My Health & Wellness Journey

Welcome to Everyday Alchemy! My name is Julia LeRoy and I started this site so I could share all my favorite ideas on food, health and wellness with you. If you are really into eating well and taking great care of yourself, you’re in the right place, and we are so glad you joined us!

I feel passionate about sharing my favorite recipes and habits for living a healthy lifestyle because it wasn’t so long ago that I thought my vibrant and healthy days were over. I remember thinking “I will do whatever it takes to feel good again, and once I do, I will never take my health for granted ever again.” This was in 2021 after I was diagnosed with Graves disease, a condition which causes your thyroid to go haywire, which in turn wreaks havoc on every major system in your body.

It was scary. And not just because anxiety is a symptom of that particular disease.
I felt awful. I couldn’t do anything strenuous because my heart rate was through the roof. I was constantly hungry because my body thought it was running a marathon at all times. I was exhausted, but there was no sleep to be had. Nightly hot flashes. Zero sex drive. More of my hair fell out than I was comfortable parting with and I couldn’t think straight. I thought I might be going into early menopause before I got properly diagnosed. Then suddenly there were new doctors and new medications with weird names. And I’m grateful for that. They saved my life and stabilized me.

Once my doctors stabilized me with medication, I finally had the space to ask: What else can I do to feel like myself again? That’s when I started exploring complementary approaches. Working with a functional medicine doctor alongside my general practitioner and endocrinologist, I focused on addressing underlying nutritional deficiencies while consistently monitoring my thyroid. The results were life-changing. I was able to discontinue my medications with the help of my doctors and focus on controlling my disease through living a healthy lifestyle, which you’ll find examples of throughout the site.

Through this journey, I learned that food is truly medicine. That’s why my recipes focus on whole, nourishing ingredients—gluten-free, with dairy and meat in moderation. Living in Atlanta, I’m lucky to have access to incredible small farmers and producers, and I encourage you to seek out the freshest, most nutrient-dense ingredients wherever you are. I say this knowing that none of us can be perfect all the time. I’m not going to lie y’all, there is always a bottle of Duke’s mayo in my fridge. I think it’s important not to get hung up on every detail. I follow the 80/20 rule: aim to eat nourishing, whole foods 80% of the time, and give yourself grace for the other 20%. That doesn’t mean you should only enjoy your food 20% of the time though—your meals should always be satisfying!