My Story- Part 1 (Ignite)

I am a Holistic Health Coach.

(Whew.  There it is.  It feels good to say it.)  Like- not a practicing Holistic Health Coach.  But this is one of those "I think, therefore I am" situations.

As I'm sure you're aware from this blog or other interactions with me, I have a passion for health and wellness.  My personal journey to wellness has been an extraordinary one, to say the least.  I've learned so much about myself, my body, and my relationships.  I've seen the transformative powers of food and have come to believe that what you put into your body for nourishment is far more influential on your health than any workout, medicine, or supplement out there.  As a result of this, I've started down a new path in my journey.  I'm stepping out in faith that what I know and what I've learned has value to others.  I'm taking classes, working on business development, and lining up seminars.  And in January 2014, I will be ready to rock the world of Health and Wellness.

So below is the first of a multi-part series of my personal health journey.  Today I'm talking about where I've been, next will be how I manage my health today, and the final part will detail what exactly a Holistic Health Coach does and my thoughts on what health should look like (don't worry, it won't be a sales pitch).

I believe the first step to understanding where someone is going it to understand where they have been.  Not many people know my journey.

I have Multiple Sclerosis.  I've spent a large part of the past 5 years hiding it from my friends and family.  I always have been, and still am, very uncomfortable with this diagnosis.

For those of you who don't know, Multiple Sclerosis (MS) is an autoimmune condition that causes the immune system to attack the central nervous system.  Symptoms include (but are not limited to) numbness and tingling in the arms and legs, loss of balance, loss of cognitive function, and loss of motor skills.  This last one, loss of motor skills, was the one that struck fear into my heart.  By no means am I nor have I ever been an Olympic level athlete, but I can tell you that I've spent a good portion of my life active or playing organized sports.  The idea of not being able to move scared me to my very core.

Oh, and hey, the other chilling factor of this diagnosis?  The medical community knows no cure.  There are disease managing drugs, but no known medical way to reverse the progression of the disease.

I spent the first two years taking 8 shots per week.  As you can imagine, that got old quick.  So I upgraded my prescription to a brand new oral drug called Gileyna (hot off the FDA presses).  But something didn't sit right with me.  Namely, the list of complications associated with the drug.  Below is a list of side effects according to WedMD (remember- this drug will not cure the disease, only manage it):

Abnormal Heart Rhythm

Abnormal Liver Function Tests

Abnormally Low Blood Pressure

Atrioventricular Heart Block

Backache

Blurred Vision

Bronchitis

Chest Pain

Cough

Decrease in Air Exhaled by Lungs

Decreased Number of Lymphocytes in the Blood

Decreased White Blood Cells

Depression

Diarrhea

Dizzy

Eczema

Feeling Weak

Hair Loss

Head Pain

Herpes Simplex Infection

High Amount of Triglyceride in the Blood

High Blood Pressure

Infection

Inflammation of the Lining of the Stomach and Intestines

Itching

Low Energy

Macular Edema

Malignant Lymphoma

Migraine Headache

Pain in the Eye

Progressive Disease in the White Brain Matter

Ringworm

Shingles

Sinus Irritation and Congestion

Slow Heartbeat

The Flu

Throwing Up

Trouble Breathing

Weight Loss

I'm sorry, but, what?  No.  Just, no.  'Progresssive Disease in the White Brain Matter,' 'Decreased White Blood Cells,' and 'Atrioventricular Heart Block.'  No.  For a medication that will not cure and possibly not even stop the progression of the disease, this was not an acceptable level of risk for me.  Oh yeah, and pre-insurance, the cost of this medication was $40,000 per year (no wonder we all feel overwhelmed and hopeless when it comes to our own health).

So I owned it.  Several months earlier, I was introduced to Paleo and a guy named Robb Wolf by my trainer at the time, Kevin Randall.  What peaked my interest in the diet was the fact that there is some significant evidence linking modern diets to not just MS, but autoimmune issues in general.  By modern diet, I'm referring to high carb, low fat, low protein, with the inclusion of processed foods, industrial seed oils, and most notably- GLUTEN.  Not sure you believe me?  That's completely understandable- but you can check out resources here, here, here, here, here, or here, or do your own Googling.

The remainder of my health journey is a series of test and learn events.  I can tell you, after two years of self experimentation, there is a sweet spot of nutrition, movement, stress, and sleep that keeps me off that cliff.  I have a propensity towards having a very inflamed system and pushing that system means my symptoms start to move back in.  In short- when I eat highly inflammatory foods, get poor sleep, have loads of stress, and train too hard (ie-live a Standard American lifestyle).  And I believe this to be a fact:  I am not sick because I have MS, I have MS because I am sick.  

So I know that I've rambled long enough on this one, and probably the only person still reading is my mom (heyyyyy Mom).  So this is Part 1.  That's where I came from.  The next part will be my formula for health- what I eat, how I move, and how I manage the stress of everyday life. 

And  a side note- if you have a comment or question, please leave it in the comments below!  I love feedback, and I love dialogue over this stuff even more.  

-Kelsey

An Anniversary Gift to my Husband

Today is my 5 year wedding anniversary.  In an effort to save money for our real gift to each other (our trip to Australia in a few weeks), we decided to not spend a whole lot of money on each other today.  So what do you get a guy that already has everything (XBox, future plans to travel the world, and an amazing wife)?  Well, if it were up to me, I would shout it from the rooftop how much I love him and how glad I am to be married to him.  But since our neighborhood consists of elderly women who can't hear and shift workers, I figured that would not be as appreciated as I would hope.  So I'm using the next best thing to a rooftop that I have access to.  Below is a collection of what I think we've learned as a couple over the past 5 years.  Some are funny, some are serious, but all are 100% genuine.  I'm even more in love with this man than 5 years ago today.  I don't know how it could get any better, but I'm excited to find out....

Marriage starts with a butterfly in your stomach.  That "I sure I hope that when I cry, it doesn't ruin this mega expensive airbrush makeup for pictures" kind of butterfly.  But that butterfly turns to giggles when your pastor says something quirky and you catch the reaction on your soon to be brother-in-law's face.  And for some reason, the rest of ceremony just seems hilarious (which, by the way, make for great wedding pictures).

After that blissful ceremony, there is a party on the dancefloor and a need to hug everyone at your reception.  And the first dance....  when you forget everyone is watching and you follow your husband's lead because right in that moment, you would follow him to the ends of the earth.  And when he tells you you're beautiful, you know he means it.

Marriage is about taking an adventure.

Exploring faraway cities and foreign lands.

Or even the city closest to home.

Marriage is being a teacher and student all at once.  It's possible to warn the other person not to run over the lawn mower cord (because all you can afford as newlyweds is a cheap electric one), but do it three times yourself.  It's being willing to repeat yourself because the other person was not interested in learning how to use the TV remote until it suited them.

Marriage is learning to be a psychiatrist.  When your other half loses someone they love, you learn to be a listener and shoulder to cry on.  But when they've had a terrible day because traffic was bad, they spilled coffee on their white shirt, and their computer crashed causing them to lose 8 hours of work, it's ok to remind them the world is not coming to an end because there is no ice cream in the house.  

Marriage is about learning to compromise.  The kind of compromise that results from a kitchen without enough counter space, a one car garage, or Halloween costumes.  Or figuring out that Monday nights are for WWE, but Tuesday nights are for NCIS.  And of course everyone watches Walking Dead on Sundays.

Marriage is about becoming cultured and appreciating (or at least tolerating) the other person's likes.  Breaking Benjamin really is a good band.  The Chicago Bears are a better team than the St. Louis Rams.  A black accent wall in the bedroom is a good idea.  But it is never ok to sneak liver into meatballs in the name of health and longevity.

Marriage is about starting a family (even an unconventional one) and learning to parent as a team.  One parent sets a rule (no dogs in the bed) and five years later the rule takes on a life of its own (2 people, 2 dogs, and 2 cats in the bed almost every night).

Marriage is being career support, from playing housekeeper and dog sitter when the other one studies and travels to being a sounding board when a better opportunity is on the horizon.  It's becoming the default Chief Technology Officer, lead editor, default problem solver, and taste tester of a start up nutrition coaching business.    

Marriage is about becoming a caregiver when your other half can't take care of themselves.  It might be bringing them a glass of water when that's all they can keep down.  It might be adding ice to the bathwater because that overhead squat got a little too heavy a little too quickly.  Or it might be going with them to countless doctor visits, holding them when the diagnosis of an incurable autoimmune condition comes in, and sticking them with a 2 inch needle once a week because they can't stomach doing it themselves.

Marriage is about learning how to forgive.  Because when you become so vulnerable to someone, they will have the ability to hurt you (and you will have the ability to hurt them) in ways you never thought imaginable.  So when they unknowingly break your heart, there is a tender part of you that will beg you to forgive them.  I beg you. Forgive them.

People always say "marriage is hard" like it's a badge of honor that they know this.  I'll be honest, marriage is hard.  But that's what makes it so great.  If you want a stronger body, you have to have bear weight and resistance, but too much will break you.  So you need rest and recovery, but too much of that will make you weak.

Because when we're married, we could take the easy way out and avoid conflict, avoid uncomfortable moments and discussion, and create a false reality where everything is just perfect.  But then we would dwell in a house of cards.  One strong wind and it's over.

I am so blessed to have a man who is willing to fight for me when I've lost the will to do so for him.  I have a husband who loves me so dearly he will admit when he's wrong and when he's sorry.  I have someone who I can laugh with, cry with, and dare to dream of a future with.  And my prayer is that when he looks at me, he sees an equal partner.  So my wish today is that one day I'll be able to look back at these musing, smile fondly, because after so many more years of marriage I'll know so much more.

Joel- I love you.  I adore you.  I'm grateful to have you.  Happy Anniversary and here's to a lifetime more of memories.    

Hey! Meet Me!

Welcome.  Welcome!  WELCOME!  To Ignite.Nourish.Thrive.  I am just so happy that you're here at my blog!  I am a Real Food Advocate.  My personal experience with the healing powers of real foods started five years ago when I was diagnosed with Multiple Sclerosis.  The pharmaceuticals to manage (not cure) it came with a whole host of side effects.  So I unknowingly started my personal journey to understand the cause and effect relationship of food, stress, and movement on optimizing the body.

From my journey, I've realized my passion is to help other people break free from the chains of poor health and optimize their life based on their own goals.  This blog is an outlet to share my thoughts on real foods, sustainable food sourcing, recipes and meal plans, and thoughts on successfully sticking to an Ancestral Health template.

I am a happily married to my wonderful, loving, and supportive husband. 

 We have four fur babies named Chandler, Ross, Joey, and Phoebe (in order pictured below). 

In my free time I spend time volunteering as a youth group leader at my church and this feeds my soul!

 I've always been a active and am a CrossFit junkie.   

I also work in a corporate job, trying desperately to make this way of living work despite cake in the breakroom, constant stress, and artificial lighting.

I am so excited and looking forward to this journey!  I hope you decide to follow my blog!  In the spirit of Q&A, please post any additional questions about me in the comments below.  (Almost) nothing is off limits!

-Kelsey