My discovery and journey started in a very peculiar way. I moved in with my new boyfriend in 2014 (now my husband). He liked to eat! He wanted to sit down every single day and eat a full dinner. WTF! I couldn’t hide anymore. My snacking coping skills were not going to work any longer. I started eating dinner everyday with him and I did NOT like it! It led to all kinds of emotions and conversations and the bizarre realization that I had lived many many years with an undisclosed (to myself), eating disorder.
Accepting my new eating habits, and 10 new pounds has taken 10 full years of adjustment and finding my way. The way I want to do it. And here I am. Healthy.
A very large part of this path has been my husband. Who never judged, never lectured and never told me what to do. However, he did not let me hide or lie to myself, and helped me to face the changes as I came upon them and changed them myself. He is a huge reason that I believe I was able to take this on and be successful and love myself.
Things I wish I would have known in my 20s, 30s and 40s. My former anorexic self had a terrible relationship with food, trying to maintain an unrealistic version of myself. What I know now, after 10 years of exploration and my wellness journey:
Healthy food is the driver of a healthy body and a healthy weight.
Good Food = healthy weight
Bad Food = bad weight
The Food Guide is a lie.
Sunshine, salt, eggs, red meat, vegetables grown in old fashioned dirt and regular exercise are the ticket. (Yes salt. Salt is not the enemy and never has been. Sugar is. But that’s a subject for another time).
I’m fairly pissed to find out that I could have been enjoying guilt free eating all this time, because I actually really like food! I have found that I thrive on a high protein, healthy fat diet. With regular bouts of real life. Like guilt free cupcakes and keto cheesecake.
Chemicals in food are just as bad as chemicals in your daily personal products. Both are equally devastating to your body and well-being. And can affect everything from auto-immune disease to extreme hormonal issues.
Buying locally sourced food and growing my own food is the only way out of the abusive relationship I had with my body and with eating. Grocery stores need to change their ways and start supporting people’s health and local suppliers, and not the food cartels.
Asparagus, ‘the food of Kings’, should not be $10/lb, even if it is from Peru. Healthy food should not be a luxury.
Imported beef should not be less than half the price of local beef, sitting side by side in the meat counter. Particularly when you live in cattle country. Can someone explain that? Imported rib-eye $12.99/lb (from where I don’t know). Local Western Canadian rib-eye $28.99/lb. The cattle producers are NOT getting this windfall. How do we know?
My freezer is full of locally sourced inspected beef. Raised on a local ranch. In non GMO grass lands. Without hormones and without antibiotics. My last mixed order of premium beef was $7/lb and up to $12/lb for our delicious BBQ ready rib-eye steaks. So no, quality beef is not anywhere close to the prices of both the unknown and somewhat identifiable sources are the grocery store.
Grocery stores are food cartels. If they would buy from local farmers and ranchers, everyone could afford a delicious steak every single day. With asparagus. But they don’t.
Low Magnesium is now considered a public health crisis. As much as 50% of the population could be deficient. Magnesium deficiency is rampant and one of the leading causes of chronic diseases including cardiovascular disease. Why?
Processed foods high in fats, refined grains, sugar, and phosphates deplete magnesium. So does alcohol consumption and poor intestinal health issues, like crohns disease.
Foods high in magnesium include green vegetables, egg yolks, brown rice, and cashews….Starting to see the problem? The circular problem?
“According to the researchers, magnesium consumption from natural foods has decreased in the past few decades due to industrialized agriculture and dietary changes”
Autoimmune disease….rampant. Intestinal disorders, IBD, colitis, crohns….rampant. Any questions about why?
Food security, (or lack of) and shortage of healthy food choices causes all kinds of long term issues. All the way down the line. It took me a long time to get here and to this realization. I hope your journey to healthy eating is much shorter.
The shorter path….buy from local markets, farms and ranches. Talk to them, get to know them and their food growing methods and culture. It’s a good relationship to cultivate.
A side note. Part of my personal therapy has been the very LONG process of letting go of my tiny clothes that no longer fit me. And accepting that they never will. This was the motivation for starting my online clothing store at Poshmark. And it has turned into an amazing business that continues to grow everyday. Please visit my store anytime. New products are being added every day, in all sizes.
A big surprise….there are quite a few things in my wardrobe that actually do still fit. Why? Because a tight muscular body is a healthy body. Weight is not an accurate measurement of that health.
**Disclaimer**The information in this article is for informational purposes only and should not be construed as medical or health care advice. Contact a trusted health care provider for professional medical advice regarding your own personal health and/or any references in this article.
Spa By Camille 
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