Not many people know or take the time to look inside when something ‘feels off’. Adopting healthy and balanced eating habits can go a long way to improving our immune system. Understanding what works best for us and our lifestyles is an extraordinary thing to learn, and can give us wonderful benefits not just in terms of weight loss or gain, but will allow us to simply feel good all day every day. Here’s my journey through really understanding the importance of healthy and conscious eating.
Najib Khan
My journey started in my 20s when I had a great lifestyle —I was active, ate well, and felt amazing. Even in my 30s, I felt good about my body and weight, even though I had a few bad habits of food intake –don’t we all?
But, as I entered my 40s, surprisingly for me, the pounds started creeping on. I thought my weight was normal, but my clothes didn't fit as well anymore. I needed to buy larger sizes, and even my favourite slim-fit shirts were no longer comfortable, and I started to get a bit self-conscious. But given it was a gradual change, I figured I had to accept it without much thought, chalking it up to getting older.
The reality was that my health was suffering. I didn't have the energy or stamina that I used to, and I found myself getting winded just from climbing a flight of stairs. I knew that something had to change, but I didn't know where to start.
I’ve been hearing the phrase “You are what you eat” for ages. But, like many sayings or socially expected habits, their meanings only really sink in when we feel they somehow relate to us. So, here’s when it started sinking in for me.
In other words, I knew that healthy eating was good, but didn’t really understand to what extent it is genuinely so much better for me, my body, my mood, and my family until I tried a program that changed how I saw things. That’s when I discovered WILDFIT®.
Instead of obsessing over calories or completely avoiding certain foods, with this program, I learned to develop healthier habits and change the way I think about food today, transforming my overall lifestyle.
I learned that my weight gain wasn't just about the number on the scale –there’s so much more than a number! Especially as you grew older, the scale is such a poor indicator of our health. But I also understood that there is a connection between food and my body, that I needed to comprehend. Like with any relationship, there has to be respect and time investment to learn to listen to what it needs.
The experience that opened my eyes to the importance of healthy eating in everything
My wife and I have been trying to start a family for the last four years. When we realised we were facing fertility challenges, we decided to pursue in vitro fertilization (IVF). While our initial treatment showed promising results, they were not quite what we had hoped for. Then, after receiving a similarly unsatisfactory outcome with a second round, we decided to take a brief hiatus before opting to try IVF again. However, this time we consulted with a different doctor, and our tests revealed different results.
For the past 4.5 years, my wife has been struggling with underactive thyroid problems, which is also known as hypothyroidism. Hypothyroidism can affect fertility by disrupting ovulation and menstrual cycles and, untreated, it can increase the risk of complications during pregnancy, such as miscarriage, preterm birth, and low birth weight.
My wife had some tests done in the past, and the results showed that her Thyroid-stimulating hormone (TSH) levels were quite high. And for women trying to conceive, it is ideal to have levels below 2.5 or 3.0 mIU/L. The right TSH range can depend on many things, like age and medical history and, surprisingly enough for us, on our whole body’s health.
At our doctor’s recommendation, she started taking Synthroid to keep the levels in place. But in order to maintain it that way, she was advised to take it for a lifetime, something she was not at all too keen on. My wife felt like she was fighting against her own body all the time.
As the news was burdening her, I suggested to my wife to try changing her eating routine, as it had already helped me improve my energy and self-esteem. So, she decided to participate in the 90-day WILDFIT challenge, and upon completing it, to our surprise, when she had her Thyroid level tested again, the results indicated she no longer had an underactive Thyroid! So she was taken off Synthroid by her doctor, as there was no longer a need for it!
Even though this is hers and mine's very personal and specific journey, and in no case, I’m recommending taking medicine-related decisions without consulting your practitioner, I’m so grateful to have started this lifestyle change and the results it’s showing, that I really want to share our story.
The program taught my wife how to better listen to her body and adopt new, healthy habits for self-care. And since she started and changed her eating routine, she has seen some big changes, like better digestion, and she has more energy than ever. But the best of all, for her, was being able to be off the prescribed drugs for good, and finally being one step closer to our next successful IVF treatment –wish us luck!
This experience proved to me the powerful impact eating the right food can have on one's health and well-being. But, I would like to emphasize that the WILDFIT program is not meant to replace any prescribed medication and is only intended to be a complement to any treatment plan.
Learning to eat better and understanding our relationship with food has been a real game-changer for my wife’s health, and she feels more empowered than ever to take control of her well-being.
And the benefits go way beyond just physical changes. Taking this lifestyle change has helped us both to develop a more positive mindset and a deeper understanding of how our emotions and environment can impact our eating habits. Through the program's emphasis on mindfulness and self-awareness, we have learned to make more conscious choices about what we eat and why.
Disclaimer: WILDFIT is not a medical program and should not be taken as medical advice. While clients have reported normalized blood sugar, disappearing allergies, healthy weight loss, and a dramatic reduction of various symptoms, these are simply side effects of living a better lifestyle. While many WILDFIT participants have eliminated various symptoms and ailments - and reduced their dependency on medication - I suggest that before making any major changes to your healthcare plans including medication dosage, you should consult your medical practitioner.
Taking this life lesson into a new healthy eating movement
After I realized the transformative potential of the WILDFIT program, I was motivated to become a WILDFIT Coach. During my journey, I came across many challenging stories and issues faced by men and women that kept convincing me of the importance of understanding food and nutrition and habits as key ingredients to our overall health.
My wife and I also shared our transformation with family and friends, and we were thrilled to see that others were inspired to adopt the approach too. Over the course of 90 days, we saw incredible transformations as everyone prioritized nourishing whole foods and self-care over trends or viral diets that don’t, in almost every case, adapt to all bodies and lifestyles.
Now, my wife and I have made it a priority to consume nourishing and satisfying whole foods. We have adopted mindful eating habits by paying attention to the various types of hunger we experience and making conscious decisions about our food intake. We now enjoy pizza without guilt by making it at home, for example, paying attention to ingredients and making simple decisions like stopping when we feel satisfied and avoiding overeating.
We are now able to choose what we eat instead of allowing our emotions to dictate our eating habits. The program has revolutionized our relationship with food, helping us control our body changes better. Furthermore, we have gained an unwavering sense of confidence, energy boost, mental clarity, self-love, and self-control. We have the necessary tools and support to get back on track if we ever slip up.
So, what is WILDFIT®?
This program that changed my wife’s life and mine, has a name, and we’ve found it incredibly helpful. It’s called WILDFIT, and it consists of a 90-day transformational program that focuses on nourishing your body and promoting good health by emphasizing the consumption of whole, nutrient-rich foods.
Unlike other diets that tell you to cut out certain foods, I love WILDFIT because it’s the anti-diet method of retraining your brain and mind to approach food differently so that you can develop a new, healthy relationship with food and achieve food freedom. It focuses on eating a variety of nutritional foods that will give your body everything it needs to feel great. It's not about counting calories or going on a strict diet, but rather about finding a healthy and sustainable lifestyle that works for you. It addresses some of the everyday issues you may be facing by providing you with the tools and resources needed to make lasting lifestyle changes.
Overall, this is the kind of program that can be useful for anyone who wants to learn to understand their body better. If you ever feel trapped by food cravings, sugar addiction, or experience guilt or shame after overeating, then it’s worth considering a different approach today.
It's not a quick fix or a magic solution, but it's a sustainable, holistic approach to health and wellness that can change your life for the better. For me, it has! And now, as a WILDFIT Coach, I'm eager to share my experience and knowledge with those seeking to transform their health.
In any case, feel free to ask me any questions or connect with me on Instagram for guidance. I’m ready to walk this journey with you. You can find me at @wellness.beyond.mind.
And for those interested to keep diving into it, in the next issue of Life Lovers Magazine, I will be sharing more about WILDFIT and the program.
Stay tuned, and let’s change your life!
Editor’s Note:
We approve of featuring the following article, and we believe it’s important to share Najib’s story. But please bear in mind that all the opinions and views expressed here are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views of Life Lovers Magazine.
