If you've known me for any amount of time....5 years, 20 years, 50 years....or 60 years, you know that my health and my weight have been an up and down journey. Mostly up. Mostly down. 

I've been "sick" since 1970. That's a long time.

​A very long time. 

I'm convinced that I contracted Lyme Disease and most likely Erhlichiosis when I was 13. Mom took me from doctor to doctor. They knew there was something wrong with my kidneys but back then, I'm not sure they even knew Erhlichiosis hit the kidneys...and for sure there wasn't even a name for Lyme until 1971 when the first child was diagnosed in Lyme Connecticut. 

I was finally diagnosed with Lyme in 2000, but not tested for any of the co-infections until 2006 when my entire system crashed after receiving 3-4 vaccinations to go to India. I'd also been diagnosed with Epstein Barr Virus twice in my early life. All that combined created a cesspool in my DNA.

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Since arriving in Texas two years ago, my life has taken several paths to not just conquer my health but to get to the root of it. I figured if you get to the root of anything you can yank that root up and throw it in the fire! But have you tried to pull the entire root of a very strong plant? Dandelion? Bull Nettle? 

Usually the root breaks off and the plant grows again...only to be a thorn in your side. 

All these years....47 to be exact, I've been shooting at a target blind folded. 

You can't imagine...or maybe you can....how much I've prayed about this...prayed for healing...prayed for wisdom.

My entire adult life...I've been a Foodie! This blog...my old blogs...always circling those wagons back around food!!!

I've prayed more than most about what to eat....not just giving thanks, but asking if I should eat this....asking the Holy Spirit to show me what and how to eat. 

Seriously...most people just shove food in their faces and never give it a second thought. Me? I'm constantly struggling over food...do I eat this or not? Do I eat meat or do I just eat veggies? Do I eat healthy fats or no fats? 

WHAT DO I EAT?????

My thoughts always go back to:
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Proverbs 3:7 "Do not be wise in your own eyes; fear the Lord and shun evil. This will bring health to your body and nourishment to your bones."

Isaiah 55:2b "LISTEN, LISTEN to me, and eat what is good, and your soul will delight in the richest of fare." (fare is food!!!)

1Timothy 4:4-5 "For everything God created is good, and nothing is to be rejected if it is received with Thanksgiving, because it is consecrated by the word of God and prayer."

Suddenly one day...and frankly I cannot remember how...but I do believe when the student is ready the teacher will come. Out of nowhere, a book dropped in my lap that I'm praying is going to change my life....next to The Bible.

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I decided to let 23andme run my DNA and then I downloaded my raw data into a program Dr Ben wrote to spit out the information in a readable form for us to understand....because frankly, this is all WAY over my pay grade!

What I found is life changing....and I mean life changing!!!! 

The reasons behind my family of alcoholism, the reasons behind weight struggles, the reasons behind depression, the reasons behind anxiety, the reasons behind food allergies and sensitivities, the reason it's hard for me to fall asleep, the reason why I am a 1 cup of coffee girl and a 0 alcohol girl....the reason behind why I am who I am!!!!

I can't tell you how excited that made me!!!

It's not just more pieces to my puzzle...it is my puzzle! It's the form in which to put my puzzle together.

The book mostly addresses 7 mutated genes....of which I have 6 out of 7 and the 7th is dirty but not mutated. And that particular gene...the DAO is a great portion why I have food/histamine intolerances.

Prior to even finding this book I started CRAVING meat after being vegan for almost 2 years. 

I asked hubs one afternoon if he wanted to go out to eat because I just had to have some Salmon. And being vegan there wasn't much meat in our house. I had to have some Salmon! 

Of course he'd been deprived of eating out for over 2 years...and he jumped for it!!! YES!!! YES!!!! LET'S GO!!! NOW!!!

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​I know most of you are just laughing because poor Bob has had to live with all my life experiments...I mean experiences! 

Gosh that man loves me! He has put up with SO much in 36.5 years!!! Ain't love grand!

He has listened to me and adapted his own way of eating to gain better health....he struggles with migraines and is always trying to figure how to eliminate them from his life...he's getting closer and closer using diet and nutrients. He's down to 145! That's always been his goal weight for 36 years!

I am SO glad I listened to the Holy Spirit when He said....EAT SALMON! 

Because one specific gene snip (snps) can only be helped with SALMON!!! Salmon fulfills nearly every single nutrient this gene (the MTHFR gene) needs! I eat Salmon now at least once a week. And I use the app Chronometer (upgraded) to track my intake for the day and to keep me on target for nutrients and staying in ketosis.

I'm not just eating Salmon, but I'm eating ALL meat and healthy fats....grassfed or wild meat, free range eggs, goat cheese, coconut oil, ghee....all as clean as possible. I have to do a lot of drop shipments....but heck, that saves on impulsive purchases! 

My neighbor gave me two big blocks of this gorgeous sausage....it's from Barbary Sheep. OMGoodness is it delicious!!! 

My plate is still filled with veggies. A lot of veggies! 

I work at finding what foods help me fall asleep and stay in dreamland. Dr Ben Lynch recommends a high veggie carb before bed....so it's usually broccoli or butternut squash with a fat. Otherwise he recommends a Keto Diet for cleaning these genes ...mostly the MTHFR gene. I keep my carbs below 25% daily and my fats are higher than my proteins....it's all learning how to wash and scrub my dirty genes!

I drink BulletProof Coffee....again....oh yes, none of this is new! My coffee is my breakfast for 3 days a week when I do intermittent fasting. I fast from 5:30pm to about noon the next day....and I only do this 3-4 days a week. Intermittent fasting has been shown to force the body to create new cells faster. I'm all for that! The gut can be remade in 7 days...that's awesome!!!

BulletProof Coffee is taking strong black coffee putting in the blender with a scoop of collagen, a teaspoon or more of butter/ghee and MCT oil. It's like drinking a healthy Latte! SO good with a dash of cinnamon too!

I'm reassured that "there is nothing new under the sun." Thank you Solomon!!! That makes me feel better!!!

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 July 2016 I weighed in at around 167 size 12/14 and no matter what I did...I couldn't drop 1 pound my health had tanked
I'm now weighing in around 125 and wearing a size 6! 

I think I heard Dr Mark Hyman say, when the body is healing the weight will follow. I totally agree. It's taken me 2 years but it's also taken me 2 years to really begin to heal....and to rethink like a thin person.

I believe the unintended consequences of not eating meat for most part of 2 years was the strain it put on my brain. When I crashed in March 2018, it was mostly all in my brain. The only reason I did start to feel better on a vegan diet was because I ate a lot of leafy greens and veggies....they fulfilled what my MTHFR gene needed, but when my focus shifted to Dr McDougall's method of eating mostly potatoes, being a Starchavore...CRASH LANDING!!! One very comforting fact is that people like Drs Mark Hyman and Ben Lynch also ate a vegetarian diet. No one can be faulted for trying to improve their health. I'm grateful God has never given up on me.

Once I added meat and fats back into my diet, my biggest "fear" was gaining weight again....but after a month of eating mostly a Keto type diet advocated by Dr Ben Lynch for cleaning up my dirty genes...I've continued to drop weight at about 1 pound a week.

​Although weight was never my goal...it is the cherry on top...I cannot lie!!!

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SO, here we go again...another journey to restore my health. Now, I'm truly eating to fit into my GENES!!! 

I love my genes!!! ;)

The video below was the most helpful video I've watched in the last few weeks. It totally explained SO many reasons why I feel the way I do and what the heck is wrong with my body. 

The first alarming fact is....STRESS is cumulative!!! Holy Cow! Then why aren't we all smashed out on the floor...dead from it!!! It actually shows me how amazing a body God created; that it can handle a lot of stuff before it just cries....UNCLE! 

One of the most troubling facts was the weakness in my legs...more specifically my thighs....although I must say that knowing, is half the battle. They feel like I'm 90 years old when I get up. Even though I've been doing squats for several months and I've seen NO improvement....this would explain why. They are atrophied. 

I've also had very high plasma Ferritin for the past 2 years. My doc believed it was due to inflammation caused by the MCAD (Mast Cell Disorder) but I now believe it is caused by Adrenal Fatigue that's been plaguing me for a good 2 years at least that has caused the inflammation. I do remember when I started to get so very tired....after my last battle with anaphylactic shock and having to use the Epi-Pen....filled with epinephrine. Then the Paramedics usually pump me full of Beny and in the ER they pump me some more!. It's ugly!!! Really ugly!!! Then we lambed and that nearly killed me....really. Having the farm just became more of a heartache then it was fun. The work was more then 1 girl can handle on her own....especially when she is nearly 60!!! So last Fall, I sold my sheep (mostly gave them away) and let it all go....it was really a very sad time, but now that I look back, I knew I had to. I knew I was SO tired. The kind of tired sleep doesn't fix. We call it burned out....and literally it is...your adrenals are burned out.
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Really. It's a no wonder.

For now, until I see the Bio-Identical Doctor in a few weeks....this is what I'm doing to keep my head above water as I tenderly love my adrenals back to life.....yes, I do believe that the adrenals can be recovered....I know many don't....but I am not of that mind set.

STRESS in our lives is only going to get worse before it gets better.  Did you know, retirement and moving are right up there at the top of the STRESS chart with death and divorce! Yeah, soooooo I've got a ways to go before I can sit back on my porch in Texas and drink (unsweet) tea! Although, I'm tempted to find a quiet spot at the beach and soak up the sun after The Farmher's Daughter's wedding in less then 3 weeks! Ahhh!

• My Routine To Heal Adrenal Fatigue

*NO Caffeine
*NO Sugar
*Eating a well balanced diet with healing fats, proteins and carbs and that means consuming enough calories to get my metabolism off the ground floor and working again....I think that will come with the adrenals...but what do I know...it's all over my pay grade!!!
*Sleeping 7-8 hours every night
*Using Supplements for Sleep; 5 HTP, Melatonin and Melatonin Blend with Gaba (others I can't think of cause...cognitive ability is impaired!)
*Using Supplements for healing MY body which includes Adrenal Glandulars
*Drinking an organic tea blend infusion (steeped at least 20 minutes) of Ashwagandha, Rhemania, Holy Basil and Licorise to heal the adrenals
*Drinking Golden Milk using Synchro Gold Elixir, coconut milk and honey to help with inflammation
*Using Essential Oils: Positive Energy™ & Sleep Tight™ by Anada Apothecary, my own blends during the day for calming, well being
*Watch very little News....if I can't get it off the computer in 5 minutes then it's not worth the energy
*Tapping
​*Prayer & Meditating on Scriptures
*RESTING
*Love Myself

We all live in this fallen and broken world and consequently we all carry around these broken and bruised bodies. That is, until we are redeemed on the day of Glory when we shall be given new bodies that will never break and then reside with Jesus in the new heavens and new earth for all of eternity.

My body has been through a lot in almost 58 years. Most recently Lyme Disease & 3 co-infections plus,  I've battled MCAD (Mast Cell Activation Disorder) which sent me into anaphylactic shock twice in the past 5 years. That in itself is enough to kill ya!! And if it doesn't kill ya, it will beat you down to a pulp!

Also in the past 5 years within a 2 year span we lost 3 of our 4 parents. That too is enough to break any heart.

Although the MCAD has been much improved, there have been other things ailing me. Things I can't shake. Things that for a while had no name.

If you've known me for any length of time....you know it always comes full circle back to food!!!  I love to talk about food!!! I love to talk about health! It's a genetic thing!

My new treatments this Summer (ok....I forgot to tell you...well I had some treatments so I could eat again.) gave me food without fear again! I am seeing Dr Lisa Gordon in Maryland who has used Advance Allergy Treatment to miraculously clear my body of alllllllll the foods I couldn't eat. My case was one of the most intense, complex and severe that she has seen. My list had become so long, it was easier to tell you what I could eat since it only included 5 foods.

My new treatments include chiropractic care and NRT...Nurtritional Response Testing. I have healed leaps and bounds and am enjoying a wide variety of foods again, including histamines, salicylates & oxilates!!! 

Maybe even too much of a variety of foods!!! Our trip to Texas in September left me with 10 lbs I didn't like or want!!! So, I began trying to my darndest for over 3 months to loose weight. Every new "diet" turned into another 2-4 lbs....and I swear I don't cheat!!! 

It was becoming SO frustrating because literally I could look at food and gain weight! I didn't even have to taste it, but on somedays the discouragement would overcome me and I'd eat some sugar. And especially when the stress came on after The Hired Hand had surgery the week of Thanksgiving......it was just too easy to grab a few slices of sourdough bread slap on some butter and get in the car. That was a nightmare week and we ended up canceling Thanksgiving!

Then I decided to just eat Paleo again. But I was eating dairy and legal Paleo sugars and flours.  Well, that turned into 8 lbs almost overnight!!!! Because those "legal" Paleo Gingerbread cookies were SO good! 24 cookies=8lbs!

I met a gal who was on The Whole 30.....I think I'd heard the words but I didn't know what it was. So on Christmas Eve feeling ever so discouraged I looked it up. I figured....what have I got to loose....hahaha....about 30 lbs.....so Christmas Eve I signed up for free to start The Whole 30!

Basically it is a Paleo diet that eliminates ALL dairy, ALL sugars, ALL grains, ALL legume, and ALL alcohol. Simple right? Pretty much. Because really hard is loosing a parent or fighting with cancer. I've eaten this way in the past....but needed it desperately again. Because why should I throw away my health now that I can eat anything....well, maybe it was so I could taste ice cream, cheese, bread, sugar again......still not a wise choice! 

I discovered along the way while reading their excellent book It's Starts With Food that I am most likely Leptin Resistant.  With ALL the books on health I've read and all that I know....I knew nothing about Leptin! 

Leptin is a hormone made in the brain. It basically alerts the body that it should conserve fat because it's starving. As I thought about it, I most likely became Leptin Resistant during the last 8 years when most of my current medical issues started after going into Anaphylactic Shock 5 year ago. It's just been snowballing.

My body has suffered greatly from a lack of nourishment.  Something that NRT is addressing and correcting with whole food supplements! It's done amazing things for me!

So, here I am.....11 days into The Whole 30....feeling ever so encouraged! 

I love making lamb meatballs (mostly because we have a freezer of lamb)....just an egg to a lb and some oregano, Salt and Pepper! Bake at 425* for 30  minutes!

I have a new toy called an Instant Pot!!! It's the best thing since sliced bread.....maybe not a good analogy! 

It really is a time saver and the food is so moist and yummy!!!! 

This weekend I experimented with Spaghetti Squash which I adore!!! I halved it, seeded and added 1 C water to the pot. Lay the squash in cut side up and set the pot for 15 minutes! PERFECT!!!! I allowed it to sit a bit since it was dang hot....that also allowed water to drain from it.

I make a simple Bolognas sauce with a 1/2 jar of sugar free sauce from Trader Joe's, oregano, salt, pepper, frozen spinach, and 1 C coconut milk!

I added it all back to the IP and set for 30 minutes on the Slow Cooker!

Yum Yum! One of my weekly go to favorites!!!

I know.....you are welcome....I pulled my Nikon out again! I'm not sure why I separated from it for a time....but I suppose that's just the way life is....but I do love the pics using it!!! My favorite setting is Manual....and I'm learning to adjust the lighting. Things take time.

xoxox Diane