A New Journey

I have begun a new journey and I invite you to join me!

It all started about three months ago when I had a very intense conversation with my brother and sister-in-law. I asked them what they thought would help me with my current health problems. You see, Brad and Cindee are incredibly healthy and know a great deal about health considering that Cindee is a nurse with a huge responsibility in a medical practice and Brad is a retired firefighter and an accomplished gardener. This is a way of life for the two of them.

They both knew that I have struggled with migraines, fibromyalgia, cholesterol problems, weight gain, fatigue, and more. In many ways, I have felt my life slip out of my hands over the last ten years. I spend three or four days a week completely shut down by pain and the rest of the time I have absolutely no energy to accomplish the many goals I have set for myself. I am able to continue my part-time editing responsibilities, but so many other challenges are waiting in the wings and have been on hold for years now as I wait for something to change for the better.

So I put it to the two people I respect most: What should I do? What will make the difference I need?

Diet. Change the food I eat and the drinks I drink. Specifically, the huge amounts of sweet tea I down every day.

Now, you have to understand, I make a fabulous sweet tea! The recipe has been passed down from my grandmother and, if you want the best sweet tea in the South, I’m your lady.

And as a true Southern gal, I loves my sweet tea! So to hear from my dear brother’s lips, “Stop drinking that sweet tea!” . . . well, it was just short of heresy. (And to be honest, at this point in the conversation, my brother and I were at such a volume of  . . . “discussion,” I think we were frightening my sister-in-law, who actually said at one point, “Brad, you’re being mean!”) So I told him I would do it. He doubted I could or would . . . he knows how much I love the stuff and how many times I’ve said I would go for a healthier lifestyle and fell short.

But he explained how much sugar was in the amount of sweet tea I was consuming every day and I began to see his point. It was disturbing. So I agreed to do it . . . half to attempt better health, half to prove that he was wrong. (It’s a big sister thing . . . if you have younger sibs you understand.)

And starting the next day—while I was still visiting in Orlando—I began drinking strictly water. Seriously. And besides my morning coffee, that’s all I’ve drunk ever since (besides a very occasional Diet Coke . . . just being honest here). And I have begun feeling better! I am not as sluggish in the mornings and have actually lost a couple of pounds. A great start!

Fast forward to last week. I was editing a book about diets for good health. (I can’t share the title yet, but I will once it’s on the market.) As I read, I was struck by the fact that all of the problems the writer was discussing related to me. My primary problem? Inflammation. That one issue is at the root of everything that complicates my life.

So how do you begin to fix inflammation? You remove the things that are inflaming your system. According to this doctor, there are three things in our diet that are typically responsible for inflammation:

Sugar

Dairy

Gluten

So when I finished editing the book, I decided, that’s it! For the next six months, I’m going to eat sugar-free, dairy-free, and gluten-free.

That was last Saturday (3 days ago).

I went to the grocery store and stocked up on fruit, vegetables, almonds, soy milk, coconut oil, gluten- and sugar-free cereal . . . foods that will help me build three meals a day plus snacks. I’ve also fixed a delicious salmon dish with rosemary and onion . . . yummm!

This was not about losing weight (although I’ve already lost two pounds). It was about getting my life back. Achieving my goals. Reclaiming my freedom to do what I want to do when I want to do it. And in the long term, it’s about drastically reducing the likelihood that I’ll wind up in ten years with diabetes, Alzheimer’s, cancer, or any number of other issues that would be coming down the pike quickly considering the number of meds that I’ve been taking.

Oh, that’s another thing. I talked to my doctor yesterday afternoon. He drew my blood to run some baseline tests. We’re going to check back in six months and see if I can get off some of the meds I’ve been taking for all of these problems. Wouldn’t that be great?

I will walk humbly all my years
    because of this anguish of my soul.
Lord, by such things people live;
    and my spirit finds life in them too.
You restored me to health
    and let me live. (Isaiah 38:15b-16)

So join me for the ride. Here we go!