It’s been a busy few weeks over here! In between American and French design projects, I jetted over to Lisbon for a dentist appointment. You may be asking yourself WHY I took a 2.5 hour flight to Portugal for a dentist. It’s random, I know. My expat friend in Paris, Mo, introduced me to her dear friend, Miriam, who lives in Lisbon. Miriam left the U.S. after quitting chemo following a cancer diagnosis. She found a functional doctor and holistic dentist in sunny Portugal and ended up moving there. Now, she’s happy and healthy, living her best European life in central Lisbon.
After some deep research and contemplation, I booked a quick getaway to the highly recommended The White Clinic for my teeth and some advice about general health issues (nothing major, just Candida, gut dysbiosis, hormone imbalance, Adrenal fatigue, etc etc). It was a short 2 night trip packed full with sightseeing, healthy eating, matcha lattes, wandering around, and 2 doctor appointments. Miriam’s husband cooked an authentic Mexican feast of ceviche, fresh tortillas, shrimp and fish tacos, and all the traditional sides! I haven’t had fresh Mexican food in the longest time. What a treat!
As I was leaving Lisbon, Miriam sweetly touched my arm and softly said, “Yes, Dr. Ana can help you but you have to do the work.” At that moment, a light bulb went off and she was right. It was time. Time to clean up my diet and kick my caffeine habit. You probably know that I LOVE matcha and coffee all dayyyyy long. But it’s wrecking my gut and hormones. Nobody told me that I NEED to stop with the sugar or coffee, but I KNOW. Today, I’m on Day 7 of Caffeine Rehab and Day 6 of cleaning up my diet. Day 1 of Caffeine Rehab was gnarly and I ate all my daughter’s ice cream. Yikes. It has been extremely difficult but worth it 100%. My goal is 75 days without caffeine, added sugar (yes, I’m eating fruit), dairy, and grains. I’ll keep you posted but, don’t worry, this isn’t turning into Postcards from Paris: Wellness Edition. This is just a “fun” thing I’m doing and sharing in case anyone is experiencing the same thing.
Friendly reminder. I’m not telling you what to do. I’m just telling you my story. Oh, and I’m clearly not a medical professional. Clearly.
Bisous,
Allison
P.S. Here are some fun photos from Paris + Lisbon lately…
Two days in Lisbon is short, but it sounds like you made good use of them. Portugal's capital is my fave European city after Paris!
Wishing you much success in your healthful journey. God Bless.🤔❤️