Free-Range Cookies

A bit ago I re-grammed the following imagine on Instagram:

Just because something is a healthier alternative, doesn't mean it's necessarily healthy. Cookies & treats should still be consumed in moderation, and for enjoyment, not in an attempt to extinguish the sugar monster's cravings or as emotional comfort. Even though they are paleo friendly (hence the paleo free-range cookie joke by the husband), they should still be rare treats.

In this past year, I have completed 2 sugar detoxes and 4 Whole30's.

I have learned to analyze my food options based on nutrition; which meal will provide what's best for my body right now? Sometimes that is more proteins, more fats or more carbs, depending on the day and level of exercise.

I also have strengthened my self-control incredibly. I never would have imagined how many times I could turn down sugary, allergen-filled foods. I grew up using the crutch of "having a sweet tooth", and it wasn't until this past year that I called it what it is: lack of self control and intense sugar cravings.

There is a level of hormone issues and nutrition I had to sort out. My body needed to re-adjust to real food and my taste buds needed to learn the true sweetness of non-processed foods! This is where those sugar detoxes and Whole30's came in!

However, my biggest struggle was with self-control. And just like any other muscle, the more I flex it, the stronger it gets.

This past week we had a "snow" day (for all of you northerners, don't laugh. The roads were icey & I don't drive then!). So, I decided to bake to warm up the house. It has been awhile since I've baked, I rarely have time to do so now-a-days.

I baked Lemon Poppy Seed Cookies from The Paleo Kitchen Cookbook and subbed out the eggs to fit our dietary needs. These aren't Autoimmune Paleo since I used almond flour, so I have made an effort to only enjoy a few. And I have succeeded.

I legitimately forgot about them for 2 days. The cookie monster would be ashamed.

So much has changed this year. I should probably freeze these cookies before they mold (this happens more often then naught when baking gluten-free and paleo I've noticed) because we don't eat them fast enough (a good problem to have). I can enjoy one and be satisfied, without cramming my face full or eating multiple throughout the day.

I walk by the sweets at work and choose not to eat them not because I have a better alternative at home (sometimes I do), but because I neither want them nor need them. Sweets aren't a staple in our diet anymore, so I actually enjoy them when I choose to have them, without just eating because it is routine.  

I am grateful for this past year's journey and how my relationship with food has changed. I can enjoy these treats for what they are, treats, and not have any unhealthy feelings of shame or guilt (as long as they agree with my tummy!).

So final verdict: Lemon Poppy Seed Cookies were fantastic, even though they weren't chocolate! ;)

I think I'm going to go have one. Just one.

~Rachel

“Self-control is the chief element in self-respect, and self-respect is the chief element in courage.” 

-Thucydides

Sorry I'm Not Sorry: My Passion & Meals

Raise your hand if you enjoy discussing gastrointestinal issues. Everyone, take a look around the room. Besides for your grandma, your friend in the medical field & the teenage boy in the corner, there probably aren't too many people raising their hands.

That's because GI issues aren't quite dinner conversations, small talk, or well, fun to talk about. Nobody thinks "I am going to wow this girl/boy/my boss by bringing up my digestion disorders." Nobody says, "I am going to become the most popular person ever by being open about my intestinal distress." Nobody wants to bring these up.

So they aren't discussed. At all.

6.5 years ago I had a unique experience of being diagnosed with crohn's & having 3 feet of my intestines removed. No, couldn't have been a broken bone with a cool cast, sinus issues that everyone can sympathize with, or joint inflammation that just sounds painful. I get the guts problems. I get the butt of the joke. I, a semi preppy, blonde teenage girl, got the one thing nobody really wants to discuss: gas, bloating, and painful bowels.

And I talk about it. Boy do I talk about it!

Not because I enjoy grossing people out (just SOME people), or because there's a certain wow factor in knowing how digestion works. But because the more I have been open about it, the more people have been open with me. The more people confide in me their issues. The more people come out of the woodwork to share their GI problems. The more people come to me for help and direction because they have seen me struggle & recover and THRIVE. And they want in on that (the main diff between them and my grandma-she's just complaining).

As cool as it is, I mean, come on, who wants that kind of popularity? "Yes, PLEASE go on about your bowels."

Hint: nobody is interested in the issues aspect and nobody wants to be in THAT popularity contest-except maybe gastroenterologists trying to bring in business...and personally I'd prefer a Dr. to have theirs under control before they tell me what to do. But that's another blog.

I can't tell you how many family members, friends, acquaintances and strangers with whom I have shared my experience. I have been open on social media (and in real life) about my diet (long term lifestyle change, not short term weightloss rollercoaster fad). The more I share online, the more people talk to me offline.

I post my meals and talk about different food groups on InstaGram in a way to show just how easy it is to live healthy. I share nutrition or health articles on Facebook to show different sides and to get people thinking about changes. After doing this for about 2 years, I can honestly say people are interested in health and can identify that they aren't healthy. My sharing of personal stories and online references get people thinking, talking and analyzing their health.

(Before I say anything more, I will admit it is a bit selfish motive here. It is a sort of therapeutic treatment for myself to use my experience for good by helping others through what I've learned in my own pain. It makes me feel better knowing what I went through has a higher reason.)

I want to help people. I want them to talk about their unhealthy bodies, because that is how you start looking for answers. If you can identify things are not right, and you have the motive (and guts-hehe) to talk to someone else about it, there is a better chance you will make a healthy change for your body.

If you are reading this, you either have heard me talk/read about my journey, have talked to me about your own problems or are my stalker so you've heard me talk and seen others talk to me?

My point is, I'm transparent about my issues because of the people I have helped. (In fact I am too transparent about everything in my life.) I empathize with those having issues, and rejoice with those who have found the light through my sharing of experience and knowledge. It brings me joy to know people are now like me-pain free, enjoying life and not suffering due to foods.

So, this is my public announcement for the day: Sorry I'm not sorry for taking pictures of my meal everyday and bringing up THAT DANG SURGERY, again.

If my sharing frustrates you, unfollow my Instagtam and stop reading this blog. Plenty of people, friends and family members already have blocked me. Sure, it initially confuses me that they have chosen to block me out for sharing one of my greatest passions, but for each person who stops reading, I talk to a handful of more people in person about what steps they should to take to begin their health journey. (No, I'm not a medical prpfessional, but ya don't need a degree to suggest eating vegetables is healthy ;)) And I'm not one to truly care about other's opinions. :)

It brings me joy to help others.

What's that saying? God doesn't call the qualified; He qualifies the called.

In my case, He qualified me & gave me purpose when that doctor gave me the diagnosis & when I found paleo, Whole30 & Autoimmune Paleo Protocol.

So here I am, sharing my meals, shouting from the rooftops about the light at the end of the tunnel. I will share about the miracle God gifted me & the journey He has set me on until I can no longer speak, type, take pictures, or be.

So if you are holding back questions, don't. If you are afraid or embarrased to ask for help, stop. There are no judgments around my dinner table, so as long as you actually want to make a change (warning: that change will involve not eating what you deem "foods you can't live without"). I would love to share my journey, how I went from a teenage girl curled up in a ball from pain to a mid-20 year old eating my way into autoimmune disease remission drugfree & living life pain free.

Next time you see a crazy health foodie post about their fitness regime or dinner, maybe you will understand they share because that change in their life made a huge difference, and they can't hold it in.

-RR