Time; we either need more of it or have too much of it. Personally, there are many different areas in my life that time touches. The time it takes me to get ready in the morning, the time it takes me to sit in traffic to work, the time it takes me to clean my house or the time I spend thinking about how much time I have to sit on the couch with my cup of coffee and watch Gilmore Girls before I have to be somewhere.
Another big part of my life where time has had an impact in my life with is food.
In my early twenties, I thought I never had time to create elaborate meals nor did I pay attention to what types of food I was putting into my body. I would opt for protein bars, muffins, or anything packaged up for quick consumption. Coffee and energy drinks also became my most consumed beverages as I was working graveyard shifts at the time. For a brief time this “worked” for me, but then my health took a drastic turn.
I started getting sick a lot. I started losing my hair, and dealt with extreme dizziness, anxiety, cystic acne, along with a medley of hormonal issues. Medications didn’t work, nor did I want to keep taking them as I felt they covered up what was truly going on. This led me to become more proactive about my health which included learning about my body, starting with food and how it could be hindering my health.
After reading a few health books and doing some research I started making subtle changes that improved my health but I still would opt for the quick, ready-to-eat packaged meals and my health yet again fell by the wayside.
That is until I had my daughter. After she was born, time transformed for me. My outlook on my health changed quickly and I quickly learned that the time I spent taking care of myself and my health meant more time with my daughter.
So, I started cooking even more, borrowed cookbooks from the library, tried copious amounts of new recipes, and even went back to school to learn more about functional nutrition and hormones so I could support the health of not only myself, but my family and those around me.
In turn, we got sick less, slept better, experienced fewer hives and rashes, my hair started growing back, plus so much more! Making time for food, also inadvertently impacted our health in more than just physical ways. Our bond as a family got stronger. We sat down to meals more, picked out fun recipes to try, learned fractions, and how to read directions.
The time spent when it came to the meals my family and I created and ate together also equaled more time where we felt safe, supported, and connected. Especially after my daughter got diagnosed with severe food allergies, but that’s a story for another time.
Looking back, I realize what a blessing it was that my body let me know what wasn’t working so that I could reset and focus on what matters most – which is time with those I love most, including myself.
Tiffany is a Functional Nutritional Therapy Practitioner and Functional Hormone Specialist who is passionate about sharing all things health and wellness. Tiffany lives in Washington state where she also works as a Registered Sleep Technician. When she is not working she enjoys kayaking, exploring the forest, reading, volunteering, and spending time with her husband and daughter. You can find her on Instagram.
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