Happy Sunflower

You could also say that I am a self-taught Candida and auto-immune expert. After all, I had my own share of Candida, SIBO, hay fever, perennial rhinitis, low thyroid, blood sugar imbalances and lots of other issues, including dental cavities and lack of energy. It took me years to figure out how to get my life back on track and experience true health and wellbeing.

I am passionate about empowering people (especially women) with knowledge and the right tools to reach their full potential.

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I'm a hands-on mama of three boys (two teenagers and a toddler), a wife, dog lover and knitter. I am passionate about health, nutrition, gardening, eco and slow living, zero waste and natural remedies.

Most of my days are spent cooking meals from scratch, washing and line drying clothes, cloth nappies and menstrual products, tending to my plants and babywearing. I am very honest and open while talking to my boys about anything and everything. When I have a spare moment I love reading and educating myself about new aspects of wellbeing and/or alternative schooling systems - or I simply sit in my garden and knit.

These days I have less and less time for myself - so a few minutes smelling and admiring flowers or watching a bumblebee is my daily self-care routine!

I love being surrounded by nature as much as possible.

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Why Happy Sunflower?

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I am someone who LOVES the sun and needs strong daylight to feel energetic and happy. Sunflowers are my favourite flowers and in many ways I am like them - turning to the sun and looking happy and strong when in sunshine. So to be a happy sunflower is my ultimate goal. 

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Having been quite a sickly child myself I was always wondering why some people never got sick while others did a lot. At the age of 16 I started to read books about natural lifestyle and cook wholegrain rice and pasta. When I reached 18 I became vegetarian and felt deeply happy about not 'harming' any living creatures with my diet and lifestyle. But I was eating a lot of dairy and my health started declining. A few years later I adopted the macrobiotic diet. I ditched all dairy and lasted on this wholegrain-based diet for about 10 years. After my two pregnancies and what with a busy lifestyle and all the changes that pregnancies cause long-term, I felt this diet was doing nothing for me. I experimented with vegan and raw diets and came back to being vegetarian. To be honest, at this point I was quite fed up with all my health issues. None of the plant-based diets worked for me any longer.

I was constantly tired and getting one cold after another, I had a mouth full of cavities, my hair was falling out, I had a constantly runny nose, could not digest fats and felt bloated after each meal, the Candida was raging. I also had my own share of pregnancy losses and 'female issues'. Although I was getting desperate, I knew I had the potential to heal and feel like the old me again. I just didn't know how. I didn't have enough cash to pay for specialists' therapies and consultations.

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So what did I do?

 

I became my own nutritionist and healer.

I wish there was a blog like Happy Sunflower when I first started on my own health journey. It would have saved me hours, days, months, sometimes even years to find all the relevant information and 'test' things in practice, trial and error style. What is more, it would have saved me all the unnecessary pain and struggles - if only I had known.

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All the info out there can be very overwhelming and quite often we can come across completely opposing statements or theories. One thing won't be suitable for everyone, either, as we have different digestion types, live in different climates, our ancestors come from different places etc.

But there are many aspects of wellbeing which are based on common sense and even tested and verified by scientific trials, using all the latest technology. These are the discoveries I want to share with you. 

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I hope that my articles will inspire you to live a healthier life.

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If you feel like you have reached a blind alley on your own health journey I am here to help.

From the depth of my heart I wish to empower you with knowledge and practical tools so you can reach your own vibrant health and happiness!

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A healer does not heal you.

A healer is someone who holds space for you

while you awaken your inner healer, 

so that you may heal yourself. 

                                        - Maryam Hasnaa