(My own sprouts. So good for you, and I love them on everything😋) -
Sprout Info.
My health journey started back when I was a child. My mother always had severe allergies, and I remember going to "special" (health food) stores to get some of her food. We lived in a small town, so doing that required about a 1.5hr. drive from where we lived. I remember the smells, and overall feeling of being in those stores and to this day I love walking into a health food store. I love searching out specific items or just browsing the aisles. She could only drink certain water, eat certain meats, and had to be very careful of absolutely everything she ate(still does). As a child you don't really think it has anything to do with you and you're just an observer in this world of someone else's issues(problems). Little did I know I was absorbing those tangible experiences along the way of her health journey, internalizing much more than I realized at the time.
Information on health has come a long way in the last 30 years since then...even within the last 10 years, it has changed so much and there is a wealth of knowledge to be learned from functional medicine and overall health and well being. It's something I've focused on the last 5-10 years, especially the last 6. Once you know, it's hard to go back to where you were before you knew. When you know, you know!
Organic food is available in most stores, and thankfully I live in an area that has several different stores to chose from. If I can't find an item one store, there are others I can go to and find it. Also, online has a plethora of resources for finding better choices. Instagram/ podcasts are also a great source of learning and finding new ways to help in your health and wellness.
I have my own autoimmune issues, and so I've decided to do what I can to try and keep myself as healthy as possible. I realized in my research and learning that we have a lot more control over what happens to us and our bodies than what we might think - "You are what you eat" is a real thing. My grandma was a Neo-Life vitamin distributor(I don't even know if that's still a thing). She was all about her vitamins(greenies-multivitamin, etc...). My close friends growing up also knew this. Many times I would make the trip to Eugene Oregon with her to pick up an order of vitamins. My favorite was their vitamins c's that were like candy you would suck on until they dissolved and also their protein drinks(so good). I would suck on so many vitamin C's my tongue would be raw...haha, definitely not what they were intended for. Every time I would stay at her house she would fix me a chocolate protein drink. They were my very favorite. It's very much like my Chocolate Collagen drinks I have today.
When I turned 50 I was very worried about my own longevity and health. As I child I thought 30 sounded old, and now I'm 50?!?! When I went in to have my yearly check up my doctor asked if I wanted a blood work-up to check on everything. I said sure, but I worried about what the results would show. I have tried really hard to change my habits, but I'm not perfect. I still like/love chocolate. I've found ways to make it more healthy and try to choose the better options, but sugar is still sugar, whether it's organic cane sugar or not. I've researched supplements, and read what feels like a zillion books(and still have a million more to read) on how to keep my inflammation down and stay well(healthy). I strive for 80/20 and am happy when I get there.
(only a few of my many piles of Health books I've accumulated over the last 10 years😁)
Honestly, if I was to do my life over again, I think I'd definitely be a functional nutritionist or dietician. I've taken a few courses, and it's a continual process of learning, which I love. My poor kids have been sent more than they care to read or receive in regards to health and nutrition. My grandma would do this, but back in the day it was newspaper/magazine articles that she would clip and save for us.
Life has brought people into my life that have also taught me things along the way. Homeopathy is something a friend helped me learn. It has helped our family more than once. I have many stories I could write about homeopathic remedies and how they have helped in healing. It's a balance. It's not all or nothing, but a good balance of knowing how and when to implement these elements into play, as well as knowing when we need medical attention. I love having the opportunity to have things available to us to help in strengthening our immune system, so the doctor visits are minimal and hopefully our bodies are stronger to fight whatever comes our way(helloooo covid😰).
All this to say, I'm thankful for my mom and my grandma who have instilled the importance of health and wellness into my life as a young child. My grandma would've been proud when my doctor told me she hoped her labs looked as good as mine when she was 50. I'll take that(for now)😊 and continue to improve. It's baby steps and consistency that counts. It's not easy, but I feel SO much better when I'm doing what I know I should be with my health and wellness. So, for 2022 I'm going to do better than I did before!! Keep on keeping on💗
PS...
My Top 7 favorites I follow on social media. I also listen to their podcasts. I've ordered a few of their books and cookbooks as well. There are so many others, but these are the ones I frequent the most.
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