Life as a Gift! by Anni Dahms
By Anni Dahms
Founder of the retail chain ANNI’s VITAL SHOP.
Nurse- & Health specialist, Biopath and Nutritional Adviser.
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I am sitting here on one of my first days in my new home. The surroundings have become a bit smaller, but they are incredibly beautiful, with magnificent nature just outside the windows.
A Changing Time with New Challenges
Several It has been a time of change with many new things. I know that many loyal customers have been wondering about everything that suddenly happened at Annis Vital Shop. I have not had the time, health, or energy to explain the sudden change in my health and what happened with both the business and myself.
Transfer of the Business to Nils
I have now transferred the business to my son Nils, who has faithfully worked with me for over 30 years here on the Costa del Sol. This has been done with great joy and pride that he has the courage to take it on. The transfer took place just before my illness when my heart started giving out in a serious way.
The Hospital’s Care and Support
In early December, when many were busy enjoying the Christmas season, I was admitted urgently to Carlos Haya Hospital in Málaga due to severe heart problems. Here, I received the best care at all levels—from cleaning staff to aides, nurses, and especially the highly skilled doctors, who, despite their busyness, had time to talk and be humane.
A small example: one day during rounds, two doctors came in. I, who otherwise never cry, began to cry, and I received a big, loving hug from the female doctor. She said there was no time to cry now; instead, we needed to work to get me better. It was so beautiful and heartfelt, something I had never experienced before. I was put to bed for two weeks with strong medication and was well taken care of.
I am a nurse myself, and in all the years I have both worked and been a patient, I have never experienced anything like it. The doctor’s words gave me courage, vitality, and energy to work for my health.
A funny little episode I must share happened on Christmas Eve. I had just come home from the hospital and was lying in bed most of the time. Nils had made great preparations and bought duck and other Christmas delicacies. On Christmas Eve, he was struck by high fever and severe flu. Because Nils was afraid of infecting me, he stayed on the lower floor on Christmas Eve, while I was on the upper floor, where oatmeal was eaten. That Christmas Eve, I will never forget!
Changes in the Business
At the same time as all this, Nils continued as the manager, where many new things were happening in the company. Our skilled and loyal employee went on maternity leave, and another went on an adventure in India. We had to find new staff—people who were trustworthy, friendly, pleasant, service-minded, and multilingual, and who also needed to know a fair bit about health and health products. It wasn’t easy. My son worked alone in the store in Elviria, and often it was late before he could take a break.
Challenges and Solutions with Moving
In the midst of all the turmoil, we were evicted from the house I had rented and which had been the framework of my life for 17 years, and which I thought would be my home for the rest of my life. The owner of the house had transferred “my house” to his son, who wanted to take over the villa as soon as possible. This nearly took the wind out of both Nils and me.
We had to move out of the house quickly, and it was uncertain whether we should buy or rent. Fortunately, my son is very frugal, so he managed to gather his savings and bought a lovely apartment, where we now happily live. The apartment is located in a quiet area with a beautiful view of nature and the sea. It is the move to this residence and our joy and gratitude that it was possible, while my health has significantly improved, that has made me want to share a bit about the past few months.
Transition to Healthier Food
I have always been conscious of my food, but I must admit that I have a big sweet tooth. I have always eaten sweets of the best quality—licorice, candies, delicious chocolate, preferably with fillings and organic. But sweets still have no beneficial effect on the body and burden the liver, kidneys, and pancreas, as well as cause unnecessary fluctuations in blood sugar levels and can lead to high blood pressure.
If I wanted to continue living well, I had to sharply revise my eating habits and eliminate sweets, cakes, and other unhealthy pleasures. I still take strong medication and feel it is therefore particularly important to eat healthily. This time I intend to stick to my dietary revision, which otherwise usually only lasts a couple of weeks. It is difficult, especially when my store is full of “healthy sweets.”
My sweet habits have been shelved overnight, which still feels hard. However, I have allowed myself to eat two squares of dark 85% chocolate daily, which contains lots of antioxidants and other good things. At the same time, I have strengthened my daily diet with healthy foods like vegetables, fruits, almonds, nuts, and lean meat. By nature, I am a big meat eater, but I have now switched to primarily lean meat. Virtually all my food is organic because I believe that both I and nature do best this way.
Since I still get very tired, I make food as naturally as possible and completely uncomplicated. I am not a big juice drinker, but a healthy juice consisting of both vegetables and fruits is good. Remember to drink it slowly so you absorb all the good nutrients.
For many years, I have replaced gluten-containing food with gluten-free products, which I personally think taste better. For example, my son made gluten-free rolls with buckwheat this lovely morning as I sit and write this article, and they tasted absolutely wonderful.
Previously, I was a big coffee drinker, which has been hard to give up. The decaffeinated coffee tastes good, but does not give the same kick as regular coffee and is also discouraged by heart experts. I have allowed myself to enjoy a cup of organic coffee on Sunday mornings, which has become my day of indulgence with a piece of homemade morning bread.
Another thing that has helped me a lot is avoiding white sugar. Instead, I use a small amount of coconut sugar, which contains more minerals and does not have the same effect on blood sugar as white sugar.
The organic red wine I used to enjoy in the evening has been changed to a very small glass of red wine mixed with two-thirds water. It is not quite the same, but still good enough.
Supplements
As I am still taking a lot of medication, the question of continuing to take supplements has been a major and uncertain issue for me. Even though I have a good education in the alternative sector, I lack knowledge about how to combine supplements and natural medicine with prescribed pharmaceuticals.
I have been incredibly lucky to find a cardiologist who not only has great expertise in his field but also is interested in complementary medicine and has extensive knowledge about which remedies are compatible. This has been a huge help to me.
Q10 and Selenium
One of the few, but effective supplements I currently take is Q10 from Pharma Nord. It is of good quality and has been thoroughly researched by many heart specialists. It is recommended to take Q10 together with a good selenium product, as a lack of selenium can worsen heart failure. Together, these two products work well with each other. There are several studies, including from Lund University in Sweden, that show how important these supplements can be for people with heart failure.
Exercise, Sleep, and Mental Well-being
Outdoor exercise is still part of the routine, but due to the high temperatures at the moment, it is limited to some short walks with the dog until the weather becomes more comfortable.
However, I have difficulty getting the recommended amount of sleep as a heart patient. As I write this, I am experiencing sleepless nights, which I attribute to the full moon and the medication. Although we have many natural remedies for a good night’s sleep in our store, I have decided that my body should find its natural sleep rhythm on its own. In the past, I have had good sleep, so I hope it returns one day. The days when I get a good sleep, I appreciate it all the more.
In addition to supplements, I have also found out how important it is to feel joy and gratitude. I have a relatively fierce temperament, and whenever I have felt angry, worried, or sorrowful, my heart has reacted negatively. Therefore, I have quickly learned to maintain a positive attitude and seek help when needed. This practice has often led to solutions that have felt miraculous to me. It is still a challenge to maintain this new lifestyle constantly, and I often fall back, but little by little, I get better and remind myself that life is like a gift we have been given and which we must cherish and take care of.
