No, All This Healthy Food Didn't Kill Me...

I've been getting a lot of "flak" lately from my family about not keeping up with my blog. I guess I didn't realize anyone was really reading! Just kidding! 

Not to make excuses, but in my last post I talked about beginning this new journey of healthy eating. And that is exactly what has been taking up a big chunk of my time! 

I am a food and nutrition researching FOOL! Who knew how food heals our bodies could be so fascinating?! I am loving every minute of it! My family maybe not so much! There are times I think that they think I've gone into lupus psychosis. (that's yet another lupus thing I never want to face). Not only do I love learning about these things because I know God is going to continue healing me as I treat my body the way it should be treated, but also, because I know he is going to help use this experience of healing in my life to help others. Others who are stuck relying on medications, living with disease and sickness when things could quite possibly be reversed! 

Don't get me wrong, I am all for medication when necessary! But WHY rely on medications that bring along more negative side effects than positive action? Especially, when you could so easily try putting the RIGHT things in your body to heal it first!

For example, my mom. She goes to the doctor for high blood pressure. What is the first thing they say? Cut out salt, exercise and lose some wight. That's not easy. So they get put on medication. Over the years my mom has been off and on her medication. Off when she eats the way God intended her to eat! BINGO! Her BP is normalizing so why need the meds? Continue with routine doctors visits of course to monitor. Simple as that. 

But is it really that simple? No.

Pop a pill each morning 
OR
try cutting out salt, processed foods, eat more fruit and veggies, whole wheat, cook more, etc.?

I may have said this once before, but I have been on Cellcept since April. Some pretty hefty doses. I need to point out though that sometimes medications are necessary for life. This medication is VERY important in transplant patients. It is also used to try and control lupus. My thought on this is that if I can control my lupus without the drug, why not try that first. Yes, I may realize down the road that I do need immunosupressive therapy again. But that is not going to be my fist line of treatment! 

This is why I find popping a pill is NOT the easy way out:
 

And that is just the tip of the iceberg on the side effects of this drug. I'm not even going to list the other negative side effects found in my 4 other medications. 

I think you get the point...

This journey has already been amazing! I can't even begin to list the people who have been encouraging and supportive of me!

My beautiful friend Rachel and I decided to start this journey together! She does not have a chronic disease like I do, but is as fascinated as I am with whole foods and healing the body! It's been great to have someone as passionate as I am to join my journey. 

I will be continuing to post more about this new life plan and how the process is going. And, I promise to be better at keeping up with things! ;) (family!!)

This is NOT a diet. And I will never return to eating as I did. This is a new way of life for not just me, but my family. It is a lifestyle, but not one that I am boasting or bragging about. That is never my intent. 

It is not about what others think of me. Too green. Crazy. Tree huger. 

The is about saving my life. Period. 

 

Wonderful Wednesday

Wonderful things this week:

My baby girl has been sick, waking up coughing in the night and can't get back to sleep. Sunday night was the first night since she was a newborn I brought her in bed with me. We actually both feel asleep and cuddled in bed for a while, letting the sunshine in! Bliss. Although, I do think I may have some bruised ribs, it was worth it! She is quite the kicker! 

 

 

Would you just look at there sweet babes?! The top picture is of Elin and my sweet nephew last year. We decided to put them in the same spot this year and take a pic! Of course, all they want to do now is eat!

 

 

I made these healthy chocolate chunks Monday! Oh my, what have I done. They are addicting and GONE. As of yesterday. Good thing I am out of cocoa. Not sure if I should buy any more. Ever. 

 

Playing in the leaves with my sweet nephews! They buried me. I had leaves everywhere and I was pretty itchy the remainder of the evening. 

I had to take off for bible study, so I had my sister-in-loves inspect my hair. Haha. As I was sitting through the video during the study, some leaf particles fell out of my hair into my book! Lol. I don't think anyone noticed. ;)

Elin praising Jesus with daddy. So wonderful! This makes my heart sigh...

(My apologies for my voice in the background. Ugh.)

Have a wonderful Wednesday!

Why Do I Feel Like I'm 90?!? Part 1

I’m going to go way back to my first fight with Lupus. Yes, I call it a fight and I WON! She put up quite the fight. But my God dominated! This was the first sign that I had an illness. Unfortunately, I did not realize what it was until months later. This was mostly due to the fact that I refused to listen to my family and call a doctor! Opps. 

In December 2011 I woke up with pain and stiffness in my fingers and hands. My hands would be stuck in the position as if I were holding a pop can. But eh, there was no can there! They were often red and sometimes swollen. Some days were worse than others. Most days, it would take till afternoon before the pain and stiffness would subside. It started out mostly hitting me in the mornings, but then the pain would go well into the afternoon and evening. It was during these nights where I would save the dirty dishes for evening just to get some relief from the pain! Ahh, warm water! What a relief! And added bonus, I got the dishes done! :)

I remember one evening getting so frustrated that I couldn’t even change my own daughters diaper or put on her pajamas. I cried and felt helpless. I felt like a horrible mother. My guy quickly stepped up during these times, helping me do what I just simply couldn’t, and reminding me that I am NOT a horrible mom!

My work girls and I would try and diagnose. Carpal Tunnel Syndrome was a hit. There were a couple days at work where I would have to ask the other nurse working with me to open up my patient’s pills and fill syringes for me. My fingers just would not work how I wanted them too!

Then this crazy pain and stiffness threw me for a loop! One weekend around Christmas my knees were attacked by pain and stiffness just as my hands had been. Only now, my walking was affected. That weekend I remember having to crawl up the stairs! “Look E, mommy has to crawl like you now!” Lol (She wasn’t walking yet at that time) Some days it would be both knees, other days, just one knee.

She (lupus) didn’t stop there! She just HAD to find another spot to try and debilitate me! To the toes she goes! It’s like the pain and stiffness was working its way down. Well, there’s nothing past my toes so good! 

My family kept telling me to call the doc. But I didn’t. Just when I actually thought about it I would have a good day with hardly any pain or no pain at all! I asked my unit doc for his opinion. He wasn’t sure, but told me it sounded like Rheumatoid Arthritis. I disagreed and said I was too young for that!

There was an end in site! Praise Jesus! My sis and I stared Prism at church. Basically, Prism is a weight loss group where you rid your diet of refined sugar and flours. I wanted to lose some weight, but more so, wanted to be healthy and create a better healthy eating lifestyle for my family. 1 ½ weeks into the program, the pain and swelling in my hands, knees, and feet that I had been experiencing for a month now had vanished!! All I have to say is that it’s amazing the simple changes we can make in our lifestyle to better ourselves!

To find out more information about Prism visit: http://www.pwlp.com/

A new class starts often at DFC. I highly recommend this program! It really works!