Wanna know a little about me and what I am about?

OK I’ll tell ya a lil bit.

So. this isn’t awkward at all.

I mean who loves talking about themselves?

I know I don’t.

However I think it is at the very least decent manners to introduce myself and give a bit of background for you guys.

So here goes….My name is Anthony and I’m a 41 year old food loving Father of two boys and husband to my amazing wife Rosi.

I originally come from a small village outside the beautiful and historic city of Durham in the north east of England.

These days I live in the beautiful city of Stavanger in Norway.

One thing I will tell you about me is that in no way shape or form am I a writer.

I barely even read much never mind put pen to paper… Or finger to keyboard.

However I am doing this, or should I say attempting to write this blog as a means of self motivation to attempt a major lifestyle transformation.

You see I may look young for my age(when I wear a cap I do anyway, or at least that’s what I tell myself) and I may appear happy and healthy but the truth is I’m really not.

The Sad and scary bit…

3 years ago I was suffering from some pretty crippling anxiety which included some rather scary panic attack episodes.

I was convinced I was having heart attacks and I lost count how many times I was admitted to hospital for ECG and blood tests.

Which would always come back ok and I’d be told it was anxiety.

Until one Doctor finally sent me for CT tests of my heart, which had some pretty devastating and worrying results.

I had Atherosclerosis.

AKA Heart Disease.

Narrowing in one of my arteries of greater than 75% and three others less narrowed vessels, but still of concern.

Bad Lifestyle Choices

Now I’ll be the first to admit that I have not lived the healthiest of lifestyles up to this point in my life.

I’ve been a smoker since 17 years old, ate more than my fair share of junk food and most definitely denied my body of the exercise it requires.

However I have never really been greatly over weight.

Out of shape maybe, possessed way to good a pair of moobs(man boobs) than I should be proud of.

At 37 years old to be told I had heart disease was a massive shock and it scared the hell out of me.

My anxiety, rather than improving understandably got worse.

I was prescribed a Statin pill to take daily to lower my cholesterol, a blood pressure pill to help slow the progression of the disease and some basic diet advice then sent on my way.

Over the following months and years I managed to get control of my anxiety and I began to feel almost back to normal.

I tried and still try today to kick the smoking habit to varying levels of success and Failure. My diet has followed the same path.

My google search history is pretty much made up of… ‘Heart disease this’….’Heart disease that’.

Searching in vain for anything I could find to ‘cure’ this ticking time bomb of a condition I have.

Plants are the cure

The answer to every search I made was plants.

I love meat, fish, eggs, dairy.

I love it all.

But without a doubt after researching almost daily into cures for this often termed un-curable condition, the answer was by adopting a plant based diet.

So here I go.

All animal food products are out the window and I am now attempting a full lifestyle adjustment in to plant based eating.

I will quit smoking and exercise more in an attempt to prolong my life and live a happier healthier life.

To enjoy seeing my boys grow up and have more energy to be a better more active Dad.

To hopefully help you guys.

Be an inspiration for anyone who is thinking about doing the same thing as myself.

I have always been a foody and a bit of an amateur chef in the kitchen.

So I will be creating my own delicious plant based recipes for you to try out and enjoy.

I will post as much information into the benefits of plant based living and how it can, like it has for so many others, change your life and health in amazing ways.

Not to mention the benefits for the planet we all live on and the animals we share it with.

So that’s pretty much me folks

For all this was a daunting first post, I actually couldn’t writing stop once I’d started.

Maybe that’s a good sign for things to come.

I really hope you enjoy my blog.

Do feel free to like, share and comment.

Part of this process for me is to interact and draw inspiration from as many people as I can to help me continue this journey and transformation.

Hope you all have a great day.