By @HarvesttHealth, Petrina Fran
I always had a love for movement; Sometimes it was gymnastics, BMX, and dance. Other times it was softball, cross country, and swimming. Basketball and soccer were fun too, but growing up the activity didn’t really matter, as long as I was moving.
It wasn’t until the end of middle school where I became aware of my body and I began to make a shift. I continued to play sports in high school, but I started to explore running to change how my body looked. Despite my initial motive, it eventually became a way to clear my mind and escape the reality of my family’s divorce drama.
Running along the ocean made me feel free, gave me peace of mind and allowed me to have time alone.
It wasn’t until the days where I didn’t have time to run when I started to understand the connection between my mental state and exercise. On the days I didn’t run, I felt overwhelmed, anxious, and scatterbrained. After recognizing that moving my body on my terms was the mental relief I needed, I made sure to make time for daily movement because it helped me be present.
However, although I did find peace of mind to begin with, I began to run religiously, thinking that what I was doing was not enough, and I experimented with several diets. This eventually led to an eating disorder, starting in my early high school years through to the middle of college.
My eating disorder was rooted from the belief that if I was skinnier, I would be more beautiful and happier.
At the time, I didn’t understand that eating healthy was a lifestyle and that change happens over time. Instead I wanted to be thin within the next week or if I had it my way, yesterday. I began eliminating foods from my diet and decreased my intake. I saw quick results; however, it wasn’t enough. Each week I would ramp it up and took it to an extreme where I ended up running on fumes.
Through the process I lost myself, my passions, my curiosity, my zest for life and in return formed an obsession with how I looked. My mood and day were dictated by how my body looked when I lifted my shirt in the morning and stared at myself in the mirror. I felt alone and unable to escape the bully in my head.
All I wanted was a reset button.
I didn’t want to be me.
This wasn’t me.
I wanted out–I felt imprisoned in my own mind.
My mind constantly raced with the questions of what I ate, how much I ate, when I would exercise, if I exercised enough–it was exhausting.
I didn’t want to live this way anymore.
I stopped menstruating; I felt like I couldn’t go on. After reaching rock bottom, I slowly sought help because I knew I needed support to fight this battle. I was sick and tired of feeling sick and tired. I was depressed and anxious. I would be lying if I said I didn’t care what my body looked like anymore–because I did–but I cared more about having mental freedom. I wanted to think freely and not feel enslaved to the false reality I created for myself.
After several therapy sessions, self-help books, daily affirmations, internal battles, crying marathons, journaling, solo-traveling and more, I learned that I had all the tools inside me to set myself free.
My journey in relationship to food, my body, and my mind has taught me that real food and movement have the power to change your life and your mind.
As a part of my journey, I created my brand Harvest Health initially as a platform to share simple recipes that highlight real ingredients because I saw the positive effects real food has on our bodies and our minds.
I am still learning what works for my body and mind in each of its seasons, but now I choose to move and eat [in a way that is balanced- nothing in excess-] to feel physically and mentally healthier. While I recovered I saw there is more to life than my body, there’s a whole world ready to be explored inside and out of me.
As I continue my health journey it’s clear to me that mental health starts with your plate and your body, but expands to all the relationships you have in your life.
Mental health is a daily practice.
For me it took a lot of unlearning and tuning in to understand what my body, mind, and soul need to feel good on a daily basis. I used to define myself and my worth by my body, my eating habits, and my eating disorder, but those are the least exciting parts of me, yet felt the most real at the time.
Now I think the most beautiful part about me is my mind and desire to enjoy life.
We are magnificent multifaceted beings and health is merely a vessel to achieve our highest self.
Let’s celebrate our abilities and cheers to this
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Petrina shares a well-loved family recipe with us below!!
Salmon with L’agghia
Recipe for Salmon with L’agghia
With my family origins deeply rooted as Sicilian fisherman, it was only normal for my entire family to gather at my Nonna’s house after my Nanno and uncle’s returned from their fishing trip in Alaska.
They would bring home wild Alaskan salmon that would then be enjoyed for months, but to celebrate their homecoming and success my Nonna would prepare my favorite salmon dish, barbecue, breaded salmon with l’agghia.
L’agghia in our “hillbilly Sicilian” dialect, as my Nonna likes to say, simply means “with garlic”–and when I say with garlic I mean guaranteed garlic breath. Despite the incredible amount of garlic, it’s a classic dish I always enjoyed and still enjoy, just with my own healthy twist.
This Mediterranean meal pairs well with a leafy green salad, asparagus, or roasted fingerling potatoes. Salmon with L’agghia Serves 5
Ingredients:
Breaded Salmon -5 4oz filets of wild salmon
½ cup almond flour
¼ cup chopped parsley
1 tbsp garlic powder
½ tsp salt OR to taste Pepper to taste
Extra virgin olive oil to drizzle
Sauce (l’agghia)- 1 cup parsley
5 large garlic cloves
¾ cup fire roasted tomatoes (I use the canned Hunts brand, but you can use fresh tomatoes too)
Salt and pepper to taste
½ cup extra virgin olive oil
More extra virgin olive oil to drizzle
Instructions:
Preheat the oven to 400F.
In a shallow medium bowl or dish add your almond flour, chopped parsley, garlic powder, salt, and pepper and mix until combined.
Set the breading mixture aside.
Rinse and pat dry the salmon pieces.
Drizzle the salmon with olive oil and rub to lather.
Place the salmon flesh side down one at a time into the bread mixture and gently press down.
Remove fish from mixture and place the skin side down onto a baking sheet pan.
(A parchment paper lined or unlined baking sheet pan works)
Sprinkle and press more breading onto the salmon flesh if needed and repeat for all the fish.
Once all the fish are breaded then bake for 16-20 minutes depending on the thickness of your fish
(I generally bake mine for 17-18 minutes)
While the fish is baking, make the sauce:
In a food processor add the peeled garlic cloves and parsley.
Chop or pulse until both the garlic and parsley are roughly chopped.
Add the tomatoes and chop or pulse until a chunky sauce.
Add the olive oil, salt, and pepper and pulse until combined.
You want a medium chunky salsa consistency.
Remove the sauce from the food processor into a bowl and add a drizzle of olive oil and more seasoning to taste. After your fish is cooked remove from the oven and spoon the sauce over the fish.
Squeeze some lemon juice over the top if you want and enjoy!
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Recipe created by Petrina Pinto founder of Harvest Health