As a baby, I could not drink my mother’s milk. I was placed on a soy formula from birth as I was intolerant to dairy as well. This intolerance waxed and waned throughout my life.

An unhelpful intolerance to have when chocolate is your taste buds’ naughty pleasure in life. Although I had a chocolate fetish, I never had it in the home as eating clean was important to me, and I always took the time to prepare fresh whole foods.

I had no hesitation paying the higher price for organic foods and avoiding preservatives for my family; eating right was of high importance.

The coin flipped during my depression. I had little regard for my health and relaxed about what my family ate.

Knowing my intolerance to dairy didn’t stop me from trying to artificially boost my serotonin levels with chocolate and numb my brain with champagne.

I had a new diet that included refined foods, sugars and alcohol; my energy levels fluctuated as did my moods due to my hormones being affected by this change in lifestyle. I started eating foods for a short-lived high – anything to try and feel good momentarily.

I knew what I was doing. I was educated enough to know better, but my self-love was low, and I had lost care for myself. As chocolate was now on the menu for me and I wasn’t afraid of cheese with my champagne, I was aiding the dark sides control over me by weakening my immune system and the integrity of my gut from eating foods my body was intolerant and not used to.

This meant I could no longer absorb nutrients properly from my foods, and my hormones were out of balance due to a lack of nutrients required to make them. I also trashed the bacteria inside my body; chaos was wreaking havoc in my major organs.

The cascade of health issues were on their way.