A few years ago, I furiously started a little blog called Pills to Paleo.
I say furiously because that’s what I was — furious. After years in therapy and years on meds, I accidentally discovered that nutrition was at the root of my mental health symptoms.
I was happy to start healing, but I was livid that no one had ever told me about the connection between depression, anxiety, and nutrition.
My motto was this: If no one else is doing it, I’m gonna do it.
When I started that blog, I had no idea that I would ever become a Nutritional Therapy Practitioner, let alone a Reiki Master.
I just wanted a place to share my story, get my feelings out, and maybe help others. I spent hundreds of hours on message boards, forums, and obscure websites trying to find answers, and there was no way I was gonna let all of that go to waste.
Fast forward to now: things are a lot different.
I wish I could go back in time and show the old me what I’m doing now. I have a successful nutrition practice helping others, I’ve shared my story on multiple podcasts and websites, and — more important than anything — I am healthier, happier, and more emotionally stable than I’ve been in my entire life.
I’m so happy I can’t even keep my eyes open.
Because so much has changed, it felt time for a change. I wanted to birth something out of celebration and love, rather than spite, bitterness, and pain.
Changing “names” and websites is no small task (I’ve spent the last six weeks building this one from scratch!), and it’s not something I did on a whim.
Today, I want to share the 4 reasons I’m saying goodbye to Pills to Paleo.
Here they are:
1. I’ve become conscious of medication shaming, and I don’t want to perpetuate it.
I won’t sugarcoat it: psych meds were absolutely toxic for me, and they caused my body and mind so much harm. That being said, not everyone has this experience, and you’ll never find me making blanket statements that they’re horrible for everyone.
I truly believe we all have our own healing paths and that everything happens for a reason. You want to know something? I am deeply grateful for my experience with psych meds. They showed me contrast and ultimately ignited my health journey and rebirth.
Because I’m wary of sending the message that I’m fervently anti-medication for everyone, I wanted to drop the “Pills” part of my name. I don’t want to lead with that, or emphasize it.
I support those who have been harmed by psychiatry, and those who find refuge in it. This mental health stuff is hard enough, and the last thing anyone needs is to feel more judgment or stigma. If you’re curious, you can learn more about my stance on psychiatric medication.
2. While I still eat mostly “paleo,” the definition has gotten so loose that it makes me uncomfortable.
I still eat paleo (aside from occasional white rice and goat dairy), and it’s still the dietary template I recommend for the majority of my clients.
But within the last few years, “paleo” as a concept has gotten far, far away from its roots. We’re in the middle of what I call the “plasticization of paleo.”
(And yeah, I totally realize I’m the scene kid whining about how their favorite band “sold out.”)
Big Food has caught on to the huge wave in nutrition consciousness, and they’re finding ways to make ancestral diets “convenient.”
While I’m all about certain convenience foods (I love Epic Bars and RX Bars, for example), I don’t love that paleo newcomers could easily think it’s fine to just swap a Nutri-Grain bar for an RX Bar.
It’s all about context, and eating REAL FOOD, and I’m worried that context is going out the window for lots of folks.
On the flip side, I also hate all of the fear-mongering that happens in the paleo world. Certain big-name bloggers and “purists” make people think that if they slip up once, their cellular health will be in the toilet for the next 8 years.
Ain’t nobody got time for that.
I still consider myself a “paleo person,” and I’m very active in the paleo community. I just want a slight amount of distance, ’cause y’all crazy.
3. I’ve grown and changed a lot. Who am I to say it won’t happen again?
You guys. I don’t even recognize myself. It startles me sometimes.
Five years ago, I was a pizza-hoovering, beer-guzzling, cynical-as-hell agnostic.
These days, I make beet kvass, practice Reiki, and muscle-test everything.
I’m a fervent believer in divine intervention, ’cause there’s no way Pizza Holly would have done any of this on her own.
I see growth as a constant process, and I intend to do more of it. Where will I be five years from now? I’m not sure, and that’s exciting.
Over the last year, I spent a lot of time trying to pick a name for my business other than my own. But I kept coming back to the realization that I would likely outgrow any name I chose. Holly Higgins is the only name I can’t outgrow.
It’s just a bonus that it sounds cool and is easy to spell. I’m only mad that I couldn’t snag hollyhiggins.com. Now you know my maiden name, Fisher, which is now my middle name.
4. Using my own name is the ultimate exercise in being myself.
Last year, I wrote a post about the original root cause of my health crisis. And by “original,” I mean the domino that set all the other dominos in motion. That domino was NOT BEING MYSELF.
Hiding out, staying quiet, and pretending to be the person I thought people wanted me to be is what made me sick in the first place.
It was in that energetic state of depletion that my mental and physical health started to spiral downward. I needed nutrition to crawl out of the deep rut that I ended up in. And when I came up for air, I needed some massive soul healing.
I made a vow to always be myself, and I don’t know a better way to do that than to use my own name. Welcome to the new chapter, friends. This is just the beginning.
ALSO: I’m writing WEEKLY now, because I actually have time for it. Hop on my email newsletter by downloading my “Diet + Depression Quiz” below. I’ll keep you up to date with posts and let you in on juicy, subscriber-only tips and ramblings:
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I absolutely love everything about this, Holly. I’m your number one fan!! Am I also the first person to comment on your new blog?!!?!?! ❤️ Congrats on this journey of being yourself. That has been an integral part of my healing journey as well (and I’m still working on it). Love you HH!!!
Thank you so much, Shakeena! I love you too, dear. And yes, you’re the VERY FIRST comment on the new site! <3 I did import a lot of old posts from Pills to Paleo, but you're the first new comment. Thanks so much for all of your support. It means the world to me! XO
I love everything about this. You continue to inspire me—
Thanks for your continued support, Elissa! I appreciate you!
Hi Holly – I’m a new follower (and also new student with the NTA!) and I love your honesty, vulnerability and straight forward approach. Thank you for sharing your story and your journey. I’m looking forward to learning more from you.
Thank you, Melissa! Congrats for joining NTA — you’re gonna love it!
I love your authenticity! You inspire me to keep growing and evolving into a new truer version of myself. Thanks Holly!
You’re so welcome, Naomi! Glad you’re finding inspiration here! 🙂
So proud of you, Holly! You are truly an inspiration for us all; to be our real selves and to put our body and health first, whatever it takes! ❤️❤️
Thank you so much, Stacey! XOXO
Love everything about this; your way with words, your brutal honesty and willingness to put yourself out there. You will be a shining light to others who follow, I’m so sure of it!
Thanks so much, Aysin! I feel the same way about you! XO
Hi, I just wanted to share that I have pretty much gone through the same experience as you, and it’s really nice to know someone who had mental health issues due to poor nutrition/food sensitivities as well.. I had mental health issues (severe depression and anxiety) since I was a child, and had no idea that nutrition had any affect on my mental health as we are told that it’s just a ‘chemical imbalance’ and the only solution is to take a pill. I never liked the idea of taking an anti-depressant. I did take xanax though when I was in desperate need of relief (so not everyday). I have gone through a very long journey dealing with severe mental illness and healing myself, but basically what really healed me was when I began to follow a low carb diet and eliminated all potentially problematic/inflammatory foods it was like night and day for me! I felt normal and happy for the first time in my life! And now I also feel very passionate about spreading the message that nutrition affects your mental health greatly.. and can be the sole cause of mental health issues. I plan to pursue a career where I can help others heal themselves through diet and lifestyle changes as I have as well. 🙂
That’s awesome, Britney! There are lots of us and we’re not alone. There’s a great deal of stigma around mental health, though, so not many people share their stories. I hope you continue to share yours, and I wish you the best on your path!
LOVE LOVE LOVE!! All makes perfect sense 🙂
Thank you, Miss Ashley! XOXO
Hi Holly,
I am on a similar road to self discovery & helping to heal my anxiety with nutrition. I just discovered a talk of yours on YouTube & I then I found your website 🙂 In the talk you mentioned that there are only a couple probiotic brands you recommend, and you said if anyone is interested in them to ask you after. Would you mind sharing the brands with me? I take one now, but I don’t want to be ‘throwing my $ in the trash’! Thank you for sharing your story & helping others because of what you went through!!
Hi Angela,
I’m glad you found the video informative! The two main brands I use in my practice are Prescript-Assist and MegaSporeBiotic. Both are spore-based and shelf-stable. And of course, emphasizing fermented foods, like sauerkraut. Hope that helps!