Healing Through Nourishment: My Honest Food Journey

Hi, I’m Jessi. I’m originally from Los Angeles, California. I studied hospitality in Switzerland for four years and have been a vegetarian for over a decade. Beneath those details lies a much deeper story—years of struggling with my health, particularly my relationship with food, my body, and my mind.

Growing up in California’s body-conscious culture, it’s no surprise that I developed an unhealthy relationship with my body early on. The real shift happened when I was 12 and went to the doctor, who told me my BMI and cholesterol were higher than they “should” be. While that might have been medically concerning, I was a competitive swimmer at the time—active and strong—but that moment planted a belief in me: something needed to be fixed.

My mom started taking me to a trainer and teaching me about nutrition, but I misunderstood the message. Instead of learning balance, I developed a cycle of restriction, bingeing, and shame. That cycle followed me for years. In college, I met my boyfriend, Finn, a type-1 diabetic. He taught me about his own relationship to food and the importance of stability. We often joked that we both had our own “diseases”—his was physical, mine was mental—but both shaped how we lived and felt.

At my lowest, I found myself in toxic patterns: fasting, keto, juice cleanses, and even misusing prescription medication to suppress my appetite. I’d lose weight, but it never felt like mine—it felt borrowed.

About two years ago, I got fed up with feeling so mentally and physically drained all the time that I decided to start truly healing. While many areas of my life have improved throughout this journey, for the sake of this blog, I’m focusing on my relationship with food. And I can confidently say—it’s been one of the most rewarding shifts I’ve experienced. I feel more energized, happy, and grounded than I have in years.

So, how did it begin?

I was laser-focused on hitting my macros, going to the gym, getting my steps in. But after a while, I started to feel more like a machine than a human being. Everything became about numbers and perfection.

Then, about 8 months ago, I came across Earthy Andy’s Plant Over Processed book—and something in me shifted. I found it in the most unexpected place: sitting in a donation pile near the trash bins at my apartment. It was the only book that caught my eye. I took it home and started reading, and within hours I felt this undeniable wave of inspiration.

For those who haven’t read it, Plant Over Processed is about the power of eating whole, unprocessed foods from the earth. Something about the colors, the tropical lifestyle, and the grounded message just lit something up in me. It helped me realize that my body isn’t something to fight or punish—it’s something to partner with.

Since beginning this journey, I’ve found real joy in cooking with whole ingredients and finding new ways to balance my plate and my day. I’ve loved working fruits, vegetables, legumes, and grains into meals that let me feel creative again. I didn’t just lose 15 pounds—I lost the guilt, the pressure, and the constant shame. I started enjoying food again. I finally felt in control of my body in a way that felt loving, not rigid.

Body, Mind & Soul

I’ve spent a lot of time reading and reflecting on the nature of who we are—through philosophy, stoicism, chakra healing, and emotional intelligence. The idea that “you are not your body” or even your mind was hard for me to grasp at first. But the more I sat with it, the more healing it became.

My body, while not me, is the vessel that allows me to be here. It breathes, walks, feels, and sustains me. And it asks for so little in return—just nourishment, rest, and kindness. My mind, while powerful, isn’t always telling the truth. And my soul—that still, quiet voice—reminds me of who I am when all the noise fades.

As I got to know food better, I found myself asking not what I wanted from food, but what my body did. I began to trust that my body knew how to extract the nutrients it needed. My role was to provide it with the materials and let it do the magic. The body will always try to adapt, to heal, to survive—and I believe we owe it the support and compassion to do just that.

This shift—seeing the body as an intelligent, living organism and not something to fight—has brought me closer to peace than any diet or routine ever could.

If you also want to connect to your body, check out my Art of Nourishment page