‘Before’ was right around the time I was getting really sick in July 2016. I thought I was healthy. I ate mostly whole foods, no grains or beans or nightshades and very little sugar. I was really trying to push the vegetables thinking that I would soon feel great. Instead, I descended a dark road that led to chronic fatigue, brain fog, depression, general anxiety, social anxiety–napping daily and feeling generally crushed and done with life.
Enter a post on FaceBook by a dear and respected friend. She had some of the same issues and had been on a very strict diet that was making her feel amazing. I immediately decided to start the next morning. This was June 2018. I removed ALL plant foods from my diet, with the exception of coffee–I didn’t think I could function without it.
I had been no-fat vegan for over 2 years between the births of my 1st and 2nd children. When pregnant, I craved meat badly and so added that to my diet. After that pregnancy, I began to experience food and other allergies/intolerances. First was broccoli, then bananas, latex, hay fever, hazelnuts, and last was chestnuts not that long ago–to which I reacted with throat and tongue swelling that really scared me. I did not understand why I would be collecting these intolerances–I was so ‘healthy’!
I now know that I am extremely sensitive to plant toxins. Removing plants from my diet immediately gave me more energy–right away I didn’t need the daily naps. I was feeling really good, brain fog lifted and mood got better–but I wouldn’t class the feeling as ‘great’. Then, in October last year I weaned myself off of coffee and all of the sudden, getting up in the morning was no longer the worst thing anyone could ask me to do! I actually liked getting up in the morning and started making breakfast for everyone (my husband had been doing it for years).
Next, in November I discovered the art and science of fasting. I would do 72 hours fasts back to back (with one meal in between) for a couple of months and I started feeling AMAZING! I even lost weight–32 lbs that I didn’t know I even could/should lose. Come to find, I have small bone structure.
I also hadn’t read a book for over 2 years, and reading used to be the love of my life. Now, I am collecting a large mass of books to read. I feel positive about life–I want to DO things. I am no longer hiding in the car and letting my family do all the shopping. I literally had no idea that I was suffering from depression and social anxiety until it was gone.
In January, I joined the gym and I go there most mornings (early!!) to get fit and grab back my life. Sitting and sleeping for over 2 years left me totally out of shape, but that is changing now.
So, I know I can’t eat plants (at least not for now), dairy, or eggs. I have added in green tea and that’s going wonderfully, feel great drinking my daily tea now. I don’t know what the future holds, but I know it’s going to be good. I am going to pursue some sort of education, cure myself of my fear of heights, and hike Mt. Snowdon in Wales.
If you’ve actually made it this far, bless you for caring <3 I hope this story helps someone out there recognize perhaps some of the same things in themselves or a loved one and provides help and inspiration!
