I feel a little bit like Morton Downey Jr...

I used to occasionally hear about someone dying of cancer or suffering from some sort of digestive ailment.  Then, I would hear about one a month, earlier this year, one or two a week. Now the average is one or two a DAY, that is not a typo.  I went to the hospital yesterday to visit my best friend's husband whose kidneys shut down.  Earlier that week, that same friends grandson was hospitalized because he wasn't eating or able to digest his food.  Her husband is in his late 50s; the baby is 4 1/2 months old.  Then there is my step dad's best friend, who is dying of liver cancer. My grandnephew who is also not eating because of reflux (he's 13 months old) and might have autism. Not to mention my uncle, who passed a few months ago from colon cancer.

In this non-medically trained person's opinion, they're all tied together by a common thread - they're all related to digestion and possibly their diet.  I realize that for those of you of a more scientific bent, this "evidence" is anecdotal. I'm okay with anecdotal evidence because I'm seeing it increase to the point where it can no longer be ignored.  Even today, the medical community has labeled obesity a "disease".  Where I become like Morton Downey Jr  (or was it Susan Powter) is to look at you through the lens of this blog and scream at the top of my lungs....."STOP THE MADNESS!"

I came across this article this morning that essentially states that common medications, such as Amox-Clav, are killing our liver. There is also this article that shows the growing instance of digestive disorders in the United States. The data only goes to 2004, so I'm working on getting more current information.  Although, it begs the question, if it was this bad nine years ago, how much worse is it now? I also found this article, which lists the top 10 causes of death in the US last year.  In my estimation, 5 of them are directly related to lifestyle.  Some might argue that all of them are. 

Below is a chart taken from that article.

                        

What madness do I want to stop?  All of the destruction being caused by the Standard American Diet (SAD) and by genetically modified organisms (GMOs) in our food supply. And no, I don't want another law forcing companies to comply to food labeling.  The government's been in charge of our food safety long enough - they're unable and unwilling to do it properly. It's up to us, us and our pocketbooks.

The cool thing is - companies are starting (and it's only one company that I know of) to listen.  Chipotle quietly announced earlier this year that is in labeling GMO ingredients on its menu online.  You can read the entire story here. It's a great start, but it'll be even better if/when they eliminate GMO ingredients altogether.  At least in my area, Chipotle is widely popular. So popular that if more people start demanding that their restaurants label GMOs - how long might it be before food companies that sell their products in grocery stores voluntarily label them as well?

But before all of that can happen, we need to educate ourselves. Step away from the food pyramid - it's killing us.  I know that's an inflammatory statement, but the more research I do on the subject, the more I realize it's true.  Our health is in our hands, and we need to stop relying on government programs (that are usually bought and paid for by the food industry) to tell us what's healthy.  This same government convinced our parents and grandparents that smoking was also healthy.  Think about it.

I have tons of resources and book recommendations I could give, and I'm happy to if you'll leave a comment below.  But I'd rather you started looking at this for yourself.  Start by making sure you're eating in a way that keeps your digestive system healthy so it can absorb the vitamins and minerals it needs.  Don't know where to start or are too overwhelmed to know what the first step is?  I would recommend visiting www.robbwolf.com, reading the book, "Nourishing Traditions" or subscribing to Leanne Ely's Saving Dinner menus at www.savingdinner.com.

It's a lot to take in and I hope I'm not scaring anyone off.  I'm really passionate about this issue and wanted to share what I know in hopes that you'll become passionate about it as well.

I've Got "Friends" in Low Places

I'm officially done with the 30 Day Paleo Challenge, but decided to not only continue it, but also incorporate the Autoimmune Protocol from the book, Practical Paleo by Diane Sanfilippo. This would mean removing foods known as nightshades.  What are nightshades and why would I need to remove them? Great question!

According to the Weston A. Price Foundation, "nightshades are members of an enormous family of plants called Solanaceae, represent a huge family of plants. The ones that concern us in the Western diet mainly include tomatoes, potatoes (not sweet potatoes or yams), eggplant and peppers—this means all peppers including chili peppers, habanero  cayenne pepper and paprika (not peppercorns, see sidebar). Paprika is a sneaky one, showing up in lots of flavoring mixes and often under “spices” on ingredient labels. Other nightshades include goji berries (the new darling of the antioxidant crowd), ashwagandha (an adaptogenic herb from Ayurvedic medicine), Cape gooseberries (not normal gooseberries), ground cherries and garden huckleberries (not blueberries)."

I am choosing to eliminate nightshades for the next week because I have a condition called "keratosis pilaris", commonly known as chicken skin.  From everything I've read, it's best to eliminate nightshades for a week to see if this clears up your skin instead of topical medications.  I'm sure there's nothing wrong with topical medications, but if there's a way to reduce or eliminate skin irritations naturally, I'd much rather do that.  It keeps me in control of "dosing" and reduces any side effects of topical medications.

I've been testing foods here and there, doing pretty well to not go overboard and gorge myself on foods that I had an unnatural attachment to - that is, until this weekend.  I had two parties to go to, and both included cake.  Not homemade, Paleo/Primal cake, but fancy, boutique style all out bad for me cake.  One was chocolate with raspberry filling, the other chocolate with whipped vanilla icing.  Package that temptation with family and life stresses and lack of pre planning - disaster was imminent. I thought to myself, I'll just have one piece.  I should've known better.  Like I've heard other people say, I felt great the day of - but miserable for the next two days. I was bloated, sick to my stomach and my mood was off the charts wacky.   All of my anxiety and depression symptoms came back with a vengeance.  I read this great article from Psychology Today that talks about the effects sugar can and does have, not only on our body, but our brain as well.  Fascinating insights and well worth the read. Especially if you suspect you and sugar are a bit too friendly.

So, here I am tweaking my diet - again. I believe that my gut is sensitive enough that I'll be adjusting as needed for quite some time.  I've heard that some people need to be on an AIP (autoimmune protocol) for several months before the gut heals well enough to reintroduce problem foods. It's really okay, but I've got to stop feeling deprived and feeling sorry for myself. I'll never gain any progress if I can't get out of my own head.  

And THAT, seems to be the biggest obstacle I'm facing when it comes to gaining victory over stress and food intolerances.

An Evening With Dr. William Davis

It might sound completely geeky to say this, but I crossed another item off my bucket list last night.  I got to meet Dr. William Davis, a preventive cardiologist from Wisconsin, and well-known author of the books, "Wheat Belly" and the "Wheat Belly Cookbook".  Before I went exclusively Paleo, I first went wheat free - thanks in part to this book and research I'd already done on the benefits of doing so.

He was in my hometown of Kansas City, Mo and was giving a talk about the health benefits of the Wheat Belly lifestyle. He also mentioned briefly that he ascribes the Paleo lifestyle as a way of eating that is beneficial to your health as well (holla!).  I went back and forth on whether or not I would go, but I think a part of me realized that I couldn't NOT go.  It was housed in a beautiful church in the heart of our well-known Country Club Plaza area.  If you've never been to KC, you should come and take a walk around.

   Country Club Plaza

Back to my story...there was a reception before the seminar, complete with fresh veggies and wine, so I headed to that first in order to fuel my brain.  I talked briefly with a lady who was dealing with nearly identical medical issues to mine.  It was sad to hear her talk about wanting to be more healthy but lamenting over giving up wheat.  I remember being in the same boat.  Like I told her, once you start to see the changes that a wheat free diet can make, you won't miss it....as much.  Dr. Davis's cookbook, has great recipes and swaps for some of your favorite wheat based recipes. As she departed to go look at the books, I encouraged her to give the Wheat Belly lifestyle a try. I hope she decided to.

After finishing my goodies, I headed up to the main sanctuary to find my seat. When I walked into the sanctuary, I saw that Dr. Davis was signing books and greeting people. This was my chance. I got in line and waiting (somewhat patiently) while everyone schmoozed and took pictures.  Finally, my turn!  I said hello and gave him a quick rundown of my experience and what his protocol did for me.  I didn't know what else to say, and I didn't have a book for him to sign (its on my Kindle), so I stood there for a second, much like Ralphie from "A Christmas Story" when he was with Santa Claus.  With tears in my eyes, I finished our interaction with a simple "thank you for changing my life and my health".

The seminar began an hour later and while I listened intently, my biggest takeaway will be my interaction with Dr. Davis.  I am so blessed to live in a time where even "traditional" doctors are beginning to see the benefits of teaching their patients to care for themselves.   If you'd like more information about Dr. Davis or his books, please visit Wheat Belly Blog.

What experiences have you had in your road to healing that you'd like to share? Anyone in  particular you'd like to thank for starting your journey to better health?

The End of the Journey?

A journey of a thousand miles begins with a single step - Lao-tzu

I thought this quote fits where I'm at right now - both in my personal life and in my new Paleo lifestyle.  I began this journey on Monday, May 6th and the official end to the 30 Day Paleo Challenge is Friday, June 7th. Just like thinking about 1,000 steps instead of focusing on the first one - it seemed daunting. Am I going to starve? Is eating Paleo healthy? Will it repair my gut or it is all hype? Will I dive face first into Cookies 'n' Cream ice cream after the challenge is over?  All questions I'd have when I took my focus off the current day and began thinking about the other 999 days.

All journeys, especially the good ones, are less about the destination and more about the adventures that take place along the way.  Maybe that was the point of this challenge the whole time - a kickstart to a grand adventure. Like Bilbo Baggins, I feel I've been given a task, an adventure, a journey.  I'm excited to be part of it - I can feel a new life emerging - almost like giving birth  - but to what? A dream, an adventure...could this all be coming about just because I made some dietary changes? Lots of questions, some answers and I'm ;learning to be okay with questions. They lead me to learn new things about myself, how my body works and what it needs to thrive.

The only impending loss I'm feeling is not being able to communicate with some of the people I've met through the 30 Day challenge - they're kindred spirits really - part of the journey.  My hope is that we'll keep in touch, but I'm holding all things loosely right now - adjusting to the ebb and flow of things.  If we stay in touch, that's great. If I'm to allow them to break off on their own so they can tend to their own journey, that's as it should be.  If you would've met me 30 days ago, you'd know how unusual it is for me to say something like that. I like to hold onto the familiar, the known...letting go wasn't in my vocabulary until now.

So, I'll pick up my knapsack and all the knowledge and tools I've been given and start off down the path. There is no familiarity, nor anything known, but it'll be an adventure...of that I'm sure.