Healing Journey Series, Part 2: I’m on a diet and what you need to know about it!

Healing Journey Series, Part 2: I’m on a diet and what you need to know about it!

Hey Friends,

A lot has happened since my last post. At the beginning of November, I herniated my disc and practically had to spend two and a half weeks lying down or standing up. It was extremely painful and sitting was not an option, which is why this post is long overdue…but I hope it was worth the wait:)

In the beginning of November, I started a gut-healing diet in hopes to heal the pain I’ve been experiencing in my joints and my lower abdomen. If you didn’t get a chance to read my last blog post, I talked about some of the health and personal issues that I’ve been experiencing in the past two years and some of the new changes I’ll be incorporating on this website. I hope you’ll read it if you haven’t already, that way future blogs will make a lot more sense to you.

So I’ll just jump right in.

I normally don’t believe in “going on a diet”. In fact, I dislike it so much it’s one of the reasons why I put off changing my diet for so long. The word diet just doesn’t leave a good taste in my mouth. But the truth is, if I wanted to feel pain-free again and get my life back, it’s a step in the journey I had to take.

So…what is a Gut-healing diet?

Well, it’s based on the assumption that you have “leaky gut syndrome”. First I’d like to start off by saying that when I talk about the “gut”, I’m not talking about a big fat belly, though in some cases you might have that too, lol. But seriously, your gut refers to the inside of your body from your mouth to your anus and Hippocrates (the father of modern medicine) once said that the gut is the gateway to the health of your brain and immune system. In other words, if you look at the root cause of disease, it can almost always be linked back to chronic inflammation, which you get when there is some type of gut dysfunction.

The term leaky gut syndrome (intestinal hyper-permeability) is a condition that happens as a consequence of intestinal tight junction malfunction. When you have leaky gut, these tight junctions between your intestines and your blood stream become “loose” allowing particles such as microbes, toxins and undigested food particles to circulate throughout the bloodstream. With tight junctions, this normally shouldn’t happen, but when these particles start circulating throughout the bloodstream, it causes inflammation leading to all kinds of diseases.

The road to good health is paved with good intestines”. -Sherry A.Rogers, M.D. (author)

As I started experiencing a number of aches and pains such as joint swelling and bursitis, unexplained pains in my lower abdomen, lack of energy and motivation, weight gain, brain fog, dull, pale looking skin and hair, inability to concentrate, moods swings and depression, I made several trips to the doctor to try and figure out what was wrong with me. Unfortunately, no matter how many blood tests, X-rays, MRI’s, CT scans, etc, no one could tell me what was wrong with me. I literally went from being a super active person (i.e.: running marathons, teaching fitness, doing yoga and Tae Kwon Do) to being unable to do anything except walk. I started doing more research based on my symptoms and over time pieced together that the pain I was experiencing had to be a result of leaky gut syndrome. But having leaky gut isn’t something that doctors will tell you that is causing your joint pain or weight gain! In fact, every trip I made to the doctor resulted in an offer to receive anti-inflammatory meds (NSAIDS) which I refused to take.

Having suspected for a long time that I had leaky gut, I knew that I had to make huge changes to my diet and lifestyle. Remember, at this time in my life after having experienced a very stressful two years, I wasn’t eating or sleeping well and many healthy habits had begun to fall away. But the truth was, I just wasn’t mentally ready to make such drastic changes; I was always stressed out. And I think many of you can relate when I say that “I knew what I had to do, I just didn’t want to do it”. Now I wasn’t completely neglecting myself either. While I hadn’t made huge changes to my diet, I had made changes to my lifestyle by incorporating weekly physiotherapy, yoga, walking, aromatherapy, massage and time spent in prayer. All these things were happening simultaneously and the road to healing has definitely been a long, slow, consistent walk; sometimes it has even felt like a crawl or standstill. But this is where my faith kicked in.

Every step I took towards healing was building me back up. Every time I chose to “keep going”, I was choosing healing over hurt. Every tear I cried when I was frustrated or in pain, God comforted me and picked me back up. Every time I was angry at my situation, He softened my heart and revealed to me who I was in spite of what I could not do or how I looked in the mirror. And then I finally realized that who I am is not what I do, nor is it the labels associated with me, or my successes or accomplishments at all. Instead, I am a woman of God who is fearfully and wonderfully made. That I am loved in spite of my appearance, capabilities and approval from others, and that my purpose on earth is even greater than I ever imagined – that’s when I realized that I was ready to make some serious changes and kick disease to the curb!

So I say, “The Road to Good Health starts with God”.

In my next blog post, I’m going to talk more in detail about my actual Gut-Healing Diet and explain what foods I started with, some lifestyle habits I incorporated and the amazing benefits I’ve experienced so far and trust me – you do not want to miss it. I guarantee that no matter what health issues you may have or are struggling with, incorporating some of these foods/habits could have a profound effect on your well-being! I’ll also share some insight on what God has been doing in me and through me which I think you’ll really love as well. So I invite you to join my journey on Facebook or Instagram, because that’s where I have been posting my progress, delicious recipes and all kinds of fun stuff!

Thanks for reading and please feel free to comment, ask questions or send words of encouragement. I really appreciate it.

Till soon,

Love Bianca, xo

Bianca Schaefer is a 360 Holistic Health Coach who inspires a global community to take charge of their lives and happiness through nourishing their body, mind and spirit with delicious healthy foods, an active lifestyle and a mindset that believes anything is possible! Her mission is to help you realize your greatest potential and use your unique talents to be an inspiration to others.

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