Backgrounds and Beginnings

Welcome to my blog...this is not my first experience with blogging, but certainly my first "public" blog.  Sharing personal information is hard for me, but honestly, with the help of GOD, I've had a life-changing experience, and feel like I need to share. So, here's a bit of background...

 

I come from a line of women who can COOK.  I'm talking about stick-to-your-ribs, buttery, creamy, cheesy goodness at every meal.  Cooking is a past-time, a hobby, and a way of life around here.  Like my momma, I can cook and bake with the best of 'em.  In fact, I consider hospitality and sharing food with other's one of my gifts.  I mean, it can't be all bad right?  Taking a good meal to someone who is ill, or breaking bread with friends is a good thing, but what about the consequences?  To be honest, these same women who are amazing cooks, are also living, breathing autoimmune and blood disorders.  These disorders are spurred on by obesity and (drumroll) inflammation...cousins, aunts, sisters, we all suffer from excess weight.  We live in the South and supposedly extra weight is expected, what's the harm? We can pop our pills and swallow it down with sweet tea with a smile :)  All joking aside, during the last few years, I have noticed just how detrimental our lifestyle was becoming to our health. 

 

Personally, I've had a long list of health problems for years.   Thankfully, I didn't inherit the serious blood clotting disorder, but I am full of autoimmune problems.  Most of which started in my teens.  Here's a partial list:

 

 

Hashimoto's Thyroiditis (Autoimmune)

PCOS (Endocrine related, probably Autoimmune)

Endometriosis (Endocrine related)

Rosacea (Autoimmune)

Dermatitis (Autoimmune)

 

And, various other random things that come and go, or frankly, things I don't want to share.  Creams and pills were a part of my life.  So was fatigue, weight that was impossible to get off, horrible looking skin, various issues due to thyroid...I was a mess.  I remember turning 33 and having blood work done, which was also a mess.  I was almost pre-diabetic, thyroid antibodies were through the roof, lots of markers off on my blood work...not good.  It was scary to think about my life in 5 years.  Looking at family members, I could see the writing on the wall...diabetes, lupus...the list goes on and on.  Helpless is the only feeling I can express.  I began a half-stitch effort to improve our eating habits.  Slowly, but surely, I was buying more organic foods, using lower-sodium products, etc., yet the reality was a typical dinner for us was still chicken and dumplings, mashed potatoes and fried cornbread or biscuits.  We love veggies, really do, but I would boil the fire out of them (sorry, dear broccoli) and cover them with butter, cream them or make a cheese sauce.  Surprise, surprise, no real change took place.

 

In August of 2014, my wonderful, handsome, awesome (lol) husband, who has always been active and fairly slim, found himself moving beyond his typical pre-diabetic stage into full-blown diabetes.  What a wake-up call.  For some reason, I found it pretty easy to abuse my body, but when it comes to someone I love, well, momma sprung into action.  Nutrition has always been really interesting to me.  In fact, it was my favorite class in college.  The benefits of a plant-based diet were not beyond me, yet I had NO idea how to make this happen with my "meat and potatoes" household.  I began to pray. Proverbs 3:6 was constantly on my mind.  "In all your ways submit to him and he will direct your path." You see, I have this little issue in my life...it is called OBEDIENCE.  Knowing and actually DOING the right things can be a struggle for me.  I knew GOD wanted to give us life and give us life abundantly.  That clearly doesn't mean surviving on prescription drugs and still feeling horrible at all times.  But again, what to do?

 

One night, we were at church and I was casually talking to our pastor and his wife.  The Daniel Plan was mentioned.  Truly, I knew nothing of it and shrugged it off.  The next week, I saw the book at our local library and picked it up. The moment I started reading, I knew change was coming.....

 

My next post will share how we got started, not too exciting, but will hopefully begin to answer some of the questions you all have.  Please feel free to post questions in my comments and I will try to answer the best I can.