Today I am grateful to have made it through the first week of December. I love that December (or Dezemba as we like to call it in South Africa) is a culture. It’s a whole vibe! It is the license we give ourselves to say I will chuck “it “in the f*ck it bucket and deal with “it” another time.
Today was a bright and beautiful day and it was a sweltering 32 deg C. A reminder that summer is just around the corner. Everyone is counting the days until they go on a break. I also had a fun morning creating content ideas with our brand team. I really enjoy working with them. When I think of how miserable I was at work a few years ago because I didn’t feel valued by some of the team members I worked with, it’s a reminder that nothing stays the same and that “this too shall pass”. I guess it’s another reminder to always just get out of my own way.
I am also grateful for the little weekend break I am getting as my son is away. Let me also take this opportunity to thank God for the favour he has granted over my son this year. My son achieved a subject award once again this year, played for the 1st team and was appointed as a prefect. That can only be God.🙏🏽
Image: Canva
What are you grateful for today? Let me know in the comments.
On the last Monday in July, I went to bed feeling very apprehensive.  Earlier in the evening, my blood glucose levels were the highest that they had ever been. I had done some exercise to burn off some of the glucose in my blood quickly, but I was still in shock. I went to bed that night praying that if God woke me the next morning, I would make some drastic changes. Â
I had been on a carb binge. I don’t know why, but I craved Lays Sweet Thai Chilli Chips in particular. I was eating a large packet a night. Added to that I was eating Cornetto ice cream almost every day. I was out of control, and my body was not having any of it. It was like these chips in particular had become my new cigarette! When I saw that reading, I knew I had to stop. When I woke the next morning, I was so grateful to be alive. I immediately made the decision to keep my promise to God. That morning, I drastically reduced my breakfast to 2 hard-boiled eggs, onions, tomatoes, and bacon. No carbs to start the day. My lunch was a chicken breast and veggies, and dinner was an omelette. I was taking back control. This is largely how I have eaten for the past month and a half. Naturally, I have lost a little weight and a few cm’s. I allow myself a cheat day over the weekend just to help me keep momentum. It helps. It’s easier to resist snack cravings all week if I know I can indulge on a cheat day. Oh and Lays Sweet Thai Chilli does not even make it off the shop shel anymore. I work right past with my head held high.
The Cravings are Real!
I have used the same mental tricks that I used when I gave up smoking because this feels like giving up smoking all over again. When I was thin, I didn’t snack. In hindsight, it was probably because I sucked my thumb. Yip, I did that until I was eighteen and then replaced it with cigarettes. Of course, when I stopped smoking, I started snacking, and the weight piled on, and diabetes kicked in. Currently, I’ve been going cold turkey for 6 days a week. (Is that a thing?). Sometimes the cravings are so strong. It feels like I am talking myself down from a ledge when I have to get past them…lol. I have made a promise to God, though, and I am determined to keep it. That gives me the strength to push through each craving.
Romantising water
In the middle of my carb binge, I also started craving Coke. I was mortified, as I don’t drink soft drinks unless they are all that’s available. I would rather drink coffee. I am not a water drinker by nature either. To overcome my sudden craving for Coke, I started drinking sparkling water. Not very refreshing, but it doesn’t have that plain water taste, so it works. I started drinking it in a very large wine glass to make it fun, but I still didn’t do it as often as I should. What I liked about this glass was that it held more than 250ml at a time. Last weekend, that glass broke, and I found 510ml whisky glasses. So, four glasses a day get me to 2L, and I don’t even notice it really. Whoop whoop!
My 510ml Whisky glass
Adapting to Adaptogens
I have started taking Ashwagandha in the evenings to help with getting a good night’s sleep and dealing with the daily stresses. This is also supposed to help with my blood glucose levels. I used to take it in the morning, but I started feeling depressed by the evening. I recently listened to the Huberman podcast on reducing cortisol levels, where it was mentioned that taking it at night can help lower cortisol and promote a good night’s sleep, so I made the change, and I no longer feel depressed by teh afternoon. My sleep quality has improved, so that is a bonus.
Nootropic Mushrooms
Lastly, I started adding a nootropic mushroom blend to my morning coffee. It includes Lion’s Mane and others. I have so much to get through and think through every day at work, so I wanted to see if it would at least help me focus and improve my clarity of thought. It’s only been a week and a half, but it has definitely helped with both the focus and the clarity, especially in the morning. By the afternoon the effect seems to have worn off. It also seems to have enhanced my short-term memory. If I remind myself not to forget something, I usually don’t. It’s pretty cool. Of course, all of this could just be a placebo effect….lol.
That’s me for now. Have you tried Ashwagandha and nootropic mushrooms yet? What has your experience been? Let me know in the comments.
I think this is the first time in a long time I can say that this has been a long year! How are we only halfway through! It has been a real rollercoaster ride. From the stress of having to apply for my job to the high of our latest product launch! It’s been crazy.
Image: Canva
Choosing to reapply for my position
At the end of January, our new team structure was announced, and most of us had to apply for the available roles. I had no idea what the future held, which made me very anxious. I had to apply for a role and would only be retrenched if I were unsuccessful in my application. I was the only person who applied for the role, so they gave it to me. I am not sure if that was a good thing or a bad thing. I tried to be cool and calm through the process, but I completely underestimated how stressful it would be. As much as I didn’t really mind being retrenched (I have other plans), the idea of not having a nine-to-five job was scary. I also had a team that needed support as they were going through the same thing. The biggest and scariest lesson for me was witnessing the effect stress had on my body during this period:
Stress wreaks havoc on one’s heart – my resting heart rate had risen dramatically. This impacted my heart rate when exercising. My heart rate would rise higher than normal when I performed my usual exercise. It really scared me.Â
My blood sugar levels were higher than ever before. This was likely due to an increase in cortisol.
My blood pressure was higher than usual as well. Â
All of these readings dropped as soon as my role was confirmed, so it was definitely linked to the stress during that period. Considering that my words for this year were “Health and Wellness”, it was not easy watching those numbers rise. Hopefully, I never find myself in that situation again.
Reassessing my future
Naturally, this entire experience has caused me to reassess where I am in life, why I am where I am, and where I want to be. I am guessing that because this desire to reassess and to heal is so great, God has stepped in to guide me through the people and, of course, my favourite tool, books. I say heal because I feel traumatised by the experience I have just been through. There have been a few messages that I have received that are guiding me through this process:
Exercise God-confidence instead of self-confidence. I first came across this term in Demi-Leigh Tebow’s book; “A Crown that Lasts”. I felt that there was another level I could reach for. I have worked so hard to build my self-confidence over the past few years, yet it just didn’t feel like enough, and that’s because it isn’t. There is another level of confidence, and it is God-confidence. My faith has not been strong enough. I have relied too heavily on myself and other people. This has been a mistake. And so my journey begins to strengthen my faith in God. I have to be honest, I thought I had, but it is clear that I still place my faith in all the wrong people and processes. Â
Take action – Strengthening faith is not a passive process. When I look around at all the people who inspire me, especially those whom God is using right now to draw me closer to Him, they all take inspired action. Each has had their journey to achieve all they have thus far. No part of their journey included passively waiting for God to take action on their behalf. It has been through, and because of, their inspired actions that God was able to display his glory. Â
My vision is not big enough – I realise that I am acting on a goal that plays to my ego and has very little benefit to me, my son, and my community in the long run, and doesn’t bring me closer to my vision. One of the lessons is that by putting all my focus on a small goal, I lose sight of my vision, and I really feel like I have been wasting time. No doubt there are lessons I can take from this pursuit, but it is not even a stepping stone in the direction I want to go.Â
Image: Author’s own
Green shoots
Thankfully, it has not all been doom and trauma. We recently launched our new hand and body range at work, and I represented R&D at the launch events. It was a whirlwind of activity, including a launch event and two TV appearances. The team has put their heart and soul into bringing these products to the market, so it was wonderful to be a part of the activities that created awareness around them.
Traipsing around the countryside to promote our new range also meant I got to visit with old friends that I hadn’t seen since before the COVID-19 pandemic. The biggest highlight was finally getting to meet my friend’s daughters. I had been watching them grow up on Facebook since birth, so it was fantastic to finally meet them.
I am also seeing the end of the teenage drama that we have been living with for the past few years. My son is becoming his old playful self again. It is heart-warming to see and feel the lightness in his energy again. I also see the excitement building as he prepares for the next phase of life. He is exploring career options, and we will be booking his learner’s licence test soon. I am so excited for him.
I am grateful to have made it this far. I am also looking forward to the wonderful surprises that this year still has in store. Â How did the first half of your 2025 go?
Grounded African 