Tuesday, May 12, 2009

The Journey Continues...Or Begins...

I finished reading the Maker's Diet the next day. I decided that I had to start as soon as possible, even though I had no idea what that meant. One thing I was sure of, I saw no other options. I talked to my wonderful husband, Mark, (who was 25 at the time) and told him I had to do it. I didn't know how he would feel about it- (he loved Dulche de Leche ice cream and Cheez-Its as much as I did) so I told him that I would be happy to cook him separate meals. Graciously, he offered to do it with me. Thank God.

I felt a little overwhelmed, but I kept referring back to the maxim of the entire Maker's Diet:

Eat the food that God gave us
In the way He gave it to us to eat.

Translation: God gave us wheat, but He did not give us Twinkies.

So off I went for my first trip to Whole Foods, armed with my trusty copy of the Maker's Diet. I memorized the ingredients allowed on the first phase of the diet and referred to the recommended brands listed in the reference section of the book. I bought the supplements that the book recommended. I changed our entire diets in one day- and almost four years later, we haven't looked back.

We got started the next day. I woke up every morning for the first week or so feeling that I had been hit by a truck. My body was detoxing after months of sickness. I felt terrible, but I also felt amazing. And more importantly- I felt hope.

After the 40th day, I felt well on my way to recovery. I could get out of bed in the morning. And I could eat. I felt hopeful, and I felt thankful- because I knew that this would affect the rest of our lives, and that I wouldn't have cared one bit about it if I hadn't been sick.

The months went by, and then the years, and I continued to follow the Maker's Diet to a "T". My stomach pain wasn't gone yet, but it was now manageable. Still, I wanted more. I knew that as time went by, all of the "good stuff" I was putting in my body would eventually outweigh the trash that I gave it for 18 years- processed food, a lifetime of Ibuprophen and Excedrin, and antibiotics.

Then I got pregnant. I had no idea how my stomach would react to this. Surprisingly, I felt better than ever. After our son was born (we had been following the Maker's Diet for 2.5 years at this point) I kept waiting for my stomach to return to its previous state. But it never has. I believe God used my pregnancy to put the final touches on my healing. I am incredibly thankful for this- I can't imagine chasing around our 15 month old with a brick in my stomach every day.

And that is why I am writing this blog. I've gathered a ton of information in these last 3 and a half years- spent hours upon hours researching the ins and outs of every aspect of God's health plan for our lives. I'm more convinced than ever that yes, God really does know what He is talking about. He knows how He made us and what will cause us to thrive- and what will send us through our lives on this earth limping, or worse, to a premature death.

So if you're up for it, join me on this journey as I share what I've learned, and am still learning, along the way. If you find something that will help you or a loved one, that's great. If not, that's fine too. I hope either way that you will take a moment to stop and think: Do I know why I eat the way that I do? Do I know why I live my life the way I do? Is it really the best way?

I hope I can help you find your answer.






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