Due to chronic pain and disability, I’ve experimented with many diets to try to heal myself. Starting with juice cleansing and ending with Weston A. Price and real, traditional foods, it’s been quite a journey.

I started juicing in 2009 during an injury layoff from my job as a government lawyer. My forward-thinking doctor recommended juicing indirectly when she told me to read Detox 4 Women by Natalia Rose. I became a pro at juicing with a Breville centrifugal juicer and lost 10 pounds.

When I went back to work, it was harder to keep up with juicing, and I eventually stopped. But when things became untenable at work due to the limitations with my arms and hands, I retired based on disability in September 2011. I was then free to turn my attention back to learning how to take the best care of myself.

In March 2012, I underwent an intensive functional restoration program at my clinic that empowered me to take charge of my own health using the tools of exercise, relaxation techniques such as deep breathing, reversing negative thoughts, and an anti-inflammatory diet. I was a star student and finished the program full of confidence and hopes for the future.

Barely a month later, the unthinkable happened. My thumbs, wrists, and forearms were injured during a medical massage, and I could barely use my hands again. I fell into a horrible relapse and experienced the darkest, most painful days of the depression that began with my disability years before.

In October 2012, I did my first 5-day juice cleanse, drinking only fresh, raw juices and eating no solid food. It changed my entire outlook. I had more energy and self-control, weight loss, fewer cravings, clearer skin, and reduced inflammation. Most importantly, my depression began to lift for the first time since the relapse.

After the cleanse, I made juicing a daily practice. Realizing that it was not economical to continue to buy commercial raw juice at around $10 per bottle, I invested in a twin gear juicer (Green Star Elite). I chose that type of juicer because I specifically wanted to juice leafy greens, and my old centrifugal wasn’t cutting it.

Fast-forward to the end of 2013 which was a roller coaster ride of new health challenges, including an unexpected major surgery. During my recovery, I intuitively knew that my body needed to rebuild with nutrient-dense healing foods. I began reading paleo blogs and incorporating pastured meat and liver into my diet. Returning to an ancestral way of eating just made sense.

The gut-brain connection and the importance of balanced gut flora consumed and fascinated me, and I began making plans to do the GAPS diet (GAPS stands for Gut and Psychology Syndrome, a general term for conditions stemming from a compromised gut such as autism, ADHD, allergies, asthma, depression, irritable bowel syndrome, ulcerative colitis, autoimmune disease, and so on).

In January 2014, I attended the Nourishing Traditional Diets presentation at Culture Club 101 where I was introduced to the work of Weston A. Price. It was life-changing. Dr. Price was a dentist who traveled the world in the 1930s seeking the healthiest people groups and documenting their diets and lifestyles. Seeing these people’s radiant health, fertility, and longevity convinced me of the wisdom and power of traditional “sacred” foods.

I began seeking out sacred foods such as raw milk and butter from grassfed cows, pastured eggs from chickens that spend their lives in the sunshine, and lacto-fermented dairy and vegetables. As I incorporate these life-giving foods, I feel in more control than ever of my health despite my disability.

My hope is that this blog will encourage you to pursue optimal health proactively, and not simply hope that you never get sick. Please join me as I chronicle my adventures, experiments, and mess-ups!

 

 

 

Disclaimer: The information contained on this website is based on the author’s experience, knowledge, and opinions. The author will not be held liable for the use or misuse of the information on this website.

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