Healing in Phases (Part One)

No Exceptions

After receiving several pages of bloodwork from my new functional medicine doctor, I felt overwhelmed, but oddly motivated to start healing my body. In just the 2 months prior I had lost over 20 lbs and I was spending 100% of my days feeling terrible. I was emotionally unstable and unemployed. With no appetite, anything I ate made me feel terrible. I had just lost a family member who was very close to me and I was questioning everything. The root causes of my disease were coming to light and it was clear I needed to make a change.

My doctor ran a special GI test that clearly showed the imbalance of bacteria and presence of parasites in my gut. It pinpointed exactly what I needed to target. As a teenager I was diagnosed with Ulcerative Colitis. Needless to say I had testing run through my GI doctors many times in the past. I had seen some of the best doctors in the country with all test results coming back “normal”. As it turns out, the thresholds for testing covered by insurance are not as precise and many of the pathogens/bacteria/parasites are not even tested for.

Once I received the GI test results, my doctor created a specialized supplement protocol and diet for me.  She was incredible in helping me work through this phase of healing as she presented the new lifestyle in a way that was not going to overwhelm me. This was a balancing act to say the least. Although I had modified my diet before, this was a whole new level of change.

Being the type A person that I am, I took these dietary changes very seriously. The autoimmune protocol (AIP) diet. You may have heart of it. It is believed to only include nutrient-dense foods that reduce inflammation and promote a healthy gut. No dairy, no grains, no alcohol, no food additives, no seed-oils, no eggs, no sugar, no nightshades, no spicy foods…foods that are thought to further irritate an inflamed gut.

You follow the diet for preferably 60 days or more, and reintroduce foods one by one from there. After reintroduction, you come into your own personalized diet of what works for you.

I dove in head first the minute I got home and downloaded the example recipes and meal plans my doctor provided. I created a tracker to see how my diet was affecting my symptoms and called it “AIP is Healing”. This was to remind myself each time I opened it why I was doing this.

It was difficult to say the least. I felt like crap and the list of acceptable foods was tough to follow. I became a label reader. I’d spend over an hour at the grocery store multiple times a week reading labels of packaged foods only to end up buying unprocessed foods in the produce and butcher section of the store. It felt disappointing, but mainly it was enlightening. I couldn’t eat the things I grew up eating. But at the same time, I was amazed how I had become so complacent and unaware that I was eating so many chemicals (even when I thought I was choosing a healthy option).

I followed the protocol, no exceptions, for 4 months before slowly reintroducing foods. It wasn’t fun keeping a food diary and tracking everything I put in my body. There was also no fun in cooking literally every meal at home for 4 months. It was even less fun for my husband who so supportively went along with it. Ross fired up our Traegar grill every night to cook very lightly seasoned meat, usually with a sweet potato or zucchini, for the 2 of us. When I was too tired to cook, he made sure I was eating in accordance with the diet.

For some reason it felt right. I knew my gut was healing, albeit slowly.

My goal was a life where I could return to some sort of normalcy. To get there I focused on the following principles of healing:

A nutrient dense diet, daily mindfulness/meditation, walks outside, grounding, eating breakfast within 30 minutes of waking, journaling, and self-affirmations.

A year removed, I am a different person. I still incorporate these principles on a daily basis to support my body. I choose to live a 90/10 lifestyle. 90% of the time I am choosing to eat and live the way that makes my body feel the best. 10% of the time, I indulge. I’m feeling the best I’ve felt in my entire life.

Most people think I’m crazy when they hear it’s been over 18 months since I’ve had Chick-fil-A, or that if I’m traveling within driving distance I pack a cooler full of my favorite foods. Most people think it’s crazy I went a year without drinking by choice. I guess sometimes it takes over a decade of chronic illness and daily suffering to choose health. For me, it has become the only option. And thankfully, I’ve married the most supportive partner who is right there with me.

Let my journey be proof that only you are in control of your health. My doctor provided a path to healing, but it was only me who could execute that on a daily basis to see results. We place our health in the hands of doctors that we see once a year (if that) for a physical. We spend a lot of time in waiting rooms. If we just put that time and energy into choosing health, maybe we wouldn’t be so sick.