For most of my adult life, alcohol was a lot of fun. 

I was a social drinker. I never considered that I had a problem with alcohol: I drank only on the weekends and didn't seem to have drastic negative side effects.  Perhaps because I am naturally an introvert, a glass of wine would give me a warm buzz that left me feeling confident, funny, lively, creative. I realize now that on many occasions I used alcohol as a crutch. I felt that drinking loosened me up, highlighting my more socially enjoyable features. Truthfully, I was disguising a confidence issue: I didn't think I was enough. 

I finally did it.

I have a special shelf in my closet that has housed the jeans I wore like a boss during my twenties. My husband loved the jeans, my friends complimented me when I wore them. I felt amazing. Except I didn’t. To wear those jeans I was following a very restrictive diet and exercising excessively. I was miserable, aside from the fleeting moments following a compliment. To wear those jeans I wasn’t living my life. I didn’t notice the beauty in the present moment,  instead I obsessed about what I was or wasn’t going to eat, how many calories I was burning. My fitness plan ruled my life.

Adopting a primal lifestyle transformed my life in countless ways. I solved digestive issues, I felt nourished and satisfied with delicious food, my body learned how to use fat as fuel, I ended a sugar addiction, I stopped dieting and started living my life fully, moment to moment. 

But honestly, this lifestyle change would not have been possible without addressing internal issues as well. I had to look inside to transform my outside. This is how I began my transformation:  

I love morning time: the quiet, the peace, the unlimited potential of starting anew. I heard the term "hour of power" on a podcast a few years ago and I thought it was the perfect way to describe my morning rituals. I've always been an early riser, but it wasn't until fairly recently that I realized the power in an intentional start to the day. I now know that I create every single day with my thoughts and actions upon rising. There are so many beautiful ways to begin a day; I will share my routine as an example.