Knowing better is doing better

Holidays are the best and I am so thankful that I’ve recently had the opportunity to spend quality time with my family in a beautiful setting. As I rarely need an excuse to enjoy every single moment of said holiday, I might have overindulged slightly with coconut ice-creams and too much sun. (My daughter, in her innocence, commented on my skin resembling a salami!)

Back in real life though, I once again have to fit into my jeans. In the past this may have been a mountainous effort, but this year, I have no post holiday regrets and I am up for the task. See, this is because I am now armed with knowledge about my own body and the tools to rectify it where I may have gone astray.

Information overload

I have never had a complex relationship with my body or food, but after turning 40 I soon realised that things have changed. Gone were the days of effortlessly losing the extra 2 kilograms gained on a vacation, my stamina started decreasing and I became aware and familiar with the havoc words like perimenopause can cause in one’s body!

Reading about supplements, collagen powders, shakes and diets seemed conflicting at times and only overwhelmed and confused me. And far worse, as literally everyone around me was giving up carbs, I thought I also had to do the same and it felt like the end of the world to me!! True to my entire philosophy, I love to simplify my life, but nothing seemed simple anymore and I had no idea where to start.

Seeking professional help

Thankfully, help is always at hand, and I set up an appointment with a naturopath. After doing blood tests which yielded nothing new, she suggested a DNA test to give me a deeper understanding of MY specific make-up and what exactly MY body needs. (I have asked her to write a more comprehensive blog on DNA testing for those who might be interested, and it will be my page soon).

I have to be honest; I was a bit apprehensive to do the test. Sure, I wanted to gain insight into the way I was created, but what if I discovered terrible things I did not want to know? As always, I gathered information and here are some of the things I learned about DNA testing that encouraged me to do the tests:

• Our genes are the basic instructions for how we build, regulate, and maintain our body. These instructions determine how our body responds to food, exercise, stress, and toxins.
• We are each unique and have our own health story, by making use of the knowledge we gain we can make the biggest difference in our health.
• Your DNA does not define you, the small daily choices you make will have a profound impact on your DNA.

This information, coupled with a promotional offer during lockdown encouraged me to take the test and I felt at peace with my decision. A courier delivered the home testing kit to my house, I followed the easy step by step instructions and they collected my sample the very following day.

Knowledge is power

I received the results within a couple of weeks and the list of information is long and comprehensive. Discussing my report with the naturopath and a dietician gave me valuable insight and I was also given diet recommendations, lifestyle suggestions and recommendations on supplements.

Some of the things I now know about my body:

• I don’t need collagen supplements and no need for me to stop eating carbs (yippeeee!!)
• My body needs strength training, and I can finally give up on the idea of running 5 kilometersbefore the age of 50
• I have a reduced ability to transport B12 to cells and need a B12 supplement or more animalprotein foods
• Drink plenty of water every single day
• My body needs a lot more green and leafy vegetables than what I was consuming
• I don’t metabolise caffeine very well and that might affect my sleep, detoxification andalertness. I therefore need to limit my intake of caffeine

One step at a time

After having access to my DNA feedback report, here are some of the small and easy changes I have made over the last year:

• I drink fresh ginger and lemon in hot water when I wake up
• I do intermittent fasting (but cheat with one cup of coffee with milk)
• I have replaced flat white’s with rooibos cappuccinos
• I take Omega 3, Vitamin D, B12 and one or two other supplements (when I remember)
• I try to exercise more and do interval, strength training
• I’ve made juicing part of my lifestyle in order to consume more greens and vegetables

After further discussion I realised that in order for me to maintain a healthy weight and to function with maximum energy levels, I need to make detoxification a priority in my long-term health goals.

Quoting a paragraph from my test:

“Detoxification is the body’s way of getting rid of toxins that could otherwise build up and interfere with health. Signs of poor detox include lethargy, fatigue, difficulty concentrating and unexplained aches and pains in the body. The liver is the main site of whole-detox, but every cell has its own toxin-eliminating processes to keep it clean, healthy and working well. Detoxification can be optimized by making the right diet and lifestyle changes to support good cellular cleaning processes.”

I now try to do a structured detox at least once a term and find that the ONE-JUICE 3-day detox cleanse is great for exactly this purpose. The first time I found it rather tough, but afterwards I felt great, and my body started craving the green juice specifically.

The convenience of having some of their green juices in my fridge is helping me to reach my daily good greens goals as well as to establish good habits. This is also a wonderful way of ensuring that your loved ones and children will get those vitamins and minerals they so often struggle with.

Their charcoal detox juice is great too and I am surprised that I no longer reach for the sweeter fruit juices I used to love.

Going forward

Why am I sharing this story with you?

Working with so many women daily, I have realised that we all have the same struggles – they are just packaged differently.

I would like to encourage you to simplify your life by learning more about YOUR unique body, without inundating yourself with conflicting information. If necessary, seek help and use the knowledge and tools gained to make some easy and attainable changes, and perhaps some harder ones too.

Enjoy your time with friends. Enjoy making memories around the table. Just implement small changes that will ensure long term benefits!

If you want to share your story with me or just chat, I would love to hear from you.

Tania x