I grew up, like most, eating all those horribly delicious engineered and unhealthy foods that line our North American grocery store shelves.

As a result, I was overweight, tired and constantly sick with migraines, back pain and chronic throat, sinus and ear infections. After years of battling lower back pain, my malaise manifested into osteoarthritis with degenerative disc disease.

Soon after, a diagnosis of Hypothyroidism followed, only to awaken a thyrotoxicosis storm a year later. Grave’s Disease was the new diagnosis along with a bulging eye that eventually required two surgeries to correct. 

I was a dutiful patient, accepting each new diagnosis and taking my medication as directed. I was resigned to the fact that this was how it was going to be. End of story.

Little did I know that this was only the beginning, and life as I knew it would never be the same. In fact, if the last five years have proven anything, it’s that the only constant in life is change - a lesson revealed to me through two radically life-changing events. 

The first was a motor vehicle accident that almost left my husband dead in the middle of a mountain road while he was on a spring training ride in 2012. He was launched through the air, landing on the left side of his head and face, his body skidding further down the descent adding insult to injury. In addition to various physical injuries, Joe had suffered a traumatic brain injury and returned home from the hospital an entirely different person. The traditional approaches to dealing with his injuries were not adding to the quality of our life together, and he was often worse off after each new treatment plan.

The second was acceptance. Rather than trying to chase the life we had led in the past, we consciously shifted our focus to fearlessly embrace the present together. We decided to no longer outsource our health and welfare to the well-meaning, though the over-burdened medical system but turned to ourselves for a solution. 

We started small - with a change in diet. 

After research on brain health and foods to support the nervous system, we decided to try going gluten-free, lowering our carbohydrates while increasing consumption of vital fats. Now, more than four years after starting a Palaeolithic lifestyle, Joe still has what he calls his “burden of responsibility”, but is grateful for his daily meditation practice and yoga, which he uses to help manage his challenges.

As for me? I am happier, healthier, and slimmer than I have ever been in my life - No more yo-yo dieting. No more migraines. No more thyroid medication. All these positive changes have led me on a new, although similar, career path. Rather than teaching trigonometry, I’m now helping others achieve success and become empowered in holistic nutrition.

Joe’s accident unlocked a chain of events that has changed both of us - for the better! Gone is my workaholic husband who I barely got to spend any time with. Gone are my chronic illnesses. Gone is my addiction to sugar (that I didn’t even know I had). And in, came a new lease on life. 

Now we both realize what is truly important - each other and our health. I hope to see you on my blog, and if you like you can register here for my email updates. I never spam.