This road this has been long. As I told you in my last post, I’ve already been working on my autoimmune protocol (or ‘AIP’) for years. I just didn’t know it. All these years of grass-fed this and organic that and natural this & that hasn’t been for nothing. It’s been part of His plan all along.

I finally received confirmation on July 25th, 2017 that I am positive for a genetic disorder. I’ve been thanking God ever since for that answer because now I can go confidently in a direction without wondering if it’s worth it.

MTHFR diagnosis has changed my life

At this point, I find this will surely be one of the biggest undertakings of my life. Unlike most conventional wisdom, it’s not as easy as taking a pill to ease the suffering.

Having chosen a whole body approach to medicine because I have found this to be the most effective and won’t cause a bunch of other side effects. My work will not just be time consuming but life consuming as well. But, I’m bound and determined to balance it all. 

Nutrition will play a gargantuan role in all of this. The quality and type of food being the biggest component. In addition to this, sleep, stress management, and control over environmental toxins make up the rest.

It seems too basic does it? It’s like the doctor is basically saying “go on a diet” but in a glorified, dramatic way.

In some reality, she is. But, it’s just much more than that!

We all know, thanks to our common sense, that all of these chemicals, over use of antibiotics, and modern food creation practices are not good. But, we rationalize it all into something good because it’s “easier”. It’s easier to grab the convenience food. It’s easier to take a pill for an ailment. It’s easier to grab fast food on the go. It’s easier to watch TV than it is to take a walk, go for a run, or lift some weights.

We are fooling ourselves.

From the very beginning of all this, I’ve said we think we’re invincible. But, the harsh reality is that we are not as resilient as we were hoping to be. Our bodies are not capable of handling the stress that we are taking on. We are not capable of eating the food that is being manufactured for the masses. Our bodies are not able to handle the gluttonous way we view & handle food. We can’t handle these nights of getting 4 hours of sleep.

We just aren’t created for all this. And many of us are waiting for our bodies to adjust. Or perhaps secretly “evolve”. Oh that word… I am not a believer of evolution. I believe in my Creator God.

In my opinion, if we started from a mass of nothingness and “evolved” all the way to what we are today, then why haven’t we “evolved” into being able to take on the new environmental conditions of today, the food of today, the stress of today, the little sleep we are getting today???

Ok, some practical advice…

The answer is simple. God has already created us as we are to be. Our bodies need:

• wholesome food. Not laden with preservatives, altered in every way shape and form. Not animals raised in shelters without sunlight and the ability to move about. Not vegetables that have been genetically modified and grown on topsoil stripped of all its nutrients. And not fish that have been raised on GMO corn.
• adequate sleep. Eight hours at least. Not 4 hours. Not 5 hours. Night owls, your life is not glamorous. It’s just stupid.
• good, clean water. We’ve been living off of bottled water and tap for way too long. Filtered, unadulterated water is what we are created for.
• a balanced, lower stressed life. This doesn’t mean we stop working. It doesn’t mean we become lazy slobs. It just means balance and knowing your limits and not obligating yourself beyond what you were created for. #dontcommittoeverythingunderthesun
• an environment with less toxic elements. I’ve traded my Yankee Candles for essential oils and my Secret deodorant for a homemade one without aluminum.

But, I’m angry…

Really angry.

I am not naive enough to believe this world and its ways have my back. I know it doesn’t. But, I’m still angry.

I’m angry that this is going to be really, really hard.

I’m angry that my church and social life is chock full of southern comfort food and baked goods, coffee creamers, mac-n-cheese, and fried chicken that I have to maneuver around, giving me one more reason I’m different from everyone else. As if being a barren, hippie with tendencies towards organic everything weren’t enough… I digress yet again. 🙂

I’m angry that I’m more susceptible to cancer.

I’m angry that my food is going to cost so much more.

I am angry that it’s just not easy. Not even close. Can’t we at least compromise on the level of ease?

But, I’m also very hopeful…

I want to live and abundantly so as Jesus died to enable this. I want to live more than I want to be sick. More than I want to spend money on this new priority. More than I want to be normal.

And I trust His timing and reasoning for giving me insight into my ailments.

Lord, thank you for this newly found knowledge and wisdom. I just didn’t know it was going to mean all that it does.

**Edited 09/01/2017