It all started about four years ago with the offer of more drugs…from my doctor. Thankfully it was followed by “I know that’s probably not what you want but it’s an option.”

For months and months, I logged my food trying to track what I ate. I was so tired of tracking my food looking for patterns and spending way too much time on the throne. So I started saying I was tired of too much time in the bathroom. And I didn't even feel like I ate anything that bad. 

So COVID comes along and I meet this holistic health coach. Demi and I worked together to take out the dairy, the gluten, and all the super-processed things that a lot of times people are intolerant to but just don't know. After I took those things out, I started having this weird meat aversion (it all smelled rotten!) so I figured I would go plant-based for a couple of weeks and figure it out. 

I assumed my southern roots were not going to let me give up my fried chicken. Boy was I wrong! 

Gluten seems to be my biggest issue. Once I got that out of my body, I realized it was everywhere. I'm talking about my body products, my soap my hair dye, a lot of hair products have gluten in them because gluten helps make your hair thicker. That was something that had never even crossed my mind. 

There are a lot of vegan hair dyes, which is great, and a lot of cruelty-free dyes which is great,. Very few are gluten-free. All this time I blamed my cat for making me itch…it was probably his soap.  

During this time, I lost 20 pounds right off the bat. I was so much less bloated that it made it look like more than 20 pounds. But the best part it all started feeling so much better. I can't even describe the change. My body felt thinner and more toned before I started working out more. 

When someone says “I eat clean” or “I eat healthy” people roll their eyes. That's hard enough to “defend” to the mainstream, Whenever you have something different, like what I'm doing (no dairy, no gluten, occasionally some seafood), especially in the South guys, come on. This is a whole new level. 

When you do things differently people either love it or think you are crazy (or a little of both). 

I was recently looking back at my notes on Find Your Why and while this was looked at in the view of business, it’s also applicable to other areas of your life with massive changes.

“It’s not what you do but why.” Simon Sinek

For me the number one why of my diet change was to spend less time in the smallest room in my house (uhmm…the bathroom, add cats to that GEEZ it's even smaller).  I also wanted to make sure that my health was good, that I had good food in my body, and I wanted to have better movement. When you're feeling bloated and on the verge of heading to the bathroom, there is no way that you're gonna want to exercise and move. 

I'm nearing 50 and I will say I feel much better in my body most days than I think I have since I was 30. That is crazy to me! So many people talk about how bad they feel the older they get. So yeah, hear me out since there's some good value to this. It's not just my crazy hippie roots. 

Not only did I realize it's not just what's in my body that I like my food and my beverages, but it's also what I put on my hair and my skin. It’s what I breathe in when I clean and even when I wash my clothes. I've been fragrance-free and dye-free on my laundry products for years now because I would break out or I think good lord this smell is so strong. 

Simon also explored the question: 

Why do people stick with a brand, company, etc? 

His theory is “It says something about them when they do business with a company that reflects their beliefs.” And I agree. 

I've been looking at my choices and how my choices impact my body, my environment, and my kids. And, if my hippie ways can convince enough people to do the same, we're going to impact the entire world. I'm so excited about that. When I listen to all the climate change stuff, it scares me for the generations to come.

This is why over the last decade I’ve changed so many things I eat, buy, and avoid buying. 

1. For food, health, and cleaning items, dairy-free, gluten-free, and vegan are my first choices to purchase. Then the secondary list comes out (more about that in my emails so get on them if you aren’t already)
   
   
   

2. My laundry detergent comes in paper envelopes rather than questionably recycled jugs (I say questionably because I can’t find a definitive answer about the recycling on #2 plastics). It looks just like the dryer sheet and is working great! Even if that paper is not getting recycled like were told that it will then it's going to break down.
   
   
   

3. I purchase less fast fashion clothing from stores. I have thrifted my clothing for years. It started as a financial need when I was a single mom but then I realized how good it was to avoid buying newly made clothes when possible. 

Fast fashion is the season’s trendy items and that doesn't last long and it’s a horrible thing for our environment. I’m not going to get into that since we would be here all day. There are plenty of podcasts and blogs out there about how much the fashion industry impacts the environment. Also, when I show up in a funky shirt that people rave about, it feels good knowing I’m showing my personality and that money goes to something good. 

There's a thrift store I like to go to that supports a local children's home for children who are orphaned. I really appreciate all the services that they do for the children. So that also makes an impact on my community. A lot of companies now also have a mission for why they're doing what they do and where they put their proceeds. I love knowing more about that impact and encourage you to look into those things as well.

So, that is my why behind my “crazy diet” that everyone likes to say that I have. It is mostly just called crazy because it's different. One thing I've learned over the years is don't be afraid to be different. Be You.

Peace and love,

Teresea

Photo credit: Unsplash