The years following my dad’s death and the health changes I made

My dad passed away from a stroke that led to a significant fall. He was rushed to the hospital and had brain surgery. Over the next 11 days, he had more brain bleeds that were likely from the fall but it was obvious that the stroke was a significant one as well. So we made the heart-wrenching decision to let him go. Knowing that if we got him to a stable state he would likely be hospital bed bound with a full-time caregiver and likely in a vegetative state - my dad would not have been ok with that. 

Quick family history for you, my dad’s dad had a stroke around the age of 64. My mom’s dad had a massive stroke at the age of 62. My dad’s stroke was at the age of 66. This realization led me down a dark path. I was 36 and had this sinking feeling that I only had about 30 good years if I was lucky because those are pretty bad genes, right?

My life became a mix of drowning those fears with alcohol, worrying about my children’s future, and trying my darndest to fast forward my life. Fit in all the years into the next 30. I started writing books - since that had been a dream of mine. I started looking for ways to leave teaching because it was making me miserable and I didn’t want to teach until the day I had a massive stroke. 

For about four or five years this was my recipe. Worry, fret, try to have fun, and drink to numb the pain. My husband finally got worried enough about me that we agreed to take a year away from teaching. I wanted to write but I also got my real estate license to have some money coming in.

AND then COVID hit. (Every current story contains a “and then COVID hit”, I think it’s now required.) Just like everyone else I was freaked out. I felt helpless and was wishing I had previously been a prepper so that if the world went sideways, I’d be ready. We got a puppy and chickens. I worked real hard on my garden and…while doom scrolling on Facebook I saw an ad from a page that I followed about a free summit for health. 

I could use that so on April 24, 2021, I sat down to watch my first episode of the Food Revolution Network’s Summit. This moment in time changed my life. It was the first time I heard that, yes, your genes are your genes but it’s your choice how they manifest in your life. So in essence they were saying if I cleaned up the foods I ate, I didn’t have to follow in my family’s footsteps. 

I felt a sense of freedom and control that I lost the day my dad fell. The realization that I could control (for the most part) my health and that I didn’t have to go down that same path blew my mind. (And oh by the way, this also helps your immune system so that if you do get COVID it’ll likely be more like a cold rather than….death.) I’m in.

I heard from prominent doctors like Dr. Dean Ornish, Dr. Neal Barnard, and Dr. Micheal Klapper. From Dr. Will Bulsiewicz I learned that I could take my normal recipes and just start adding more vegetables, this didn’t have to be hard. I heard from Dr. Kristi Funk that I could use this diet to directly lower my chances of breast cancer.

So that very day back in 2021 I moved my family from the Standard American Diet (SAD) to a plant-based diet. It took some time to find foods everyone was ok eating. It was a fairly easy time to transition because we weren’t with friends all that often and my kids were at home most of the time. My husband grew up vegetarian so he was pretty happy about the shift. 

I don’t recall what those first meals were like. But I got a few cookbooks and slowly started developing my skills. (We didn’t rely on vegan substitutes for our meats because those are processed foods  - every now and then they are ok - but generally no.) I started to learn the massive benefits of fiber and the downfall of sugar. I studied and took in as many podcasts and documentaries as I could.

In 2023 I got the opportunity to join Food Revolution Network in their first coaching program. I wanted to take my knowledge deeper and I really felt like I could help change the world. I loved every minute of this six-month training but along the way, another path became obvious to me.  When I started to see how many families were struggling with the re-introduction of activities and in-person classes I knew my skills were needed.

So I began my journey to help families, using my years of experience in the classroom as well as with my own kids. I also sprinkled in my knowledge of how important diet is to our kids and their mental health. 

So the birth of Coach Jen Winans brought this website, my Instagram page, digital guides to help families and soon to be birthed is my first young adult fiction novel. It’s all pretty exciting and I don’t miss meat at all. (Well - every now and then I smell someone BBQing which makes me nostalgic…) I feel empowered about my health as I age. I feel in control, could I do better? The bag of chips on my shelf says yes, but I’m pretty good. 

If you want to learn more about taking control of your life by changing your diet - I’d love to hear from you! Or you can check out Food Revolution Network’s Food For Health Masterclass here.