In November of this past year, my partner and I had a wake up call in the form of a medical emergency that forced us to evaluate the way we were fueling our bodies. I am in recovery from an eating disorder, and my partner, Si, struggled with the shift from being an active college athlete to working a 9-5 desk job after we graduated. This resulted in a lot of unhealthy, poor habits that left our bodies malnourished and eventually led to health issues that couldn't be fixed with anything but a better, more wholistic diet (and more exercise, but that’s another story).
I know a lot of people can relate to being too tired, burnt out, or uninspired to take care of their bodies, and I know a lot of people can also relate to the feeling of not knowing where to start taking care of themselves.
This was us a few months ago. We felt completely unequipped to suddenly take on 7-days worth of meals, every single week for ourselves. And honestly, with the medical issues my partner was having— we were literally forced to do just that. Si couldn't eat anything that wasn't cooked at home until mid-January, and that was a complete and total lifestyle switch from where we were before. Which, honestly, was doordashing almost every single night (I know, I know, I know).
After things calmed down a little and we knew that Si would eventually recover and feel better, I did a lot of googling, saving, and learning—and honestly, I’m still doing lots of it! Like, this week, I did a deep dive on fiber. Do you guys realize how important fiber is? I had no clue!— and I feel like I have started to develop my identity as an at-home cook and baker.
Now, at the beginning of March, we are seeing the hard won successes of our work this winter. We are feeling better, moving better, and honestly— spending better. We are eating out less, buying more whole foods when grocery shopping, and just spending more time at home enjoying each other. I say all of this because I don't think I do it perfectly by any means, but I do think the intention behind why I started on this journey is important.
I always took taking care of my body for granted. I spent so many years putting my own care on the back burner to focus on external things that did not nourish or fuel me, or avoiding the things my body needed to feel whole.
When we started on this journey, that changed. I started to build a passion for working in the kitchen I didn't have before, a passion that made me want to eat at home, not out. Now, don't get me wrong, I still love to go eat good food at a restaurant— but the intention of body care is always there now.
It's no coincidence that I have made the biggest strides in my recovery in the past six months than I ever have before. It's also no surprise that my partner is experiencing higher self-esteem, almost no health issues, and a more centered sense of self either. I can relate all of this back to when we decided that standing still waiting to get old was no longer enough. Standing around, waiting for chronic illness or the consequences of a lifetime eating disorder and sedentary to hit us was no longer enough. We want to run, jump, and play into our old age! And proper, fulfilling nutrition seems to be (with adequate sleep) one of the best ways to do that.
So, if any of this resonated with you, or if you simply want to spice up your meal planning. Well, you've come to the right place.
I can't wait to cook with you
Much Love,
LadySpark
Delete this post?
Are you sure you want to delete this post? This cannot be undone.