Thrive

In December 2024, I was convinced something was gravely wrong with my body, and I was completely sure I was peri-menopausal at the age of 39. I spoke to doctors; I had my blood tested for absolutely everything. Yet, nothing was obviously wrong with me medically. And then in January, I developed issues with my severe pain in my hands which made it difficult to work, and so I learned how to code with my voice and wrote about it. In that article, I wrote:

My physical pain is real, but given the personal events I have endured over the last two years, I also believe that this manifestation of pain has been exacerbated by a combination of a series of emotionally traumatic events.

My hands recovered towards the end of February after leaving a very stressful work environment, but I still felt like something was deeply wrong with the rest of my body. I have been engaging in talking therapy on and off for 20 years and at this point I decided to go back. It is helping mentally, but I still felt like there was still something wrong physically.

In March 2025 I decided to see a nutritionist. And this is where it all became clear. The root cause of all of this (the pain, my messed up menstrual cycle, the constant tiredness, the constant fear of something being wrong with me) is that amidst the whirlwind of events that took place over the last two years, I neglected to take care of myself physically. And I don't mean through exercise. I wasn't eating enough, and I wasn't eating right.

My nutritionist recommended I read The Stress Solution by Dr Rangan Chatterjee and the concept of how we (unintentionally) put our bodies into a stress state really resonated with me. Our bodies are designed as such that when we are in a stress state, we are primed to survive dangerous or difficult situations, such as running from a predator or completing a difficult exam.

In times of stress, our bodies change physically in order for us to become a peak version of ourselves to maximise our chance at survival. Our pupils become dilated, sugars are released into our blood so that we can endure prolonged physical exertion. Our organs become resistant to insulin so that more sugar can remain in our bloodstream, rather than being available for our organs to store, so our brain can stay more alert. Our heart beats faster and our blood pressure rises to make sure the sugary blood can move around our body effectively. Also, our brains and immune systems become hyper-vigilant to threat, sending stress signals throughout the body. At the time same our libido plummets and our digestion system switches off, in order to maximise the energy reserves needed to survive running away from those dangerous predators.

I wasn't eating enough, and I wasn't eating right. I "didn't have the time to think about eating" given everything else going on, and I was inadvertently putting my body into a stress state 24 hours a day, seven days a week.

For the last four weeks, I have been eating bountifully. I have been eating three incredibly varied and nutritious meals every day to send the right signals to my body that I am safe, and this has moved my body into a thrive state. Apparently I'm also dairy intolerant, so I don't eat that anymore. But the results of these efforts are already so obvious. I am less tired, I can move easier, my brain is less foggy, my bloody is less fizzy (seriously, I felt like my blood was fizzy), my periods aren't messed up anymore, and I finally have the energy for proper exercise (I have taken up yoga). And more importantly, I don't feel like anything is wrong with me anymore.

The world is difficult in 2025; stressors are everywhere, especially when you spend time on the Internet. But by being intentional in how we nourish our bodies, we can send the right signals to our body that we are thriving, so that we can not only survive, but live.

p.s. coffee is not breakfast