Disclaimer: HELLO! Brayden here. I will be writing for this blog, too. We are revamping this blog to fit our new business endeavors. It is a work in progress. Currently, we are in the works of branding our business. We are super excited! I have always edited my mom’s blogs, but now I will be sharing some content with you or whoever is interested. If you have not already read other blog posts by my mom, then go do that right now.
About Me: I am Brayden, Jen’s youngest daughter. I am 23 years old and have lived in Southern Maryland for most of my life. I graduated two years ago with a B.A. in Anthropology and Geography minor from the University of Alabama (Roll tide). I am currently a Historical Geographer for an environmental services company, while I continue my education. I am so close (this fall) to receiving my Master of Library and Information Sciences (MLIS) degree, concentration in Archives and Preservation from San Jose State University. I am simple -- I love history, my pets, food, exercise, and spending time with my small circle.
The Younger Years
To start off…I was your average chunky kid. There is no denying it or hiding it. But I am totally okay with that because I was a KID. I played soccer throughout elementary and middle school. I was active like any other child. As children, we were not watching what we ate, counting “macros”, or following strict diets. Children simply eat what is provided to them…and I was provided -- but definitely wanted -- junk.
As adults we need to remember, children eat what is provided to them. Children’s health is the responsibility of their caregivers.
Thanksgiving Day of 2011 is when I decided to become a vegetarian. At the time, I was 13 years old and in the eighth grade. My family thought it was a good idea to watch documentaries about health and the corruption of the meat industry after we ate an entire Thanksgiving meal. We watched Forks Over Knives and Fat, Sick, and Nearly Dead documentaries. After watching these, I just thought -- why not? Why not try to be vegetarian? I love challenging myself and always have been this way. The Capricorn in me will do anything to see a challenge through in its entirety.
I am proud to announce that this November will mark my 10 years of being vegetarian. I am already planning a “veggie” party.
HOWEVER, just because people are labelled “vegetarians” or “vegans”, does not mean they are eating “healthy” foods or following a “healthy” lifestyle for themselves. I have heard stories of people gaining a lot of weight following these diets because all they would eat were carbs, starches, and junk because they were not researching alternative foods to eat -- rather they were just removing meat and animal products out of their diets.
Around Sophomore year of high school, I became obsessed with working out. Most days of the week, I was working out at home and in the gym. I come from a very physically active family, so it seemed normal. I would do minimal research about fad diets and minimally would follow them. I did enjoy eating whole foods and I preferred my meals to consist mostly of vegetables.
However, I was a teenager and beginning to learn the freedom of a driver’s license and I was eating out frequently with friends after school. This was when I started to shed that “baby fat”, as I like to call it. Reflecting on this time, I believe I had an unhealthy relationship with working out. As many teenagers can relate, I became obsessed with how I looked.
As much as social media has created influential platforms and businesses, it really can create unhealthy atmospheres for children, teenagers, and even adults.
Also, I had an unhealthy relationship with food. For my girls out there -- why did we think it was cute to skip eating lunch at school? I wish I could go back and slap myself for that -- because really? I would literally stare at people eating while my stomach growled. I was eating a small breakfast or drinking a smoothie before school and maybe eating a small snack, like Goldfish, at lunch. So, by the time I was getting home from school -- I was STARVING. I would want to eat anything in sight. Then, I would exercise because I felt like crap from over-eating, and not because I was enjoying working out like I once did.
As much as it is unfortunate (and embarrassing), I would probably consider this a disorder now. I was very oblivious to my lifestyle at the time and wish I could inform that girl that there was no reason to feel or live that way. I know many females who have gone through similar things, whether they realize it or not.
Currently, we live in a very empowering time, which creates empowered children. Even though social media is more prominent than ever, I hope young girls and boys can grow up in a space that allows their physical and mental health to be strong. It is worrisome that children are growing up on social media now -- this can really take a toll on their development.
We need to create spaces for children to exuberate their creativity, imagination, and positivity – not glued to phone screens or only scrolling through social media platforms.
Tip: Teach children how to be grateful. Rather than comparing yourself to others or dwelling on self-victimization – remind yourself daily what you are grateful for. This is helpful for children, teenagers, and adults.
College Life
So, here comes college. I did NOT gain the Freshman Fifteen -- I did gain the Senior Fifteen, though. Or maybe, Junior Fifteen since I graduated a year early? Regardless, I did not leave Alabama as skinny as I entered it. Throughout college, I maintained a regular workout routine. I always managed to make it to the gym at least 3-4 times MOST weeks. But wow, I ate like complete crap.
Ramen, chips, and cookies… oh my!
College freedom gave me food freedom. Not that I was ever restricted -- but I grew up in a household where we really paid attention to what we ate and always had home cooked meals. I was so lazy in college -- I was finding the quickest thing to eat. My last year in college is when I really noticed my weight gain.
I created an unhealthy environment for myself:
- Anxiety was at an all-time high
- Feeling the pressure of post-graduation life
- Only eating once a day, which mostly consisted of frozen meals or fast food after classes
- Remained in my room 90% of the time
- Other 10% I was either on campus for classes or with my college best friend
- Far from family and lifelong friends
- Deleted a lot of social media because I was comparing my college life to others
I am reluctant to call this depression because I do not take that word lightly -- but maybe it was. You may see a list of characteristics describing a sad individual – I see a list of excuses. If I could go back, I would give this girl a hug but also tell her to stop the nonsense.
My friends know me as a blunt person -- and I cannot respect self-pity if there is no proof of self-help. I take full accountability that I created this unhealthy environment. I was afraid of taking action because I resided in my comfort zone. However, the “downs” in life are what allows growth for the “highs”.
Post-College
Once I got home from college:
- Adopted my puppy, Harper -- she is the best thing since sliced bread
- Began my summer internship at the Library of Congress – incredible experience
- Enrolled in my master’s program
- Landed the job that I currently work for today
But my biggest accomplishment was that I truly began to take care of myself:
- Started to properly take care of my hair and skin
- Maintain strong support systems with family, friends, and boyfriend
- Created a healthy relationship with exercise and food
- Focusing on how I feel -- Not obsessing over the numbers on the scale or counting macros
Hair Transformation
2018 to 2020
I eat mostly whole foods and very limited number of processed foods -- I analyze the heck out of the ingredients list. I began removing almost all dairy, gluten, and refined sugars from my diet, not because I was trying to become skinny, but because they make me feel like crap and they always have. I just was NOT listening to my body.
I am only human… living in a corrupted food system world.
The morning of writing this blog post, I went to IHOP with my friend who was visiting home, and I ordered strawberry banana pancakes with hash browns and eggs. This was the first time I ate out in weeks -- so I treated myself. Oh, but what I thought was a treat was not because I soon felt completely bloated and nauseous.
One person’s food is another person’s poison!
It is shocking when you realize how energized and fulfilled you feel once you bring your diet back to the basics -- eating natural, whole foods. I felt so sluggish and “blah” after eating those dairy, gluten, and sugar infested pancakes -- even hours after.
But this is how I had been feeling for so long and I never wanted to change how I ate -- nor did I realize how much my diet was affecting other parts of my health. I am very happy that gut health has become such an important topic and it is being address more because it is IMPORTANT.
Food fuels our mind and body, which fuels our lives.
Present
Food and exercise are not the only aspects to a fulfilling, healthy life. Health encompasses career, education, relationships, social life, finances, home environment, joy, spirituality, and creativity. I think we all, including me, can improve in some of these areas.
Health is INDIVIDUAL.
I always find that setting goals, whether they are daily or long term, helps me enhance my healthy lifestyle. Goals allow me to stay driven and keep pushing myself further. Goals give me something to look forward to. As I mentioned before, I love challenging myself because I love the feeling of success. It may seem like I have been hard on myself in the past – but I know my potential. I know I can encompass MY picture of health.
As our avid blog readers know, my mom is a health nut, too. So, to further our education, career, and health journey, we enrolled and began a certification program to become Integrative Nutrition Health Coaches! So far, we love the program with Institute for Integrative Nutrition (IIN). Taking a holistic approach to health is crucial because health is so much more than just weight loss and working out!!! We are optimistic to start our own business -- as mother-daughter duo -- to help encourage and guide others to live a fulfilling, healthy life that is individualized to them!
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