Tuesday, February 21, 2012

Why What I Eat Matters to Me Again...

So, I haven't shared anything on here in a really long time....mainly because my original objective for this blog kind of went out the window after awhile. Here's a little update on what has transpired since December of 2009:

About a third of the way through 2010, after a several months of eating a mostly whole foods diet and drinking fresh vegetable juices, I hit a weak point. I was feeling much better physically, but had become frustrated with the fact that I was the only one eating such a strict diet. I felt kind of like a weirdo in the world of my friends and family, and decided to just give in and start eating "normal" again. It was easy to do, since everyone else was and I had forgotten the physical pain I had felt before. By fall of 2010, my endocrinologist informed me that I had a potentially cancerous nodule on my thyroid gland, which I had biopsied in October. It came back negative, but this scare did not deter me from neglecting my diet.



By spring of 2011, I had discovered that I was no longer having allergic reactions to milk protein and went all in on eating cheeses and creamy foods. Being without dairy for so long and finally having access to it turned me into some kind of crazed monster who knew no sense of moderation. I brought home cheese and pepperoni pizzas more than once a week and I even went through a three or four month phase where I got my "daily milkshake" at the drive thru.

During this time, I gained close to 20 lbs and my heartburn was back and worse than ever. It was so bad, in fact, that my husband rushed me to the emergency room in July because we thought I was having a heart attack. At that point, I was diagnosed with GERD (gastro-esophogeal reflux disease) and was told that I had a hiatal hernia, explaining the incredible pain I experience when anyone or anything touches my stomach.

I continued to ignore these telltale signs during the holidays. I had discovered Pinterest and wanted to try every uber-unhealthy recipe/idea I could pin. By New Years, when I discovered my eczema had returned, I decided I had had enough. I wanted to make significant changes in 2012 to benefit my health, because the chronic pain was no longer worth the taste of what I was putting into my mouth.

In January I tried a 3 day juice fast, just to see how it made me feel. The first day, I felt like crap...but the second and third day, something amazing happened. The pain and sensitivity in my stomach went away completely! The pain came back a day or two after the fast, but this was a tell tale sign to me that my nutrition has everything to do with how I feel. For the past month, I've been eating mostly raw and cooked vegan foods. I've lost some weight and feel a litle better, but it's not 100%.

So here I am, between healthy and sick, and I desperately want to get better...so here's my plan:


-Starting tomorrow (the first day of Lent), I will embark on a 48 day juice fast. Drinking only fresh fruit and veggie juices, supplemented by flax oil and chlorella powder. My amazing husband will be doing this fast with me. Part of his reason is in support of me, and part to make significant changes in his life. I think this long of a fast will reset our bodies' health in a very positive way.

-During the juice fast, I will be sharing updates and videos on this blog to keep in the loop those of you who are curious or who are interested in doing this yourselves.

-As Christians, of course, we thought Lent would be a wonderful time to start this so we could also use this experience to focus on time with God and what He wants our life together to look like.

-After the fast, my husband and I plan to live a healthier lifestyle that will prevent me from the pain I currently experience.

So there it is! Want to share with you guys in this experience that is about to start in, oh, a few hours! Have fun eating! I'm headed to the fridge to eat a papaya, my last solid food for the next 48 days.

Good night!

Kelly

11 comments:

  1. best of luck! if you will continue you will have tremendous health benefits! I am looking forward to your next post!

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  2. I just started a juice fast yesterday and I wish you the best of luck! I really identify with your story - I used to eat vegan, whole foods a few years ago, but now I've found myself indulging in every kind of food that I would have never even touched before. I've gained weight and my body is tired. I want my health back too!

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  3. Good luck! I am on day 5 of juicing and feel euphoric...it is amazing!!!

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  4. Yay for you! And how wonderful to have support from your family! What a living testament to the difference nutrition makes.

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  5. Thanks everyone! I'm officially in the middle of my first day of juicing and it's going great so far! I will have another update for you later today! :)

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  6. Hi Kel, thanks for sharing and allowing us on this journey with you. Could you tell us what you're juicing. I'd like to know so as to get an idea of what and how to juice. I'm awaiting my juicer and would like to put it to good use once it arrives.

    Again, thanks.

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  8. Kelly,
    Thank you so much for this post! You spoke right to my heart! I too did exactly what you did. My whole life I was allergic to dairy and was always eating a much stricter diet than most of my friends growing up.

    My fr. year in college I was diagnosed with Celiac disease and my diet restricted even more. I was also told that as my insides began to heal on a gf diet, I may be able to tolerate dairy. One night I accidently ate some dairy in something that I was told was dairy free and did not have an allergic reaction to it. After that little taste I was sent into a frenzy of "omg! I can eat what all my friends are eating now!"

    This consisted of phases of gf pizzas, milkshakes, tubs of ice cream, and lots and lots of cheese. I felt sick, couldn't exercise, didn't fit in my clothes, and felt mental foggy and kind of depressed, but I felt "normal" socially.

    I too gained 20 lbs. It took about a year to put that on. Now, a year later I am just now beginning to take the weight off and revert to my old dietary ways. I'm starting to feel much better and can't wait to be my old self again.

    Though the outcomes of our experiences may not have been the most desirable in the long-term, I think they were experiences that we needed to have in order to learn what we aren't missing.

    Be gentle with yourself! And best wishes to you and your healing journey!

    Melissa

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  9. Thanks for your kind words, Melissa! It is good to hear from someone who has a background much like mine. I do not have Celiac disease but have heard stories from people who do and it sounds very tough. I'm glad you are finding relief and best wishes for you as well. :)

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  10. Hi Kelly, I like your history and the deia about the 48 juice days. Can I ask you: Why 48 days?
    In january I satay 30 days raw, was a good experience. I had the same feeling of you ... about the friends, teh family and the fact I'm alone in the diet and then I stoped.
    I living in Brazil and I'll follow you blog.
    I have a roiw blog, but is in portuguese: crulinara.blogspot.com

    Hugs

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  11. Hi Kelly,

    Great blog, my husband and I watch fat, sick and nearly dead and tried a juice fast for a day...we didn't make it. But it helps to know that the hunger pains go away...I do love fresh squeezed juice too! Anything with fruit! You go girl and I will subscribe to your blog! I love the idea about filling jars with juice!

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