Back to Basics: Finding Wellness Through Nutrition

Every woman has a unique relationship with food. Ranging from the almost devoid of excitement (I'm with you because I'm bored) attitude, to free and fun-loving (I'm just enjoying the experience), to the extreme, controlling type of relationship (This is war, and I'm going to win).

Mine had become the latter. Perfectly portioned according to my made-up rules, and planned to the point of ignoring my body's hunger signals.

Don't get me wrong, I enjoy food. A lot. I also love to exercise - with running being my morning activity of choice. However, having come to intellectualize intake, instead of giving my body and brain what it needs to sustain my output properly, I have been putting my health at serious risk. My arbitrary decisions on good vs. bad foods had pushed me so far from the basics of nutritionAnd the deficiencies hit the fan last February on a trip to Hawaii.

The first week was spent at a friend's house nestled in a rain forest on Oahu. With the cooler air, coupled with good food healthy fruit smoothies in the morning, balanced lunches and bbq dinners I was doing just fine. But then I headed to Maui on my own. More sun exposure, and eating being less of a priority than it was with the group, caused me to become so desperately dehydrated that no amount of coconut water (known for it's optimal re-hydration and immune boosting qualities) helped.

Wellness 101 Fact: Vitamin D is fat-soluble. The body needs dietary fat to help it absorb the Vit D that is so essential for bone health. Lack of D contributes to osteoporosis by reducing calcium absorption.

The low amounts of fat in my diet, and lack of (among many other micronutrients) Vitamin B2, resulted in the top surface of my tongue becoming rough with irritated taste buds. In cosmic and cruel irony, I now had a mouth so dry it was painful to eat. 

Fast-forward to arriving back in Toronto and visiting both my doctor and dentist. After the once-over, neither of them could even feign a clue as to what might be going on. My doctor prescribed the medication for thrush (despite the fact that, if I indeed had thrush, it would be all over my mouth), and the dentist politely told me to brush my tongue as it appears there is some exfoliation going on.

I swished and brushed with little relief.

Now, the fortuitous turning point in all this came in early April when, at the Blue Jays Home Opener party, I met naturopathic doctor Dominika Zarzeczny. Between innings (ok, we weren't really watching the game) my friend Heather and I grilled the good doctor on women's health from the pill to digestion - and what it would cost to visit her at the Annex Clinic. Thankfully I took Dominika's card, since the very next day the corners of my mouth started cracking and the wretched tongue dryness began to flare up once again. I promptly booked an appointment.

Talking through most of the first 90-minute session, I gave Dominika the short story on my history of food and exercise, and we reviewed my diet to see what might be causing or aggravating the dry mouth. For my part, I was convinced that I had just eaten some spiced food that did not agree with me while I was in Hawaii.  The ND saw clearly through this veil to a depleted immune system that needed a boost.

And so I went, off to Noah's health food store on Bloor Street to pick up an array of supplements and herbs that would help get me back to baseline health.  Vegetable protein to put in my smoothies; Probiotics, Adaptogens, and B Complex to take daily; an Iron supplement, and Marshmallow tea. Whatever disappointment I felt when the tea did not taste like a sweet treat, was forgotten when, a week into the new regimen, the cracked mouth and irritated taste buds were gone. Miraculous!

Follow up appointments with Dominika involved building on my Wellness Protocol, having acupuncture for the first time, and discussing the links between emotion, nutrition and overall health.

A couple of weeks went by and I was starting to feel better. Having a bit more energy and realizing my joints are muscles were not as achy. I was on an upswing, but still no weight gain.

Wellness 101 Fact: The brain and body needs glucose for metabolic fuel. When it does not get a constant supply from a carbohydrate source (like whole grains and fruit), it will pull it from another source first converting stored glycogen from the liver and muscles, and then from stored fat. With my low carb intake and vigorous exercising, it's no wonder I was (literally) wasting away.

Going back to the whole issue of good nutrition, and finding a way back to it, I decided getting away would give me the best chance to focus on this task 100 per cent. I had read about Miraval many times over the years, but a Fashion magazine article renewed my interest in the wellness resort. After taking a closer look at the balanced living programs (there are over 150) listed at Miravalresort.com, I had a strong feeling it was the place for me. Realizing that six days in the desert near Tucson, Arizona would not necessarily solve my problems, but at the least I'd learn strategies and tools to help me deal with them.

Looking back, it was the best decision I ever could have made in that moment.

Read Part Two of this special Wellness series by Sara Graham.

Sara Graham, Fashion Forward
		About the author:
		When Malcolm Gladwell talks about “connectors,” he’s talking about Sara Graham. This gal-about-town made her mark spending five years in (and out) of publishing as Editor-in-Chief of Canada’s top teen magazines Vervegirl and FUEL. During the out part she created, designed and managed all aspects of Sister Underwear – a collection that was not only embraced by the Canadian fashion network of buyers, media and the public, but enjoyed repeat orders from boutiques located in the U.S. Although no longer deep in the publishing or fashion trenches, Sara remains curious and connected via her insatiable appetite for culture and travel. Sara also continues to produce fashion shoots through Project, her brand management company.