Balance is not something you find, it's something you create! Jana Kingsford
Whilst I focused on dieting as my approach to losing weight, I was experiencing lots of challenges. I would lose weight then put it back on. I would lose weight then plateau for months. I had tried virtually everything including calorie counting, soup diets, extensive exercise as examples with no long-lasting results. The frustration was driving me up the walls. I wanted a solution that would be effective and sustainable. I wanted to lose weight and keep it off. I wanted to be healthy and active not just for a few months but for the rest of my life. I wanted to build a lifestyle that supported my health and longevity but the way I was going was not getting me there any time soon ..
So off I went to the internet of everything and arranged a series of consultations with different doctors to understand how to get myself healthy. It was no longer only about losing weight; it was about having a healthy body and lifestyle that I could sustain forever!
Through the different consultations, I learnt the following about myself and food. Below are the three points:
1. I had struggled with eczema, sinus issues and hay fever for most of my adult life. I was using different medications to “treat them” but there were no long-term improvements. Through the different consultations, I was able to discover that the underlying reason for these aliments was Histamine Intolerance. Histamine is found in fermented foods like vinegar, cheese and food that has been cooked a day or two before hand.
2.I also learnt that I am lactose and gluten sensitive. I truly love yogurts, ice cream, milk, pastas, pizzas and bread! I even learnt how to bake bread and make pizzas during the lockdown. Over time I had normalised the side effects and made them insignificant however in reality they were having a big effect on my health.
3.The final piece of information I found out was that I was developing early stages of insulin resistance, which leads to weight gain if not addressed. I love having lots of fruits every week, sweet treats are a must have and a "carb anything" meal is a dream. These were foods I enjoyed but they were definitely not for me if I wanted to see long term weight loss and health.
Based on these new insights I had to make changes to how I eat. I am a foodie – a total lover of anything food! I have found excitement in exploring and experimenting with new food and changing how I cooked. I have now eliminated food that does not support my body and included more foods that are good for me. Leaving some of the food that I enjoyed out of my diet is at times challenging but understanding the negative impact they have on my body has kept them off my plate.
So to answer the question I set out for this post, you can find the balance when you learn more about your self and more about food. You find the balance when you take the knowledge you learn about yourself and tailor food to match your personal circumstances, health needs and preferences. You find the balance when you enjoy the process of discovering more about yourself and how you can use food positively. I have lost 10 kilograms so far, my eczema is improved and my sinus / hay fever symptoms are virtually non-existent. All food is good, all food is to be enjoyed but take the time to find out what is good for you. That is the balance.
Till the next one!