Hey there...My name is Jess and I am a mom... with a cape. That's how I see it anyway. I have 4 "kids": a 3 year old boy, a 5 year old pup, a 1 year old kitty, and a 29 year old husband.
I work full-time, am a DIY enthusiast, amateur photographer, procrastinator, Pinterest addict, organization obsessor (is that a word?), and health nut. I have a passion for knowledge on many things but my heart is really set on nutrition and wellness - so much so, that I got a degree in it.
Yep. Credentials. Impressed? Don't be. Most of what I learned in school was mainstream health advice that is rather inaccurate.... the whole grain, low-fat, high fiber diet that causes a plethora of ills. However, in my schooling I did learn about alternative medicine, holistic care, and food politics which really opened my eyes and taught me how to turn my health around. Most of my knowledge now is all personal research and experience. I read health blogs and articles constantly. I read books, listen to podcasts, and watch youtube videos. I follow experts on facebook, instagram, and Pinterest. I have a constant flow of health info everyday that I just adore. It is my passion and has become so even more since having a family.
I have suffered from quite a few health issues throughout my life - some discovered in retrospect. Once having my son, I became adamant about making sure his health was in tip-top shape so he can enjoy his little life and grow into a healthy adult who is well armed to make the best choices for himself. Boy, is it challenging though. The biggest challenge being TIME and that is where this blog comes in.
Yeah, this blog takes time (and I already admitted I'm a procrastinator) but I have a lot to share with people and I need something to keep me accountable. My hope with this blog is to help spread knowledge and allow people to see that it is a journey. No one is perfect and I plan to share my slip-ups, mishaps, and struggles as well as awesome recipes, what supplements (not many) to use, the ins and outs of paleo/primal/gluten-free living, etc. So, if you are on the same page, can relate to my health story below, or are just looking for somewhere to start into the journey of health and wellness, keep reading this blog! We can be in this together because support is crucial and keeps us going!
My Health Story:
Around the age of 12, I had my first panic attack. I wasn't feeling that well and could only assume it was nausea. I wasn't a sickly child so the act of getting physically ill was foreign to me. For whatever reason, I assigned extreme fear to this feeling and I developed a phobia of nausea/vomiting. I couldn't talk about it, hear someone do it, see someone do it, in person or on TV... didnt matter... I'd still freak out. Not fun times.
For the most part, my panic attacks seemed to either bring on nausea or I had nausea and it brought on the panic attack. Couldn't figure it out. The only pattern for awhile was Sunday nights before the new school week. I guess Id get anxious and work myself up...fight or flight going off at the completely wrong time. I just dealt with it for awhile. They didn't seem too severe or all that frequent until my junior year of high school. I dropped a lot of weight because I went through some emotional things and my anxiety started getting worse. My doctor suggested that it was my hormones and they just needed to be regulated so birth control pills were the answer. They seemed to help for awhile until I got into my early twenties.
I had recently quit a job at a local photography shop doing graphic work to focus on college full-time (still living with my parents). My anxiety sky-rocketed. I was nauseous all the time. Panic attacks almost daily. Didn't want to eat. Couldn't ride in a car. All I wanted to do was sleep and lay in my bedroom. I felt safe there. I was dropping weight quickly (because I was obviously starving) and got down to 100lbs. I'm 5'7. Mmhmm, yeah. I was actually dating my husband during this time... my goodness, he is a patient man!
Eventually, my mom dragged me to the doctor kicking and screaming. I did not want to go. My doctor already knew about my issues but we were trying to go the more natural route with breathing and relaxation. Well, at this point my doctor said "I really think you need to try medication." In my head, I was thinking, "No, no, no, no, no." But I also knew how horrible I felt and had been feeling for quite a while so I decided to take the 'happy' pill.
It did help and I stayed on it for about a year (low dose). Then weaned myself off of it. During that time I really got into fitness and nutrition. I got into BeachBody and fell in love with Chalene Johnson and her TurboJam dvds. I started looking up stuff about eating clean and how it affects mental health. I gained 20lbs back and was feeling a lot better but I still had panic attacks. They weren't as frequent or severe but they still happened.
The only time the panic attacks really seemed to fade was when I was pregnant, in 2009, but they returned shortly after delivery. Again, not as severe or frequent but still happening. After my pregnancy, I started to really suffer with some tummy troubles (IBS symptoms but never diagnosed) and acne. I chalked it up to hormones and stress from being a new mom on top of going to school, working full-time, nursing, new house, social obligations, etc. I'm sure those things played a role but they weren't the entire cause.
Unfortunately, when I got into health I never found ANYTHING about inflammation, gluten, Paleo, or Primal. Everything was from the FDA/USDA and touting "plant-based diet". All the propaganda won me over. I watched the documentaries, read the articles, everything. Meat was "bad". I could never omit it completely but I was really trying to do so. I thought meat was what was causing all my issues. I was not a prime example of a vegetarian at all. I ate LOTS of whole grains thinking I was being healthy. I was reading the blurbs on packaged products that mentioned all the minerals and vitamins in the "food" and just assumed I'd absorb them. Days would go by and I wouldn't have any significant amount of veggies or fruit and I really KNEW better than that. A typical day would be cereal or oatmeal, granola bar, tuna on whole wheat crackers or a PB & J on whole wheat bread with maybe an apple, another snack would be yogurt, dinner might be whole wheat pasta or veggie lasagna. If we went out I'd get fish, sweet potato, and a salad with tons of ranch. I totally facepalm admitting I used to eat that way BUT so many of us do eat that way and we think its healthy because there is no red meat!!
Boy, was I so, so wrong. I was lazy too. (Meal planning is still not my forte!)
Up until 2012, when I turned 29, I basically just "managed" my anxiety, tummy troubles, and acne as they happened. I did everything and read everything I could on how to prevent attacks, fix IBS, and get rid of acne. The most basic "solutions" were anti-anxiety pills, increase fiber or take fiber supplements/laxatives, and wash my face with harsh chemicals like those advertised in celeb-endorsed infomercials. None of that stuff worked. NONE. Those aren't "solutions" anyway - they are band-aids!
I just happened to stumble upon Paleo by chance. I had seen a few people on facebook post about it. I knew it was a way of eating for those who did CrossFit but not much else. I wasn't interested in CrossFit at the time so I figured it was some high protein thing that I was trying to avoid. Well, I started doing some reading on websites and blogs. I started reading about inflammation and gluten. I learned about anti-nutrients and digestion. I researched the whole role the gut plays in immunity and health. Then I bought The Paleo Solution by Robb Wolf on my Nook. WOW! (I'm a science geek so I love learning all the how and why about things.) Should you read it? Yes.... Yes, you should!
So... this February 2012 I took the very first step: I omitted wheat. Insane, right? The American STAPLE! What was I thinking? Well, let me just say after 2 weeks of no gluten, I felt AMAZINGGGG!
What next? Increased my good fats. Wait, wait. Fat? Doesn't fat MAKE you fat? Doesn't the saturated kind clog arteries and give you heart disease? Nope. Good fat does all sorts of glorious things for the body as you will soon learn. I promise.
I have made many, many changes to my diet and lifestyle which you will read in this blog. I feel the absolute best I have felt in a very long time however the very best news....
Anxiety: gone!
Panic attacks: gone!
Digestion and skin: a zillion times better and still improving.
Energy: fabulous with no crashes or sluggish feelings.
Well, that sounds super sales-y but I'm actually serious. For real.
I am not perfect though. Not that I was striving to be anyway...
I fail sometimes.
I crave sweets sometimes.
I don't sleep right many times.
I don't workout as much as I want.
I struggle with emotions sometimes.
I. am. human.
So, I hope you are intrigued or can even relate and are here to learn how to become the best version of you. Nutrition and holistic health have become my passion. I honestly feel it is what I was meant to do. I'm so fortunate to have found my calling and the excitement I have over sharing my experience and knowledge is overwhelming which is why I want to blog. People who share this passion or are looking to get healthy can seek me out and I can only hope anything I share here can help!
Jess
