About my journey to here
I was born in the heart of Transylvania (yes, really!) and as a result, my childhood included feasting on fruit and vegetables straight from the garden, dirty hands and all, eating bowlfuls of sauerkraut and pickles (naturally fermented!), and enjoying the companionship of pets and wild critters every day. (A critter story: I once found a whole bunch of snail eggs while assisting my dad with garden work. I moved them carefully into a big jar and recreated the underground conditions, and what do you know, I had a whole bunch of baby snails two weeks later.)
I know what you may be thinking: ewww, bacteria overload! It’s true, but without the ewww part because here’s another take on it. By exposing our bodies to the living world, bacteria and all, we are building a robust collection of bugs that protect us and ensure our best health.
Imagine a tug-of-war situation between good and bad bacteria, and the good ones keeping things under control, because that’s what’s often happening without us knowing it.
We can help our body by eating the right foods (that’s where I come in), getting good sleep and by spending time outside. Oh, and pet a dog, will you?
Sounds like a game but it is supported by science, and I will unpack all that in the blog as we go along.
Beliefs are made of stories
Let me tell you a story. I lost my mom to heart disease, just a couple of months after she turned 59. That’s not old. I said that a thousand times over, as if that could bring her back.
Now, 16 years after her passing, and after questioning the genetic component of her heart condition countless times, it finally dawned on me. Her heart disease could have been caused by very early onset menopause due to medical issues. Of course, that’s knowledge I will never have access to, but the awareness of that possibility has become a powerful motivator for choosing to do what I do. Life matters.
My dad passed away eight years later, after suffering multiple strokes caused by atherosclerosis and peripheral vascular disease. There were warning signs and there were opportunities for healing. After eight long years of suffering, my dad passed away. a heartbreaking reality for many people. He was 72, and if you think that’s old, I will argue it’s not. Because it isn’t.
I miss them every day. I wish I could go back with all that I know now and add years to their lives. Or at least know that I tried, because I would sure wish it with all my heart.
Another step down the path
I believe we hold questions in our minds until we find the right answer or until a life circumstance brings us back to those unresolved issues.
A decisive kick in the pants for me came a couple of years ago during the time I worked as a medical research coordinator. I became aware of the multitude of experimental treatments for many preventable lifestyle diseases, also called noncommunicable diseases (NCDs), such as hypertension, heart disease, diabetes, cancer, and mental illnesses such as AD.
While I could objectively acknowledge the advances in medicine, it was also painfully evident that we can do so much more with preventing these diseases in the first place.
So back to school I went, with one strong conviction: science and nutrition do go well together, and better health and a long life are their combined effect.
Building dreams, one step at a time
Every adventure we embark on has a story attached to it. Glimpses of real life weaved into a dream tapestry of sorts. Thread by thread, we build on it, hurdles and all, and it becomes reality.
Thus, we give ourselves to dreams that often appear too distant and possibly farfetched. But we do it nonetheless, because there’s a belief wedged in there that we can make dreams happen.
What you see here is exactly that. A big part of the ‘fuel’ that feeds my own dream and mission are my mom’s words for when the going gets tough or the dream appears lofty:
‘If you want something with all your heart, you can make it happen.’
This is what I know and can work with: I believe that no matter where you are in life, and how seemingly impossible change may seem, it does happen.
My mission is to help you find the WHY so we can work together on the HOW.