Recently, my beautiful friend
Emily was diagnosed with
Lyme’s disease. She got a nasty bug bite while at a school intensive in
Virginia. A mosquito bite that at first appeared harmless swelled to unusual
proportions and brought on shakes and just general feelings of uneasiness.
After being treated for Lyme’s as a precaution and told that they all but cured
it- she received news that she is in fact positive for the disease.
I don’t know much about Lyme’s disease, but I do know this
about Emily’s situation. She has unusual and unexplainable pains in various
parts of her body. Also, she’s had to see a specialist about what kinds of
foods she should avoid as a way to keep her aches and pains to a minimum and
allow her body to build up immunity.
Yesterday, she and I were texting about random things. We
have both been so busy and out of town at various times we are basically
communicating through text right now. Last time I saw Emily we discussed the
various foods she could not have, most of them foods that are considered
healthy, such as green peppers and bananas.
From what I understand, Lyme’s weakens your immune system. These dietary
changes will allow the rest of her body to heal and build up some stamina
without expending all her energy on digesting foods. I asked how she was
feeling and how the dietary changes were going.
This is what she said, “It [the dietary changes] is
emotional however. Surprisingly so. Not being able to eat a fun treat that
everyone else is, avoiding favorite restaurants, etc. It’s frustrating, but
first world. If that makes sense. Feeling so good though so that it’s gotta be
worth it!”
I responded with an ‘Absolutely.’
Last month, I did a 30 day ‘Fall into Healthy Habits’
challenge with Arbonne. The idea was to eliminate certain trigger foods that
are common allergens for most people while restoring the body’s PH level. They instructed
us to cut the following ingredients for 30 days: wheat, gluten, dairy, peanuts,
sugar and coffee. I ate whole foods-
mostly fruits and veggies with the occasional organic meat item rotated in and
swapped out my coffee for tea. It was not easy but it wasn’t terribly hard
either.
Just as Emily is finding out, dietary changes, although
hard, really do yield some positive results.
In our discussion, I mentioned how having less sugar and
avoiding gluten and dairy really feel good to my body. I don’t feel as tired or
bloated or like I need to double up my workouts to make up for the junk I just
ate. I sleep better, my skin looks great and I have more energy. My weight
doesn’t fluctuate and my mind isn’t foggy. Overall, I have less mental and
physical junk about food.
I’m a self-admitted foodie. I love to cook and will always
be the first to try a new restaurant. When I’m out of town, I prefer to eat at
local restaurants only- often indulging in whatever the ‘special’ is. At home,
I shop almost exclusively local and organic and prefer to eat at restaurants
where I know where the food comes from. I’m a food snob and proud of it.
I like to set up dinners or coffee dates with my friends where
we can enjoy a sweet treat. Often, I’ll make a treat of some kind, generally
healthy, for my co-workers or my small
group.
These are not terrible things. Eating local and organic is
good for me, my city and my environment. Sharing time with others while eating
is biblical and life-giving, it’s called fellowship.
But often, I will allow myself to ‘cheat’ or eat something
downright terrible for me- i.e. Excess sugar in the form of candy, lot of dairy
usually in the form of large amounts of ice cream, or something else I will regret
later. My excuses can vary: ‘I had a bad day and I deserve it’ (days are only
as bad as you make them); ‘It’s a special occasion!’ (when it’s really not); ‘This
place has a great drink/dessert/friend appetizer, I get it every time I’m here!’
(reality check- it’s not going anywhere and will be there next time you come).
During the challenge I realized just how much food
has become an area of excess in my life.
LIGHTBULB.
This past year has been a lot about simplifying for me,
eliminating the excesses in my life in the form of clothes, stuff and even
commitments. What about food? I’m finding that food is and always has been an
area of overindulgence for me. If I learned anything during this challenge, it
is how MUCH it is much more of a heart issue than a physical one.
I told Emily, “…the more I look at simplifying my life- the
more I realize food is an area of excess for me. First world indeed!’
Often, I see food as a way of rewarding or spoiling myself
when I should be viewing it as fuel for my body. Eating in a way that sustains
my body more fully AND supports my local community is the way I should be
eating. Overall, I seem to have a pretty good handle on that.
But what happens when I have a crappy day? Or I’m
celebrating with friends?
Right before this challenge started, I was in an ugly place
with food. Having had issues with disordered eating in my past, I was stumbling
into some nasty habits. I was tracking food constantly, often overeating and
then working out excessively or under-eating the next day to make up for it. I
thought about food CONSTANTLY. I was constantly tallying calories in my head
and deciding how I could indulge and stay under or within my allotment. If I
went over, I’d figure out exactly how much I had to up my workout to come out
even. It was a vicious cycle.
I quit tracking and took on this challenge as a reset. I
found that my body DOES function better without gluten and dairy. I’ve found
that I really don’t miss sweets all that much day to day. That freeing up my
focus on food allows me to focus more fully on other areas of my life.
Mostly, I found that it’s okay to indulge occasionally. That
wedding you’re going to? Enjoy a piece of cake and celebrate with the new
couple. Your grandma is cooking you a favorite from childhood? Eat it and
celebrate the memories.
But those random cookies from the grocery store someone
brought into work? Not worth it. That candy dish you always keep full for
‘guests’? Get rid of it. Those $5 sugar-y lattes you feel you need every day to
make it through work? Skip it and find a new job. J
One of the speakers at Influence, Jess Thompson, told us something
that was really powerful to me.
Our bodies are not
our own.
They belong to God. He
gave them to us. Glorify God in your body by taking care of it. It’s each of
our responsibility to keep it strong and healthy, fully equipped to do the work
God gave us to do.
I interpret that this way: Don’t struggle and strive to have
a ‘perfect body’ as a way of control. But also don’t give up completely and
look to food as a means of comfort.
Ultimately, our need
to control how we look or to be comforted by what we eat is a sin of
self-entitlement.
The world doesn't end if you don’t eat a cookie every day
for your post dinner dessert. And it certainly doesn’t end if you don’t have 6
pack abs or chiseled upper arms.
I’m not saying that I have this fully figured out or that I
don’t still struggle with both sides of this spectrum.
Day by day, I am learning to view my body as a vehicle
through which to do the ‘good works’ that have been planned for me (Ephesians
2:10). I want to support my local community and the larger environment by
purchasing local and organic. I want to serve and nourish myself and others in
a way that promotes health and positive body image.
It’s really interesting that this conversation was had
yesterday and this post came flowing out of it. Just that morning, I took the
steps to become an
Arbonne Consultant. I have been using their skincare
products for a few months now and most recently, their wellness products as
part of my #30daychallenge. I am incredibly pleased by their commitment to
using pure, safe and beneficial products as well as the culture of promoting
total body and mind health and wellness.
I’ve been praying for a while about an opportunity to use my
passion for health to help others and I think I may have found it. Having this
conversation with Emily and talking through our reasons for choosing a
healthier lifestyle has confirmed for me that taking on this role with Arbonne
will be a great step towards my future goals (coffee shop in 5!)
I will always and forever be a foodie. I love breaking bread
with my friends and creating memories over a home-cooked or locally prepared
meal. BUT. I will not go forward
continuing to use food as a crutch or a comfort in times of need or distress. I
will not eat treats every day just ‘because.’ I will not over-exercise or
binge-eat. I will eat whole sustainable foods. I will eat when I’m hungry and
listen to my body. I will remind myself that each thing I’m putting in my mouth
should be fuel to nourish and strengthen my body.
But when the time is right and that special occasion comes
up?
You better believe I will indulge in something delicious.
And probably full of almond paste.
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| Post 20 miler almond croissant from my favorite local bakery |
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