Anna’s Story

So, how did I go from being what I thought was healthy to realising that I really wasn’t? What was the turning point? Well, let’s rewind a bit….

Once upon a time, there was this fit, active and ‘healthy’ young woman who trained hard, played hard, worked hard, rested little and still wanted more out of life.  This young woman got married, had a child, then a second, then a third, in 3 and a half years… life was busy.  Not necessarily the same busy as before, but busy and tiring nonetheless. Very tiring. 

After she finished breastfeeding her youngest child, she presented at her GP and asked for full battery of health tests as she was determined to get her health back on track and to start feeling more vibrant again. The results came back and her GP suggested that while she felt exhausted, the blood tests indicated she was “all good” and what she was experiencing was just ‘life as a mother with 3 young children’ suggesting that this was her ‘new normal’ and about as good as it was going to get.  She thought to herself “To hell with that!”  This was not living (at least not in the way that this girl wanted to be living!) and so, she began a journey to try and radically improve her health.

Ok, so, of course, that young woman was me – my body and mind were both just SO exhausted that I didn’t feel like I was actively participating in my own life, I was really just getting through each day.  While I knew that I needed to do something to change that, it still took me 6 months to convince myself that I was capable of doing this properly and that it would be worth trying.  Even then though, it was really baby steps.

But, to cut a very long story short …. one day, with some small changes, I woke up and thought to myself, “I don’t think that I feel AS tired”.  This was a revelation and then, before I knew it, I had more good days, more energy and felt more vital (even with my 3 young children in tow!).   It became easier to control my weight and appetite, there was no mid-morning or afternoon slump in energy levels, there was no cravings and for the first time in my life, my seasonal asthma did not make its annual appearance.

That was almost 5 years ago now and I am still on that learning curve.  It has been a very gradual process and one that I continue to tweak every few months.  I would not have survived had I had to go ‘cold turkey’ with my homeopaths initial suggestions, but the small changes were easy to adopt and maintain.

It was this experiment with my diet and my life balance, that was the tipping point for me in realising that ‘good health’ was SO much more than punishing myself in the gym 5 times a week and eating a low fat diet…. I was finally developing a healthy relationship with food (which I can’t remember having had for a very long time).  I was making changes to my life that I could really sustain for the rest of my life, not just for the “12 week program”. I was looking after my family with nutritious and delicious food and it felt great.  I began to see the fragile balance between stress, nutrition, exercise, hormones, and our internal bodily processes.  And there was a big mental shift for me…. the penny was dropping!

In terms of exercise, after a lifetime of believing that I couldn’t get a “good workout” from yoga, I took it up after some gentle cajoling from a close friend.   It was almost two years ago now, and I have since made it a non-negotiable to get to my session every week with my gorgeous girlfriend.  In between I attempt to do my stretching and some practice whenever I can fit it in (some weeks that works, some weeks it doesn’t, but I don’t beat myself up about it).  Meditation is next on my hit list, so watch this space on this one!

Since having children, sleep has become somewhat of an obsession for me!  When something that you took for granted is suddenly stolen from you – you begin to appreciate just how valuable a thing it is (any parents out there who disagree?!)!   I am now so conscious of getting enough sleep and encourage my husband to do the same.  We have always both been night-owls and would often find ourselves getting a second-wind and staying up way too late, at night, only to wake up groggy and slow the next morning.  Now, we don’t exactly bound out of bed (do any night owls do this?) but we are getting better at getting enough rest to make it through our busy days, and our days start early now, every day.

I am now so much more respectful of my body and what it is capable of.  I eat well and exercise now because I love my body and want to do right by it, not because I hate my body and feel the need to punish myself for something I’ve eaten or done (or not done)! And, believe me – I used to do this a LOT!

My passion is to motivate and inspire women to a healthier version of themselves. I want women to find their tribe – to have a supportive community of like-minded individuals to rely on and gain strength from, when they need it.  To give them the tools to be able to live a life, in balance, with more energy and vitality.  To move more and reap the benefits of this more active lifestyle. I am also incredibly passionate about children’s health and fitness and getting our kids moving and teaching them how to prepare and enjoy nutritious food.

I know so many women who are struggling through the haze of where I was 5 years ago and who have resigned themselves that that is just how things are.  Sisters, it really doesn’t have to be and I truly believe that with the right information, we are all capable of living with so much more strength, energy and vitality. Soul Sister Health is a community where we are giving women the tools to help them move closer to this ideal and to live their life, with more balance.  We would love you to join us.  Are you in?

Anna xx