How my journey began
There are many contributing factors which led me to the journey I am currently on. In order to provide you all an explanation and a better understanding for where I am at, I’ll fill you in!
My whole life I was self-conscious about my skin and hated the fact that it was always either oily, peeling with flakes, or covered in embarrassing red lumps. It was never smooth, soft, or even-toned. I spent money on dermatologists and expensive medicated face creams with no prevail. One day it clicked that for me there was a correlation between dairy consumptions and acne flare ups. I cut dairy out of my diet except for eggs and noticed a drastic change. In July of 2017 I cut eggs from my diet and have never looked back. Between July of 2017 and December of 2017 I have had one pimple… Yes I am keeping track!
In June of 2017 I was working as a behavior therapist at a behavioral clinic primarily focused on working with children ages 2–22 diagnosed with Autism. Many of my client’s had comorbid diagnosis that I knew very little about but was very intrigued by. Not knowing or understanding the broader picture really bothered me. Prior to the summer rolling around, my assistant clinical director asked to speak with me and mentioned working with a contracted client from a public school who had a rare and very complex behavioral and medical diagnosis. I eagerly said yes and after meeting this client, my life changed. By the end of summer I had applied to a clinical behavioral health doctoral program and began my new academic venture in October of 2017. Thus taking on a new and exciting interest in integrated behavioral health and wellness.
In August of 2017 my boyfriend convinced me to watch the documentary “What the Health”. After the hour+ documentary ended, we stood up, walked to the kitchen, and got rid of all animal + animal byproducts from my freezer, refrigerator, and pantry. I have not purchased at a grocery store or cooked meat since that day. Prior, we were cooking and eating meat every single day for every single meal. Immediately I noticed the changes. Bloating went down, skin became brighter, my energy increased, and we saved a ton of money at the grocery store (BONUS!).
Don’t get me wrong, this has been a work in progress. Our old “quick meals” were gone and cooking took longer as I was re-learning how to cook healthful and whole meals. I’ve always had a passion and love for cooking so it wasn’t stressful, it was just temporarily time consuming. I re-learned what items cooked well with what and learned to adjust cooking times to better suit my meals. I learned how to recreate our favorite comfort food into plant-based creations and I’ve never looked back.
It’s important to understand that we don’t restrict ourselves. This is a choice, one I’ve made very carefully. On Thanksgiving, I indulged in a bit of turkey and ate delicious food my family had prepared that was not entirely plant-based. On Christmas I indulged in a bit of my boyfriend’s father’s unreal prime rib (Drooooool). There’s nothing wrong with indulging in foods with those you love when the time is right. Life is all about choices — whatever is best for you!
Please feel free to reach out with any questions or for more information. I’m passionate about sharing my experience and helping you with whatever you may need. Keep your eyes peeled for what’s next!
katiecaisse@gmail.com
