My journey to balance has been a long one.

I grew up a happy child who loved to eat a variety of foods. My mom encouraged balance in my household from a young age. She would cook the most delicious, healthy meals which influenced my love for healthy eating. However, she would also allow us to indulge in treats with our friends and hit up the occasional fast food joint.

We would spend summer days at the park and at swim practice or snuggled up at home watching movies.  

Even though I was slightly overweight, my parents made it clear to me that I was perfect just the way I was. I was confident and I was happy and that’s all that really mattered. 

As I got older, it became apparent to me that my weight was not perceived the same way by others. It suddenly became something that I was told I should be ashamed of. From there on out, the confidence I had in myself slowly shed from my being. The insecurities arose. First my stomach, then my thighs, my arms, my face, my knees even. Feelings about food changed. It was no longer pleasurable but shameful.

Eventually, my baby weight disappeared and I became a thin teenager. However, even though I was thin, I never truly felt thin enough. 

On went years of intermittent dieting, food rules and weight fluctuations which ultimately led to binges, starvation, imbalanced hormones, and emotional distress.

Things changed drastically for me when I decided to go off the birth control pill. This was a giant wake up call for me. After coming off the pill, my hormones were all out of whack. My period was irregular and unpredictable. I had mood swings, emotional outbursts, hormonal acne, and strong food cravings for two years before getting help.

Up until going off the pill, weight loss was always my main goal (I actually realized how much of a privilege it is to only be worrying about losing a few pounds when it comes to your health.) However, experiencing the distress of my body physically and mentally changed that for me and my new goal was: get my body back into balance.

I did my research and tried to heal myself on my own but at the time, I was so lost and confused and nothing seemed to be working. That’s when I realized it was time to reach out for help.

I decided to see a naturopathic doctor and she absolutely changed my life. My protocol was quite simple but so effective; I made healthy diet and lifestyle changes and took supplements that all worked perfectly to balance my body and hormones.

Eating for nourishment instead of depriving my body, resting instead of overworking my body, eating 3 balanced meals with snacks instead of fasting, it was all a challenge for me. But I stuck through it and I am so glad I did.

This process was no short cut. I still clung on to so many old food rules that were so hard to let go of. I struggled with binge eating for years even after healing my hormones, not because I was depriving myself physically, but mentally I was still holding myself back. It took months of research, several books and podcasts, and help from nutrition experts to overcome the grip that binge eating had on me. And it was only recently that I was able to break free from those bad habits.

Overall, I have actively dedicated the past two years to undoing all of the harm and unlearning all of the food rules and unconscious behaviors that I carried deep within me. 

I am so happy to say that I have finally found BALANCE. 

I have finally rediscovered my confidence and self love and I have mended my strongest negative thoughts and behaviors, as well as balanced my body and hormones. Of course, I am human and not perfect but my I have made massive improvements and work at getting better everyday.

My journey has led me to find a love for food, nutrition, exercise, self-care practices, integrative medicine, cooking, non toxic beauty/living, and so much more.

Through it all, I have developed the philosophy that life is all about balance. You need balance in all areas of life to feel truly fulfilled and happy. 

I am now happily pregnant with my first son and so happy that I put in the time and effort to prepare my body effectively for this pregnancy because I believe that pregnancy begins months and even years before conception. All those years of rebalancing my body have paid off like nonother now that I have the privilege of carrying and nourishing my child.

Today, I feel like I have achieved a balance unlike anything before and I cannot wait to share my experiences, knowledge, ideas, and lifestyle with you. 

Let’s find Balance. 

By,

Gab