This is my book The Synergy Game. I am serialising it here a chapter a week. Each chapter will be available for everyone to read because, after all, that’s why I’ve written it, to help others, to share what has helped me to rebuild my life. I will be adding extra insights, sharing my poetry and adding audio to a section below for paying members.
Chapter 7 - Feeding the Soul: Nutrition's Role in Healing and Strength
"Let food be thy medicine and medicine be thy food." - Hippocrates
I was raised by a mother who did not believe in buying cakes, biscuits or crisps and definitely no sodas. It was home cooking all the way and most things were made with brown flour and other healthy ingredients.
This would have been fine if my mother enjoyed cooking, but sadly gravy or custard covered over most of my burnt dinners and desserts when I was younger. She was far too busy doing other things like making our clothes or doing crafts with us or taking me to the park to play or on a walk to pick flowers or berries. My sister and I often joke that we have exceptionally strong stomachs because of our childhood!
However, this did lead me on a path of always being interested in nutrition and alternative health. If we were sick, and I was often as a child with asthma, we were taken to a herbalist or homoeopath before resorting to a regular doctor.
I'm very grateful that I learned about all this from when I was very young as it taught me that although my meals may not have been very tasty, for the most part they were healthy and there was an alternative to just getting things out of tins or the freezer or cooking in a microwave.
I think my own personal health journey started when I was pregnant with my first daughter. The thought that I was completely responsible for this little life inside me, had me giving up alcohol and caffeine as soon as I found out and being very careful about what I ate.
My mother-in-law had given me a book by Dr Vogel called The Nature Doctor and I followed to the letter all his suggestions about supplements and nutrition during my pregnancy. So much so, that when my daughter was just four months old, and we went to a seminar to see Jan de Vries speak (he was a student of Dr Vogel) he used her as an example of what following a good nutritional program during pregnancy can result in. She was the picture of health. People used to stop me in the supermarket and tell me she was just like the baby in the Gerber commercials!
That was it. This would be my life from then on. Two and a half years later my second daughter was born, and I did the same. This was even more important this time round as I was in hospital twice with pneumonia while I was pregnant with her.
I made sure that what my daughters ate was healthy, but we did balance it out with treat visits to fast food places very occasionally too. We limited sugar and Friday was sweetie day and they were allowed to choose a treat. Although, as my eldest daughter reminded me recently, it was usually chosen from a health food store.
I didn't set out to study health and nutrition, it sort of just happened. When the girls would get sick, which wasn't often but it was inevitable that it would happen sometimes, I would research alternative ways of healing. This led me to learning about homeopathy, herbalism, aromatherapy and so much more. It was such a good feeling to be able to give them something that would not have any side effects but that would help them get well.
When my eldest was just nine months old we had moved to Wales to a rather cold house, and she developed a cough. I found a homoeopathic remedy that stopped it dead. I was so happy and relieved as if I'd taken her to the doctor, she would probably have been prescribed antibiotics.
I have to say, that I am definitely not against conventional medicine. I think it has its place. However, for me, if there is a more natural alternative, I will always go for that first.
When I was rushed to hospital with pneumonia I would have died if I hadn't had access to antibiotics. As would both my nephews who had very serious health issues, one at birth and one at two years old. I'm grateful that I live in a place where I have a choice and I'm grateful that I have the knowledge to make that choice.
So back to nutrition, I digressed a little. I realised that the saying 'you are what you eat' is so true. I'm not talking about indulging in the occasional chocolate bar or fast-food burger. I mean what we eat day in day out. Our habits. How we eat and when we eat and how much we eat. What we eat can also affect our mood too. It's everything, as it directly impacts our body and our energy.
Sadly, we do not get enough nutrients from our food anymore. The soil is not as good quality as it once was and even if we are buying organic there is no guarantee that the soil is perfect or that pesticides or contaminants don't drift onto them from the air. We do our best, but I believe we do often need more in the form of extra vitamins and supplements.
When we are facing a challenge or have experienced a trauma it is even more important to be aware of our nutrition. We need all the help we can get! A poor diet will only lead to further issues and problems.
I've always been quite a foodie. I love food! My husband and I used to love planning our meals or where to go for dinner if we were eating out. However, when I found out about his betrayal I couldn't eat. I completely lost my appetite. I would go all day and then realise that I had forgotten to eat.
So, I started adding it to my daily list so that I would have at least one meal a day. I also knew that as I was not eating as much as I should, and that what I ate had to be of good quality and very healthy. I started to up my vitamin supplements and add some other things to my diet to keep up my strength.
For instance, if I was having a salad, I would add some hemp seeds to it which are so nutritionally dense and high in protein with a lot of vitamins and minerals. If I made soup or stew, I would add some herbs like dandelion or burdock root, seaweed or some tulsi basil which is calming.
Always adding garlic and ginger too if appropriate, to strengthen my immune system. I would also add some Ayurvedic supplements like ashwagandha or shatavari which are both good for stress and anxiety. It's so easy to add things like this and it hardly changes the taste but makes a meal so much more valuable nutritionally.
Another thing I would do and still do is that if I didn't feel like eating, I would make myself a hot chocolate with cacao powder and add some medicinal mushroom powders like reishi or cordyceps for energy and to boost my immune system, or lion's mane to help me focus. To sweeten it I would add some maple syrup. If I'm feeling lazy, I will just mix the mushroom powders with some store bought chocolate almond milk.
Juicing and smoothies are another way to get a densely packed nutritional boost. My go to for juicing is carrot, cucumber, courgette and a lemon or two and ginger. I usually make enough for about three days so I'm not having to wash the juicer every day.
For my smoothies, I will whizz up a banana with some blueberries, raspberries (fresh or frozen), any other fruit I have around and half a cucumber or courgette not forgetting to pop in a teaspoon or two of a mushroom powder and you have a perfect summer health boost. Also added to this would be a big teaspoon of moringa powder. This supplement is very nutritious, high in antioxidants, vitamins and minerals.
Over the years I did quite a good job of keeping my family healthy and now my daughters do it for themselves. If we are taught things as children, it is easier to incorporate them into our adult lives. I'm grateful that I could teach them this as my mother taught me. In fact, I expanded on it as I studied more and read more and more each year. Probably the most important way I was able to pass on my knowledge was by example. My girls saw me eating healthy, being balanced and reaping the benefits.
Although it's very important to think about nutrition and what we put into our bodies every day it's even more important when we are under stress because our bodies need good fuel more than ever. For me, it was vital to keep up my health and energy when my world was falling apart.
Because I was already in the habit of eating well, I didn't have to do much more than make a bit of effort and force myself to eat well. Because I already knew what would give my immune system a boost and energise me and keep me from getting sick, I just had to do it.
I didn't think of nutrition as a tool until I started writing notes for this book. I listed all the things that had got me through, and it seemed natural to add this.
Another side benefit too is that it's fun and very satisfying to plan a nice meal for yourself. To buy the ingredients and take the time to cook a nutritious and healthy meal just for you.
It's another act of self-care and it feels good to do it, not to please other people or to entertain, but just because you want to love yourself, nourish your body and because you deserve it.
Previous Chapter - Rhythms of Release: Dancing My Way to Freedom
Next Chapter - Circle of Strength: The Unseen Bonds of Friendship
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This next section is for paying members only. In it, I’m sharing some poetry I wrote in the months after I’d decided I wanted a divorce, and the thoughts behind the poem. There is also an audio reading of the chapter.
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