Why I am so resolved to following this lifestyle...

Previously posted on my FB page...

Good morning! I have some time while Blaine is in his meeting, so I figured I would take advantage of it by posting. 

Why am I so resolved to follow this lifestyle? Why did I begin? How do I keep it up? 

It all started with Blaine, my husband. He and the other 2 guys in his office started juicing & researching nutrition, and then soon began to cut out meat...I thought they were pretty extreme. I called them "nutridiots". Blaine shared his thoughts, research, & green juice with me. Some of it started to sink in (literally), and I jumped on the juicing bandwagon. 

I was in pain every day, so much that there were times that I couldn't move...it was all through my abdomen. I was scared...something wasn't right. It turned out that the juicing helped my pain. I was in less pain, and used the juice as my daily medicine. I then started cutting out any artificial colors and flavors, which eliminated so many foods. I remember that moment in Walmart...I thought, "huh...we'll never eat candy again." I was determined...so determined. If it wasn't helping me, it was hurting me. If it was hurting me, it was hurting my husband and children. I trudged on, skipping the candy and not looking back. My family's days of brightly colored this and that was over. Cereal, candy, drinks, snacks...they all fell under this umbrella. Life instantly became easier with so many foods eliminated...less to sift through! This decision alone cut out nearly 90% of the food at your average grocery store. There was no turning back, now! 

The pain was improved, but still there. I began to turn to primarily vegetarian meals. Once again, the pain was further improved, but my digestion was still messed up. I traced the issue back to the days that I had meat. I eliminated meat, and nearly right away virtually eliminated my digestive issues. After awhile the pain was nearly completely gone. Funny, because before this I could show you how many pain free days that I had each month on my fingers. Now, I can tell you that I haven't had debilitating pain, or any sever enough to drastically affect my quality of life, in the last 10 months. The pain that I do have is fleeting, stomach acid, and I'm learning to control it. This pain, before, would keep me in bed, on the couch, and affected my children. My temper would be short when I was in that much pain, I couldn't enjoy them, & we couldn't enjoy each other. Just try to stop me, now! I'm a completely different me! Around Christmas I began Kinect Just Dance 4 workouts. I started with 10 minutes, very uncoordinated and awkwardly, but I did it. It felt so strange, but I kept on. I do 30 minutes on a regular basis now, but can do an hour...the more intense, the better! The kids love to dance with mommy! 

During the course of this, I took at least a couple new real food baby steps a week. Tackling chemicals, assimilating organics in, changing the way I thought of food, doing the kid's school lunches, cutting out all added refined sugars, and battling GMOs...lots of research...lots of progress.

The things that I can't find that are safe, well, I make them myself...flatbreads, corn tortillas, etc. These changes, and the dance workouts, gave me the confidence to go to self defense classes. As it turns out, I'm quite good at it! The dance, which I've also gotten quite good at, retaught my body how to move, twist, flex, & jump. All of which helped greatly with self defense. My confidence shot up every week! I've never felt better! I went from barely having enough strength to make a meal each day, and several days a week I couldn't even do that, to making multiple meals each day & so much more!! I have so much energy that I can make unbelievably healthy breakfasts, lunches, & dinners, freeze fruits and veggies, prepare delicious sorbets, do dishes multiple times a day, pack the kids amazing lunches, enjoy my babies, & work out...all in one day!! It's crazy, I tell you! Oh, and guess what? I'm a runner, now! Slowly, but surely, it is happening. :) I love it! 

The health benefits aren't just my own, though. You know that nasty flu bug this year? I think we got it, but it was very mild and only lasted 3 days. Last year, I was up at the school at least once a week in the winter with the nebulizer for my oldest son, who was 6 at the time...not once this year! The baby  was so sick last year...croup multiple times, huge respiratory issues, frequent albuterol treatments, steroids, etc...he caught a few colds this year, but the junky coughs only lasted 2 days, instead of 2 weeks. I didn't have a cold all winter! Sure, we fought viruses here and there, but they were mild, because our bodies were so strong. 
Our home is a much happier, healthier place...why would we ever go back? :)