Journey to Wellness

I like to think I had a grasp on my body pretty well; I thought I knew how it reacts, what it needed, and that I could look after it flawlessly - I didn't understand why it would become sluggish and tired join the day, why my immune system was failing me often, and all round I was feeling less like a human and more like a flower left to wilt on the side of someone's desk.

The truth is, I don't look after my body.

I treat it very harshly - I don't get enough sleep, I fill it with food it doesn't physically need or really want, I often abuse it out of self hatred for my self.

As an overweight person and someone with a mental health disorder, my existence is slightly taboo:  According to the media, (and most people I know), I should be doing everything in my power to change  these things about my self. There's an evilness to these notions of 'fatness', 'sickness.' nut this attitude doesn't change people, it makes them worse. When folks internalize shame about who they are, they see their mind and body as something that will trap them - it will never be what it should be, it should shrink, disappear, be 'normal' (whatever that is or looks like). It leads to a cycle where you become so besotted with the idea of inadequacy, the ability to be visible becomes impossible.

And what  I'm telling you now is: you deserve to be visible. You deserve to exist, take up space, to see your body and mind as wonderful - whoever you are. Take your self on a journey to Wellness, to viewing your world as something that can benefit you rather than destroy you.

For me, this translates to a consistent vegan diet. I'm not a professional nutritionist, and I don't think this diet is accessible to everyone, but I have lots of reasons why I do it: stamping out animal cruelty, health benefits, it's fun and creative -  and most importantly, I take care of my self a lot more. Just giving a google to all the health benefits to different fruit and vegetables I eat is an empowering  experience, it allows you to understand your body functions a lot more, how you can let it fly in the best possible way.