I moved to Los Angeles 11 years ago from Russia. It was a risky move, an adventure but I took a leap of faith. As any immigrant, I was facing many challenges - financial aspects of moving, immigration process, homesickness. Being constantly stresses took its toll on me. Little did I know, that already then, an invisible enemy was growing inside of me, and I was about to fight the biggest battle of my life. The first time I realized I had a huge anxiety problem was at the music studio. I came down for a recording session and I couldn’t squeeze out a single note out of myself as my breathing technique was completely compromised. I went to the doctor... many times... they would only shrug the shoulders and prescribe Xanax. I didn’t want to go that road. After a thorough research, one of the first steps I took was regaining a control over my body. I decided to try a vegetarian diet. It happened pretty gradually, no cold turkey stuff, plus a lot of research. After stopping eating meat, my health got much better. My body felt lighter, my skin got better, my digestive system improved. After a while, a vegetarian diet became a part of my life and defined my future. That was 7 years ago and it was one of the best decisions I’ve ever made. Over the years the dairy was cut out of my diet and finally 2 years ago I went completely vegan. That transition was triggered by another huge change in my life - leaving a long term relationship of 9 years. And again, the diet was there for me to help to pull through. Now looking back at my journey, it amazes me how much my life changed. I look very young (I’m 35 but people never give me more than 27), I am in a great physical and mental health, my anxiety is long gone, I am in a happy relationship but, most importantly I am very happy, even slightly high. High on life.
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