Tag: relationships

  • Alone Again, But Still Full of Us

    Alone Again, But Still Full of Us

    The house is quiet once more. He left for Boston yesterday, and the silence settled in before the door even closed behind him. It will be another month before I feel his arms around me again, before I hear his laugh echoing through these rooms.

    I hate sleeping alone. The bed feels too cringe, the pillows too cold. I hate watching television alone too—there is no one to nudge when something ridiculous happens, no one to pause the show so we can debate plot twists or quote our favorite lines back and forth. Most of all, I miss the little things: the easy banter that danced between bites of cookie dough or ice cream , the way we could turn an ordinary meal into something playful and intimate.

    This visit was supposed to hold answers. I thought we would finally talk through the big questions about our future—what comes next, where we go from here. Those conversations hovered around us, but never quite landed. So—as per usual— I am still waiting, still hoping, still trusting that the path will reveal itself in its own time.

    But even without those answers, this trip gave us so much.

    We celebrated this incredible country together—its firework [sounds], its spirit, its messy, beautiful freedom. We soaked up quality family time, the kind that fills your heart and reminds you why roots matter. He even came with me to physical therapy, walking along patiently through the exercises and offering quiet encouragement that meant more than he could ever know. The kind of support I am not really used to.

    Then, when my parents headed out of town, we got to play house. Just the two of us. I cooked for him multiple times a day, pouring love into every dish, and he made most beautiful heart-shaped pizza —crispy, cheesy, and made with such care that I nearly melted right there in the kitchen. We wandered through Old Town, soaking in the charm of cobblestone streets and golden-hour light. We spent lazy hours cuddling on the couch, talking about everything and nothing, sharing those delicious conversations that make distance feel survivable.

    For those precious days, we built a little world that felt like home. Even now, as I sit here missing him, I can still taste the pizza, hear his voice in the quiet, and feel the warmth of his hand in mine.

    Long-distance love is hard. The goodbyes sting, the empty spaces ache, and the uncertainty can be heavy. But these visits are proof that what we have is real. They are fuel for the weeks apart. They remind me that even when I am sleeping alone and the house feels too quiet, I am not truly by myself.

    I carry him with me—in the memories we made, in the future we are still writing, and in this stubborn, hopeful heart that believes it is all worth it.

    Until next month, my love. Come back soon.

    The beautiful heart shaped pizza he made for me
    My version of Shepherds Pie I made
  • Manifesting My Ideal Life: Love, Wellness, and Joy

    Manifesting My Ideal Life: Love, Wellness, and Joy

    The kind of life that would finally allow me to fully exist is:

    A life with him: there is no such thing as “focus on yourself first” as I have found that being dedicated to the love of my life does so much for me. My soul recognizing its favorite home. Everything I thought I needed to “work on” in isolation suddenly becomes irrelevant because the thing that was actually starving me was the absence of him. This life brings me much more joy and happiness than getting whatever I want delivered to my doorstep etc. Being together physically makes my entire soul let out a giant sigh of relief.

    I do not want to be a self-sufficient island. I want to be his. Fully, stupidly, unapologetically his. I want the version of me that only exists when I am pouring into someone who pours back. That version feels more alive than any solo “healed” version I have ever performed.

    Two people walking on a sunlit cobblestone street with long shadows
    Two people walk down a sunlit old stone street casting long shadows.

    Able- bodied life: And yes, I want the body that can actually meet that life.

    All in all, I am not interested in the gentle, realistic, disability-acceptance script everyone tries to hand me like a participation trophy. I do not want to “redefine beauty” or “find new ways to move through the world.” I want my left side to cooperate again. I want to walk for miles without calculating how much pain I am willing to trade for the view. I want to put on a pair of stilettos and feel my hips sway instead of my balance negotiate with gravity. I want to hold his hand on a long hike and not have to pretend the cane is some cute accessory.

    Doctors and well-meaning realists can keep their timelines and theiryou’ll probably always need…speeches. The universe is not running a charity. It is not on a budget. If I can imagine my fingers threading through his while we walk through tall grass at golden hour, if I can see myself in the kitchen moving freely, cooking for the man I chose, then that version is already on its way. I am not manifesting from a place of lack. I am remembering forward. My arms will work. My balance will hold. I will be the woman who can be a proper wife to him without negotiating with my own nervous system every time I stand up.

    Warm and sunny life: There is something about the amount of dopamine and serotonin I get from the sunshine. Plus I am forever freezing so I would rather survive somewhere naturally warm than have my man pump in synthetic heat for the majority of the year. I want mornings where the light pours through the windows onto our bed and neither of us has to reach for a sweater.

    Unemployed life:while I do love writing ; let it be my own little hobby. I refuse to let my words turn into another job that pulls me away from him. In order to fully dedicate myself to my man, I will not to answer to anyone else/ have any stress or anxiety running through my veins. Girls are meant to live easy and whimsy little lives. I want to be the woman who makes his house feel like home instead of the woman who comes home exhausted and has nothing left to give.

    Childless life: I am an incredibly selfish person and I know that I will always put me and my man first. Unfortunately I know what it is like to be completely ignored/ neglected by a parent and I will never wish that kind of pain and suffering upon a child, but I know that my personality is to do just that.

    So no kids. Not as some enlightened childfree flex. Just as the only honest choice I can make. Better an empty house than a child who grows up feeling like an afterthought.

    Wooden rocking cradle near large window with white sheer curtains flowing
    A cozy wooden rocking cradle sits by a bright window with sheer curtains flowing in the breeze. Empty cradle= freedom (for me personally)

    This is the life that would finally let me exist instead of survive.

    Him. Walks. Sunshine that actually warms me. No boss, no inbox, no tiny humans I would inevitably fail. Just the two of us in a warm house where my body works, my soul is quiet, and I get to pour every single drop of myself into the only thing that has ever made the noise stop.

    Call it codependent. Call it regressive. Call it whatever makes you feel better about the life you settled for.

    I am not settling anymore. I am asking for the whole thing. And I am not ashamed of how badly I want it.

  • Benefits of Drinking (Yes, You Read That Correctly)

    Benefits of Drinking (Yes, You Read That Correctly)

    The wellness industrial complex has it wrong. While everyone else is out here microdosing mushrooms and journaling their feelings, my boyfriend and I have discovered the ancient, time-tested secret to actually enjoying this ridiculous existence: popping bottles like the world owes us a party. And it kind of does.

    Every single time we get to steal a few days together in this soul-crushing timeline, we treat it like the main event (I still remember how loudly I celebrated when he uncorked our first bottle!) Not “date night.” Not “quality time.” A full-blown, no-apologies celebration. We live for collecting moments and creating memories.

    Because if you are not celebrating the fact that you both made it through another timeline without each other— does anything really matter?

    I had to personally educate my man on the sacred hierarchy of bubbles. Champagne is not just “fancy sparkling wine.” It is the French aristocrat with a protected designation of origin. The bubbles were originally an accident as the fermentation process caused stored wines to explode, delivering that signature toasty, brioche-y complexity and those aggressive, fine bubbles that taste much more superior than synthetically created ones. Prosecco is the fun, flirty Italian cousin — brighter, fruitier, cheaper, and happy to show up to literally any occasion without an attitude. And then there is generic sparkling wine, the chaotic neutral workhorse that gets the job done when the good stuff is sold out or you are feeling budget-conscious.

    We now exclusively order and stock the goods. Delivery drivers, grocery stores, bars or restaurants we are forever part of some elite sparkling wine cartel. No more settling. Life is too short for mid bubbles.

    And yes — my boyfriend occasionally does shots with my father. Because bonding. Because tradition. Because nothing forges that sacred father-in-law/son-in-law alliance quite like grimacing through a round of vodka while pretending they are not both slightly terrified of each other. I sit back with my drink and watch these two grown men bond over the universal language of “let’s burn our throats and talk about Trump so we don’t have to talk about feelings.” It is disgusting. It is wholesome. It is peak masculinity.

    I on the other hand am a disciplined one-espresso-martini woman. That perfect, caffeinated, slightly dangerous little monster in a martini glass. One is elegant. The rest of the drinks are for celebration purposes only.

    This is what the sobriety police failed to understand: drinking is how we weaponize joy against the void. Why would I care if alcohol prematurely ages my cells when my man is forever babying me and making my life silly, fun and easy? It pushes us to create more memories and experiences.

    • It turns ordinary moments into legendary ones. That random dinner I made becomes “the night we popped the good bottle and laughed until we cried.”
    • It lowers the volume on the noise. The anxiety of not being together, the overthinking, the endless mental tabs open in my brain — alcohol (and him) is the world’s most reliable (if imperfect) volume knob.
    • It creates actual memories instead of just content. Sobriety is great for optimization. But you know what is better? Happiness. Celebrating that happy moment is great for living a story worth telling.
    • It is rebellion in a glass. Every time you choose celebration over optimization, you are flipping off the wellness grifters— your sleep scores and your hormone levels do not provide a full picture of how your life is going to go.
    Two hands holding champagne glasses with raspberries, toasting at sunset on a terrace with flowers and a coastal town in the background
    Two people clink champagne glasses on a terrace overlooking a coastal sunset town.

    Life is already one giant, absurd, painful, hilarious win just by virtue of you still being here. The universe is actively trying to humble you every single day. Might as well humble it back with some bubbles and bad decisions that turn into good stories.

    So yeah. We drink. We celebrate. We treat every shared hour like it is New Year’s Eve because the alternative is pretending this is all very serious and we should be optimizing our sleep scores instead of making questionable choices with each other.

    Champagne bottle being opened with cork popping and sparkling spray
    A champagne bottle is popped open, spraying bubbly foam at a festive gathering.

    Pop it. Live a little. The sober police will still be there tomorrow, miserable and well-rested.

  • Embrace the Summer Solstice: A Celebration of the Season

    I love the Summer time— and I really love celebrating. Summer solstice is my ideal. It is finally here — the longest day of the year, the sun’s victory lap, and the official middle finger to cold, dark, depressive days. My favorite goal for me and my man is to be out here treating it like the whimsical rave it was always meant to be.

    In ancient history, midsummer (the celebration of the summer season) was dedicated to Pagan gods, fertility, crops etc. but I do not see why we should not be celebrating the solstice in the religious sense (thanking God’s/the Universe’s creation).

    I am talking quiet little picnics with iced drinks and polite conversation. I also want bonfires that scare the neighbors. I want to stay up until the sky finally gives up and turns dark (which, thanks to the solstice, feels like never). I want to chase the last rays of sunlight. Because this is the one day the universe hands us maximum daylight and says, “Go be reckless, animals.

    Couple sitting on red checkered blanket having a picnic in a wildflower meadow at sunset
    A couple enjoys a sunset picnic in a vibrant wildflower meadow

    Ancient cultures got it right. They lit massive fires, danced until they dropped, mated in the fields, and basically celebrated the sun. Modern life turned it into “wear white linen and drink rosé on a rooftop.” Cute. But weak. I am here for the chaos edition.

    We start at sunrise like lunatics who respect the assignment. (Iced) coffee, loud music, minimal clothing. We drag ourselves outside because the sun is literally showing off and we are not wasting a single golden hour. Then it is beach, lake, rooftop, forest — anywhere the light hits hardest.

    Bonfire burning in a stone fire pit surrounded by wildflowers and grassy meadow at sunset
    A glowing bonfire lights up a colorful meadow at dusk with people nearby

    We eat: grilled everything, fresh fruit that drips down your arm, cold wine or champagne because yes, we are always on that bottle-a-night agenda.

    At night? Bonfire mandatory. Even if it is a little fire pit in the backyard, I want my Americana s’more snack. Throw in some herbs, some music that makes your ancestors proud, and dance like the veil between worlds is thin (because on solstice it kinda is). Light sparklers. Howl at the sky. Jump over the flames if you are brave enough. Make out like teenagers because the sun blessed the whole day (and season).

    Life is mostly gray office lighting and existential dread. The summer solstice is one of the few times the planet throws us a proper party. The sun is at its strongest, the earth is fertile, and everything feels electric. Do not spend it folding laundry or doing the mundane.

    Get outside. Get loud. Get a little unhinged. Burn something. Fuck someone. Worship the light while it lasts because in six months we will be back in the void, writing about seasonal depression.

    This is our peak. Our longest day. Our reminder that even in this clown timeline, the sun still shows up and cooks the planet just to watch us thrive.

    So celebrate like you mean it.

    Strip down. Heat up. Light it up.

    Happy solstice (I am waiting to properly celebrate with him).

    See you at the bonfire. Bring champagne.

    Radiant sun with flowing flames and glowing flowers against a starry space background
    A radiant sun surrounded by glowing floral motifs in a cosmic background
  • The Ripple Effect: More of What You Love

    The Ripple Effect: More of What You Love

    It is easy to overlook the quiet “miracles” that surround us every single day. Yet one of the most profound truths about human fulfillment—and about creating even more goodness in our lives—is this: It is vital to be thankful for everything that is good in your life.

    Gratitude has become an overused buzzword. Gratitude is not just a polite “thank you” or a fleeting warm feeling. It is a deliberate, heart-centered practice that shifts your entire energy, perspective, and ultimately, your reality. We all know, on some level, that we should not take the basics for granted. Running water that flows clean and hot at the turn of a tap. Reliable heating that keeps your home cozy when winter bites (this is uber important to my constantly freezing body!). A solid roof overhead that shields you from rain, wind, and the elements. Yet for many of us, these “luxuries” become background noise.

    The same goes for the people in our lives. Friends and family. My family—especially—have shown up, even imperfectly. I am beyond grateful that I was not tossed out when I became needy and helpless. Typically, we appreciate them in moments of crisis or celebration, but how often do we pause in ordinary moments to truly feel the gift of our family’s presence?

    Here is where the magic happens. Casual appreciation is nice, but to bring about more in our lives, we need to feel truly grateful for everything and everyone—not just the obvious blessings, but the small, the mundane, and even the challenging things that shape us.

    Think about it. When you wake up and genuinely feel thankful for the bed that held you through the night, the air filling your lungs, the sunlight (or even the rain) outside your window, something inside you softens and expands. Your nervous system calms. Your mind clears. Opportunities that once hid in plain sight suddenly become visible. Psychologists call this the “broaden-and-build” theory: positive emotions like gratitude widen our awareness and help us build resources—relationships, skills, resilience—for the future.

    On a more spiritual or energetic level, many traditions and modern manifestation teachings emphasize that what you appreciate appreciates. Gratitude acts like a magnet. When you radiate sincere thanks for what you already have, you signal to the universe that you are a good steward of blessings. You are ready for more. Contrast this with the scarcity mindset: constant wanting, complaining, or comparing. That energy tends to keep us stuck exactly where we are, focused on lack.

    Purple wildflower growing out of a crevice in a moss-covered stone wall with sunbeam
    A delicate purple wildflower blooms from a crack in a mossy stone wall illuminated by sunlight

    Even in hardship, gratitude works its alchemy. Being grateful for the quiet strength you discover in loss is something that I had to discover. These are not toxic positivity exercises—they are honest acknowledgments that every experience contains seeds of growth.

    Turning gratitude into a life-changing habit does not require hours of your day. Ask, “What is this situation trying to teach me?” Then thank it in advance for the wisdom or strength it will bring.Bookend your day with gratitude. Start with thanks for the day ahead and end with thanks for what unfolded.

    Journal, pen, steaming coffee cup, and vase on a windowsill with sunrise over mountains
    A peaceful morning scene with a journal, coffee, and sunrise view

    When you embody this level of gratitude, life responds. Relationships deepen because people feel genuinely valued. Health improves as stress decreases and joy increases. Abundance flows—at least in steady, meaningful ways: unexpected help, creative ideas, synchronicities, and a profound sense of “enough” that paradoxically opens the door to more.

    So today, pause. Look around. Feel the chair supporting you, the device in your hands bringing these words, the breath moving through you. Say thank you—and really mean it. For the basics. For the people. For the lessons. For everything.

  • My deepest passion is nutrition — but ultimately, it’s all for him

    What are you passionate about?

    He is the prize at the end of the journey. To fully receive that gift and build the life I dream of with him, I have made my health non-negotiable. Nutrition is not just a hobby for me; it is something I can wax poetic about for hours with genuine excitement. I have explored it all — from the MAHA movement (seed oils, fluoride, ultra-processed additives, and all the hidden toxins) to Ray Peat’s principles and everything in between. I have lived the experiments myself: vegan, gluten-free, paleo, keto. I have been underweight and overweight. Through trial and error, I have learned what truly makes the body and mind thrive.

    Bright multicolored heart-shaped light swirl in starry cosmic background
    A glowing, multicolored heart-shaped swirl glimmers vividly in space.

    A brain injury years ago left me with some lasting effects I can be self-conscious about. It does not stop me from loving deeply or building a lasting relationship— as seen in my current form attracting him (thankfully, the “disability” does not seem to bother him at all), but I still carry that quiet desire to show up as my strongest, healthiest self. I want to move through life with ease — for me, and especially for him.

    Currently. Wifely duties from afar.

    Because more than anything, I long to be his perfect little housewife. I can already manage it beautifully with one hand, but two steady hands would let me pour even more love into our home. And yes — almost every girl dreams of the aisle. So I am committed to walking strong, not just so I can hold his hand while we stroll down the street or along the beach, but so I can walk down that damn aisle toward him, radiant and ready for forever.

    Two illuminated houses on mountain cliffs linked by a glowing light trail under starry sky
    Love from a Distance.
  • Why Settle for Basic When You Can Be His Ultimate Arm Candy?

    Why Settle for Basic When You Can Be His Ultimate Arm Candy?

    In a world drowning in sloppy sweatpants, filtered selfies, and the exhausting cult of “I’m a strong independent woman who don’t need no man,”: a woman should not only be beautiful. She should be dangerously interesting.

    Beauty opens doors, sure. It turns heads, stops conversations mid-sentence, and makes weak men stutter. But beauty without substance? That is just expensive wallpaper. Pretty to look at until someone better walks by.  Why do you think men are always leaving the Halle Berrys and Victoria’s Secret models?!

    It is a honor to be beautiful. Own it. Revel in it. Wake up every morning and treat your femininity like the rare, intoxicating weapon it is. Keep your legs (and the rest of your body) smooth like it is foreplay. Move with the kind of grace that makes other women clutch their pearls and men adjust their pants. Speak with eloquence that drips like honey—slow, deliberate, unforgettable. Wear the dress that shows off every bone like it is personally offended by fabric. Because your body, your presence, your entire aura is a privilege, not a participation trophy.

    Woman in green dress looking out window at city skyline during sunset
    Be elegant, not powerful

    But here is where the modern girlies lose the plot: please do not dare stop there.

    Your man does not just want a pretty face on his arm at events. He wants a woman who makes his blood run hot, his mind race, and his ego feel like that of a king. Beauty gets you in the door. Depth keeps you locked in his bed, his heart, and his future. Cook for him like you are seducing his soul. Laugh at his jokes even when they are mid, but roast him when he deserves it—sharp, playful, never bitter. Read books. Have opinions that are not just recycled social media drivel. Know when to be soft and yielding and when to challenge him just enough.

    My boyfriend was initially drawn to me because of my edgy and controversial personality that I exhibited on my old X account (Twitter). I have always been book smart— not naturally intelligent— but my man is always amazed by the amount of information I retain. I am obsessed with listening to podcasts (although I have been on a bit of a hiatus) and yes I read X.com like it is my personality curated newspaper. So I tend to be well versed and able to discuss his interests with him. (But I also had a fire profile picture…)

    How I do the “news”/ stay interesting now

    Yes, it has always been my number one goal to be arm candy for my husband.

    YES, please

    I did not stumble into this. I craved it for years before I even met him. While my friends were out chasing careers, validation from strangers, and that mythical “self-love” that somehow always required new hair dye and more therapy, I was curating myself like a masterpiece. I was sitting there in my wheelchair all fat and bloated— just daydreaming about the day my husband can show me off. I wanted to be the woman other men envy and other women quietly resent. I still do. The one who turns heads in the restaurant and makes his hand instinctively tighten on my waist. The trophy that is not just shiny but sharp as a blade underneath.

    And now? I take immense pleasure in being exactly that for my man.

    Chess queen piece standing alone on a wooden chessboard with spotlight
    A single chess queen piece illuminated on a wooden chessboard in a dim room

    There is something deliciously powerful about being on his arm, knowing every eye is on us—and that I am the one he gets to take home, unwrap, and ruin. I love being the visual feast he shows off and the private obsession he devours behind closed doors. I crave the way people glance a second too long and then look away because they know they could never have this. I love the quiet pride in his eyes when I charm, when I look flawless at four a.m. with bed hair that somehow still looks intentionality messy, when I anticipate his needs before he voices them.

    Call it outdated. Call it anti-feminist. I call it honest.

    Because let me be real: the “girlboss” who spends her nights crying into takeout because her “high-value” standards left her with a vibrator and an empty calendar is not winning. She is exhausted. Meanwhile, I am glowing, desired, and secure in the kind of traditional dynamic that actually satisfies something primal in both of us.

    Femininity is not weakness. It is strategy. It is power wrapped in silk and perfume. Being beautiful is the baseline. Being interesting—the kind of interesting that makes him obsessed—is the flex. And being unapologetically his arm candy? That is the victory lap.

    Maybe it is time to stop competing with men and start completing the one worth keeping.

    Green silk dress on a red velvet chair with casual clothes on the floor
    A green silky dress and casual clothing draped on a vintage chair in a cozy room.
  • Transform Your Life with Good Vibes

    Transform Your Life with Good Vibes

    In any relationship, any home, any corner of your chaotic life—positive vibes are not optional. They are survival. Good vibes only. No exceptions, no participation trophies for misery.

    Cozy armchair with blanket and pillow near window with plants, side table with lamp and book

    This is not some glittery, crystal-wearing motto. It is a brutal mindset shift. You either decide to see the glass half full or you drown in the half-empty pity party. Most people choose the latter and wonder why their life tastes like expired regret.

    Relationships die in negativity. Bring that low-frequency, eye-rolling, passive-aggressive energy into a room and watch people emotionally ghost you mid-conversation. But walk in with real, unforced good vibes—sharp humor, zero tolerance for drama, actual warmth—and suddenly doors open, tension evaporates, and people actually want you around.

    At home it is even more palpable. Turn your house into a complaint factory and it stops being a sanctuary. It becomes a cage with WiFi. Help each other, laugh together and speak gratitude out loud like you mean it. Your space transforms from a pressure cooker a sanctuary..

    Life in general is a war of perception. Things happen —bills, breakups, betrayals, the whole soul-crushing playlist. The half-full mindset does not erase the sucky part. It just refuses to let the it win every round.

    This is no toxic positivity where you smile through a house fire. That would be a little too delulu even for me . This is strategic. It is choosing not to be a whiny little brat about things you cannot control while fighting like hell for the ones you can.

    Traffic crawling? Instead of seething, crank a podcast and enjoy the rare moment nobody can demand your attention. Be thankful for your bills, because that means you are lucky enough to have utilities (i.e a heat bill means you have a warm home). Fighting with your lover? Drop the “you never/you always” garbage and get to the actual point like an adult.

    Multiple lanes of traffic with cars and buses congested on wet freeway near city skyline at sunset

    Your brain wants to doom-scroll and catastrophize. It is wired for it (thanks to our caveman survival instincts). Tell it to shut off the overthinking and rewire. Gratitude lists, cold exposure, brutal honesty with yourself—whatever works. Just stop marinating in negativity like it is a personality trait.

    Grief, betrayal, rock bottom—good vibes feel like a sick joke then. That is when “good vibes only” means getting out of bed, making coffee, and refusing to let the darkness take permanent residence. Small acts of defiance against the suck. That can be enough.

    Good vibes are not about pretending everything is sunshine and rainbows. They are just about refusing to let the rain ruin every day anyway.

    Positive energy compounds. It attracts better people, better opportunities, better nights. Negativity does too—it just attracts more of the same garbage.

    Good vibes only.

  • Understanding Candida: Your Gut’s Hidden Struggle

    Understanding Candida: Your Gut’s Hidden Struggle

    I have been known for mainlining sugar, stress, and antibiotics like they are essential vitamins (add in some coffee and bubbles and I am in nutrition heaven!). That often leads to a condition called Candida.

    Sugary foods including donuts, brownies, cookies, candy, and a slice of cake on the left; fresh vegetables such as carrots, broccoli, tomatoes, cucumbers, lettuce, garlic, and radishes on the right.
    An array of sugary treats contrasts with fresh vegetables on a wooden kitchen table.

    If you have never heard of it, Candida is not a bacterial infection. It is a yeast, a type of fungus that lives in all of us in small amounts. But when your gut ecosystem goes haywire, it throws a wild party and multiplies like crazy. The result is extreme bloating that makes your jeans beg for mercy and brain fog so thick you could cut it with a knife.

    I have always been the queen of “Treat Yourself” and yes, sometimes stress can make me take the playing a bit too far. I have always had a preference for fruits and sweets. Plus I would hydrate myself only with caffeine and I would treat drinking as if it was a medical necessity (aperol spritz, champagne, Chardonnay?)— and , we cannot forget obsession for my bubbly water with yummy flavored electrolytes!

    Tea cup, fruit bowl, pie slice on plate with fork, and open journal on wooden kitchen table
    A peaceful morning scene with coffee fruit, pie, and a journal on a rustic table

    Yes, I thought I was functioning. But looking years back, my body was waving red flags. That post-meal bloat was not just “I ate too much.” That mental haze where I could not remember simple tasks or focus for more than 10 minutes was never just the side effect of brain damage. It was my gut screaming for help.

    Sugar and refined carbs are Candida’s favorite fuel. These are also the main sources that make up my diet. Stress pumps out cortisol, which further imbalances your microbiome and weakens immunity. Coffee keeps the party going. It is a vicious cycle: the yeast craves sugar, you feed it, it grows, symptoms worsen, you stress-eat more. Heaven for Candida, hell for me.

    Then it stopped. I did not seek help from the western medical establishment… as you ask them for help and they turn into pill pushers (telling you that Big Pharma will heal you— never mind what the blood work etc shows).

    It is sneaky because symptoms overlap with so many other things—stress, thyroid issues, etc. Many people (myself included) brush it off for years. Fatigue that no amount of coffee can cure and intense sugar cravings.

    Digestive system cross-section with labeled organs and inset showing candida yeast overgrowth on intestinal villi
    Cross-section of the digestive system showing candida yeast overgrowth in the small intestine

    Candida overgrowth is not always a formal medical diagnosis everyone agrees on (some doctors are skeptical of “systemic” claims), but the symptoms are real, and addressing the root causes helps a ton of people feel better. Realizing that any gut issue is an issue with something that you are eating is the first step. Yes, most doctors will say that you have some sort of Irritable Bowel Syndrome (IBS), but I have found that starving out the yeast is the way to go. Plus, eliminating any stress in your life. So ultimately mindfulness is most important. Not some sort of medicine.

    No, I am not eliminating all of the yummy joy out of my life— I am not about to spend my life being miserable. I simply added in fasting, limiting the overly sugary/ processed and voila! I get to play again. I will treat myself and then practice self discipline. Weekends are often for indulgence. Weekdays are definitely disciplined. One meal per day and always full of vibrant and nutritious foods. It is pretty fun (plus the reflection in my mirror and the look on my my boyfriend’s face are both ecstatic!)

    Plate of donuts, chocolate bars, cookies, candy, and bowl of cereal next to a bowl of fresh fruits including bananas, apples, grapes, strawberries, oranges, pineapple, mango, plums, and kiwis
    Side-by-side display of sugary snacks and fresh fruits on a kitchen counter