A Mind of Your Own

If you follow me on Instagram, you've probably seen me obsessing over this book: A Mind of Your Own by Kelly Brogan. This book has rocked my clinical world and changed how I show up as a counselor. It's not only rocked my professional life, but it also impacted me personally in the best possible way. Not to mention, the addition of her KB Smoothie, game changing!

In this book, Kelly Brogan debunks the myth that depression – and other mental illnesses – is a result of a chemical imbalance. She also dives deep into the role inflammation and gut health play in mental health symptoms (I'll share more in future posts).

Since I was young, I've struggled with spurts of depression, and later debilitating anxiety. My diet has always been jam-packed of processed food, alcohol, ice cream, all things gluten, and loads of cheese – basically everything delicious. Bouts of starvation resulted in unstable blood sugar, which I later learned was the driver of my panic attacks. Oh, and don't forget my monthly cycle of nightmare hormones that had me laughing, raging, and crying all within a minute – my poor husband.

I've struggled with feeling like a sloth, sluggish, and exhausted. I was no stranger to brain fog and forgetfulness.

It wasn't until I read A Mind of Your own did I make the connection as to why I felt like a zombie as opposed to a 34-year-old woman. I was (and still am) addicted to all things terrible for me.

I WAS DESTROYING MY BODY

I was destroying my body through the foods I consumed, the meds I popped, and toxins I exposed myself to.

I'm over feeling exhausted despite how many hours of sleep I get; tired of wading through brain fog that settles in around noon; tired of feeling lethargic and desperate for a dose of energy; tired of feeling nine months pregnant, but instead of a baby it's bloat

I'm ready to take back my life, improve my brain health, and kick my symptoms to the curb – I'm much too young to feel this damn old! Did you start singing Garth when I said that? Yeah, me too.

THE KB SMOOTHIE

As I embark on this new adventure of cleansing my gut, I wanted to share a recipe that has been a game changer for me. After only three days, I noticed a change in mood, bloat, energy, appetite, and bowel movements (TMI maybe, but for some people, they need to know this). I wasn't starving two hours after breakfast; I wasn't having my usual mid-day crash; I didn't have sharp pains in my lower abdomen from my typical case of bloat; I didn't have an urge to binge eat on garbage throughout the day.

I honestly can't recommend this smoothie enough. It's delicious, easy to make, and the benefits are life-changing.

Are you ready to give it a try?