Wednesday, May 7, 2014

Once Upon a Time: Part One

I had a friend tell me my blog posts were funny, but she hadn’t learned anything from them. So, I asked, do you think even a teeny-tiny-bit differently about what you are eating than you did before? :)

Oh, well in that case, yes! She replied.

YESSSS! That’s the point! Wahoo! I hope YOU think differently about the food you eat too! Know that food can be a first defense. It is something you can control. Amidst all the many things you CAN’T control, this is one thing you can. 

Let’s talk about my protocol. 

Buckle-up, it's gonna get ugly. 

Ok, not really, I think I just wanted to type that.

So, once upon a time, I was put on an anti-inflammatory diet (January 20th, 2014) specific to me. Blood, stool (I can’t believe I am admitting that, when I swore I would never tell a soul) and spit. A lot of each. I was tested top to bottom (littttterally). Many insurance companies won’t let tests like that be taken unless you're showing that you absolutely need it. But, by the time you need it....you get the picture.

Anyhoo. I needed help---adrenal gland-wise, hormonally, immune system etc. I asked my doc if that was normal---he said it didn’t really matter, it’s my current normal and they were gonna change it. They were going to change it so I could get better. I was going to learn how to manage my disease. Take that HASHIMOTOS!

I knew, for close to one month beforehand, what was going to happen. I had one month to mentally prepare my foodie mind (I mean FOODIE, like LOVE food, like-I think I am an expert on food because of the Food Network Foodie, like I yell at people when they do dumb things with their Chopped 'baskets' foodie) to forgetting my current food know-how. I started grocery shopping to get into the habit and began trying-out recipes. I wanted to be ready.

When January 20th came, I had an okay knowledge base about how to eat, a stocked fridge and a cemented determination that it was now DAY ONE and I would see it through---come heck or high water. I was sick and soooo over it.

(A few of you are easing yourselves into your new 'food life' and I applaud that. When you have your DAY ONE---the one where you don’t look back---you’ll be ready.)

Day two. I wanted to quit. I woke up raging. I was starving. No amount of prep could get me through it. I cried. I was exhausted. I felt terrible. SEE, healthy food makes me feel like crap! Sheesh! Breakfast, lunch and dinner that day were the worst tasting meals of my life. Nothing got done in my household. I actually got rather angry. The ‘why me?’ moment may have happened (I will never confirm or deny that).

Day three. Worse. Worse. Worse. Who wants broccoli for breakfast? CRAZY PEOPLE THAT’S WHO! Oh and then let’s add in some headaches— super bad ones and yep, the flu. Or flu-like symptoms I later realized. I was a sugar addict going through withdrawals. I was eating grapes as if it were the apocalypse. You know why, right? Because they are one of the most densely sugared fruits out there and my brain knew it. Get this, I don’t even like grapes. For all the fruit I was consuming I had to eat tons of protein to balance it out. It was a horrendous display of nutso. (Don’t worry, we had a ton of family crises going on at the same time, just for added effect).

France was so nice to me and I was beastly. He’s my favorite.

Day 4-7. Withdrawals. Every heartbeat. 

Day 8- Now.  You guys. I learned. I learned about my own willpower. I learned about food outside of packaging. I learned what I love to eat and what I still can’t stomach (Dear eggplant, who invented YOU? I mean really). I learned what it’s like to feel good, feel clean in ma'tummy. I was liberated from that nasty feeling you get when you eat crappy and know you’ll just sleep it off and do it again tomorrow. I had so many ups and downs. The want of sugar was constant, for a long time

POINT OF TODAY:

You may not have an autoimmune disease, but you might be heading that direction faster than you want to realize. Diabetes, heart-disease, joint pain everything etc can be fought-by you, and you are worth it. I am not saying this will cure anything (it could!!! depending on what you've got going on!!), goodness knows I will fight for the rest of my life. I am doing this for me, I am worth it. But it will change you, you will feel different, you will be shocked. Do you need to work with a clinic to help you? If so, ask me. If you simply need to overhaul your relationship with food, stop putting it off. Get educated about why food can be your first defense. The coolest thing to me in the world is the science behind all of this. I literally received a map of my insides and how they were, or were not, functioning. How calming down the inflammation in my body would change me. I am talking at the cellular level here. Get educated so you are armed with the information you need to help yourself, your spouse, your kids, anyone really. 

To be continued....

Part Two by Friday (I can’t make any promises here, but I will strive to get it done!).


PS I know a few of you have already started changing your 'food life' and have experienced change already. Someone in particular has stopped napping in the afternoons and has more energy than before. If you are who I am talking about, please write it down and send it to me. We all wanna know. 


PPS If you need info, read It Starts with Food. It's like a food textbook, but more fun to read than it sounds. Just read it. Take some time and get educated. Okay. There ya go.

***If you know someone with an autoimmune disease or someone looking for a change, send 'em this way. Spread the word-it's a happy word. Share!****

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Small Print: I am not following Whole30, but had I not found my clinic, I would be. I use all the Whole30 information and it's fabulous. Start there. For realz.


This guy wanted in on my typing after his nap, I love 'post-nap' face.


We went and picked lilacs for our living room, they died like an hour later. Oops.

1 comment:

  1. I love me some broccoli for breakfast's. Clean in ma'tummy, clean in ma'tummy! Hahaha! You are hilarious. Lilacs need water. I love you. Keep on spreading the evils of sugar! You even inspire me. Yep. ME. ~Love, The rabbit. :)

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