Coming out of high school and all through college, I was all about “healthy living” — except I had no idea what healthy was. I exercised excessively and ate low-fat vegetarian. I lived by and obsessed over an unhealthy desire to be stick thin. I chased after accolades and accomplishments.
The cost was high. Chronic headaches, living under self-imposed stress, loss of menstruation, hair falling out, seasonal allergies — to name a few.
A wake up call of sorts came with marriage and my first pregnancy. I realized that my own body was critically nourishing another being, and that was my most important job. (Though I still had a lot to learn; here are our birth stories.)
This began our slow road on the path of healthy living, which eventually led to the nutrient-dense, traditionally prepared foods my family eats today — the same ones we share here and in our membership daily. (Plus other aspects of healthy living like alternative healing methods, a simple lifestyle, enjoying life more, and non-toxic cleaning, to name a few.)
Ups and Downs
Along the way, though — ups and downs:
Down: Ever-increasing and debilitating seasonal allergies.
Up: Complete reversal of those allergies due to gut-healing diet. (I’ve been allergy-free for 3 years now.)
Down: Seeing our children suffer with food allergies and eczema.
Up: Reversal of food allergies and eczema through gut-healing, traditionally prepared whole foods. Experiencing the truth that God’s foods heal.
Down: For me, too much work and too little exercise. Gaining weight. Losing mobility. Still having headaches.
Up: Working less, exercising regularly. Losing weight. Gaining mobility. Few headaches.
Big up: Redefining beauty for myself as strong and healthy and happy and looking good inside and out — rather than needing to be stick thin. Seeing it happen in my life and loving it. For real, no regrets, just before I turn 40.
3 Things
When I look back on how our downs were turned upside, I see three things at play:
First, a Great God who cares very much and wants the best for us. A God who listens to our prayers and leads us down the Right path. Oh, how thankful I am for His Goodness and His Care!
Second, the importance of putting yourself, your family, and your health at the top of your list. If we don’t prioritize taking care of ourselves through the big and small choices we make every day — how much we work or stress out, to what we eat, to what chemicals we allow in our homes or environment, to how much we move our bodies, to how we handle setbacks and challenges — we pay the price through disease or poor health. It’s the difference between thriving or just surviving.
(I’m not saying to disregard the needs of others or not to serve others. What I am saying is: don’t neglect your health or your family.)
Third, great teachers. Besides knowledgeable friends and family, or even a really good alternative healthcare provider, the internet offers a wealth of information… all at our fingertips.
Even the library is better than it used to be! eBooks are free or inexpensive, and easy to read and store on a computer or eReader. Talk radio is like ten times better when you consider all the podcasts on health topics that give daily inspiration, encouragement, and information for your journey. I listen to at least one podcast each day while doing dishes, gardening, folding laundry, or cooking.
(When I was growing up, we just had the library. If the library didn’t have it, we couldn’t get the info. Not only were we too poor to buy many books, my family culture was frugal anyway. We borrowed or bought used rather than bought new. It’s a good way to grow up, but information was harder to find.)
Almost everything I’ve learned about allergies, traditional cooking, essential oils, fitness, gut-healing — came from an eBook, blog, or podcast. Or my husband’s wisdom. (I put that in here just for him, and it’s true. He’s a wise man.)
Is it too cliche to say this? I think I’ll say it anyway. My heart is full of hope and thanksgiving! I’m grateful for the journey, what we’ve learned, how far we’ve progressed… and I’m excited about the future.
= Hope
It’s a great time to be alive — and to feel the hope of getting better, progressing, and moving forward!
Do you agree with me… or not?
Where are you struggling? What are you working on?
Are you making progress or losing ground?
Do you feel hopeful about the future or do you wonder if it’s even worth it?
Are you getting better or feeling worse?
What’s your story? Please share — I really want to hear!
...without giving up the foods you love or spending all day in the kitchen!
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I listen to a lot of podcasts too because I love to be learning all the time. I was just wondering what are some of the podcasts you like to listen to? I am always looking for good recommendations!
Sarah — I’m putting up a podcast today answering this question. I’ll let you know when it’s live. 🙂
Sarah — Here’s the podcast telling which podcasts I listen to.
http://KnowYourFoodPodcast.com/84
(I wasn’t able to get it up last week because of being so busy working behind the scenes on the ultimate healthy living bundle; I apologize!)
I don’t often go for bundles…but this looks truly awesome! I think I will get it through your link 🙂 (I follow several of the HLB bloggers).
Yes, I echo Sarah’s sentiment above- I would love to know which podcasts you listen to!
Julie — Thank you so much. 🙂
I’m putting up a podcast today answering your question about which podcasts I listen to. I’ll let you know when it’s live. 🙂
Julie — Here’s the podcast telling which podcasts I listen to.
http://KnowYourFoodPodcast.com/84
(I wasn’t able to get it up last week because of being so busy working behind the scenes on the ultimate healthy living bundle; I apologize!)
Dear Wardee, I have been reading your website for over a year now…and bought your book and started with water Kefir first and then Kumbocha , and fermenting different vegetables, now I am mostly doing beet juice…however, I must tell you what has helped me the most in my life is the following video http://www.antidoteforall.com
Rita — Hello, I’m so happy to meet you and hear about what you’re doing. Thank you for the link. I will check it out. 🙂
My story is a LONG one. Beginning at birth in 1949 with severe constipation which lasted until 1985 when IBS kicked in and I went to you know where and back with my intestines daily.
I was sick a lot growing up with everything under the sun and missed no less that a month of school every year. Lots of penicillin and other meds. By the time I was a teenager I was sleeping 10 hours a night, taking a two hour nap in the afternoon and very lethargic.
My mother looked at my friends, then at my brothers and then at me and decided I was anemic. However, none was ever found and the doctors never offered any other solutions or suggestions. I had female problems from the time I started my period and when I became a teenager I had chronic vaginal yeast infections. Sometime after I was married, prayer from our Pastor took those away but none of the other symptoms. HALLELUJAH!
I also had a below normal temp. Don’t even get me started on what doctors tell you today. They have lost their clinical skills and will accept anything as normal unless it’s above 99. I was taught in biology in the 60’s that normal temp is 98.6 and I’ve proven it with myself (another story).
Growing up I had car sickness, motion sickness, tinitus (ringing in the ears) and probably some other things. When I moved out of home at 19 my below normal temp would drop leaving me flue like (aching all over) and fatigued. I would call into work sick and literally sleep all day. After I got married I never knew when this would hit or how long it would stay. Over the years I got to where I knew my temp was dropping and the lower it went the more fatigued I was (mercury thermometer always proved I was right). Death Warmed Over is how DH described me. Sometime in the last 15 years my heavenly father healed me of that Praise God (another story).
I had allergies before I knew what they were and sinus problems before I had ever heard of sinuses. 1985 I crashed (my words) and would drag myself out of bed like I had always done and collapse on the couch unable to even stand and do my dishes. I would get periods of reprieve on rare occasions which I will never understand and find myself simply doing the things that needed to be done without thinking about it. I knew it wasn’t in my head. I had gotten to the point where I have since lived with very little energy and a host of other symptoms.
The beginning of 1986 I traded 9 month out of the year 24/7 hay fever symptoms for sinus pressure and pain. My head felt like a large balloon ready to explode and I noticed elevation changes and slight weather changes. I can be in a closed room with no doors/windows and tell you that a single solitary cloud moved. Two years ago this past June I had sinus surgery for two of my problems and it helped but not with the chronic sinusitis.
As a Christian (starting in 1967) I would get prayer and was told to go get a physical to find out what we were dealing with so we’d know how to pray. They would do their standard physical and tell me “Congratulations on your clean bill of health. SMILE! You’ll fell better.”. And those that knew me called me the sunshiny person. Go figure.
In 1986 I gave up on doctors and took matters into my own hands. This was before internet and I spent all my time in my favorite local book store at the health section. I would skim books and say “Not me, no I don’t have those symptoms. That looks interesting, I’ll buy it”. The first book I read was William Crooks “The Yeast Connection”. I remember sitting in our apartment with my jaw dropped. I had ALL of the symptoms and scored high on the yeast questionnaire.
Problem was I had no doctor who believed in it so I couldn’t get any prescription antifungals. No knowledge of natural antifungals such as garlic. No will power to do the diet on my own (I was on the S.A.D. back then) and no support. I even had an allergy doctor tell me he was a quack and gave some story about a 12 year old boy that had nothing to do with it to prove his point. Plus, I had so many symptoms (I haven’t listed them all) I found it hard to believe that something that simple could be the cause of all of them so I kept searching.
At one point, fibromyalgia (which I now consider a catch all term) went ballistic and I wrote a 14 page health history beginning at birth. At the suggestion of my chiropractor and hubby, I condensed it to 7 pages with a cover page. I even went to Dr. Paul R. St. Amand who wrote the book on the subject when DH was out of work. I had mad money which we spent and he confirmed I had it and that the fatigue was worse. I did guaifenesin for a year and was able to walk again.
Eventually through alternative doctors I received 13 diagnosis. Chronic fatigue, fibromyalgia, allergies, sinus problems, IBS, irritable bladder (since the age of 2), low thyroid, low adrenal, diverticulosis, osteoporosis, mercury poisoning, seasonal affective disorder, gluten intolerance.
I did everything under the sun to no avail. I’ve done candida diets more than once and although I’ve had some die off have not gotten well. I’ve also tried going gluten free (for a year and a half), Armour thyroid, getting my almalgams out with chelation therapy, allergy shots, tons of supplements and different diets and many other things.
In 1997 before we bought our house, I began learning about whole foods and since then I’ve done many great things but not gotten well. About 5 years ago or so we started green smoothies, high raw, healthy salads etc. We’ve also done kefir off and on for years, kombucha and cultured veggies. Over a year ago (while following Doug Kaufmann “Know the Cause” and not seeing results) I found out about a local co op buying club and indoor farmers market and I joined. Arleen who founded it told me I needed to be overpopulating my gut with probiotics and cultured foods. While I had done some of that I now make it a big part of my day but I’m told it’s a slow process of healing.
16 years ago I had a stool test which showed candida and dysbiosis but the doctor I was seeing didn’t treat it very well thinking there was something else going on. Another doctor I went to later upon hearing I had candida gave me a prescription for Diflucan and told me to take it for a month and it would eradicate everything. WRONG! Almost two years ago I did a stool test on my own and it showed the same thing as the one 16 years ago. Problem is, no one agrees on what causes it or on how to treat it. And in my case I’ve done many strict things over the years. How many years and how strict does one have to be (not easy when you don’t feel good and can’t be bothered). I have noticed some positive benefits from things we’ve done such as green smoothies, more fruits/veggies, salads etc but have not gotten well. I also drink 1/2 gallon of water a day with a little sea salt.
Several years before my mother passed away I found out she didn’t nurse any of her kids for the same reason i didn’t (inverted nipples). I started putting two and two together and here’s what I think. No mothers milk so none of the immunities that come with it. Hence why I was sick a lot. I’m pretty sure what she fed me as it’s what we gave my younger brother and what they gave babies back then (and I don’t fault her). Evaporated milk and Karo syrup. Two very unhealthy foods. Poor diet high in carbs and sugar and refined foods. Lots of stress (parents divorced, poor diet, antibiotics and sickness, married into a family with autism (another story for which a book will be written one day) etc.
At one point, before whole foods, I had the scare of my life. If I ate anything sweet i.e. a cookie, candy bar, piece of cake, soda etc, it would give me an instant high such as I’d never known and then 30 minutes later put me to sleep. It scared the living daylights out of me and I gave up sugar completely for a whole year. Now I mostly do stevia with occasionally some raw honey or coconut sugar.
Funny, but at the end of last year God gave me a scripture out of Proverbs 13:12 which says “Hope deferred maketh the heart sick but when the desire cometh it is a tree of life” and then told me it was my season for healing. I’ve had one thing after another this year. Including in May when I was out of town with my sister in law and a church conference and I evidently picked up some intestinal parasites (discovered what it was two weeks later when they went systemic). My sister in law came back fine and we ate at the same restaurants and drank the same water. I’ve had problems ever since even though I did a good parasite cleanse which helped. I’m awaiting a comprehensive stool analysis which I ordered online to see what it shows.
I haven’t had a doctor in a number of years and don’t want one. It would definitely have to be a God thing if I did go to one.
Sorry this is so long and this is the condensed version. LOL I’m sure I’ve probably left something out that I wanted to say. That’s ok. Thanks for your website. BLESSINGS
P.S. I only know that my heavenly father is faithful and his will is always healing. Whether he miraculously touches my body, or I finally figure out what to do in the natural, HE GETS THE GLORY!
Carol – Thank you for sharing your story. I am overcome with many emotions. Both sadness for the hard journey you’ve had but also gratefulness for your testimony of giving God glory and waiting on His timing. I will be praying for you! Big hugs!
THANK YOU SO MUCH. It has been very frustrating to say the least. Especially since I know the word says that healing is part of the atonement (Is 53 etc). No Christian should be sick as I study the word. But I know we live in a sin filled world and he doesn’t always get his way. I trust it will happen as I have a call to the mission field and I have not doubt that he will fulfill his promises. Thanks for praying and letting me share. BLESSINGS
Hi Carol! My name is Kristie and I have struggled with some of the same problems you have. I prayed and researched for a long time before I decided that mercury was likely a root cause for me. That doesn’t mean it is for you, but it might be. I carefully chose a SAFE dentist (trained in the safety precautions for removing mercury) and had my fillings replaced. I have done alot of other things also, but really feel that getting the dental work done has allowed me to heal so much. I have a website if you are interested in my health discoveries and journey.
That’s one of the many things I’ve done that did nothing. Not sorry I had my alma gams removed but chelation therapy did nothing good or bad. I belonged to both of Andrew Cutler Halls groups and read his books. Thanks!
I know God has heard your prayers. I can tell you have faith in God and faith does move mountains! God did lead me to some doctors that helped me. I also had to do a lot myself. I also had friends to pray for me whenever I needed it, and it was one of those friends who was at a obstetrician appt. and God showed her another doctor at the office who knew about adrenal fatigue! So that is the doctor I started with and she later sent me to another doctor. My case has been a hard one for the doctors to understand. (And I see integrated doctors). I haven’t seen a doctor in a good number of months because I am doing really well, and because I feel God is helping me through research with what I have left. I have started a blog, and know God can use my experiences to help others. You might want to follow along, and if you have any questions I will answer them to the best of my ability. (I am not a doctor-I can only give a humble opinion not medical advice). But most importantly, I know God has the answer for you. I remember how overwhelming it was when I was sick so I want to encourage you and not sound trite.
Hugs,
Kristie