Paleo Please!

I guess it's some what official and I have every intention in the world to keep it up. I'm eating the Paleo way now. No gluten under any circumstances, no dairy, no sugar, no grains, no legumes.

Occasionally I'll eat corn, rice and beans if I'm feeling good enough to. And every once in a while I'll have sugar in a dark chocolate or coconut ice cream treat. But I will absolutely, never again, not even a little bit, intentionally eat gluten of any kind. Ever!

I had been successful at cutting out about 75% of my gluten intake since August and then this past December I caved. I started eating gluten everyday in basically every meal and I had an overwhelming inflammatory response. My hands would occasionally swell and itch/sting, I would get horrible brain fog, I got daily migraine headaches, cramps, bloat, digestive upset, horrible acid reflux, an itchy rash on my face, acne, the list goes on. It. Was. Brutal. And the only thing I changed in life to cause those things was an increase of gluten, dairy and sugar in my diet. YIKES!

So I started reading and reading and came across the explanations of the Paleo way and I realized this was it. If I kept eating the way I was and kept reacting so harshly to the foods I was consuming than the inflammation would only get worse and over time disease would set in worse than it already has and I would be a very miserable sick person.

So HELL NO!

If you've got questions feel free to ask. I know I've been on a roller coaster of health issues in the past. But this time I'm trying really hard to love, accept, cherish and celebrate my body instead of being mad and depressed at the way it functions. I'm trying to find the true answers to my many many health questions.

After seeing the beauty in myself while pregnant, seeing the incredible things my body is capable of doing, I can't help but treat it with absolute love and respect! I don't care what the scale says or what the size clothes I'm in. I care that my symptoms go away and that my body is healed. That's truly all that matters to me, everything else that may happen would just bonus.














I have never felt more beautiful and more proud of my body than I did when pregnant with Edison! I can't wait to be pregnant again and experience that again.

So anyways, if you have experience with the Paleo way of eating (or even just GF eating) please don't hesitate to steer me in the right direction in regards to recipes, research articles, books and websites/blogs. It'd be much appreciated.

After just 11 days eating like this and I'm already feeling a million times better! I just need to find a way to eat breakfast while Edison screams for my undivided attention in the morning. Any ideas?

Happy healing, N.

Goodbye 2013, hello 2014!

Here we are, January 2nd of a new year and with my baby boy in my arms I'm cautiously eager for what 2014 will bring. I believe this New Years motto for us will be "trust and simplicity", learning to trust God to provide and live as simply as possible to financially accomplish our family goals.

This semester we decided to put Cam through school full time to get his diploma done faster while working when he's available. Finishing his degree is something that is important to us both for our future as a family. We figured since we have only Edison and he's still so young and we don't have a mortgage or many huge financial obligations makes this the best time to have Cam complete as much school as he can. But we will be taking it one semester at a time. Unlike other New Years, this year we are truly taking it one month at a time. I have school to finish, one class and two more practicums that need to be done as well this New Year (so much school!).

I will be going back to work in April as a sub and I'm very excited about it. I have officially told my work that I will not be returning to the daycare so now it's okay I think to let others know my plans. I hope to be placed in a preschool by my employer in September but like our 2014 motto goes, trust in God to provide. We won't know if I get a placement until further in the year so I'm just going to trust and sub and be the best teacher, mother and wife I can be no matter what that ends up looking like.

But what we are looking forward to most right now is our trip to Winnipeg to see some of Cams family! It's going to be SO fun to have Edison meet his cousins Jackie and Ashley and his aunt Michele and uncle Scott. And then to see cousin David again, auntie Jess and uncle Colin. Plus lots of friends who are out that way. I'm looking forward to seeing him play with the kids and interact more with family. I'm just incredibly nervous for the flights. We have a connecting flight in Calgary I think so it's two planes. Anyone have any good tips for flying with babies? Edison has changed and is now amazing at being out and about but he's teething horribly right now and crying more than normal. We may just be the family nobody wants to be around on the plane (oh well!).

So yah, lots of unknown this year but that's fine with us. We choose to be positive, trust and love this year. It's going to be good.

Goodbye 2013, hello 2014
N.