caywellness-blog

[caywellness-blog]

Cleanse :) Anyone that comes to me for wellness or nutrition advice knows that I am not a huge advocate of intense cleansing. Our bodies are self cleaning, and when given proper hydration, and nutrition, cleans itself wonderfully on its own! Many of my clients use intense cleanses and STILL suffer daily digestive disorders, brain fog, and bacteria imbalances. I truly believe that we are not an over cleansing nation, adding one more threat to our gut flora! Now and then I do feel sluggish, bloated, and tired. For these moments I choose a whole food based cleanse that focuses on feeding gut flora, flushing the liver and kidneys, and not so much using a laxative to make me feel like the product is working. 

This is a great product! Tastes great and it is natural. I am on day 2 and feel the effects. A must try for anyone wanting a boost without negative side effects! 

[caywellness-blog]

Day to day of living well, clean eats, natural DIYs and the struggle of living a nutritious life on such an expensive island!

[caywellness-blog]

I get outdoors ALOT. I used to spend hours and hours inside watching TV, or just lounging which only made me fatter and more depressed (naturally). My son is the opposite to me and he is very high energy. I try to get out with him as much as possible, enjoying nature and keeping active.  We live on Grand Cayman in the Cayman Islands so we are VERY lucky to have such a beautiful island to enjoy. 

[caywellness-blog]

Where it all began.

With all the information available to us these days, and the frequent boosting numbers of fitness blogs, transformation posts, recipe pages, and a forever growing list of diets to try... the journey to weight loss and a fitter body almost seems easy.  So where have I been going wrong?

Flash back to 1999, I was 10 years old. I remember very clearly the day that I experienced my first symptoms of IBS. My parents had recently separated and my mother had decided to move myself and 4 siblings from our home in the Cayman Islands, to the UK where she was born. We were at a family farewell party and everything was going well. Towards the end of our gathering, I started to experience excruciating pain in my lower abdomen, almost winding me. I had experienced stomach aches, bloating, and sudden urges to run to the bathroom before, but this was something different. 

I continued to have irritations associated with food and certain drinks. I brushed it off and continued trying to enjoy my childhood the best that I could. Going to parties, eating junk food and often opting for the unhealthy school lunch choices. Drinking bright coloured juices and soda whenever the opportunity came my way. Yes I knew they were all unhealthy choices, but little did I know, I was changing my body drastically.

Fast forward 4 years. I was thin, and keeping thin was a priority for me. I was about 5'6 and around the 135lb mark.  I would often skip meals, eat halves of cookies for lunch and drink tons of soda and coffee to get myself through the day. I adored chocolate, and would often treat myself to chocolate throughout breaks at school. My friends and classmates amused themselves by calling me the 'vending machine queen'. It was ok, because I was thin. I continued to have stomach pains, abdominal spasms, and moments of IBS flare ups that stopped my social life dead in it's tracks. I had acute anemia, and never had energy. I started to slip into a very unhealthy relationship with food. Binging on sweets especially, then punishing myself with periods of starving myself. I took pride in being thin, and focused on enhancing other parts of me that people around me complimented. My hair, which was really thick, long and shiny, my slim figure and thigh gap, my clear skin that never suffered break outs. My heath was spiraling out of control and I did not have the maturity or knowledge to change it.

By the time I was 18, I had very irregular periods, heavy bleeding and complete iron depletion. Supplements no longer helped me raise my iron levels, and I did not have the knowledge or care to nourish my body through food. I would often fast all day until feeling faint, and eat just plain baked fish with some vegetables when I finally had a meal. Many evenings, I would binge on packs of cookies, take away, and sugar laced treats. Again, I was thin so who cared? I had been prescribed countless types of birth control, anti depressants, anti anxiety medications, and only dropped deeper into my unhealthy state.

I am now 29 years old. I am a Certified Nutrition and Wellness Consultant and still on the way to repairing my broken body. About 2 years ago I was diagnosed borderline Lupus, and showed signs of Rheumatoid Arthritis. All of which flared up during a couple of years of loss, stress, and lack of nutrition. I have come a long way, and am more motivated than ever as I have a 3 year old son, and want his experience of life to be a good one. I still have a long way to go, but as my journey continues, my quality of life just gets better and better.