Then and Now: How My Lifestyle has Evolved the Past 9 Years

Sometimes it’s funny for me to look back and reflect on how far I’ve come in my health and wellness journey. My lifestyle used to look soooo much different than it does now. Most people don’t believe me when I say I used to drink two red bulls a day and eat fast food on a weekly basis. I was the girl in high school who always had snacks in her purse; we’re talking bags of cheezits, goldfish, pretzels, chips, etc. I was constantly eating and definitely not eating healthy. Lunch would be take out chinese food, a huge burrito smothered in all the cheese from a favorite local mexican restaurant (Taco King anyone?!), pizza, or maybe a subway sandwich if I was feeling like I wanted something “healthy”. Fast forward to my first few years in college and amongst the drinking that was taking place a few days a week (or every day sometimes, lets be real) I was also eating lots of fast food and then when I would eat at home it was fat free this and fat free that because that was “healthier”. I’m sure there were days or maybe even a week or two at a time where I never even ate a single vegetable and I now know that my body was just a ticking time clock until it was going to let me know that I needed to make a change stat.

These days, my body can’t even handle the caffeine from a cup of green tea, so it’s funny to think back on where I used to be. I made the necessary changes to my diet because I needed to for my health and wellbeing. It look me countless doctors, specialists, and naturopaths and lots of testing and trial and error to figure out what worked for me and to be honest, some days I feel like I’m still figuring it out. My health is fine now, especially compared to where to it was 9 years ago, but symptoms will pop up every now and again. I’ve come to realize over the years that my body is actually very sensitive to what I put in it and I have to be very careful. Of course I still have cravings for the stuff I used to be able to eat and I do give into those cravings every once in awhile, but it usually affects my sleep, skin, mood, and digestion if I go over board, so it’s usually not worth it.

People who knew me before I made a lifestyle change and those who met me after will make comments from time to time that I should “just try” certain things or “a bite won’t hurt” or even that I should “live a little” when it comes to the foods I don’t eat. These comments don’t bother me too much because I know what’s best for me, but what does bother me is when someone acts as if my lifestyle is full of deprivation. As if I wouldn’t want to eat an amazing pepperoni pizza with all the cheese and the best crust ever without feeling crappy afterwards. As if I wouldn’t want to eat a huge pretzel with cheese or buttery garlic bread and not feel like I have a brick in my stomach or wake up with a migraine, heart palpitations, and a break out on my face afterwards. I choose this lifestyle because I know I am healing my body and fueling it with nutritious foods and giving it what it needs, but I also choose this lifestyle because in a way, I have to. Changing the way I eat has improved my skin (drastically), my energy, mood, sleep, digestion, anxiety (bye bye panic attacks and insane anxiety), and overall wellbeing. Like I mentioned before, I do indulge in certain things every once in a while, but I just have to be more cautious about it. French fries are still one of my favorite things and I still love to make pizza and pasta, but I just use different ingredients these days that are free of dairy and gluten.

I will make a post soon about what I typically eat in a day, but most days are full of smoothies, salads, quality fats and protein, and most likely dark chocolate too. I remember the first time I tried a green juice I couldn’t even fathom how or why someone would want to drink something like that, but now my body craves it. It’s all about starting slow and changing your taste buds. Our bodies are meant to eat an abundance of plant based foods, but our terrible food system has tricked our taste buds and brains into craving processed foods that are full of sugar, unhealthy fats, and chemicals that make us crave them even more. I love educating people on how to eat healthy and add more plants into their diet because I was once the exact opposite and I know what it takes to get here. I hope you feel supported if you are making the transition to a healthier lifestyle, and if you don’t, please reach out. I would love to help you.

With love,

Ashley