plans started to become impossible. When I could walk, I often looked like I was stumbling down the street drunk. Every movement I made was exhausting and difficult and I remember telling my mom that if I didn’t get help immediately, I was going to hit a point of no return and lose certain brain and body function forever. At 42, I thought I was headed towards a walker or a wheelchair and either dementia, Parkinson’s or something similar. I was inwardly freaking out at how fast things were spiralling. The list of symptoms was long and I could barely tie my shoelaces and tremored inwardly constantly. Basic everyday moves became huge tasks – lifting a tea cup, passing a plate down the table, being in busy, loud environments. By this point, I had tried everything to get my blood sugar levels under control and I could feel it getting worse. It was only through deep meditation, meticulous planning and literally using up all my adrenaline reserves that I got through this period. My acting and improv skills helped me get through work obligations and seem “normal” when I felt anything but.

In December, 2013 I was finally diagnosed with gluten ataxia, an autoimmune condition in which the antibodies my body was producing in response to gluten were mistakenly attacking my cerebellum (more specifically the Purkinje cells), the part of the brain which controls motor skills. My nerves, muscles, central nervous system and entire body were affected. (There are many forms of ataxia. Some come about for no known reason “sporadic” , some are hereditary and some are symptoms of  celiac or Hashimoto’s – which is not the case with me.  Some believe, as I do, gluten ataxia is an as-yet classified autoimmune dis-ease. There is still so much research needed!) I had still been getting trace amounts of gluten through cross contamination and not being careful enough even though I was “gluten free.” On the advice of my doctor and through lots of research, I adopted a Paleo way of eating in mid-December. At that point, I would have hopped on one foot and ate cardboard if you told me it might make me feel better. (But actually, I couldn’t physically hop…hmm…)

With any autoimmunity, the body’s cells attack a body part mistakenly thinking it is a foreign invader. It is recommended that those with autoimmunity adopt a gluten free life because the body often grows to also view gluten as a foreign invader. If one’s body is hypersensitive, it can also mistakenly start to attack other foods with a similar molecular structure, a process called molecular mimicry. With autoimmunity, one wants to do as much as possible to calm down your system because there is a likelihood of developing other issues or autoimmune dis-ease – as you can see with how much has been going on with me. It’s important to do as much as possible to turn off or lessen the “red alert” signal your cells have activated. And this is where the Paleo diet comes in…

A Paleo diet gets back to the basics of how our ancestors ate when they were nomadic hunters and gatherers who were not confined to one geographic location and hence, didn’t depend on crops like wheat or soy. In essence, as I like to call it – K.I.S.S. – Keep It So Simple, or getting back to basics, or as I said before, Just Eat Real Food! It’s about lessening inflammation in the body, allowing its functions to get back to calm and cutting down the daily intake of sugar that causes so many issues for those with autoimmunity. By eating unprocessed food, it’s also about cutting out chemicals, unnecessary additives and GMO’s. Paleo focuses on fruits, vegetables, lean meats, seafood, nuts and seeds, eggs and healthy fats. Organic produce and grass-fed meat is preferred. All food consumed is gluten free. The foods to avoid include ones that can cause a lot of inflammation including grains, dairy, sugars, legumes, processed foods, and alcohol. It still amuses me to hear a 10,000 year old way of eating being labelled a “new diet craze.”

Although at first glance this may look limiting, I promise you it’s not! I have discovered so many great new (or should I say old?) ingredients: spices, flours, fruits and vegetables, sauces, beverages. I am always satisfied, never hungry, and don’t crave sweets anymore. Cooking and baking is fun – and nourishes me mind, body and soul. I promise to break down the categories even more in a future post!

My results were quick and astounding. Within 3 days I was able to sleep in for the first time in 3 years because my morning blood sugar levels felt stable and walked across my room and didn’t fall over. In less than a month of “going Paleo” as I like to call it, the daily pain on the arch of my left foot vanished (plantar fasciitis). The stomach pain that had been a daily source of misery for 3 solid years was gone. I wept from sheer and utter joy. My pants started to feel loose and borrowing a relative’s scale (I don’t own one & don’t want to), I discovered I had dropped 20 lbs while under strict doctor’s orders not to exercise – not that I could have anyway. The painful tire-like swelling around my waist started to disappear and the episodes of being so bloated I looked pregnant never reoccurred. . The daily pain in the right side of my face and neck (the equivalent of having a headache every single day for years) disappeared. I wept. I wept so many times!

In less than 2 months, my erratic blood sugar levels continued to stabilize and my need to constantly eat to be able to function vanished. The hump on the back of my neck vanished, the swelling in my neck (goiter) went down and strength started to slowly return to my muscles and most importantly – my brain. My brain started to fire up normally again – ideas and concepts started to fly. I felt smart and creative again. Yup, bawled. Within 42 days of going Paleo, I actually skated with my mom for 10 minutes without falling over or passing out and browsed through some stores with her for an hour without losing steam. Yes, you guessed it – cried again from sheer gratitude and wonder.

Every day became a gift in a different way. I remember a friend asking,”Aren’t you sad eating in a way that takes so much out of your life?” I chimed back,”I don’t think you understand. I have got so much more given back to me than taken away!” And it was true. I didn’t think it possible, but after eliminating sugars, my cravings changed. About a week into eating Paleo, my body and consciousness shifted. My body could finally start to truly heal without worrying about constant inflammation. It’s like I said to my body,”I have taken away anything that was harming you – just concentrate on getting better now. Everything else has been taken care of.”

As I write this in January, 2015, I have just finished a 2 ½ month physiotherapy program at Neuro-fit in Los Angeles for the ataxia and have made huge improvements to my brain and body and will continue with physiotherapy at home. From January-March 2014, the Paleo lifestyle helped in so many ways but I didn’t realize the body sometimes heals much faster than the brain and although I was calming it down with meditation and at-home physiotherapy, fixing the messaging system to the rest of my body parts was a very slow process. The ataxia was very up and down from April onwards but I felt so many other areas stabilizing. I realize now how important it was to have the foundation in place that Paleo brought about for me in order to do these challenging physiotherapy sessions. My blood sugar levels needed to be firmly in order and everything fell into place in the right time. I also needed the best fuel possible to hit the highest level of healing right now.

I don’t like the word “diet” even though I know in this context it is simply a way of eating. Yes, I continue to lose weight as my body finds what works well for it, but that is merely one small part of my journey, one small part of who I am and my size does not define me. I have always been happy with myself regardless of my weight. I do not count calories, am always satisfied food-wise, and my body shape and size continues to change and wherever I land, as long as I am healthy and thriving, I am thrilled. As my way of eating has become such a big part of my life, I like to say I live a Paleo lifestyle, for food is such an important part of the fabric of our lives. I literally crave healthy food now and have so much fun concocting new recipes in my kitchen or with friends!

I don’t ever believe in using the word “cheat” if I ever partake in something not-quite-Paleo (but always remaining 100% gluten free). I prefer the term off-roading actually…. I eat so super healthy that I don’t consider tasty organic coconut ice cream a cheat, or having some hummus at a friend’s house who has gone out of her way to put out a super healthy spread and try to accommodate me, or adding pure Canadian maple syrup (a sugar) to a healthy cacao/avocado pudding. This is the rest of my life. This is my new normal and after feeling so great after feeling so bad, I welcome it with open arms . I am not “on a diet” – I don’t like that term. I am “in a healthy lifestyle.” Big difference. Eating and drinking should be enjoyable – not a chore. And yes, I do believe that although cave people did not partake in a nice glass of Pinot Grigio, there is room in my life for some alcohol – as long as I don’t go overboard with the sugar. (I did not consume alcohol or limited it severely during different stages of my gluten ataxia “homework”)

I believe everyone must find what fuel works best for his or her body. Paleo works for me and I believe it will work for many people with autoimmunity or other dis-ease in order to keep your body’s functions as calm as possible so it can do the work of keeping you vibrant. And if you are already healthy or thinking about owning your shift, the mental and physical changes will blow your mind! Who wouldn’t want more energy and vitality and then be able to share more of yourself with your loved ones? To travel? To participate in more fun activities? To thrive? Easy digestion gives the body one less thing to worry about. I wish I had done this several years ago, right when I was diagnosed with Hashimoto’s – perhaps my health journey would have been different. I want to offer this option and information to you so you can get healthier faster, save yourself time, money and frustration – and feel fantastic!

I look forward to sharing this food journey with you and welcome you into my kitchen as I get excited about new healthy concoctions and discoveries! I have been experimenting with all things Paleo, gluten free, egg free, raw, vegetarian and vegan. Let’s own this shift!

I Haven’t Just Changed What I Eat – I’ve Changed How I Eat Too

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I have developed some new habits that make me quite happy…but this comes from having to break some habits that definitely needed tweaking! One I am still working on is this: I need to eat more slowly. I wouldn’t classify myself as a “wolfer” or “inhaler.” I have table etiquette I swear. But when you are the first one to finish your meal at every restaurant you visit with friends, well, perhaps it’s time to slow down.

I got a big wake-up call when I was in deep meditation one day and had a vision of my foods compacting in my body due to eating quickly and not chewing enough. It sort of looked like a big, mangled blob in my stomach. When your Higher Self sends you a message, you listen! At this time I was desperately trying to heal my leaky gut which was causing pain and ripples of problems throughout my body and was becoming deeply in tune with what was working in my everyday life and what needed to change. Because I started to look at food as a means to heal, I knew it was vitally important to start paying attention to not only what I ate but to how I ate as well.

My stomach needed as much help as possible to heal and and I started chewing food more thoroughly to make it easier for my body to break it down. My body was literally not retaining any vitamins or nutrients (to not get overly graphic, let’s just say Hashimoto’s had me visiting the bathroom way too many times) and I was willing to try any little tweak to help improve matters. Even doing this, I realized old habits die hard and I was still diving into my food. I had to force myself to slow down, to breathe. I decided to close my eyes and inhale and exhale deeply before starting a meal. Wow, did this ever make an immediate difference! I had to do this several times throughout a dish when I would find myself picking up the pace again. I needed to retrain myself! In public, I would try to put my fork down more often if I caught myself speeding up.

I took my experiment one step further. As food has been the core element of my healing journey, I realized it wasn’t just feeding my body – it was feeding my mind and soul too. I was really grateful that it was helping to fix me. Like I had learned as a kid and then abandoned except for Thanksgiving and Christmas, I started to say a silent meditative “thanks” in my head for the food before me and the energy it was providing me. This further helped me slow down. But most importantly, this healthy food that I was consuming was infused with even more positive energy helping to heal me – and I was a more open, conscious being accepting this nourishment.

Here are a couple examples of what I might say in my mind:

Thank you for this food that is nourishing my mind, body and soul. I am grateful for the nutrients strengthening every cell in my body making me healthier every day.

Thank you to all that shared your energy in order for me to have this meal today. Thank you to the earth, plants, animals, farmers and everyone involved in getting this food to my table, and into my body. I am grateful for the energy you have shared with me.

I also started to look at meal time habits that I had been doing on autopilot. I realized I started my day by turning on my computer and typing and absently eating at the same time. Why? Working from home, it’s not like I was in a rush to “get to the office” and had to do two things at once! Why not start the day in a better way that honoured the continuing effort to heal my body?

I admit I don’t do all this every time I eat but it has evolved into an energetic way of being that has become much more than simply trying to eat more slowly. I am still generally the first person to finish a meal but friends have commented that they are impressed that I have slowed down my pace. It’s nice to linger longer over a restaurant meal with friends, really taste all the spices in a dish I have lovingly prepared for myself or eat my breakfast without automatically turning on my computer while chewing. I appreciate really savouring flavours and noticing the texture of my meals and truly honouring the gifts my food gives me. Food does heal in many ways and it’s nice to take the time to appreciate this process – not only on major holidays.