Kate Van HornCondition: Anxiety, Depression, and Recovered from AnorexiaDiagnosed Year: 13, 17-20Foods I Love:Avocado Leafy greens (such as kale!) Kombucha Lemons/Limes Nuts Seeds (chia and hemp) Almond milk Agave nectar and coconut sugar Matcha Green TeaFoods I Avoid:Meat Fish Yogurt Cheese Butter Eggs Processed Foods High Fructose Corn Syrup Non Organic ProduceMy Recipes & ArticlesQuick & Easy Basil Cashew Cream Toasts on August 12, 2017Vegan Chickpea “Chicken” Salad on July 14, 2017Spicy Vegan Black Bean Burgers on May 26, 2017Baked Toasted Coconut and Lemon Donuts on May 13, 2017The Ultimate Kale Caesar Salad on December 13, 2016Quick Miso Mushroom Tofu Soba Noodle Soup on May 13, 2016Maple Balsamic Marinated Tempeh on May 10, 2016Thai Lettuce Boats on February 11, 2016Impromptu Raw Cucumber Sweet & Spicy “Noodles” on February 10, 2016Peach Blueberry Crisp (Vegan, Gluten-free) onTurmeric Root Veggie Pasta Bake on February 9, 2016Mini Peanut Butter Pies (vegan) on November 19, 2015Blood Orange Cupcakes (vegan) onPumpkin Chia Pudding Parfait on November 17, 2015Eggplant “Meatballs” and Veggie Spaghetti on November 14, 2015Roasted Veggie Quinoa Salad with Sweet Pomegranate Vinaigrette on November 11, 2015My StoryI was always taught to eat healthy and had healthy options in my home. I struggled with anxiety from a young age, which led me to feed depressed because I couldn’t find ways to cope. Later, I developed an eating disorder and became obsessive with my food as well as the idea of losing weight. Many with an eating disorder use it as a coping mechanism to control. I was moving away to college, and a lot was changing in my life.As I lost weight, I was not eating a balanced well-rounded diet. When I received treatment for my eating disorder I started to feel better, however the anxiety and depression remained. I learned about mindfulness, yoga, meditation and other holistic approaches to calm anxiety. It worked! These techniques also helped me get over the final hurdle of my eating disorder, which was body dysmorphia. However as I began to feel better about myself, I wanted to continue with my journey to health. I had learned a great deal through therapy about having compassion for myself and started to research vegetarian/vegan lifestyles. I became vegetarian and then eventually vegan, after educating myself about the damage dairy, eggs, and meat have on our bodies, the environment, and the animals. It made me feel most whole and nourished to be on a plant based diet.Check out my website to see how I’m kale-in-it! www.kaleinit.com
