Over the past year a lot of people have asked me why I started GoodnessMe Box. Looking back it was a natural progression inspired out of being unwell for so long...
6 years ago I found myself bed-ridden for 3 months with barely enough energy to walk to the kitchen. After seeing doctor after doctor I was still no closer to the problem and more importantly, no closer to the cause of my illness. I was desperately fatigued and suffered from a constant headache, muscle aches and heavy limbs. I pedaled on and told myself it was all in my mind, eventually getting well enough to start a new job. I entered into the PR world as a publicist, specialising in clients in the health and wellness industry.
The world of integrative health and wellness opened up to me – speaking to hundreds of health practitioners, attending conferences, working with the latest health foods and supplements and learning about the movement of prevention. It became clear to me that what we put in our bodies, how active we choose to be and how we manage our stress plays a fundamental role in how we feel and moreover, our long-term wellbeing.
The problem was, it was three years on and my body was still breaking down each month. I must have racked up nine or ten colds in 1 year. It was exhausting and frustrating!
I had all this knowledge but was not putting it into practice correctly. Eventually I was diagnosed with an autoimmune condition, with a side-effect of a very weak immune system, hence the persistent fatigue and flu. I was told I would need antibody protein transfusions once a month to keep my energy levels up. I was devastated and sick of feeling like a patient.
It was not until I sought advice from an integrative doctor that I made true changes. Along with changes to my lifestyle, I stripped out any foods made with processed and artificial ingredients, choosing to eat foods made with whole ingredients.
Months later my energy started to increase, my test results began improving and 2 years on I had picked up a small cold only once – a big milestone for me! The true test was traveling to Chile and completing a 70km hike in 4 days and feeling more energetic than ever at the finish line, something my body would have never been able to cope with in the past.
It came down to taking a deeper look at my health and not accepting that ‘this is just how my body works’. Along with a lot of tests and lifestyle changes, a large part of my wellness has been shaped by choosing to nourish my body with clean, healthy and whole food. And many hours wondering in awe through health food stores.
I created GoodnessMe Box out of a passion for eating clean, nourishing my body and getting others excited about living well.
After all, the reward of good health is spectacular!