My Story – part 2

“Create healthy habits, not restrictions.” Once I adopted this mindset my life changed. For years certain foods were ”off limits” and if I succumbed to them then my mind would hear about it for days. “You ate X, so now you need to go on a 10 mile run and/or fast for the next day” etc. I would eat #klean for a length of time, but once the “bad” food was around, I gave in and scarfed down everything in sight. This is the problem with dieting/restricting. If you’re told you can’t have something, it immediately becomes that much more appealing to you. You do everything you can to avoid it, but eventually you cave. And then you beat yourself up about it. This then becomes a very unhealthy cycle that continues and you develop a negative relationship with food. Or at least I did.

Growing up I was very active and involved in sports. I swam every day, sometimes even 3 hours per day, so I never had a problem with weight. Due to the fact that I was burning so many calories, I certainly had no problem consuming them. I never considered it an eating disorder, but I definitely had a tendency to binge eat from time to time. My diet consisted of carbohydrates and sugar. I vividly remember eating 6 pieces of pizza in one sitting. Or 4 Krispy Kreme donuts. Starbucks frappuccino for breakfast? You bet. Doritos for a snack? Duh! An entire sleeve of thin mint girl scout cookies? I’m honestly sick just thinking about it. Not to mention, the amount of alcohol I consumed starting at age 14… it was only a matter of time before my body rebelled. And that’s exactly what it did.

Throughout college I frequently felt the symptoms of acid reflux but I attributed it to margaritas and late night pizza. I always told myself “once I eat better I’ll feel better.” I didn’t eat crap ALL the time; I loved and still love salads and veggies. But they didn’t take precedence in my diet like they do now. The bad definitely outweighed the good and eventually it caught up with me.

Fast forward to October of 2015. I remember this moment in time so vividly. I was crying on the phone with my mom telling her I felt so sick. Physically ill to my core. I knew something wasn’t right. A year before I had gotten my first endoscopy where the doctor diagnosed me with a hiatal hernia. He said it was too small to proceed with surgery and there really wasn’t anything I could do. I attempted to modify my diet and took medication occasionally. But this time around it was different. The pain was debilitating. I didn’t want to eat. I didn’t want to drink. I didn’t want to get out of bed. I soon found a wonderful {and different} gastroenterologist who listened to my concerns, and wanted to find out for herself what was going on. She cared. I trusted her from the start and knew she could help. We scheduled a second endoscopy and she took a biopsy. A week later I was back in her office and she cut right to the chase. She told me I had Barrett’s Esophagus. What?

I had never heard of this condition. Immediately I was filled with anxiety. My mind was racing and Google searches of the disease weren’t helping. I soon learned that this is a precancerous condition in which the tissue lining the esophagus is replaced by abnormal, precancerous tissue. Basically my esophagus lining had been destroyed by stomach acid. This is most common in males over 50 years of age. My doctor also diagnosed me with SIBO (small intestine bacterial overgrowth). Fun right? As you might imagine, I constantly suffered from horrible acid reflux, bloating, and IBS. I knew I had to make a change right then and there. I needed to fix this. My doctor told me to take Prevacid every day for the next year. Of course I followed orders, but I promised myself I’d find another solution. As a 28 year old at the time, popping a pill for health reasons just didn’t seem right.

For the past year I’ve been making #konscious choices to fill my body with real whole foods. I cook more than I ever have so I know exactly what’s going into my food. And you know what? I’ve never felt better. I have more energy than I ever thought was possible. My skin is clearer and I no longer feel bloated. My ENTIRE life I’ve felt bloated. Seriously every day. I haven’t known what it’s like to NOT feel bloated. Bloated was my normal. Wait, you mean, your stomach can actually appear flat, your jeans rest comfortably (you can keep them buttoned!?), and you feel light on your feet? That’s a thing?!?!

It’s amazing what food can do. It’s actually LIFE CHANGING. It’s taken me 29 years to realize this and to understand my body and it’s relationship with food. We all have a relationship with food. It’s inevitable because food is a constant in our lives. I’ve learned however, that it doesn’t have to dictate one’s life. I now view it as something that is GOOD for me because I finally know what it’s like to feel good by eating the right kinds of food. I’ve learned that my gut, mood, and energy levels are all directly related to what I put in my body. Now that I know what it’s like to feel good, why would I want to live any differently? All it took was a mindset shift! If you change your mindset to allow yourself to have anything you want, you lose interest in that bad, guilt-driven, excess sugar packed sh*t. I remember how it makes me feel and it’s NOT worth it. I’d be lying if I said I eat #klean all the time. I’m human and I love sweets. I just value my health so much now and make it a priority.

I guess the drastic lifestyle change and food choices I’ve made in the last year have paid off. I had a third endoscopy last month (April 2017). When I followed up with my doctor, she told me the results for Barrett’s had come back negative! I’m not sure I’ll ever be fully “cured” from this condition, but at least I’m on the right track and my body is healing itself. This is just more motivation to continue what I’m doing and view food as my friend, not the enemy. I view food as a gift that nourishes my mind, body, and soul. And that outlook my friends, is essential for my wellbeing.

So as you can see, it is clear why I’m on this journey. I’m on a mission to better myself and my health. This week I started the Institute of Integrative Nutrition program and can already tell it’s going to be an amazing year. I can’t wait to shed some #IINcredible #IINsight soon!