Her Health Journey<\/strong><\/h3>\nI had high cholesterol and high insulin levels as a child.\u00a0 At 14, I started gaining weight.\u00a0 I had 10 pairs of jeans, and could only fit into one.\u00a0 Friends teased me, talking about how much weight that I had gained and said that I should take extra Phys-Ed.\u00a0 It was typical teenager struggles. At that point, I decided to find some discipline.\u00a0 It was before Google became a household word and I wasn\u2019t sure what to do.\u00a0 I only knew the basics, like limiting calorie intact and exercise more.\u00a0 I limited myself to three small meals a day and then would go on the tread mill losing 15 pounds that summer.\u00a0 I thought that it wasn\u2019t easy, but with the right discipline and the right mind set, you can accomplish anything that you want, especially with your body.<\/p>\n
As I got older, I wanted to learn the proper way to take care of my health, including the right type of diet and exercise.\u00a0 I got a personal trainer to help her with exercise, including weight training and the proper cardio.\u00a0 \u00a0A nutritionist drafted a diet plan for me.\u00a0 At the time, I had a lot of dietary restrictions that I put on myself because I didn\u2019t know any better.\u00a0 I wouldn\u2019t eat eggs, white bread or dairy.\u00a0 All I had was salmon, sweet potato and chick peas.\u00a0 There wasn\u2019t a lot of variety on my meal plan.\u00a0 I didn\u2019t think that it was a way to live and it wasn\u2019t sustainable long term. I needed to find a way to still eat some of the things that I liked and have more variety in my diet.\u00a0 I started doing her research on everything that had to do with healthy food and healthy portions and found ways to make my diet more enjoyable.<\/p>\n
My Digital Kitchen <\/strong><\/h3>\nI joined Instagram posting pictures of what I ate.\u00a0 I started getting some traction on the IG page and looked into other fitness enthusiasts that were doing a lot of diet and exercise content. That inspired me to dive more into that lifestyle.\u00a0 People enjoyed my photos and recipes and I ended up being promoted by several fitness accounts.\u00a0 Eventually, it turned into \u201cMy Digital Kitchen\u201d because I figured that I have a knack for this.\u00a0 It allowed me to educate myself more, create more recipes and share stories of my progress.\u00a0 That led to \u201cMy Digital Kitchen,\u201d the food blog.<\/p>\n
I started getting questions from friends and other people who asked if I ever considered selling my products and I always insisted that it was just for fun.\u00a0 At the time, it was just for fun, I was working at a law firm as a personal injury law clerk. I come from a family where notable careers are acknowledged like being a lawyer or doctor.\u00a0 I realized that I wasn\u2019t really happy doing in my role so I was literally looking for something else that I was good at.\u00a0 I tried other things without knowing that I was already doing something that I was good at.\u00a0 I always thought that my blog was just for fun.<\/p>\n
I took a step back after I got fired from my job and realized that this was something that I\u2019m good at and there is a market for it.\u00a0 You can actually help other people make better choices when it comes to sweets and desserts.\u00a0 I also had a problem with sugar and I was trying to limit my intake or substitute it for healthier sugars that have a lower carb content.\u00a0 I decided to register my business which is a dessert catering business, going that route while still doing the food blog and going around the city marketing myself.\u00a0 I did a few pop ups and was starting to get some traffic from that.\u00a0 It reinforced that there is a market for this type of business.\u00a0 I believe in firmly standing behind your product.\u00a0 If it\u2019s something that I don\u2019t like or I don\u2019t believe in, then I\u2019m not going to put it out there.\u00a0 Even though I may not have a large menu, the little menu has been tested many times, improvements have been made and its quality \u2013 I\u2019m all about quality.<\/p>\n
I was moving forward with the startup, getting the paperwork done, and having very good year.\u00a0 In 2018, I was doing a lot of marketing, getting traffic to my business and doing well.\u00a0 It wasn\u2019t easy, I had some ups and downs but I was getting the hang of it.<\/p>\n
The Accident<\/strong><\/h3>\nIn September of 2018, \u00a0my friend was giving me a ride home from an event on his motorcycle.\u00a0 At first, I was hesitant, because I had never been on a motorcycle but I figured it was something I could check off my list of things that I had done.\u00a0 I had protective gear on \u2013 a helmet, a jacket \u2013 everything.\u00a0 We were literally ten minutes away from my apartment when a drunk driver veered into our lane and knocked us off the bike.<\/p>\n
When they say your life flashes before your eyes, it literally did.\u00a0 We were thrown off in opposite directions.\u00a0 He flew 100 feet and I flew 20 feet and landed at the edge of the road.\u00a0 I heard the thud.\u00a0 The car was damaged \u2013 it was an awful scene.\u00a0 I tried to get up to run, but I couldn\u2019t get up.\u00a0 My pelvis was completely shattered.\u00a0 My boots flew off my feet.\u00a0 Everything was broken.\u00a0 My left arm was completely fractured \u2013 I saw it hanging off and I was screaming for help.\u00a0 I couldn\u2019t even cry, I was just screaming.\u00a0 A lady who lived in the area saw the accident and came to help me.\u00a0 She told me that I was very injured and that she needed to call 911.<\/p>\n
Eventually the police and paramedics got there and I was taken to St. Michael\u2019s Hospital.\u00a0 I had to have five surgeries and I still have one pending.\u00a0 I was in the hospital for two months and in rehab for another month. \u00a0I made it home about ten days before Christmas.<\/p>\n
The Aftermath \u00a0<\/strong><\/h3>\nThe first feeling that I had was guilt because when I heard that my friend had passed away, I thought if only I had listened to my instincts and taken an UBER home, he would still be alive.\u00a0 His daughter wouldn\u2019t have to remember her birthday as the night her dad died and I would also have been safe.\u00a0 It was a bit of guilt, blaming myself and also a bit of why me?\u00a0 I\u2019m the person that is always so careful, I never take dangerous risks.\u00a0 Even when I have fun, it\u2019s cautious.\u00a0 As an only child, I didn\u2019t feel like I had any room to screw up because everything was on my shoulders.\u00a0 I had to wonder why this happened to me the one time that I decided to do something.\u00a0 I was wearing the proper gear; he was driving at a safe speed.\u00a0 We were very cautious and then this happened.<\/p>\n
At the same time, I realized that since I\u2019m still here, I need to fight.\u00a0 I fought really hard, and that\u2019s why I\u2019m here right now.\u00a0 When you fight hard, you find yourself taking the right steps to recover.\u00a0 Sometimes recovery happens more quickly when you don\u2019t just give up.\u00a0 It wasn\u2019t easy.\u00a0 It was the worst pain that I ever had in my life.\u00a0 I even told my Mom; I bought a new pair of jeans that I was wearing that evening.\u00a0 It was my first time wearing them.\u00a0 That was the best I felt.\u00a0 My body looked great, I was healthy and happy and then they had to cut off all my clothes because of the accident.<\/p>\n
It\u2019s been a difficult journey, but at the same time it\u2019s shown me a lot of goodness in the world from my friends, to strangers to the hospital staff.\u00a0 It also teaches you about your own endurance, perseverance and the strength that you possess.<\/p>\n
![\"Valerie](\"https:\/\/divine.ca\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/06\/Valeries-Cookbook.jpg\")
<\/p>\n
Part 2<\/strong> of Valerie Azinge’s story will be up tomorrow.\u00a0 Her cookbook, 30-Minute Low Carb Dinners<\/a><\/strong> is on sale now.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
I joined Instagram posting pictures of what I ate.\u00a0 I started getting some traction on the IG page and looked into other fitness enthusiasts that were doing a lot of diet and exercise content. That inspired me to dive more into that lifestyle.\u00a0 People enjoyed my photos and recipes and I ended up being promoted by several fitness accounts.\u00a0 Eventually, it turned into \u201cMy Digital Kitchen\u201d because I figured that I have a knack for this.\u00a0 It allowed me to educate myself more, create more recipes and share stories of my progress.\u00a0 That led to \u201cMy Digital Kitchen,\u201d the food blog.<\/p>\n
I started getting questions from friends and other people who asked if I ever considered selling my products and I always insisted that it was just for fun.\u00a0 At the time, it was just for fun, I was working at a law firm as a personal injury law clerk. I come from a family where notable careers are acknowledged like being a lawyer or doctor.\u00a0 I realized that I wasn\u2019t really happy doing in my role so I was literally looking for something else that I was good at.\u00a0 I tried other things without knowing that I was already doing something that I was good at.\u00a0 I always thought that my blog was just for fun.<\/p>\n
I took a step back after I got fired from my job and realized that this was something that I\u2019m good at and there is a market for it.\u00a0 You can actually help other people make better choices when it comes to sweets and desserts.\u00a0 I also had a problem with sugar and I was trying to limit my intake or substitute it for healthier sugars that have a lower carb content.\u00a0 I decided to register my business which is a dessert catering business, going that route while still doing the food blog and going around the city marketing myself.\u00a0 I did a few pop ups and was starting to get some traffic from that.\u00a0 It reinforced that there is a market for this type of business.\u00a0 I believe in firmly standing behind your product.\u00a0 If it\u2019s something that I don\u2019t like or I don\u2019t believe in, then I\u2019m not going to put it out there.\u00a0 Even though I may not have a large menu, the little menu has been tested many times, improvements have been made and its quality \u2013 I\u2019m all about quality.<\/p>\n
I was moving forward with the startup, getting the paperwork done, and having very good year.\u00a0 In 2018, I was doing a lot of marketing, getting traffic to my business and doing well.\u00a0 It wasn\u2019t easy, I had some ups and downs but I was getting the hang of it.<\/p>\n
The Accident<\/strong><\/h3>\nIn September of 2018, \u00a0my friend was giving me a ride home from an event on his motorcycle.\u00a0 At first, I was hesitant, because I had never been on a motorcycle but I figured it was something I could check off my list of things that I had done.\u00a0 I had protective gear on \u2013 a helmet, a jacket \u2013 everything.\u00a0 We were literally ten minutes away from my apartment when a drunk driver veered into our lane and knocked us off the bike.<\/p>\n
When they say your life flashes before your eyes, it literally did.\u00a0 We were thrown off in opposite directions.\u00a0 He flew 100 feet and I flew 20 feet and landed at the edge of the road.\u00a0 I heard the thud.\u00a0 The car was damaged \u2013 it was an awful scene.\u00a0 I tried to get up to run, but I couldn\u2019t get up.\u00a0 My pelvis was completely shattered.\u00a0 My boots flew off my feet.\u00a0 Everything was broken.\u00a0 My left arm was completely fractured \u2013 I saw it hanging off and I was screaming for help.\u00a0 I couldn\u2019t even cry, I was just screaming.\u00a0 A lady who lived in the area saw the accident and came to help me.\u00a0 She told me that I was very injured and that she needed to call 911.<\/p>\n
Eventually the police and paramedics got there and I was taken to St. Michael\u2019s Hospital.\u00a0 I had to have five surgeries and I still have one pending.\u00a0 I was in the hospital for two months and in rehab for another month. \u00a0I made it home about ten days before Christmas.<\/p>\n
The Aftermath \u00a0<\/strong><\/h3>\nThe first feeling that I had was guilt because when I heard that my friend had passed away, I thought if only I had listened to my instincts and taken an UBER home, he would still be alive.\u00a0 His daughter wouldn\u2019t have to remember her birthday as the night her dad died and I would also have been safe.\u00a0 It was a bit of guilt, blaming myself and also a bit of why me?\u00a0 I\u2019m the person that is always so careful, I never take dangerous risks.\u00a0 Even when I have fun, it\u2019s cautious.\u00a0 As an only child, I didn\u2019t feel like I had any room to screw up because everything was on my shoulders.\u00a0 I had to wonder why this happened to me the one time that I decided to do something.\u00a0 I was wearing the proper gear; he was driving at a safe speed.\u00a0 We were very cautious and then this happened.<\/p>\n
At the same time, I realized that since I\u2019m still here, I need to fight.\u00a0 I fought really hard, and that\u2019s why I\u2019m here right now.\u00a0 When you fight hard, you find yourself taking the right steps to recover.\u00a0 Sometimes recovery happens more quickly when you don\u2019t just give up.\u00a0 It wasn\u2019t easy.\u00a0 It was the worst pain that I ever had in my life.\u00a0 I even told my Mom; I bought a new pair of jeans that I was wearing that evening.\u00a0 It was my first time wearing them.\u00a0 That was the best I felt.\u00a0 My body looked great, I was healthy and happy and then they had to cut off all my clothes because of the accident.<\/p>\n
It\u2019s been a difficult journey, but at the same time it\u2019s shown me a lot of goodness in the world from my friends, to strangers to the hospital staff.\u00a0 It also teaches you about your own endurance, perseverance and the strength that you possess.<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
Part 2<\/strong> of Valerie Azinge’s story will be up tomorrow.\u00a0 Her cookbook, 30-Minute Low Carb Dinners<\/a><\/strong> is on sale now.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
The first feeling that I had was guilt because when I heard that my friend had passed away, I thought if only I had listened to my instincts and taken an UBER home, he would still be alive.\u00a0 His daughter wouldn\u2019t have to remember her birthday as the night her dad died and I would also have been safe.\u00a0 It was a bit of guilt, blaming myself and also a bit of why me?\u00a0 I\u2019m the person that is always so careful, I never take dangerous risks.\u00a0 Even when I have fun, it\u2019s cautious.\u00a0 As an only child, I didn\u2019t feel like I had any room to screw up because everything was on my shoulders.\u00a0 I had to wonder why this happened to me the one time that I decided to do something.\u00a0 I was wearing the proper gear; he was driving at a safe speed.\u00a0 We were very cautious and then this happened.<\/p>\n
At the same time, I realized that since I\u2019m still here, I need to fight.\u00a0 I fought really hard, and that\u2019s why I\u2019m here right now.\u00a0 When you fight hard, you find yourself taking the right steps to recover.\u00a0 Sometimes recovery happens more quickly when you don\u2019t just give up.\u00a0 It wasn\u2019t easy.\u00a0 It was the worst pain that I ever had in my life.\u00a0 I even told my Mom; I bought a new pair of jeans that I was wearing that evening.\u00a0 It was my first time wearing them.\u00a0 That was the best I felt.\u00a0 My body looked great, I was healthy and happy and then they had to cut off all my clothes because of the accident.<\/p>\n
It\u2019s been a difficult journey, but at the same time it\u2019s shown me a lot of goodness in the world from my friends, to strangers to the hospital staff.\u00a0 It also teaches you about your own endurance, perseverance and the strength that you possess.<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
Part 2<\/strong> of Valerie Azinge’s story will be up tomorrow.\u00a0 Her cookbook, 30-Minute Low Carb Dinners<\/a><\/strong> is on sale now.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"