The Best Version of You!

 

I have always loved, what I would call, 'healthy eating!' Mostly meaning that I have always loved my veg.

My Mum never had to bribe me to eat vegetables, in fact, I would wait next to the kitchen sink on a Sunday, like a hungry Labrador, watching my Mum wash, peel and chop carrots, in the hope of getting a couple of pieces to snack on before lunch.

There was, however, a time in my life where I didn't want food. At Middle school, I decided that anorexia was going to be my friend. And yet, I continued to do sports, dance and hobbies at the usual rate.

This WAS NOT me, being the best version of me, and I battled, or should I say, I still battle this awful disorder on a weekly basis. The only difference now is that I want to be well and healthy. I want to show my clients, lead by example of how fit and healthy I am. You cannot do this by letting an eating disorder ruin your life.

|In reality, my job, my business, has helped me stay fit and healthy, and I am most grateful for that.

The thing is, I am only human.

I have and have had addictions, hormonal imbalances and life situations that could get in the way of being the best version of me, but I have continued to strive for what I believe is my own perfection.

It's in doing this that my life experiences can help others with the same or similar battles.

I used to drink alcohol.

In fact, I used to enjoy a lot of alcohol on a lot of occasions.

I lied to myself about why I did it, I tried to justify drinking, by saying, 'I do everything else healthily!'

I drank water, herbal teas, exercised, what harm would one vice do?

But it wasn't just one vice in reality, because actually the alcoholic drinks were full of sugar, so in turn I also had a sugar addiction.

Drinking leads to poor life choices, a lack of drive, loss of focus, weight gain, anxiety and feelings of depression. I was clinically depressed, but the poison I was putting into my body was harming it internally, physically and mentally.

Striving for the best version of me that I can be, I eventually won the battle of me versus alcohol.

I gave it up.

I am never going back.

Another tick on the list of the journey to my own perfection.

This was obviously a much bigger story for me than just a paragraph, but I have blogged my alcohol free journey on my other blog, 'Debbie does....' so you can check it out there.

I am now over 3-years alcohol free and I have an amazing life because of it.

So, now I am exercising correctly, not over-exercising as I did in the past, I'm taking rest days (yoga days) I am eating well, sleeping great, and then it happens, peri-menopause. My hormones are changing and my sugar-addiction is sat there laughing at me.

So, what do I do? I do what I have done previously, I dig deep and focus on the goal - the goal being, 'the best version of me!'

And now I am refined-sugar-free, for over a year and a half.

I have also cut back on bread, pasta and other forms of natural insulin spikers.

Quitting sugar changed my menopause symptoms, alongside taking different natural supplements and I am feeling as amazing as I possibly can be for my situation.

I am certain sure that I will make more tweaks as I go through life, but for now, I am content that I am doing all the right things, and very little of the wrong.

I have used these photos of my younger self, to help me see just how much I have achieved over the years, how my life-long focus has helped me be the woman I am today.

What changes are on your list?

What is your one defining health and fitness goal?

Thanks for reading :)