What I Learned From 1 Year of Paleo

First off, wowzers!! I can't believe it's been an entire year since I started eating Paleo and completely changed my view of food.

Second, this post is not about weight loss. It's about health. When I set out on this journey, my goal was never to lose weight. Even though I had struggled to lose weight and had consistently gained weight because of my thyroid condition (read more about it here and here), but I was more concerned over the health of my thyroid and my body than I was about my weight. That being said, losing more than 20 pounds this year is definitely something to rejoice about because it is the outward evidence that my body is healing and my thyroid is functioning the way it was made to function.

So over this last year, my entire perspective on food, health, weight, etc. has changed! I'm super passionate about empowering people to take control of their health, so I wanted to share a few of the things I've learned this year. ***Disclaimer: this post is long. Feel free to skim and scan for parts that interest you!***

1. Eat to live, don't live to eat.

This is probably the best way to sum up everything I've learned into one sentence, and it's definitely one of the most important things I've learned. Food is something people (in general) take pleasure in. We understand the term "comfort food" for a reason. However food isn't just about tasting good and making you feel good. And let's be honest, when you eat food for comfort or to soothe emotions, it rarely makes you feel better and often makes you feel worse. When you eat whole, healthy food for the purpose of fueling your body and giving it the nutrients it needs, you'll feel great! Studies have shown that 60% of the time it works every time... sorry, I had to throw in a little Anchorman humor.

2. Food isn't all about calories. 

Before I started eating Paleo, I made food choices based on how many calories were in it, and whether or not I thought it would make me gain weight or lose it. This is such a distorted view of food. Paleo taught me to look at food from a health perspective. The whole goal behind Paleo is to eliminate foods that cause irritation and inflammation in your system and to eat nutrient dense foods that will allow your body to do what it does best. That means eating a balanced diet of protein, carbs, and fat aka: meats, seafood, fruits, vegetables, and nuts & seeds. I have no idea how many calories I consume each day, nor do I want to. All I want to know is whether the food I consume is what my body needs or not. That includes how much my body needs. Eating a clean diet has also changed the amount of food I consume. I am much more aware of when I am hungry and full. I rarely overeat because I eat when I'm hungry, and I stop when I'm not. I'm not worried about eating a specific portion and then holding out for the next meal.

3. It is easier to prevent disease and health issues than it is to cure or manage them.

After I started doing research on my disease, I found out that a high percentage (I think it's 90% but don't quote me on that) of autoimmune diseases are developed due to gut issues such as Irritable Bowl Syndrome, Leaky Gut Syndrome (what I've had), and the like. This means that a ton of autoimmune diseases can be prevented. Diabetes is also a common diseases that can often be prevented. This is all related to diet. By diet, I mean food consumption, not a period of time that you restrict calories in order to lose weight. Please don't misunderstand me. I know that there are many people that have health issues and diseases despite being disciplined to take care of their bodies. But there are MANY, myself included, that have developed health issues and diseases that are preventable. Americans (again I'm speaking in general) don't seem to care too much about health, being healthy, eating healthy, etc, until they become so unhealthy that it affects their day to day lives. And then the typical response is to get a medication as opposed to making lifestyle changes, but let's not get into that. This leads me to my next point...

4. Health isn't always easy to see. 

I was diagnosed when I was 20 years old. Up until that point, I thought I was perfectly healthy. I would only get sick about once a year and always got over bugs and viruses quickly. Anytime I went to the doctor, my vitals looked good and I seemed healthy. One day, I reached up and my neck felt like there was a tennis ball in it. My thyroid was enlarged. Testing showed high antibodies and low levels of thyroid hormones. Suddenly, with what seemed no warning at all, the doctor was telling me I have an autoimmune thyroid disease called Hashimoto's. 

I didn't develop an autoimmune disease overnight. No one does. But that's what it seemed like. It seemed to come out of nowhere. I thought that I was healthy. In reality, my body had been struggling for probably years, and finally reached a breaking point. 

Please do not be fooled into thinking that just because you don't have outward symptoms of a disease that you don't need to be conscious of the choices you're making regarding your health, which includes the foods you consume. If I had made better choices I might not have ever developed my disease, and while I'm recovering and slowly gaining back my health, it's been a difficult and long journey that isn't even close to being over (my hormones are stubborn).

5. You're making a sacrifice. 

A lot of people ask me how I can give up foods like bread, cheese, pasta, and other yummies. People also comment about all the time I spend cooking, shopping, and meal-planning. Paleo, or other forms of clean eating, is not what you would call convenient. I make a lot of sacrifices to eat the way that I do. I sacrifice my time, certain foods, and I sacrifice buying those cute new shoes so I can pay for all my groceries. 

Let's say I don't eat Paleo.

I would still be making a sacrifice. I would be sacrificing my health and quality of life to eat certain foods, have more time for Netflix, and more money for shoes. After a year of Paleo, I'm convinced that the sacrifice I'm making is the right one.

6. Eating healthy, whole, good-for-you food doesn't mean eating food you don't like.  

I LOVE everything I eat! All of it! I never ever force myself to eat food that I don't like. What's the point in that?? There are so many fruit and vegetable options to get the nutrients you need. If you don't like Brussels sprouts, but you love spinach, then eat the spinach! If you don't like pork, but you like chicken, eat the chicken! Eating healthy isn't about choking down food that you can't stand, it's about finding healthy foods that you like and consuming those foods instead of processed junk food.

7. Don't knock it 'til you've tried it. 

You never know if you're going to like a new food until you try it! The more open you are to trying new foods, the better your experience will be. Up until this year I had never eaten Brussels sprouts. My mom doesn't like them so she never cooked them. Brussels sprouts were on my meal plan when I first started eating Paleo and I was skeptical. Much to my surprise I love them. They are my absolute favorite vegetable to eat for breakfast. If I hadn't been willing to give them a try, I would have completely missed out. 

8. Don't expect everyone to be on board. 

This is the most surprising thing I've learned this year. I have been blessed with a group of people in my life that have been incredibly supportive throughout this journey. None of them want to eat Paleo with me, but they have been my cheerleaders, encouragers, and many of them (special shout out to my mom) have gone out of their way to accommodate my new lifestyle. However, there have been many others that have said discouraging, and sometimes even rude remarks about my choice to eat healthy. I'm not sure why anyone would ever be discouraging towards someone who is making efforts to improve their health, but I do know that it's something I've had to deal with and something I've just had to get over. So if you're thinking about making changes, don't let anyone discourage you from doing so!! Being healthy is worth it no matter what anyone else says! Surround yourself with people who support you and don't listen to the ones who don't.


If you are interested in learning more about the Paleo Diet, I highly recommend these free guides from Diane Sanfilippo. She is the author of one of my favorite cookbooks, Practical Paleo. 

My Health Journey Part II: An Update

My bathroom is starting to look like a pharmacy... 

If you haven't read the beginning of my health journey, here is a quick recap: Four and a half years ago, I was diagnosed with Hashimoto's (an autoimmune thyroid disease) and was treated with medication, but my symptoms prevailed. 5 months ago I started researching my disease and how it can be treated outside of medication. I started following the Paleo diet, and soon after went to a specialist for further meditational support. You can read more about my health journey here. 

A few weeks ago I had my follow up appointment. They ran a very large blood test to check multiple hormones and other health issues. Despite still feeling a little low on energy which I related to sleep issues, I was hopeful that my results would come back showing improvements. Unfortunately that was not the case. 

A nurse from my specialist's office called me to run through my results, and I was almost immediately overwhelmed. 

"Your thyroid levels are still low, so we are going to increase your medication. You need to start taking fish oil. Your B12 is low. Do you want to take a high dose supplement or injections? Your body doesn't break down folate. I'll call in a prescription for you....." 

She kept going, but I couldn't take in everything she was saying. How could there be so many things wrong with my body? I'm 25 years old. And what about all the changes I've made to my diet. All the money I've invested and all the foods I've cut out. Why isn't that helping? 

My eyes welled up with tears as I tried to listen to the rest of her notes and tell her where to send my prescriptions. I was in a daze for the rest of the day, trying to process the changes I would have to make on top of the ones I have already made.

My newly discovered issues include:

Thyroid hormones are still low resulting in low energy.

Testosterone and progesterone hormones are low resulting in difficulty sleeping.

I have a slight resistance to insulin making it difficult to lose weight and can eventually be at risk for diabetes.

B12 levels are low resulting in low energy.

My body does not break down folate which results in low energy.

Hormones are generally not balanced.

When I started following the Paleo diet, I thought that I could magically heal my gut and be healthy in a short time. I thought that my hormones would balance out as long as I was eating the right foods.

I didn’t count on being on 3 medications and taking 6 additional supplements.

I didn’t count on it being such a struggle.

 “Therefore we do not lose heart. Though outwardly we are wasting away, yet inwardly we are being renewed day by day.  For our light and momentary troubles are achieving for us an eternal glory that far outweighs them all.  So we fix our eyes not on what is seen, but on what is unseen, since what is seen is temporary, but what is unseen is eternal.”   

2 Corinthians 4:16-18 

I feel as though my body is wasting away. Because it is. But I am determined that with dedication, discipline, perseverance, and prayer, I can heal my body. Although my time on this earth is in all reality short, like a vapor in the wind, I want to be a good steward of my body and live as healthy as I possibly can, all the while recognizing that my future is never without hope. My body is a temporary gift placed in my care by my Creator, but my soul will forever rest in His love and grace.

So I will press on. I will continue to change my diet in order to meet the needs of my body. I will continue to take supplements and medication necessary to support my body as it heals. And I will continue to rely heavily on the Lord to comfort me through this struggle and to heal my body as He sees fit.

This journey is not over.

3 Things I Learned at Mission Arlington

Every summer my youth group goes to Mission Arlington in Arlington, Texas to participate in their Rainbow Express program for kids. We are split up into groups and each morning and afternoon we go to an apartment complex to do a VBS style bible study with the kids in the complex. We go to the same complexes each morning and afternoon for 4 days. Texas in June is generally HOT and you are sweaty, and tired, and kids are running around and often not listening to a word you say. This trip is always a patience tester, but it is always without fail a blast! And without fail, God always uses this trip to show me something new. This year I learned 3 things at Mission Arlington....

1. God often chooses to use those you least expect. 

There is always that one kid in your group. You know the one I'm talking about... the one that tests your patience and pushes your buttons. The one that you think will be more of a hindrance than a help. The one that you just hope and pray doesn't do anything crazy while you're trying to share the gospel with the kids.

That one kid in my group was also the same kid who, on the very first day, was in the middle of 5 kids with his Bible in his lap, sharing the good news of Christ, without any suggestion from the group leaders. I was blown away by his initiative, courage, and intention. And I was convicted of the judgmental perspective that so easily blinds me to the incredible power of the Holy Spirit in believers.

It is all too easy for me to limit someone's potential based on their personality, skills, or abilities. I quickly forget that sharing the gospel has nothing to do with any of those things. Sharing the gospel is about boldly obeying the call we have received and trusting The Holy Spirit to work through us. The gospel is always about God's abilities and not yours. In fact, God often chooses to use those who seem to lack needed abilities just to demonstrate His own power and ability. Take Moses for example in Exodus 4:10-12 
Moses said to the Lord, “Pardon your servant, Lord. I have never been eloquent, neither in the past nor since you have spoken to your servant. I am slow of speech and tongue.” The Lord said to him, “Who gave human beings their mouths? Who makes them deaf or mute? Who gives them sight or makes them blind? Is it not I, the Lord? Now go; I will help you speak and will teach you what to say.”

I was surprised to see "that one kid" sharing the gospel so boldly, but I should never be surprised when The Spirit is at work.

2. My entire life is a full picture of God's grace. 

Generally, when I think of God's grace, I think of my salvation: the moment when He opened my eyes to His perfect sacrifice and forgiveness for my transgressions. But this is not the only example of God's grace in my life. The truth is that every moment of my entire life is a picture of His grace. It is only by His grace that I have the parents I have, that I grew up in my particular state, city, neighborhood, and house, that I have the friends I have, that I was never exposed to drugs until I was old enough to know I definitely didn't want them, that I own everything I do, that I have the job I have. God's hand has been in my life in every single aspect and it is by His grace that my life is what it is. That I am who I am.

One of the apartment complexes we were at had a particularly rowdy bunch of kids. I have never seen kids behave so violently. Almost all of their interactions were laced with violence. It was normal. It was all they knew. On top of this, it was clear that most of their parents did not care where they were, who they were with, or what they were doing. They ran free of any responsibility or authority. Many of them probably experienced violence at home and it simply carried over into the rest of their world. This could have been my life.

God doesn't owe me a good, happy, easy life. God owes me nothing. So every single part of my life is simply a gift that demonstrates His incredible love and grace.

3. Is it safe is not the question you should be asking.  

One morning at Mission Arlington, the man who leads our devotional time said "Is is it safe? I don't really care. The real question is: is God worthy?" I have never really felt unsafe while doing anything in ministry, but often I hold back from God's calling with questions like is it comfortable? Is it easy? Is it convenient? The answer to these questions should never stop me from doing anything God asks, because the question I should be asking is: Is God worthy? And the answer to that question is always YES!

Jesus did not say, "Come follow me, and your life will be safe, easy, convenient, and comfortable." He said  “Whoever wants to be my disciple must deny themselves and take up their cross and follow me. For whoever wants to save their life will lose it, but whoever loses their life for me will find it." 

Deny yourself? Take up your cross? That does not sound like an easy and comfortable life to me. But this is the only life that leads to REAL life. Eternal life. You must loose your life (by surrendering it to Christ) in order to save your life (spending eternity with God in Heaven).

Christ is worthy, and He is the only thing that gives us any real meaning or purpose in life.

Game time fun!

Silly Girls!

Small Group Time

Taking shelter in the rain for small group

Project: Window Treatment

Not too long ago I painted my room and in the process took down the blue checked window treatment that I've had since my childhood. I decided it was time for something a little more sophisticated and set off on Pinterest to find the perfect DIY window treatment. To my dismay, I was not in love with anything I found on Pinterest so I decided to design my own! 

Supplies:

1. Board 

2. Knobs or hooks

3. Curtain (I got mine at Hobby Lobby, but you can easily sew one up with your choice of fabric!)

4. Ribbon for loops (you won't need these unless your curtain was made for a rod)

Supplies not pictured:

5. Wood Stain & brush (optional)

6. Drill

7. Hanging hardware (I used sawtooth hangers)

8. Hammer and nails 

See my cute ribbon!!

 I started out by cutting my wood to the right size and then staining it. I also distressed it a little with a hammer before staining it for an older look.

I love this Martha Stewart Wood Stain

While my wood dried, I cute my ribbon into even strips to make my loops. 

I measured my spaces so they would be even, then pinned my loops to the back of the curtain. Once They were all pinned, I sewed each loop on with a few stitches. 

Once my wood was dry, I added the sawtooth hangers to the back and I measured for proper spacing and then drilled a hole for each knob.... 

 

then screwed in the knobs.

Then I hung my window treatment and added the curtain! After it was hung, I decided to pull it to the side so I used some extra ribbon and made a nice little bow. I hooked the bow through a decorative hook that I happened to have on hand! :)

I'm quite pleased with the way it turned out! 

A Letter For My Dad

Dear Dad,

The older I get, the more I can see the influence you’ve had on my life and value of the lessons you’ve taught me. Things, that as a child seemed unfair, are now exactly what I needed to be who I am. I can see how every decision was made out of love with my good in mind. Your love for me is a reflection of the Father’s love for all His children, and I could not ask for a better picture. I would not be the woman I am today, if you were not the father you are. I just wanted to say thank you.

Thank you for not giving me everything I wanted.

Thank you for teaching me the value of hard work and earning money.

Thank you for loving me enough to tell me when my dress was too short.

Thank you for spanking me.

Thank you for making me clean my room and take responsibilities for other chores.

Thank you for being a spiritual leader to our family.

Thank you for loving God first.

Thank you for working so hard and providing for us.

Thank you for setting the bar for all other men in my life.

Thank you for teaching me how to play softball and spending hours outside practicing with me.

Thank you for spending ever Saturday of my childhood with us.

Thank you for all the camping trips, ski trips, and family vacations.

Thank you for raising me to say, “please,” “thank you,” “yes sir,” “yes ma’am,” “Mr.,” and “Mrs.”

Thank you for establishing a vision and mission for our family and making family values a priority.

Thank you for showing me what it looks like to serve others.

Thank you for teaching me that giving generously is far greater than living in wealth.

Thank you for all the special nights out and father-daughter dates.

Thank you for not giving up on my stubborn will, but persistently disciplining me.

Thank you for loving me through all my mistakes.

Thank you for encouraging me in my walk with the Lord.

Thank you for supporting me through life and guiding me through important decisions.

Thank you for investing in me.

I love you and I’m so thankful to have you as my father.

Your favorite daughter,

Lauren

10 Things To Stop Saying to Single People

So far, I have been single for the entire duration of my twenties, and people are frequently offering me bits of encouragement and advice. I know that most people are coming from a well-meaning place, but often the things people say and ask are not really encouraging. I often feel discouraged, or I feel like I have to defend myself, or convince people that I REALLY am happy!! So these are just a few things that I wish people would stop saying.

1. "I just KNOW that there is someone out there for you!"

Actually you don’t know. You might hope and pray, just as I do, but you don’t know. Even I don’t know. God never promised any of us husbands. He promised me a future, He promised to work all things out for my good, He promised to never leave me or forsake me, but He never promised me a husband. I cling to those promises when I am feeling discouraged. I remind myself that my future might not have a husband in it, and if not, I’ll be ok. I’ll be ok because my God loves me and He has great plans for me. So when you tell me that you KNOW that someone is out there for me, you are not encouraging me to trust in the Lord. You’re encouraging to trust in a desire that I have for my life, which might not be in God’s plan.


2. "You just need to put yourself out there!"

Where exactly should I be putting myself? There are very limited venues for young women to meet men, especially if you’re looking for a solid Christian man. I am very involved in my church, I have several circles of friends that I regularly engage in social activities with, and in my spare time, I do things that I enjoy! I have a life! Beyond this and online dating, which I will address later, there aren’t really any other ways to “put myself out there.” Besides, I want to meet someone in a natural setting and go from there. When people tell me that I need to put myself out there, I feel like I have to defend myself. It’s like I have to justify why I’m not in some sort of singles club every night of the week, even though I claim that I want to get married. 


3. "How could you possibly be single?" or "You're such a great catch!"

The answer to the question “how could you possibly be single,” is simple: I haven’t met the right guy. I also think that it’s pretty obvious, and there’s really no need to ask. As far as me being a great catch, I couldn’t agree more! J I know that people mean that as a compliment, or they are trying to encourage me, but I always walk away feeling discouraged. I start to wonder, if I’m such a great catch, how come no one has caught me yet? That big WHY will stare me in the face for the next few days until I can remind myself that it’s not about how great of a catch I am, but it’s about God’s timing, and God’s plan.


4. "I know the perfect person for you!"

Let’s just get this straight right now. Just because you know a male who is close to the same age as me and is also single, does not mean that he is perfect for me. Nor I for him. I’ve always been pretty open to meeting new people, in an effort to “put myself out there,” but set-ups are often disastrous. There are too many expectations going into it, and it can make things really uncomfortable. I have a really great set-up story. I got left on the date… but I have to save that for another post.


5. "It will happen when you least expect it!" or "You'll find someone as soon as you stop looking!"

Ok, this is probably the one I dislike the most!! Both of these statements should just never be uttered by anyone. I think it’s in our nature to “expect” and be “on the lookout” when we are single. When we meet someone who we find attractive, we naturally wonder if there might be potential there. To suggest that this expectation or hope is what is keeping you single is absurd and illogical. Also, it is in direct contradiction with #2: “You just need to put yourself out there.”


6. "Enjoy your freedom while you have it!" or "Being single is so fun!"

Being single has its advantages. That’s probably why Paul makes the argument that it is better to be single than to marry. When you’re single, you don’t have to consider anyone else in your plans, your time, your life. To be honest, I enjoy being single. I am enjoying my life right now! But I do desire to get married and have a family of my own. Telling me to enjoy my freedom before it’s gone, makes marriage seem like an undesirable goal. As if you lose your freedom in marriage. I don’t believe this for a second, but again, I feel like I have to defend myself and my desire to get married, which might not even happen!! Oh the drama! Being single allows for a certain freedom that you can’t have in marriage, but marriage and children allow for countless lessons, memories, joys, triumphs, heartaches, love, etc. that you can’t experience in singleness. And yes, being single is fun, but I imagine that spending your whole life with your best friend would be too.


7. "You should try online dating!"

Online dating is so popular and well known that there probably isn’t a single person out there who hasn’t already considered the pros and cons. We don’t really need you to suggest it for us just because you know a girl who knows a girl who married a guy that she met on match.com. I think that online dating can be the right venue under the right circumstances, but at this point in my life, it’s not the right venue for me. And just because I’m not online, does not mean that I’m not putting myself out there!


8. "Guys are just intimidated by you."

Well they need to just get over that.


9. "You don't need a guy to make you happy."

Every time I hear this I shudder. This statement is true, and I believe it wholeheartedly, but I am not encouraged when people say this to me. I AM happy without a guy! So when someone says this, I know they are assuming that I am not happy without a guy. Again, I must defend myself! I must assure everyone how happy I am and I must convince them that I’m not just saying it because I want to hide how truly sad I am that I don’t have a boyfriend. BLAH! Hopefully, if anyone knows me at all, they will know beyond a doubt that I am truly happy. My joy comes from the Lord, not from the fulfillment of an earthly desire.


10. "You're too picky!" or "Your standards are too high!"

I use to think that the worst thing that could ever happen to me was that I would end up alone. Now, I know that one of the worst things that could happen to me is ending up with the wrong person. I would much rather live my life being single, than settle for someone who isn’t right for me. So I think my standards are just fine right where they are.