Journey to Health

As I sit here, slurping my morning green smoothie, I thought I would share some thoughts about the way I've been eating the last several months. Everyone I know seems to be interested in the topic, and since it seems to occupy a good chunk of my mental space, I need to spill my guts, so to speak.

I've posted from time to time about green smoothies, healthy eating, etc. but haven't disclosed a lot about my thoughts and the journey I'm on.

I did share that a few months ago, after a visit with my doctor, that I was going on a "crazy" diet. I eliminated dairy, wheat, and all sugars, including most fruits. I can truthfully say that for the most of that six week period,  I stuck with the program nearly 100%. I didn't even slip in some agave nectar or honey, which is supposed to be healthy......

It wasn't easy. In fact, on a follow-up visit, I begged the doctor to let me go off the diet. She just smiled and said, "No, I think you need to stay on it longer."  She later told me at another follow-up visit (a month later) that my yeast was talking, not me.  Through a series of tests, she felt that I had a major overgrowth of yeast in my system and since yeast lives off sugar, those yeasties in my body were super mad that they weren't getting fed all that delicious sugar and they were dying off.

What a difference another month made! That's when she told me that my yeast had been talking at the last visit. I was even angry about it. Crazy stuff, huh? After another month, I started feeling better. I told her that I really didn't have a desire any more to go off the diet. I had cheated now and then, but I really didn't want to.

What has happened?  I feel SO much better. The difference is amazing. I feel better, physically, emotionally and spiritually.  I have more energy. I have more calmness in the center of the hurricane of my life. I just plain flat out feel better.  In fact, since then I have "cheated" a little, maybe a piece of a delicious orange roll (mmm Jessica made them...) or a tiny piece of brownie, but I don't feel good. My tummy may hurt or I feel sort of cranky and out of sorts. 

My female hormones have really stabilized. I don't have hot flashes every morning any more. I've lost some weight (yay), although that wasn't the focus of the program. I feel more peace.

What have I learned about all this?  A ton. First off, it's a mental thing. The only way to make changes is to make up your mind first. And when the cravings hit, it's the mental part that keeps you on track. Second, it is about sacrificing. Sacrifice is pretty much a law of heaven. You don't get anything good without a little sacrifice, sometimes a lot of sacrifice. But when the blessings come, like feeling good, it is worth the sacrifice. Is it easy? Nope. Do I "fall off the wagon?"  Of course! But as time goes on, it gets easier because I feel better.

So if anyone is interested, I'll keep up the ramblings now and then about a healthier lifestyle and how it's working for me. But it is a journey, and one I plan to keep pursuing for the rest of my life.