Hello Everyone!
Today’s vlog will discuss how to find your happily at the farmers market. It has been quite some time since I shared a how to find your happily vlog post. However, I am excited to let you know that I will be sharing a new vlog post once a week to the 101 ways to find your happily vlog series. Okay so let’s get started!
Find Your Happily At The Farmers Market
Shopping at the farmers market is one of my favorite things to do because of all of the healthy foods I can purchase. When I am in Los Angeles I frequent the Santa Monica Farmers Market. However, since I have been traveling abroad locating a farmers market has been somewhat of an adventure.
Whilst I was visiting France I must say that I found the best farmers market I had ever been to. In the states the farmers markets have some good quality produce, cooked foods, meats and fish. But, in France they take farmers markets to a whole other level. At there markets you can purchase the same things you can in the states, but the quality is one hundred times better. I was able to purchase exotic cheeses, olives, nuts, figs, fish and top quality non-gmo produce! I love the farmers markets in France. It feels like what the American farmers markets used to be, only better.
Your Relationship to Food
Recently, I was going through some health challenges. However, no one, not even the doctors could really tell me what was wrong. Of course I thought of all the worst case censorious. However, after talking with some of my good friends, some that happen to be health care professionals, I realized that I would have to go within to really figure out what was going on with me.
I began by controlling the one thing I could control… FOOD! I went on a fast, first eliminating all of the obvious things such as: sugar, alcohol, caffeine, and dairy. Then I got down to cooked grains and vegetables, to raw veggies to juicing.
All of this was over a one month period. I eliminated gluten, wheat, sugars, processed foods, alcohol, dairy, and meat from my diet. Since, I was previously a pescitarian eliminating meat was not an issue, however I stopped eating fish too. All I was eventually eating was raw vegetables.
Of course I lost a lot of weight (though I was not trying to). On the flip side I began to have a lot more energy since my body had very little energy for digestion.
I started to feel physically better, but not quite one hundred percent. I still was not sure what was causing me to feel bad. This required me to dig deeper. Not into my diet, but to the one place I didn’t think there was anything left to purge.
Relationship Recovery
Every morning I meditate, pray and journal. However, sometimes I rushed meditation; or I rushed through my prayer time; or I rushed through my journaling. Instead of rushing things like I had previously done, I decided that if I were going to figure out what was going on within, that I would have to spend more time on my inner being. I knew that I would really have to stop in order to be present to whatever was going on within.
So, first I began doing some deep breathing exercises throughout the day. Then, I incorporated a stretching and Qigong routine into my schedule. And, lastly, I began to take more time in prayer and journaling. Then, one day the pain just stopped. And, I literally woke up in the morning and felt better. Like my old self, but not actually, but the new version of my old self, if that makes any sense. I felt stronger, lighter and happier, more focused, light and free. I was me again!
Stress!
One day I called my mother to share my good news. I told her how much better I was feeling. I started to think about all of the lifestyle and dietary changes I had made: meditation, deep breathing, no sugar, alcohol, caffeine, gluten, dairy or meat. I didn’t know which thing made me feel better, perhaps all of it as my mother stated. But, what I did know is that my belief is that the culprit that brought it all on was STRESS!!!
Because I was so completely out of sync with my body that I began to manifest aches, pains and inflammation as a result of stress. I knew that I was so caught up in my day-to-day work routines, that I was not being present to what was happening within and around me. I spent way more hours working than I’d spend taking care of me or spending time with my family, friends or loved ones. As a result, my body found a way to slow me down to be present. Funny thing is when you don’t feel well, all you can do is think about getting better. You don’t think about work or stress out about meetings or deadlines. Your focus is completely set on getting well.
Your Relationship to Health
It’s so important to stop and listen, but more so it is important to be in-tuned and aligned with your true self. It’s amazing how the body will literally stop us dead in our tracks to slow us down enough to listen to it. Thankfully, I was already using the right tools, and had access to the right friends and family to support me through this.
And, although I am feeling much better now, I know that I still have a ways to go before I am 100%. However, now that I have a better relationship with my health and my food, I know that I have some level of control over my getting well. The key is balance! Something that I have been thankfully and gratefully forced to be present to.
Thank you for allowing me to share my story. If you have a similar story please do share your experience in the comments section. In the meantime, check out my visit to a French farmers market below.
