On 29th November 2016

Foodadit is a year old! In our first year we have met many people with a variety of health stories that have inspired us to create better health for ourselves by encouraging us to adopt holistic approaches – with medical support, nutrition, movement and self care.

You may have read in my first interview with Alastair Coates that Foodadit was born out of the necessity to help myself grow stronger, to heal my body and connect those who need help to people around them with similar needs. It is my fundamental belief that we can all learn from one another’s experiences.

I believe there is strength in community and strength in honesty. If we want to create change we must be honest – Embody with Alexandra Terry

My own health challenges were magnified this year and I found it hard to follow my own advice that I had shared at the beginning of our journey.  

When you start to tune into how you are feeling after you’ve eaten, when you’re getting up, if you’re tired or stressed – your body will tell you exactly what it needs – Meet the Founder – Alanna Lawley

In the middle of the year I suffered from burnout – stress from consulting projects I involved myself with to keep the website running. The burnout was all to do with not pursuing what I truly desire and I had times when walking up the stairs or lifting a coat hanger was bringing tears to my eyes.

When you’re constantly ill it puts a huge amount of pressure on your family as well as on you. It also affects your confidence – Meet Anne Coates – One of the Family

My thyroid has for many years been unsupported by the blanket approach assumed by allopathic medicine which prescribes the single T4 hormone. And, whilst this approach can work for people who need only T4 it does not solve the problem for those who are unable to convert T4 to T3. An excellent resource for exploring this topic comes from Dr Isabella Wentz – ‘Hashimoto’s Thyroiditis – Lifestyle interventions for finding the Root Cause’.

With diagnostic testing confirming that I was still not absorbing nutrients from food, an increasing list of food sensitivities and with low levels on all Essential Fatty Acids (EFAs) in my body, it was hard to function on a day-to-day level and I became progressively less resilient in coping with stress. As a result, periods of depression, chronic fatigue and with a holistic view in mind – concerns about fertility were all bringing me down.

One of my strongest beliefs about health is that if our body is in a constant state of stress we can’t heal, it’s just not going to happen – Ashley Neese – Connected consciousness with Ashley Neese

The people who have shared their private experiences with the community have also influenced me personally, and I know, through those that have reached out to thank us and the people that we have interviewed, we have encouraged people to explore new possibilities for their health.

As a result of my experience this year I have made some changes. I have turned my back on consulting for projects that no longer align with what I’m interested in, I have found a fantastic Functional Medicine Doctor who looks at the system holistically whilst taking into consideration orthodox, alternative and supplementary therapies. I have been prescribed a combined T3 & T4 thyroid medication and am sustaining my energy better. I continue to see an incredible Herbalist in the UK and after a long time I’m back to my Iyengar Yoga teacher, Elizabeth Smullens Brass (article coming soon) on a regular basis.

With the work the team are doing at Foodadit, I am also getting better at sharing what is going on. All of this has had a positive impact on my art practice – once again I’m in the studio, drawing and painting – something I have not been able to do for a very long time.

…It’s really all about your perspective on life, your environment and your lifestyle. That is what is going to drive how your body feels and how your minds feels… Catherine Cuello-Fuente Talks About Her Cancer Scare, Real Food and GreenHopping

I would like to finish with a very big thank you to all of the Foodadit team – Alastair Coates, Alexandra Terry, Nele Heinemann, Nina Wagner, Tom Prezman and Kasia Zacharko. A big thank you to all the support from Alison Beckner from Scout – The Agency, Kim Lightbody, Asami Zenri, We R the Family Portrait Studio, the founders of Funk You, Ashley Neese, Isabella Paulsen, Anne Coates, Sally Ross-Clark, Karen Arkell, GreenHopping, Sophie Hechinger, Tainá Guedes from Entretempo Kitchen Gallery, Caroline Wachsmuth, The Berlin Kombucha Society, Nicola Moore, Julian Barker, Lojinx Digital Media and Teschner-Sturacci for making this first year possible.

We don’t just want people to come and get nice things from us, we want to help people make better food themselves and their families too, by creating a place where people feel welcome to ask questions and learn – Eat, Ferment, Educate – The Berlin Kombucha Society

Take a look at people’s stories, their recipes and the Embody series to find out more about what we’ve done this year.

I am a great believer in self-help and following healthy nutritional advice – Meet Sally Ross-Clark – One of the Family

There’s more coming soon very soon with Elizabeth Smullens Brass teaching us a morning yoga stretch.
Alanna