Today is the 21st of January 2025 and I finally feel 17 again! Ha! That's half my age! I haven't felt like this since 2022! Before I get into the gist of it, it's worth mentioning that I am going to have a detailed look at every aspect of my life: mind, body and spirit, in the next couple of months and share my journey here. I'm doing this as part of a little side project with a group of people whom I believe to be experts in their respective fields: there's a nutritionist, a personal trainer and an image consultant on the table! I'm so excited! But I've also been on my own mini transformation since 1 January 2025. 2024 has been a roller-coaster ride with glucose spikes and lows combined with headaches. I also had terrible inflammation in my joints and some mornings I felt like a 60-year old grandma. The foods that I thought were "healthy" (like sugar-free chocolate) just wasn't doing my body (or mood) any good because the sugar was simply replaced with artificial sweeteners - wreaking havoc on my nervous system. I was left with only one option: to detox and start on a clean slate.
There's a couple of changes that I'll discuss in a moment but the number one ingredient that I fully committed to cutting out is sugar! Zero sugar = zero food cravings = a very stable glucose level. My mood, energy levels and cravings all stabilised and normalised. I feel amazing! In the past I needed a "healthy" chocolate or sweet dessert daily to give me this high. Now I feel high purely from being healthy. (I even had a little celebration dance after my shower this morning that made me feel like I was back in the jungle in Thailand dancing on the veranda overlooking the greenery and ocean.) The magic is back. And all I did was raise my vibration.
The morning routine I follow lately includes a range of small habits that accumulate to this sense of "getting high on my own supply". Upon waking up, the first thing I do is plug my earphones in and listen to a recording of my own voice speaking out affirmations. Apparently, your own voice is the most healing sound to your body and by introducing these affirmations to your subconscious within the first 20 minutes of your day - when your brain is still in the Theta brainwave state - is the most effective way to rewire your thoughts.
With my affirmations of abundance and prosperity playing in my ears, I set off on a short 20-minute walk. The early morning sun is so healing to my mood. It regulates my circadian rhythm as it releases the right hormones that helps my mind wake up for the day. I mainly do this walk for the natural brain boost, but off course, I'm also stimulating my lymphatic system and simply getting more fresh air into my lungs.
I then make myself a fresh juice or a Spirulina smoothie. The juice consists of celery, carrots, apples, pears and cucumber. (I didn't take a picture of my Spirulina smoothie this morning because I only decided afterwards that I want to take pictures. Lol. I might share it in another post.) My breakfast includes a fruit salad, either raw goat milk or cottage cheese, raisins and nuts. I also have two eggs on rye cakes with a tablespoon of cold-pressed coconut oil.
Whilst showering I listen to my favourite dance playlist and allow my mind to move into the right-brain hemisphere - where all my dormant creativity comes to life. Creativity, when unlocked, helps to process more deep-seated heavy emotions, but in a fun and light-hearted way!
Now I'm ready to start my day. ;-)
During the day I will make myself some probiotic tea which includes simmering the following ingredients for 10 minutes in a pot:
1 liter water
2 x cut bananas (with the peel on)
2 x Rooibos tea bags
1 tsp Turmeric (this is the anti-inflammation ingredient)
1/2 tsp Black pepper (helps to absorb the turmeric a 1,000 times more effectively)
1 tsp Ginger (fresh, if possible)
1 tsp Cinnamon (the sticks work better than the powder)
After simmering and all the beautiful flavours have been absorbed by the water, I strain the tea and sip it - either warm in the morning or cold in the afternoon. (Sometimes I also add some goat milk to thicken and sweeten it a bit more).
The food my body finds most nutritious, is whole, natural, organic, untouched food from the earth and its animals. Luckily, Namibia is a country where the animals are treated much better than most countries, so the farm meat, eggs and raw dairy is next to exceptional.
After a short debate with my partner on blood types and what our ancestors (apparently) ate, we both agreed that a Paleo-inspired diet will be a good guide. However, I don't believe any diet should be set in stone because I want to integrate it as a permanent lifestyle, not a temporary phase. This is what my new diet looks like:
Meats & seafood: Beef, lamb, poultry, fish (high in omega-3's like salmon and mackerel) and shellfish. I took out pork as I have never eaten it anyway.
Vegetables:
All vegetables.
Fruits:
All fruit.
Nuts and Seeds:
Any nuts and seeds. Small amounts at time.
Healthy Fats:
Avocados, coconut oil (used hot and cold) and (only cold) olive oil.
Grains:
GMO-free oats, 100% rye cakes
Unpasteurised milk and unpasteurised cheese
This is what I have been fully avoiding as from 1 January 2025:
Grains:
No wheat, barley, rice or breads.
Legumes:
No beans, lentils, chickpeas or soy.
Dairy:
Pasteurised dairy (milk, cheese, yogurt, butter).
Processed Foods:
No packaged, refined or artificially sweetened products (no chips, baked goods, candy, etc.).
Refined Sugars:
NB: No added sugars like white sugar, high-fructose corn syrup or artificial sweeteners!
Oils:
Excludes oils like canola, soybean and sunflower oil.
Stimulants:
Coffee, green tea (it also contains caffeine), cacao, matcha and spicy foods.
Off course, strictly speaking, one could say I had maybe 1% of the above hidden in a couple of meals but it's been extremely minimal. I don't think it's possible to avoid all of it all of the time. Overall, these changes have truly elevated my health to an entirely new level. It's simply not worth compromising it anymore.
At the end of the day, it's not just my health that suffers, it's my happiness. It's my ability to enjoy the richness of life and to enjoy it to the fullest! Without taking care of myself internally, my external world can't possibly bring me the fulfillment and pleasure I seek. It all starts within. The choice to give back to myself, from myself, instead of taking and seeking it elsewhere, makes all the difference. To be content with who I am and what I have came a long way in not trying to grab for the next snack to change the discomfort I sometimes felt on the inside. Instead, I recognise my emotions and simply let them be. Even if I show up messy and chaotic (and I need to take a break from seeing even the closest people to me), I give myself the grace of feeling my emotions instead of hiding them. That, in and of itself, is the transformation. This process continually brings me back to my natural state: one of lightness and freedom!
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