Who Transformed My Diet?…Barbara Walters
My passion for nutrition was born from struggle.
I spent many years doubled over in pain as a child not knowing why I always felt sick and tired. I was worried with every bite of food I ate because I felt constant nausea, stomach pains, constipation and dizziness. I started out on a pretty crappy diet. It consisted of canned soups, cheese spread on white bread, flavoured chips, crackers and many versions of fast food. I was eating what a lot of the kids in my neighbourhood were eating, but I was always feeling sick. So sick that I couldn’t participate in activities, stay at friend homes for long and I missed a ton of school. My parents began to think I was a hypochondriac and this created a whole other struggle in our home. Food was ruining my life.
It was one random day watching a segment on 20/20 when I was 9 years old that changed my life. It was a feature by Barbara Walters about MSG and the health effects that it and other hidden preservatives were having on the population. My parents investigated and removed all sources in my diet and sure enough after a couple of weeks we realized that I was HIGHLY sensitive to MSG. After removing it from my diet, I felt like a brand new version of me. I didn’t feel nauseous, have stomach cramps, constipation or dizziness, and had so much more energy. I experienced an incredible transformation from food at a very early age. So you can see why I get SO excited to share health information with an audience, as this information literally changed my life.
Finding the right foods can change your life too.
Do you feel you can’t pick yourself up in the morning? Is the heaviness around your waistline making you crazy? Are you are watching your kids eat processed foods day after day and it’s giving you anxiety because you don’t know how to get healthier foods on the table? Our food dilemmas manifest in many ways, but they all can be solved the same way. Through full-body awareness. It resides in the responsibility that we have to discover what is right for our own body. I learned at an early age to pay attention to what makes me feel good and what doesn’t. This was forced upon me, but I am now glad it was.
I learned early that this is the first step in making a change in your health.
It was during that shift in my diet that I became aware of how powerful it is to eat the foods that are right for my body. At the time it was ‘eat the right food and I can go to the playground’ or ‘eat the wrong food and I’ll end up in the fetal position on the couch’. In high school it was eat the right food and look better in those pair of jeans and now it’s eat the right food so I can get up at 6a.m. in the morning with my little one. Regardless of what the situation I clearly see that food impacts my experience. It impacts what I can give others, how I interact with others, and look at myself.
Now, this awareness brings about an ease of movement with food, but it’s not all said and done. Life throws a bit of a “keep listening” message with every stage in life. Since the body is always changing and evolving, each stage brings with it new dietary requirements, and sometimes the foods that you once enjoyed are not tolerated, or vice versa you are able to eat certain foods that you couldn’t when you were young. So you can’t even stop listening once you begin.
Experiencing a dietary transformation requires tuning into your own body’s wisdom, always.
And how do you do this you may ask? There are some steps involved:
- Get real with yourself. Yes, you should love your body at any stage, any weight and any size but do you love the way you feel? Is your current diet stopping you from living the vibrant fulfilling life that you deserve? Sometimes you don’t realize until you make deliberate changes.
- Set the intention that you are going to tune into your body. Purchase a journal (seriously!) that is only for this tracking.
- Be open to transitioning from “food for taste” to “food for health”.
- Purge the junk. Get rid of all fake foods: diet drinks with artificial sweeteners, canned soup with preservatives, chips with chemical seasoning. If your great-grandparents didn’t eat it then it probably is fake.
- Devote 3 uninterrupted weeks of focusing on how food makes you feel. It takes 21 days to form a habit. If you make this focus a priority you will begin a major shift in your health and your life.
- Respect the rhythm. Your body requires nutrient consistency. From the time you wake until you hit the pillow at night you have to provide it with timed-out fuel that provides the nutrients you require. Set your phone’s alarm every 3.5 hours as a reminder to eat. This seems to be the magic number for most. There may be times you aren’t hungry or maybe you are starving at 3 hours. Listen to these cues, jot down what you are learning and respond with a healthy food or glass of water.
- Go to the grocery store with a Nutritionist. It’s imperative that you learn what foods to stock your fridge and pantry with. This is part of the education puzzle piece that makes up a critical part of this shift. Learning about reading labels, what ingredients to avoid, what brands to stock up on is all part of your education journey and empowers you to be a critical consumer. Visit my MVP page for more info on what products I recommend!
- Listen to your gut. Both literally and figuratively. Your gut will tell you if a food isn’t right for you. Are you bloated, constipated, gassy, experience sharp pains? This is often a sign that a food isn’t sitting well. You may also experience the 3 F’s- fatigue, fogginess and forgetfulness from the wrong food. You may also get more subtle, intuitive signs. Some may say that it was a coincidence that we tuned in to a segment on 20/20 and discovered this life-changing information, but I feel there aren’t concidences and life will support you on this beautiful journey if you are open to listening.
- Ask for support. This is not an easy process to do alone. Ask for support from your partner, parent, friend or colleagues who can keep you motivated when you feel challenged.
- Get excited! When you feel good, you look good and you do good. Wholesome, real food is a powerful tool that can transform your life, your direction your energy!
I’d love to hear your stories of dietary transformation!
Miranda <3
Thanks for sharing your story! Love your passion for healthy eating and enjoy reading your food tips. I have a question, and maybe you’ve answered it before, did you offer your children cow’s milk as babies? My son just turned one and I am still breastfeeding so I haven’t had to cross that bridge just yet but it’s something I think about every now and then. Is cow’s milk necessary? What nutrients does it contain that is essential for toddlers? What are some alternatives? I don’t drink cow’s milk myself so I’m really perplexed about this one! Thought I’d gain some insight from a pro nutritionist and mama.
Thanks!
Janie
Thanks for your kind words Janie! I gave my boys Goat’s Milk and did not give them cow’s milk. Goat’s is easier to digest, has more minerals and less lactose. However, it doesn’t have as much folic acid and B12, so I did supplement with this. All the best with your beautiful babe!
Hi Miranda, Great article!! I love watching you on Marilyn, Always informative segments. I have been eating clean for quite a few years now but recently had food allergy/sensitivity testing done, 3 weeks ago. Wheat, Gluten, dairy/casein, almond/peanuts, egg are all triggers for me. Since cutting them out 3 weeks ago and starting a probiotic a week ago, I am feeling worse. My system is a mess. Is this normal and how long can I expect to feel this way before I get better and see improvements?
Any help, tips or advice you can give me would be GREATLY appreciated.
Thanks,
Debbie
Hi Deb, thanks for your kind message! It’s an individual journey, some experience detox symptoms for a while, but generally you should be noticing some positive changes. I would follow up with your health care provider to see if there is something that is missing.