I quit that day. Then, I was back to the drawing board again. I felt guilty knowing I’d spent nearly my whole paycheck on organic produce, only to watch it rot in the fridge.<\/p>\n
This was one of the many ways I’d been trying to throw money at any solution that might help me manage the symptoms of my chronic illness<\/a> and seasonal allergies for years.<\/p>\n I’ve tested $40 tinctures and $50 probiotics. I cycled through raw vegan, vegan, keto, carnivore-focused, and low-carb diets<\/a>. Sometimes I wanted to lose weight. Other times, I hoped food would stop my body from overreacting to my environment.<\/p>\n Unfortunately for me, the kind of fresh, organic-heavy eating I was chasing in Atlanta often meant choosing between expensive produce and enough groceries for the week. It was hard to consistently stick with it, especially as an entrepreneur with a sometimes unpredictable paycheck.<\/p>\n Eventually, I realized I was searching for the “right fix” in the wrong places.<\/p>\n After moving to the Caribbean over a decade ago, my perspective on my health shifted<\/p>\n Moving didn’t “cure” me. It changed my mindset.\u00a0<\/p>\n Leonid Andronov\/Getty Images<\/p>\n In my quest for remedies, I came across an internet rabbit hole that led me to people who said their health improved after moving to warmer climates<\/a>.<\/p>\n Their stories were not medical evidence, but I kept scrolling and filed them away in my mind.<\/p>\n Later, when the man who became my husband asked whether I wanted to stay in Atlanta or move with him to Trinidad, I did not need much convincing. It seemed worth a shot for me (and us).<\/p>\n That was 11 years ago. I’m so glad I said yes.<\/p>\n Within weeks of moving to the hot and humid island, I noticed a big difference in my breathing, especially at night, when I used to struggle the most.<\/p>\n I could step outside, take a deep breath, and actually feel the difference. I don’t know exactly what changed \u2014 and hot, humid weather can worsen symptoms for some people with asthma or allergies \u2014 but I suspect some of the plants or environmental allergens<\/a> I was sensitive to back home may be less prevalent where I live now.<\/p>\n After moving, fresh food became a bigger part of my day-to-day life, too, and my diet improved. <\/p>\n In part because of the warm climate, a lot of fresh produce grows here \u2014 it feels easier to access and more affordable. It’s become woven into my daily life in ways I never experienced before.<\/p>\n I’ve got easier access to all sorts of fruit, like dragon fruit, here.\u00a0<\/p>\n Penpak S.\/Getty Images<\/p>\n I remember shopping at organic stores<\/a> in Atlanta, where I could afford only one or two pieces of fruit at a time.<\/p>\n Now, some of the foods that once felt expensive and out of reach are growing right outside my door. In my neighborhood, fruit trees are literally within my grasp.<\/p>\n I regularly work out beneath the mango trees in my backyard. When mangoes fall, I rinse one and eat it between planks and pull-ups. It beats anything I once ordered in a plastic tub.<\/p>\n My children and I make juice from a neighbor’s limes and smoothies with dragon fruit from our yard. It feels like a simple luxury.<\/p>\n Papaya has become a regular breakfast because it fills me without weighing me down, and it’s not very pricey here since it’s a local staple.<\/p>\n I’ve also fallen for local favorites like caraille (bitter melon) and chadon beni, an herb somewhat similar to cilantro \u2014 I drink its juice because it helps soothe my throat.<\/p>\n I don’t feel the need to rely on much frozen produce anymore, either. All in all, it’s been nice having so many fresh options within my budget that make me feel good.<\/p>\n Here, health no longer feels like a luxury product<\/p>\n Where I live now, I can walk down the street and pass a fruit tree within reach.\u00a0<\/p>\n Chantel Henry<\/p>\n<\/p>\n
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