First of all, if you are reading this I thank you for your time... If you are family or friend, I'd like to say that I love you dearly for your support. If you are someone new to me I hope this helps you in someway or another.
We all have interests that give us a sense of self - of well-being. For example, partaking in a recurrent meet-up gives us a sense of community; a sense of home. Other interests may be less sociable, and yet we love to share our thoughts and feelings about them with close ones.
This would seem to apply to my interest in food. I began the journey on my own, and now have a strong urge to share my experiences and on-going learning.
It all started shortly after I left home and was plunged into the world of choice. A notable difference, was having to do my own food shopping. One could say everyone goes through the same personal milestone - a certain coming of age in the world of survival. Yet this step in our lives is very different that it used to be; JustEat and Ready Meals mean we can continue being spoon fed. Our curiosity and knowledge of ingredients and nutrition is thus hindered as it is 'taken care of'. Indeed, it's just easier to let someone else deal with our macros and micros, as we pay people who prioritise our well-being, right...? I lived like this for my first year away from home, but as time went on, I felt less and less energetic. This is where I developed a will to take charge of what goes in my body in order to have a more detailed knowledge of how it runs. This brings me to my first point:
Curiosity
Since having my own sense of individuality, I've felt comfort in details: displaying my favorite toys intricately placed on my shelves, knowing the birthdays of most Arsenal First Team players... And yet it is not compulsive - It seems to apply to things I care about the most, and therefore by finding out what I am passionate about, I can channel this willpower and use it to make a difference. I realise that if you have read up until this point you may be into the intricacies of nutrition, too. I can assure the reader that this blog will not only be my biased opinion and experiences... It will feature diverse studies, demonstrating patterns behind how our bodies work, and the different ways in which foods tend to influence it.
Health
I was diagnosed with Chron's (IBS) when I was 13. Though it was tough initially (I think... it's all a bit of a blur), it has since been controlled through medication, and I've been able to eat pretty much anything (except for dairy products) since. But in 2019 I decided to take myself off my Azathioprine pills and properly get to know my tummy in it's raw state for the first time since being pre-teen.
I wanted to distance myself from hospitals and specialists to gain a sense of freedom. As a result, I've found out a lot about which foods energize me, and which have the opposite effect. I wouldn’t be where I am now without the set-backs which arguably taught me the most about nutrition. In this blog, I will be sure to feature specific diets that I have trialed in order to discuss different ways of eating and why they may or may not work best for you.
Control
This last point is linked with my other two; curiosity about health leads to information, which leads to more informed choices, which in turn gives me a sense of control. I decided to take charge of my health without pills, and the interest in food has grown as a result - the two inevitably arose side by side. Ultimately my journey has been to gain a sense of well-being paralleled with an enjoyable eating routine, and if I can help you move towards those things it will prove that an individual goal can go towards helping others, too. I have come to certain deep realisations along this life journey, a notable one being that seeking comfort from outside has it's limits and should not be depended on... Food should enable my well being, not be the sole source of it. Helping others will always bring me more long-lasting joy that a Salad Niçoise. Just about... ;) .
30/01/2020
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