There But For the Grace of God(dess) Go I
We all have that one person that comes in to our lives that when we see them, we just want to run the other way. Not because they are a terrible person, or we don’t like them, but because they remind us so very much of ourselves. They inadvertently point out to us that which we don’t like about our own nature. This is not a judgement call, this is simply a visceral reaction to someone that by their very being, points out to you your very own infallibility.
I was faced with that person for me very recently. She reminds me that the choices I have made, and the path I have taken, could have gone so very differently, and in my eyes, so very badly. My heart hurts when I see the pain and suffering that she goes through, because I know just how I would feel in that very same situation. Reminds me of a scene from the Star Trek The Next Generation movie “Nemesis” where Captain Picard figures out how to beat his nemesis because he knows exactly how he is going to respond.
Why am I telling you this, and how does it relate to health? Well, my choices, my path so to speak, were dramatically influenced by my Celiac diagnosis 15 years ago. I could have ignored the symptoms, ignored the changes that I needed to make to save my life and restore my health, but I didn’t. I made the tough choices, I did the hard work of learning to change my entire lifestyle, and in the process, I discovered a me I didn’t know existed. I discovered this passion for teaching others about health and I can only hope that my journey will help even one person.
To me it is simple now. I avoid all gluten and dairy, I have learned what other foods my body does not tolerate well, and I have adjusted my lifestyle to accommodate this. My children will be healthier than I was (and hopefully most of their peers) and maybe our experiences will help others to make the difficult choice to change their own lifestyles. You know certain things are bad for you, yet you continue to do them. Why? Why do you think it is that even though you know you shouldn’t eat that fried chicken or depend on drive through meals to feed your family, or pizza delivery, you do it anyway. Because you think it’s easy? You think it’s less expensive than eating healthy? Do you think that you just don’t have the time to learn to eat healthy or feed your family healthy food? Let me tell you that you are DEAD WRONG! It is more expensive in the long run to eat junk food. It is more time consuming in the loss of energy, and days missed due to poor health. It is easy to eat healthy. It’s a lot easier than you might think to follow a gluten and dairy free diet. Sure it requires some rethinking of what a meal is, and it requires educating those around you as to why you follow “that crazy diet” or why you don’t eat “normal food.”
People, that “normal food” is what is killing us. It is what makes us fat, what causes diseases like diabetes and heart disease. It’s not difficult to make a meal from scratch, to eat a banana or an apple, to make a salad, to bake your own delicious gluten and dairy free breads, cookies, cakes, etc. You just have to make the conscious decision to listen to your body and to make the changes it’s asking for!
I do believe that everyone needs to avoid gluten and dairy. Celiac Disease is just the tip of the iceberg when it comes to the problems that arise from a diet high in gluten. Wheat is not a healthy grain, contrary to popular belief. It has been genetically altered and modified so much over the past 50 years that it is not even the same plant anymore. Some people will be able to tolerate Spelt, as it is closer to the original form of wheat, but if you are a Celiac, Spelt is no good. As human beings, we are not designed to consume milk after we are weaned from our mothers, and we are most certainly not designed to consume cows milk or any products derived from it. (Yes cheese is derived from cows milk-believe me, I was reluctant to give up my cheese too.)
For me, I am thankful that 15 years ago I made the decision to do what needed to be done to get healthy, and now when I see my own “nemesis” I am reminded that I am never, ever going back there. I will never be that same person. Hopefully you too, will make the decision to do what needs to be done to improve your life. I wish you well!
I was faced with that person for me very recently. She reminds me that the choices I have made, and the path I have taken, could have gone so very differently, and in my eyes, so very badly. My heart hurts when I see the pain and suffering that she goes through, because I know just how I would feel in that very same situation. Reminds me of a scene from the Star Trek The Next Generation movie “Nemesis” where Captain Picard figures out how to beat his nemesis because he knows exactly how he is going to respond.
Why am I telling you this, and how does it relate to health? Well, my choices, my path so to speak, were dramatically influenced by my Celiac diagnosis 15 years ago. I could have ignored the symptoms, ignored the changes that I needed to make to save my life and restore my health, but I didn’t. I made the tough choices, I did the hard work of learning to change my entire lifestyle, and in the process, I discovered a me I didn’t know existed. I discovered this passion for teaching others about health and I can only hope that my journey will help even one person.
To me it is simple now. I avoid all gluten and dairy, I have learned what other foods my body does not tolerate well, and I have adjusted my lifestyle to accommodate this. My children will be healthier than I was (and hopefully most of their peers) and maybe our experiences will help others to make the difficult choice to change their own lifestyles. You know certain things are bad for you, yet you continue to do them. Why? Why do you think it is that even though you know you shouldn’t eat that fried chicken or depend on drive through meals to feed your family, or pizza delivery, you do it anyway. Because you think it’s easy? You think it’s less expensive than eating healthy? Do you think that you just don’t have the time to learn to eat healthy or feed your family healthy food? Let me tell you that you are DEAD WRONG! It is more expensive in the long run to eat junk food. It is more time consuming in the loss of energy, and days missed due to poor health. It is easy to eat healthy. It’s a lot easier than you might think to follow a gluten and dairy free diet. Sure it requires some rethinking of what a meal is, and it requires educating those around you as to why you follow “that crazy diet” or why you don’t eat “normal food.”
People, that “normal food” is what is killing us. It is what makes us fat, what causes diseases like diabetes and heart disease. It’s not difficult to make a meal from scratch, to eat a banana or an apple, to make a salad, to bake your own delicious gluten and dairy free breads, cookies, cakes, etc. You just have to make the conscious decision to listen to your body and to make the changes it’s asking for!
I do believe that everyone needs to avoid gluten and dairy. Celiac Disease is just the tip of the iceberg when it comes to the problems that arise from a diet high in gluten. Wheat is not a healthy grain, contrary to popular belief. It has been genetically altered and modified so much over the past 50 years that it is not even the same plant anymore. Some people will be able to tolerate Spelt, as it is closer to the original form of wheat, but if you are a Celiac, Spelt is no good. As human beings, we are not designed to consume milk after we are weaned from our mothers, and we are most certainly not designed to consume cows milk or any products derived from it. (Yes cheese is derived from cows milk-believe me, I was reluctant to give up my cheese too.)
For me, I am thankful that 15 years ago I made the decision to do what needed to be done to get healthy, and now when I see my own “nemesis” I am reminded that I am never, ever going back there. I will never be that same person. Hopefully you too, will make the decision to do what needs to be done to improve your life. I wish you well!
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