I have been thinking that my retirement plan is to live on a remote island and eat healthy wholesome food. I started having an appreciation of healthy eating since I began using recipes from Charlotte’s kitchen.
In March this year, I was told that I have Candida of the stomach as well as leaky gut. So it turns out that I am allergic to dairy products, wheat and sugar and these will be the death of me if I continue eating ‘junk food’. Therefore I was put on a four month very strict Candida diet in which I had to eliminate my favourite foods. Goodbye bread, cake, sweets, juice as well as certain fruits and some vegetables.
I thought… What? I am going to go crazy. What is left for me to eat? Lettuce?
So I began this rather flavourless diet. I did however feel a huge difference, my energy levels were picking up and I was less bloated. After a month of Candida dieting, I could no longer carry on with the tasteless meals. There were just too many temptations and in my line of work I am constantly on the road so it is so much easier to buy already made food. I enjoyed ‘junk food’ too much and my health was further deteriorating.
Charlotte has been such a life saver, her dishes consist of healthy ingredients, plenty of vegetables, wonderful spices and not forgetting Kefir, which can be used in just about any meal to bring out the flavour. I have been eating Charlotte’s recipes for about two months now and this is the healthiest I have been. My tummy is happy, I am regular, the bloating has calmed down significantly, I am sleeping better, and I rarely even crave the sweet stuff. Before I used to be bloated to the point where I couldn’t sit up straight at times, it was even uncomfortable to walk properly and I had to refrain from doing any form of physical activity such as running and playing netball. I also find that I spend less time in bed during the weekends; I have become an early riser, even on the weekends.
Charlotte has written a nutrition and recipe book, Good Food Matters. Find out about the magic that takes place in her kitchen.
And I will even be better once I start exercising again. This week I will join Charlotte at one of her Pilates classes and see how it goes. I am pretty sure my body is ready for this, so much excitement! YAY! I am thoroughly looking forward to it as I do believe that a healthy lifestyle includes physical activity too.
You can find out about Charlotte’s Pilates classes in Horison, Roodepoort contact: admin@better4life.co.za
As for my no make-up challenge, I went two days without make-up this week thanks to the wonders of Charlotte’s Africa Grace natural skincare range.
Thank you Charlotte!
Esther Machileka