Shortly after midnight on Monday 14th November, the South Island of New Zealand ripped itself a new one.
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| Magnitude 7.8 centred in Culverden, near Kaikoura. It was big. Really big. |
After calling my Mum to calm down, I decided the best option was to head to a friends for the night to cry through the aftershocks with the people I care about.
I grabbed my gym bag and packed it full of the essentials:
- T2 "Detox" tea
- Vitamin and fish oil capsules for the day ahead
- The gluten, dairy, and sugar free lunch I had made the night before
- Gym gear for the Sprint class I was determined to go to
- Toothbrush
What I forgot:
- Phone charger to keep my phone charged in case of a stronger quake knocking out the power.
- My getaway pack containing non-perishable food, torch and radio.
- Toothpaste.
The gym was closed for 2 days following this quake, which meant there was no Sprint class and I was able to return home to my fridge full of perishable diet compliant food, and my emergency kit.
One thing was abundantly clear from the previous night..I was sticking to this diet no matter what! While my friends sat around drinking wine and cider to calm their nerves, I sipped my Detox tea glaring at them with jealous eyes through the steam rising from the white ceramic mug. As I scratched the shit out of my hands, I knew I'd made the right choice.
As anyone who has felt a 7.8 magnitude earthquake will tell you, the days and nights following the initial shake are sleepless and filled with anxiety. Every gust of wind gets your heart racing and you start playing adrenaline filled games of "Aftershock or wild imagination?".
By Wednesday afternoon, I'd fought back multiple bouts of "I haven't slept in 72hrs" tears and the sugar cravings had started to set in. My head was pounding and my skull felt like it would rupture faster than the Kekerengu fault. I was craving Coke, ice-cream and anything other than what was inside the health temple that was my fridge.
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| F*ck you kale. Someone give me sugar. |
Earlier in the week, Emma had explained to me how addictions can develop when you have leaky gut. When food particles that shouldn't be in your bloodstream get through your gut lining they can bind to hormone receptors and make you feel amazing. I experienced this in a very real way.
Think about how you feel when when you bite into freshly baked bread, down a delicious chocolate milkshake, or smash back a Sixes and Sevens donut. Amazing feeling right? Now take all of that away, add sleepless nights and a brain that wants to explode...
I've never experienced passionate feelings like this about food before, and these feelings were strong! Even walking through the supermarket was like pouring beer in front of an alcoholic. Just the smell of the bakery section made my heart race and my palms clammy. I ran towards the spinach and clutched a 300g mix bag like some sort of security blanket. All this...over a baguette.
But I never faltered. I stayed true to the guidelines given to me by Emma, and I made nutritious choices and got through the cravings. I ate kumara chips and drank licorice tea to cater to my need for sweetness, and I listened to the signs my body was giving me that this would pass if I just stuck with it a little longer. I'm now 2 weeks into this journey and the cravings have passed. I've lost 2kg and 3% body fat and have steady energy throughout the day. I'm no longer craving non-nutritious foods and I've even proven to myself that sometimes cooking a nutrient dense meal can be faster than ordering pizza.
