Progress...

This breakfast is huge progress for me!

Family and friends who know of my food struggles/intolerances/sensitivities/decline in health would be jumping for joy for me.

For the last year I have greatly struggled to find foods that my body will tolerate/digest/breakdown/absorb. It's been such a rough year.

However, challenges can bring a monumental amount of strength and growth.

I always say, "You gotta know the bad to know the good."

And good health is SO important! You have probably heard the phrase...

"You are what you eat!"

Which is sort of true. The more correct phrase would be...

"You are what you can digest."

The hardest part for me was that for these last 10yrs. I've learned so much about good overall health, well-being, and diet, yet the harder I tried to eat more healthy the sicker I got. Weird I know. My body was having such a hard time digesting food and left me with little to no energy, constantly fatigued, which with both of these I related to having kids and being non-stop pregnant and/or nursing for six years = little sleep and rest, and losing a great amount of weight, eventually a dangerously amount because my food sensitivities became so great, I was left with almost nothing to eat. My diet has been so healthy and clean it's crazy....very minimal to no processed foods, no refined grains, sugar, foods, no dairy, no unhealthy oils, no this and no that! You'd think I'd be on top of the world eating organic, raw/cooked veggies, pastured meats, plant based, vegan, paleo, and all this healthy diet and that healthy diet. But, nope I've had such huge and extreme abdominal discomforts of bloating, gas, burning, diarrhea, constipation, cramps, pain, pain, pain. I've seen so many doctors and specialist both conventional and functional (naturalpathic). That eventually they say, "I don't know what to do with you." Great. It has been discouraging. It's hasn't been until I've been in my own way my own doctor that I've been able to put the pieces together and figure this out. Ultimately, it has been through much prayer that I have been able to get through this. There is only one heavenly being that knows what is going on with me and know how to help me. And how THANKFUL I am for a wonderful and loving Heavenly Father who hears our cries, listens to our prayers, knows how to help, and guides us in every way possible. Even if that means learning the hard way by taking lots of dead ends. I know that I've needed to travel these rough roads to have the knowledge of what wouldn't help and what would. It's been a slow road, but things are coming into perspective and I'm able to make much better choices about the way I go about this. I have read so many articles, websites, blogs, books, etc. about health and our well-being. In conclusion...OUR BODIES ARE INCREDIBLE AND SUCH A WONDERFUL GIFT. We think we may know so much about these magnificent bodies, but really we know so little. It is only our great creator that truly knows how to help and heal our spirits, mind, and body. But, we have to be in tune with our bodies and seek for that inspiration to know how to retain good optimal wonderful spiritual, mental, physical health. Which leads me to this video clip from Elder Nelson, a LDS Apostle, "God's Greatest Creation" I love it....

So, finally for me on this health journey I finally discovered what the major problem has been. And is called FODMAP's. Yeah, FOD-what? you might be saying. It's a crazy acronym for a crazy complicated name that stands for...Fermentable Oligosaccharides, Disaccharides, Monosaccharides, And Polyols. These are quote, "All types of carbohydrates found in many different types of fruits, vegetables and grains." And, AND..."The most common Paleo foods high in FODMAPs are:

• Fruits: apples, avocados, cherries, mangoes, peaches, pears, watermelons, fruit juices and dried fruit.
• Vegetables: onions, garlic, cabbage, broccoli, brussel sprouts, asparagus, artichoke, eggplant, mushrooms, cauliflower.
• Other: sugar alcohols (any sweetener that ends in -ol), honey, agave.

This isn't a complete list, but it gives a small idea of problematic foods. It's no wonder I was in so much pain trying to eat fruits, veggies, plant based foods, etc. All this research about FODMAPs is quite new too, within the last decade. It has greatly helped solved much of the IBS community sufferers digestive problems. I also have a fructose malabsorption again fructose is found in SO MANY AMAZING WONDERFUL fruits, veggies, plant based foods. Sigh.

Read this article that explains the FODMAP problems, diet, and explanation very well...

http://paleoleap.com/fodmaps-and-paleo/

It's no wonder, it was my latest attempt at following a strict Paleo diet with supplements that threw me overboard that greatly exasperated my symptoms and problems. Inside I blew up with pain, inflammation, and lots of suffering. This last year has been quite terrible, but it very good to know why. WHY WHY WHY has been a huge question. But, the better question to ask is HOW HOW HOW, how do I fix this??? Slowly, but surely I am learning how to help my body heal and why it has had such difficulty. It's still hard to think about sometimes and I get so frustrated and miss my days as a child, adolecsent, and young adulthood days of a properly functioning and working body.

One day I will be better and stronger than I ever have been. That's a promised blessing and I will not give up and I will fight and I will win. It's taken a year for me to get a hold of this and things are finally calming down in my body to where just recently I can eat something like this among a few other things. WHAT A BLESSING. Seriously. "Count Your Many Blessings..."

When upon life’s billows you are tempest tossed,

When you are discouraged, thinking all is lost,

Count your many blessings name them one by one,

And it will surprise you what the Lord hath done.

Count your blessings, name them one by one;

Count your blessings, see what God hath done;

Count your blessings, name them one by one,

   And it will surprise you what the Lord hath done.

Are you ever burdened with a load of care?

Does the cross seem heavy you are called to bear?

Count your many blessings, every doubt will fly,

And you will be singing as the days go by.

When you look at others with their lands and gold,

Think that Christ has promised you His wealth untold.

Count your many blessings, money cannot buy

Your reward in heaven, nor your Lord on high.

So amid the conflict, whether great or small,

Do not be discouraged, God is over all;

Count your many blessings, angels will attend,

Help and comfort give you to your journey’s end.

So, all in all, to those wanting to regain your health, slow down, regather your thoughts, meditate, pray, and listen to your spirit, listen to your body.

The help and answers will come!

Thanks be to God.