I don’t know about you, but I found 2012 to be a stressful year. Seems that no matter who I talked to, people had to deal with an abnormally high number of problems and issues. My life was no exception. So it’s not surprising that, in the large scheme of things, the fact that I stopped being vegan / vegetarian early last year became a barely registered episode. After nine years, it became apparent that the lack of dietary protein and other deficiencies were wreaking havoc on my health. So for the rest of the year, I felt let down, confused and stressed about making the right choices for my nutrition, which unfortunately, translated into a very real weight gain. With it came some very tangible challenges, from the need to build a healthy diet regimen, to the fact that most items in my beloved closet no longer fit me.

I won’t go into much detail about my own life-long diet journey. Many of you have lived your own version of it. And if you are a stress eater like me, you know what happens at times like these. Now, don’t get me wrong; I’ve reached a point in my life when I have enough self love and confidence not to base my self esteem on my weight or size. I firmly believe that every man and woman should be the size that truly makes them feel happy and healthy: their balance point. Whether that is thin or curvy or something in between, should be for that person to decide. And I know for a fact that right now, I’m not at my balance point. And since I’m the one who got me here, I should be the one to fix it.

As luck would have it, a dear friend of mine recently shared a book that resonated enough to get my butt into gear. The book, Practical Paleo (and the second book I read immediately after, It Starts With Food), contained ideas and solutions that made a lot of sense. Having been there and done that in the field of dieting, I didn’t want a quick fix. During the difficult 2012 I came to realize several things, one of which was, you can’t eat whatever you want and never pay the price. If something sounds way too good to be true, be wary (and if someone tells you that you can eat as many carbs as you want, provided they come from fruit, vegetables, beans and whole grains, don’t take their word on faith. Your body may not be able to handle it). Another thing I realized was that, if someone urged you to ignore the signs your body gave you in favor of rigidly following their ideas and theories about nutrition, that person didn’t have your best interests at heart.

So, here comes the new eating plan (not a diet!), which eliminates grains, legumes, dairy and all processed foods. My own goal is to bring my body back to its balance in every respect, and to be able to support and nourish it long-term. Goodness knows, my body deserves it. And it also deserves to be dressed in the best clothes I can afford to give it; thankfully, I already own a lot of them! So, this is my journey to reclaim both my health, and my closet. And if you know me at all, you won’t be surprised that I roped a few of my nearest and dearest into the scheme. One such companion on this noble quest is our very own Jenny, who will share her own perspective with you. We hope you will enjoy this new addition to the blog; after all, brainy beauty is healthy beauty!