After years of chronic stress working for corporations, Celine Brozovich hit rock bottom with depression, excessive weight, high blood pressure, high cholesterol and acid reflux. She decided to try a whole-food, plant-based diet and it worked! Learn more about Celine’s remarkable journey and how she took control of her health.
When did you adopt a plant-based diet and what motivated you to do it?
I made the change to a plant-based diet 100% (completely) two years ago. I’ve been on a diet since the tender age of 12. Overtime, I had gained a lot of weight and suffered from depression, acid reflux, high cholesterol and high blood pressure. In 2016, I hit rock bottom after massive burnout. I was in bed and could not function. The doctor wanted to put me on medications, but I said no, I’m not taking medication for any of this and promised to exercise and change my lifestyle. I started by adopting a low carb diet high in fat, high in animal protein, counting calories and start exercising. While I lost 5 pounds, my doctor did not want me to do it saying it was not good for my heart health. However, he didn’t offer me a solution. I did my own research and “bumped” into lifestyle medicine and learned about a whole food plant-based diet. I decided to try it and it worked!
Why do you think adopting a plant-based diet helped with your depression?
I don’t know why, but I know the results. I got out of the bedroom, had more energy and I became more present and noticed my surroundings. I was not functioning before and couldn’t do anything, but afterwards, it was as if something was lifted. Everything I was doing in terms of therapy, a spiritual practice and self-help empowerment started working after I embraced the principles of Lifestyle medicine, with an emphasis on nutrition.
What does a typical day look like in terms of food?
I don’t eat breakfast because I only eat when I’m hungry. I have a glass of lukewarm water with some apple cider vinegar when I wake up. Everyday I eat from the four groups: vegetables, legumes, grains, and fruits. I also eat some nuts and seeds.
I always have homemade chili and frozen vegetables in the freezer for days I can’t cook a new meal. I increase my fruits intake by making “ice cream” by simply blending frozen fruits in the Vitamix.
When it comes to the foods, it’s really about the spices and herbs! It’s the secret to making foods taste good, fragrant and flavorful. Mmmm!!!!.
What surprised you the most?
The lift of the fog from depression and the increased energy surprised me. I am really enjoying the foods I’m eating, and I don’t have to count calories. I can eat fruits and even rice. Except for B12 and Vitamin D, I don’t have to take any supplements. This is truly amazing! At the last check up, the doctor was amazed, and I was educating him on lifestyle medicine.
Tell me about your business, Dances with Foods?
I recovered from the massive burnout after embracing the principles of Lifestyle Medicine, I decided I wasn’t going to remain silent and wanted to create something that could help people in corporations. I was the director of customer success for McKesson, I’m experienced in people change management and process development, enjoy presenting and am naturally compassionate, and I wanted to use that along with the knowledge about foods and my personal experience to help others.
I’m the only African who doesn’t know how to dance, calling my company Dances with Foods is my revenge! (ha ha ha!). I create the dance and the moves based on what I’m eating. I am in charge of the foods. I lead the dance! I am free! Foods no longer control me. I am in charge!
What advice do you have for someone who may find themselves in a situation that you were in – working in corporate America feeling completely stressed out and paralyzed?
Try a whole-foods, plant-based diet. Start, just start. Be curious, start at your own pace. There are different ways to start. You can go cold-turkey the way I did it. Or go slowly at your own pace – eating one plant-based meal a day, eating plant-based one day a week, whatever works for you. I strongly encourage people to get a coach to help them. As you go, be patient with yourself, and be kind. The ability part of the change process needs to be the focus, demonstrating to yourself that you can do this. Find your tribe or community. Even if your family isn’t bought in, go for it on your own. Your coach and your tribe will help you through it.
For me, it was after a few months of doing it on my own that I invited my husband to watch a few documentaries with me. Afterwards, my husband got up and threw away all of the animal and processed food products away. I recovered the meat and fish for for my dog to eat.
Start your own journey, find your coach and your tribe. Don’t nag your family, invite them – but don’t nag them.
A book that has been very helpful is Dr. Doug Lisle’s, The Pleasure Trap. Then use spice and herbs to season your food so it tastes good. Make it fun and pleasurable. And remember that it’s a journey, not a marathon.