Why I Chose Whole Foods and GAVE UP Sugar
My Journey
From yo-yo dieting and sugar addiction to freedom through whole foods.
After years of yo-yo dieting and sugar addiction, two pivotal moments changed everything. This is the story of how whole foods, honesty, and small choices led me toward a life of freedom.
The Battle with Yo-Yo Dieting
For most of my life, I battled with yo-yo dieting. Growing up with very poor self-esteem, food often became both a comfort and a punishment. I remember feeling so lost in those times.
When we’re in pain, sometimes we sabotage ourselves with the very things that hurt us, simply because we want to feel in control. For me, food became part of that struggle. It was a battle that, at times, felt tormenting.
Looking back now, I realise I had a serious sugar addiction, although at the time I didn’t want to admit it. The truth is, I knew what to do. I had studied nutrition, read countless articles, and tried nearly every diet imaginable. I had read every magazine and joined Weight Watchers at least fifteen times. I was what you might call a serial dieter.
I had a pocket full of answers, but somehow, I couldn’t apply them.
That’s why everything I do today is about freedom, not only my freedom but the freedom of the women I mentor.
Two Pivotal Moments
Two pivotal moments eventually changed everything.
The first came the day my husband Mark and I went to St Vincent’s Hospital. We believed it was just a routine appointment because of his allergies. It was during lockdown, and I remember how beautiful and sunny that day was! July 2020.
When we arrived at the hospital, we were directed to another building. As we approached the entrance, the words on the front stopped me in my tracks:
KINGHORN CANCER CENTRE
My heart jumped into my throat, and I began to shake.
We saw the doctor, and she told us Mark had a form of blood cancer. Thankfully, she also comforted us by saying, “It is low grade,” which brought some relief.
That day ignited a greater need to simplify, and after all my years studying health, one thought immediately came to mind: inflammation and sugar!
I’d learned that sugar can contribute to inflammation in the body, and I didn’t want that working against us.
The very first thing we did was quit sugar.
When you do something for love, it becomes much easier.
Our journey toward health and well-being suddenly accelerated.
We started juicing, and at the same time, I began reading labels carefully. Preservatives, emulsifiers, seed oils, and additives began disappearing from our food. Most packaged foods were removed from our shelves.
You may have heard the saying: “Shop on the perimeter of the supermarket.” The fresh foods are usually found there, while the centre aisles are filled with heavily processed products.
In many cases, the foods in the middle aisles are things we can make ourselves.
That was six years ago now, and thankfully, Mark’s blood has remained stable. Seeing how much better he has felt through eating whole foods and caring for our health has been incredibly encouraging for both of us.
A Turning Point
The second pivotal moment came not long after.
One day, I heard myself say the familiar words, “When I lose weight… when I get fit…”
I turned to Mark and said, “Do you realise how many promises I’ve made to myself and broken?”
And then I began to weep uncontrollably.
In that moment, I realised something had to change.
I looked at him and said, “Alright. I’ll let you train me. I’ll teach you how to cook with whole foods, and you can train me.”
Mark had always been very fit, but I had often felt so unfit because I felt so bad about myself. Even walking up hills left me puffed, and long walks were not something I relished.
However, we embarked on an incredible journey. I gave Mark access to something astonishing. I let him into a part of me I hadn’t really shared before, giving him permission to train and teach me, entering a place I had previously closed off to him.
In fact, he had a plethora of brilliant anecdotes and one-liners, and he continually gave me pep talks that were incredibly motivational and inspiring. They were so good that I would record them and transcribe them, because the more I read them, the more they inspired me to keep going.
His encouragement was essentially about two things:
Discipline and humility.
Those two words so aptly describe the calibre of his life. It was a precious season as I learned so much more about him and his sporting career.
Freedom Through Whole Foods
Over time, I began to realise that what I thought was a dieting problem was really a freedom problem. Once sugar was removed and whole foods became the focus, my relationship with food began to change.
Instead of living in cycles of restriction and guilt, I started learning how to nourish my body properly.
Freedom has become a thread woven through my life from the way I eat to the way I dress, the way I sing, and even the way I dance. Sometimes I just put on music and dance around the room by myself. It’s simple, but it feels wonderfully liberating.
That journey continues today, and it’s the reason I’m so passionate about helping other women discover that freedom is possible, too.
Sometimes it begins with something as simple as reading a label, choosing a whole food, or deciding that the cycle ends today.
Join the Pure Joy Circle
If you enjoyed this reflection and would like to go deeper into natural living, faith, and simple rhythms for everyday life, I would love to welcome you into the Pure Joy Circle.
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