It has been half a year since I last posted on this blog--sorry! Life has been a little crazy over the last several months, but all in a good way! As you most likely know, I left California at the beginning of June and am now in Pennsylvania! God actually worked the whole trip out, and I was able to caravan with brother and sister-in-law from Southern California to Kansas. That was one of the highlights of the last several years, as I got to spend enough time with my niece and nephew for them to get to know me (on the flip side of that, my nephew now "really, really misses" me--break. my. heart!) We also stopped at the grand canyon and the meteor crater in Arizona. Once in Kansas, my wonderful brother did some work on my car and I took off to Missouri on my own. My mom joined me from there and helped me settle into my new home in southeast Pennsylvania. That's the month of June in a nutshell. July 1 was the start of internship and I am oh so blessed. I absolutely love everything about my internship site, and am so thankful to be here! Anyway, here is a glimpse on what I've learned and/or am working on now:
Food: Just before I left California I went to a natural nutritionist and got tested for allergies. I was shocked to find out that I am NOT allergic to gluten! Unfortunately, I had worse results for eggs, dairy, oats and sugar. At that time, my diet consisted of a whole lot of oatmeal and yogurt, so that's been a big change. On a more positive note, I learned that many people with lactose intolerance can drink raw milk with no problems (milk naturally contains lactase, which breaks down lactose, but lactase is killed during the pasteurization process). I was elated to find a raw milk farmer who makes bi-weekly deliveries to my town, so I can once again have dairy! Trying to avoid those four things in food, I made the decision to start eating gluten again. However, after a few weeks I realized I didn't feel so great after eating it so now, while I don't consider myself gluten-free, I eat very limited gluten-containing foods. I've learned that I feel best when I follow a primal diet (Paleo w/ raw milk).
Faith: God is so absolutely faithful. If I had to share what I've learned about faith in the last year, that statement would cover it. He has come through in the big things and small, from making it across the country to finding new friends who share my faith. It has been a somewhat painful process looking for a new home church, as I am no longer a three-hour drive from the best church in the world . But I have at least found a church that shares my values, and my old pastor will even be here in a few weeks to speak at a conference. I started reading Dreaming With God by Bill Johnson and that is awakening in me desires that God put in my heart long ago. I'm also reading Powerful and Free by Danny Silk, which is a much needed voice championing the position of women in the church. All in all, God is teaching me a lot and I am walking in freedom like never before.
Freud: My internship specializes in Cognitive-Behavioral Therapy (CBT), which is about as far as you can get from Freud without leaving the field of psychology, but this blog has never been a fan of Freud, only the F in his name! I am so thankful for the education I am getting from my supervisors and the experience I am getting from my clients. The work can be extremely stressful (think 3 suicidal teenagers and a child abuse report in 2 weeks) but it is really worth it. On top of that, my supervisors are extremely supportive and are really invested in my growth as a clinician. I think CBT is the type of therapy that God uses, because it is basically described in Romans 12:2: "...be transformed by the renewing of your mind...." CBT is about changing inaccurate thoughts, or "renewing your mind." It's a great fit for me!
Well, that's the last six months of my life in a nutshell... now that I'm settled down here in PA hopefully more posts will be coming soon! Thanks for reading!
Tuesday, September 3, 2013
Monday, February 25, 2013
Faith-my story (well, a tiny part of it)
"Above all else, guard your heart. For everything you do flows from it." Proverbs 4:23, NIV.
It seems like my blog topic should be on moving or internship or something related to psychology, since the last month has been all about internship applications (actually, the last 10 months have been about internship applications) and I'm finally DONE. But it's not. This is another topic that's been on my heart a lot lately, and something that I've been asking God to teach me more about. But first, I need to lay a foundation...
Most of you know that I took some time off of school and moved to Redding, California, where I lived from August 2010 to January 2012. I really feel that the move, and that time away from school, was a sabbatical. I had been feeling like I was putting so much energy and time into school, academics, achievement, etc, that I had been neglecting my spiritual growth. After much prayer and counsel from wise friends, I felt that God was telling me that the next year would be a time to focus on Him and grow spiritually. I chose Redding because it is the home of Bethel Church, which is, by far, the best church in the world (okay, so I may be slightly biased; but only slightly). I got so much freedom out of that year, and worked through so many issues. The biggest thing I learned is identity. Really, learned is not the appropriate word. I feel like I had a revelation of identity. God showed me just a little glimpse of who I am--who he created me to be--and how he feels about me. That completely changed how I look at myself, and changing how I look at myself changed everything else.
One of the avenues that this revelation took place through was a seminar at Bethel called Single Life Workshop (SLW). SLW was started by Barry & Lori Byrne, who have ran the marriage ministry, Love After Marriage (LAM), at Bethel for years. They wanted to give singles the tools that have saved hundreds of marriages across the world (they travel for LAM and are now travelling for SLW; you should check it out at www.singlelifeworkshop.org.) I made some great friends in SLW; it is one of the best experiences I have ever had. Before SLW, I really wasn't sure that healthy relationships existed. And if they did, I wasn't sure that I had anything to offer. After SLW, I know that I have a LOT to offer and that God has someone out there who is going to be SO worth the wait! Anyway, I digress. The whole point of this paragraph (AND the one before it!) is that I've been thinking about the idea of guarding your heart this week, and wrestling with what that means, and it's reminded me a lot of some things that I learned in SLW, at Bethel, in Redding.
So... on to my topic. Psychodynamic therapists (ones who really like Freud!) talk a lot about defense mechanisms, or defenses--things/behaviors that defend someone emotionally/psychologically. Common defenses are denial (I don't have a problem), projection (I'm not the one with the problem, you are), humor (it's not a problem, it's a joke!), and intellectualization (let me tell you all about the problem as if its not problematic and it's not happening to me). Those are really simplified explanations, and there are a lot of other defenses (google them if you want). The point is that defenses protect you from feelings like fear, pain, sadness, etc. The problem is that being too defended can also result in an inability to connect emotionally with others.
Thanks to facebook, I've noticed that there are a lot of people out there who either avoid relationships (either altogether or just emotionally by making it all about sex) or go from "in a relationship" to "engaged" to "single" to "engaged" to "it's complicated" back to "single" and back to "engaged" (side note: what relationship isn't complicated? seriously, it's two people-that's complicated! Sometimes I'm complicated all by myself!). Really, I can't keep up with whether people are getting married or hate each other. And as a therapist, and a Christian, that made me wonder what it is about relationships that make people so crazy! My first thought was that people are too defended. But my second thought was that people are not defended enough. I mean, look at all of the people who either get into horrible relationships in the first place, or return to them time and time again. Then I started asking God for the connection between the two.
First he reminded me of Proverbs 4:23: "Above all else, guard your heart. For everything you do flows from it" (NIV). At first that didn't help, because 'guard your heart' kind of sounds like 'defend your heart.' But as I thought about it, realized that guarding something and defending something are completely different things. If you are defending something, you are ready to fight. It puts you at odds with anyone or anything that you come in contact with. Guarding something may involve defending it, but only if necessary. A good guard knows who to let in and who to keep out. Imagine a guard at the White House. The guard knows who to let in and who to keep out. They also know which rooms which people are allowed in. A good guard knows that the president can go wherever he wants, that his family's living quarters are relatively private, and the common visitor (like me) stays outside the fence. At the same time, he doesn't just shoot everyone who walks by; he is, however, ready to use force if it becomes necessary. Likewise, guarding your heart involves knowing who to let in just as much as who to keep out. It involves having good boundaries, and it involves good communication with the person in charge. Being a good guard also means making sure people are who they say they are before letting them in--there are a lot of people who use disguises! When guarding your heart, you need to allow enough time to make sure people are genuinely trustworthy before you let them in. The guard has a pretty complicated job--much more complicated than just "defending" something.
If you have a history of not guarding your heart well (either too strictly or not enough), I urge you to look at what's stopping from you. There are a lot of great resources on learning how to be a good guard. Just like if you were learning to guard the white house, you need good training. Again, I highly recommend SLW. There's also a great blog on stages of relationships that you can find here. Therapy may be helpful, or maybe just wise counsel from friends. Wherever you choose to seek help, the important thing is to seek it.
I'll have more posts on food, faith, and/or Freud coming soon. Let me know if there's a topic you'd like to read soon!
It seems like my blog topic should be on moving or internship or something related to psychology, since the last month has been all about internship applications (actually, the last 10 months have been about internship applications) and I'm finally DONE. But it's not. This is another topic that's been on my heart a lot lately, and something that I've been asking God to teach me more about. But first, I need to lay a foundation...
Most of you know that I took some time off of school and moved to Redding, California, where I lived from August 2010 to January 2012. I really feel that the move, and that time away from school, was a sabbatical. I had been feeling like I was putting so much energy and time into school, academics, achievement, etc, that I had been neglecting my spiritual growth. After much prayer and counsel from wise friends, I felt that God was telling me that the next year would be a time to focus on Him and grow spiritually. I chose Redding because it is the home of Bethel Church, which is, by far, the best church in the world (okay, so I may be slightly biased; but only slightly). I got so much freedom out of that year, and worked through so many issues. The biggest thing I learned is identity. Really, learned is not the appropriate word. I feel like I had a revelation of identity. God showed me just a little glimpse of who I am--who he created me to be--and how he feels about me. That completely changed how I look at myself, and changing how I look at myself changed everything else.
One of the avenues that this revelation took place through was a seminar at Bethel called Single Life Workshop (SLW). SLW was started by Barry & Lori Byrne, who have ran the marriage ministry, Love After Marriage (LAM), at Bethel for years. They wanted to give singles the tools that have saved hundreds of marriages across the world (they travel for LAM and are now travelling for SLW; you should check it out at www.singlelifeworkshop.org.) I made some great friends in SLW; it is one of the best experiences I have ever had. Before SLW, I really wasn't sure that healthy relationships existed. And if they did, I wasn't sure that I had anything to offer. After SLW, I know that I have a LOT to offer and that God has someone out there who is going to be SO worth the wait! Anyway, I digress. The whole point of this paragraph (AND the one before it!) is that I've been thinking about the idea of guarding your heart this week, and wrestling with what that means, and it's reminded me a lot of some things that I learned in SLW, at Bethel, in Redding.
So... on to my topic. Psychodynamic therapists (ones who really like Freud!) talk a lot about defense mechanisms, or defenses--things/behaviors that defend someone emotionally/psychologically. Common defenses are denial (I don't have a problem), projection (I'm not the one with the problem, you are), humor (it's not a problem, it's a joke!), and intellectualization (let me tell you all about the problem as if its not problematic and it's not happening to me). Those are really simplified explanations, and there are a lot of other defenses (google them if you want). The point is that defenses protect you from feelings like fear, pain, sadness, etc. The problem is that being too defended can also result in an inability to connect emotionally with others.
Thanks to facebook, I've noticed that there are a lot of people out there who either avoid relationships (either altogether or just emotionally by making it all about sex) or go from "in a relationship" to "engaged" to "single" to "engaged" to "it's complicated" back to "single" and back to "engaged" (side note: what relationship isn't complicated? seriously, it's two people-that's complicated! Sometimes I'm complicated all by myself!). Really, I can't keep up with whether people are getting married or hate each other. And as a therapist, and a Christian, that made me wonder what it is about relationships that make people so crazy! My first thought was that people are too defended. But my second thought was that people are not defended enough. I mean, look at all of the people who either get into horrible relationships in the first place, or return to them time and time again. Then I started asking God for the connection between the two.
First he reminded me of Proverbs 4:23: "Above all else, guard your heart. For everything you do flows from it" (NIV). At first that didn't help, because 'guard your heart' kind of sounds like 'defend your heart.' But as I thought about it, realized that guarding something and defending something are completely different things. If you are defending something, you are ready to fight. It puts you at odds with anyone or anything that you come in contact with. Guarding something may involve defending it, but only if necessary. A good guard knows who to let in and who to keep out. Imagine a guard at the White House. The guard knows who to let in and who to keep out. They also know which rooms which people are allowed in. A good guard knows that the president can go wherever he wants, that his family's living quarters are relatively private, and the common visitor (like me) stays outside the fence. At the same time, he doesn't just shoot everyone who walks by; he is, however, ready to use force if it becomes necessary. Likewise, guarding your heart involves knowing who to let in just as much as who to keep out. It involves having good boundaries, and it involves good communication with the person in charge. Being a good guard also means making sure people are who they say they are before letting them in--there are a lot of people who use disguises! When guarding your heart, you need to allow enough time to make sure people are genuinely trustworthy before you let them in. The guard has a pretty complicated job--much more complicated than just "defending" something.
If you have a history of not guarding your heart well (either too strictly or not enough), I urge you to look at what's stopping from you. There are a lot of great resources on learning how to be a good guard. Just like if you were learning to guard the white house, you need good training. Again, I highly recommend SLW. There's also a great blog on stages of relationships that you can find here. Therapy may be helpful, or maybe just wise counsel from friends. Wherever you choose to seek help, the important thing is to seek it.
I'll have more posts on food, faith, and/or Freud coming soon. Let me know if there's a topic you'd like to read soon!
Saturday, January 19, 2013
Food-Preparing to go gluten-free--AND healthy
This is the first topic that I've written by request. That's kind of awesome!
I have been asked for tips for shopping gluten-free. This is a great question because a lot of "gluten-free" products on the shelves are pretty awful--especially if you are used to lots of gluten, with high fructose corn syrup mixed in. Switching can be pretty overwhelming. My brother is the type of person who goes all-or-nothing, so when he went gluten-free he went cold turkey. My switch happened over a period of several months, partially because I was focusing on other aspects of health before I realized I was gluten-sensitive. (For more on gluten-sensitivity, read this article, although I have heard stories of many other symptoms of gluten-sensitivity.) Because this is the way I did it, this is how I will organize my tips. However, if you're like my brother, just throw everything in your kitchen out and start over ;) In all reality, probably 90 percent of the stuff in your kitchen has gluten. Also, some people just find "gluten-free" products and stock up on them. I don't recommend this for two reasons. First, a lot of them taste awful. Second, most of them are made with grains other than wheat, and while they are better than wheat products, I still wouldn' call them healthy. You really want to cut as many grains out of your diet as possible.
If you're planning on going gluten-free, my recommendation is to make a commitment not to bring any more gluten-products into your house. For now, assuming you don't eat out more than a couple meals per week, just focus on your home. While you're eating the rest of your gluten-filled products, stock up on the following items:
I have been asked for tips for shopping gluten-free. This is a great question because a lot of "gluten-free" products on the shelves are pretty awful--especially if you are used to lots of gluten, with high fructose corn syrup mixed in. Switching can be pretty overwhelming. My brother is the type of person who goes all-or-nothing, so when he went gluten-free he went cold turkey. My switch happened over a period of several months, partially because I was focusing on other aspects of health before I realized I was gluten-sensitive. (For more on gluten-sensitivity, read this article, although I have heard stories of many other symptoms of gluten-sensitivity.) Because this is the way I did it, this is how I will organize my tips. However, if you're like my brother, just throw everything in your kitchen out and start over ;) In all reality, probably 90 percent of the stuff in your kitchen has gluten. Also, some people just find "gluten-free" products and stock up on them. I don't recommend this for two reasons. First, a lot of them taste awful. Second, most of them are made with grains other than wheat, and while they are better than wheat products, I still wouldn' call them healthy. You really want to cut as many grains out of your diet as possible.
If you're planning on going gluten-free, my recommendation is to make a commitment not to bring any more gluten-products into your house. For now, assuming you don't eat out more than a couple meals per week, just focus on your home. While you're eating the rest of your gluten-filled products, stock up on the following items:
- Coconut oil--I buy mine from Vitacost, and if you use this link, we both get $10 off our next order :) You'll need coconut oil in most gluten-free recipes. Plus, there are approximately 9 million other amazing uses for coconut oil, but that's another blog. I recommend buying organic extra-virgin coconut oil, but you can do your own research and decide what's best for you.
- Coconut flour--I buy this in the bulk section of Whole Foods for $3.99/lb. Coconut flour lasts a long time because most recipes only call for a small amount, so you'll only need 1-2 lbs of this, unless you're feeding a big family or make dessert every day. Whole Foods is by far the cheapest I've found it. If you're not near a WF, look around, but if all else fails, you can purchase it online here.
- Almond flour--I also buy mine in the bulk section of Whole Foods. I think it's $5.99/lb, but I'm not positive. Some WF I've been to don't have almond flour in their bulk section. You can buy it in the baking aisle, too, in a package, but it costs a lot more. If you can't find it bulk, I recommend getting it here.
- Gluten-free baking powder. Yes, you need to make sure it says gluten-free. I think Trader Joe's only sells it around Christmas time, but I found it at Whole Foods in the baking aisle. Or maybe the aluminum-free baking soda is what TJs only sells at Christmas. Oh, I'd get that, too. Baking soda doesn't have gluten but you really don't want aluminum in your food. It's been correlated to alzheimer's disease in some studies.
- You'll want to stay stocked up on eggs when you're using coconut flour. It's a thirsty flour and requires lots of liquid to bake with.
- Arrowroot starch/powder. I got mine at WF but it might be cheaper on vitacost (see above link). You'll need this for PIZZA and CHOCOLATE CHIP COOKIES!
- I recommend a julienne peeler. It makes pasta from zucchini.
- Zucchini. :)
- Honey, depending on whether you are trying to cut down on sugar too. I use a lot of recipes from Elana's Pantry. She uses agave nectar, which I believe is NOT healthy, in a lot of her recipes. However, I've tried many of the recipes and just subbed raw honey for the agave, and they turned out great! I recommend raw honey, but it's up to you how healthy you're trying to be. Trader Joe's has a decent price on organic raw honey. Wherever you get it, just make sure to read the ingredients. A lot of bottles labeled as "honey" are actually filled with high fructose corn syrup. (Yuck)
- Parchment paper. I'm not sure what the difference between this and wax paper is, but I am told there is a difference. You will need this to bake with almond flour. Almond flour is really sticky and will stick to your pan really bad if you don't use parchment paper.
Wednesday, January 16, 2013
Food, Faith & Freud-Putting things in the right order.
I'm currently co-facilitating a therapy group using a curriculum called Seeking Safety (SS). SS is designed for individuals who have experienced trauma or used substances. Rarely, however, do we ever discuss trauma or substance abuse. Instead, we focus on coping skills. The creator of the SS curriculum believes that healing comes in three steps: first is learning how to be safe by developing safe coping skills. Only after these skills become natural do you move on to step 2: processing the trauma. Finally, individuals learn how to re-connect to the community and give back. You have to put the good coping skills in before you have the strength to keep the bad out.
The same principle is found in Christianity. Many Christians are quick to point out the sin of others, but this is not what Jesus did. He told the woman at the well about living water before he confronted her sin (see John 4). I'm sure that Jesus knew all about her life when he first saw her, but he did not speak of it until after he told her about living water. Jesus knew that when we try to do things in our own power, we will fall back to depending on our own bad coping skills. If, instead, we drink of the water that He gives us, we will have the strength to take the bad things out.
I think that putting the good in before taking the bad out is a formula we can apply to various parts of life. Personally, I tried for years to avoid junk food and cut sugar out of my life. I would not buy it so that I wouldn't be tempted, only to end up on a midnight run to Dairy Queen to get my chocolate fix. When I stared eating healthy, I did not have a goal of taking junk food out, but of putting healthy food in. It wasn't until later that I realized that when I made sure to get enough healthy fats, protein, probiotics, etc, in my diet, I didn't crave the "bad" foods I'd tried for so long to avoid.
Try putting the good in before addressing the bad. You can do it through pointing out the positive in those around you, in how you spend your time, or in the thoughts you have toward yourself. How might this principle change your life?
The same principle is found in Christianity. Many Christians are quick to point out the sin of others, but this is not what Jesus did. He told the woman at the well about living water before he confronted her sin (see John 4). I'm sure that Jesus knew all about her life when he first saw her, but he did not speak of it until after he told her about living water. Jesus knew that when we try to do things in our own power, we will fall back to depending on our own bad coping skills. If, instead, we drink of the water that He gives us, we will have the strength to take the bad things out.
I think that putting the good in before taking the bad out is a formula we can apply to various parts of life. Personally, I tried for years to avoid junk food and cut sugar out of my life. I would not buy it so that I wouldn't be tempted, only to end up on a midnight run to Dairy Queen to get my chocolate fix. When I stared eating healthy, I did not have a goal of taking junk food out, but of putting healthy food in. It wasn't until later that I realized that when I made sure to get enough healthy fats, protein, probiotics, etc, in my diet, I didn't crave the "bad" foods I'd tried for so long to avoid.
Try putting the good in before addressing the bad. You can do it through pointing out the positive in those around you, in how you spend your time, or in the thoughts you have toward yourself. How might this principle change your life?
Monday, January 14, 2013
Food-My Story
My mother has often told me about taking me to the doctor when I was a toddler because I wouldn't eat anthing except cereal. She thought I would be malnourished because I refused to eat anything else. The doctor told her that if I wanted cereal, she should feed me cereal. And so she did. As I got older, I incorporated a few other things into my acceptable edible list. Like macaroni and cheese and pretty much anything with chocolate in it. Looking back, I'm suprised I survived, but I made it through childhood with no abnormal illnesses or diseases.
I moved to California in 2004 as a sophomore in college. I remember thinking I would never get used to the different culture. Specifically, I would never eat tofu or care if my food was organic. I really thought people who ate these things were hippies. I suppose a lot of people feel the same about me now.
In 2010 I joined a group at my church called Single Life Workshop. I'll probably write a post on that someday down the road, but it's not really important to this subject. What is important is that I met a lovely girl who would later be my roommate. She fell into the hippy category, but only as far as food goes. We became friends quickly and both happened to be looking for a new place to live at the same time. I moved my mac and cheese and chocolate cake into the same kitchen as her kale and coconut oil. I was a little worried. I later found out that she was too.
A few months into our stay, a mutual friend was over and she and I planned to make chocolate cookies. The same night we volunteered to watch my roommate's then 3-year old daughter. As my roommate was leaving, she gently told us that if we made the cookies, she did not want her daughter to have any. I chalked this up to hippy-ness, but I got curious. The next day I asked her just what was so bad about our cookies. That started my informal education on hydrogenated oils (the main ingredient in the butter we had bought to bake cookies with). Do you know that this ingredient is made in a lab and our bodies don't know how to digest them? Yuck. They basically stay in your body for life.
To make the story shorter, I started making changes in the food I bought. This is a picture of the foods I threw away when I started eating healthy. Yes, I literally threw them away. The easiest way to avoid hydrogenated oils is to buy organic. So I started coming home from the grocery store with organic versions of my favorite foods--do you know they make organic pop tarts? True story! I also found a love for agave nectar and (of course) organic cereal with organic fat-free milk! (Actually, I switched to almond milk for a while but that's another story!) Around the same time I was trying to lose weight. I've never been considered very overweight, but I wanted to lose 5-10 pounds. I joined a gym. I kept buying low-fat and fat-free products with no hyrogenated oils, colors, nitrates, or antibiotics. I bought protein powder and drank shakes after every workout. I lost zero pounds.
I soon lost steam and quit the gym. A few months later I read some articles about health. Some were by The Healthy Home Economist about some were by Maria Emmerich. Others were by Dr. Mercola. (Dr. Mercola is one of my favorites because he is a medical doctor.) I did hours and hours of research. Basically what I found is that if you want to lose fat, you should eat fat. I realize this is counterintuitive to everything you have learned about health and nutrition, but I began to incorporate real butter into my diet. I switched from fat-free to whole milk. I began eaing coconut oil by the spoonful (coconut oil is my favorite health food, which I use for many many food and non-food purposes! 100% of its calories are from fat!). When I thought about what I was eating I assumed I would gain weight--a lot of it! But I made the changes anyway, giving these so-called health experts a chance. That was a year and a half ago and I now weigh 16 pounds less than I did then. I am never hungry and, while I enjoy being active, especially in the summer, I have not been in a gym in close to two years. I eat gluten-free and mostly grain-free. I limit my sugar intake, but I refuse to eat things that don't taste good. I've discovered a love for my kitchen--epecially baking!--and love almond flour and coconut flour and (again) coconut oil and real butter and whole milk. I moved back to the SF Bay Area to finish school, and my new roommates, who don't eat healthy at ALL, tell me I should sell my baked items. Best of all, I have energy (I used to think I had chronic fatigue syndrome, but now I think it was/is gluten sensitivity) and I feel great--physically and mentally/emotionally! I love teaching others about what I've learned about health and nutrition. I hope to share more about my story with you in future blogs. Until then, check out these helpful websites for more information and some yummy recipes:
Healthy Home Economist: how to eat healthy on a budget!
Dr. Mercola: the medical side, see above!
Maria Emmerich: healthified recipes!
Riddle Love: meal plans (most gluten-free!)
Free Coconut Recipes: self-explanatory
I moved to California in 2004 as a sophomore in college. I remember thinking I would never get used to the different culture. Specifically, I would never eat tofu or care if my food was organic. I really thought people who ate these things were hippies. I suppose a lot of people feel the same about me now.
In 2010 I joined a group at my church called Single Life Workshop. I'll probably write a post on that someday down the road, but it's not really important to this subject. What is important is that I met a lovely girl who would later be my roommate. She fell into the hippy category, but only as far as food goes. We became friends quickly and both happened to be looking for a new place to live at the same time. I moved my mac and cheese and chocolate cake into the same kitchen as her kale and coconut oil. I was a little worried. I later found out that she was too.
A few months into our stay, a mutual friend was over and she and I planned to make chocolate cookies. The same night we volunteered to watch my roommate's then 3-year old daughter. As my roommate was leaving, she gently told us that if we made the cookies, she did not want her daughter to have any. I chalked this up to hippy-ness, but I got curious. The next day I asked her just what was so bad about our cookies. That started my informal education on hydrogenated oils (the main ingredient in the butter we had bought to bake cookies with). Do you know that this ingredient is made in a lab and our bodies don't know how to digest them? Yuck. They basically stay in your body for life.
To make the story shorter, I started making changes in the food I bought. This is a picture of the foods I threw away when I started eating healthy. Yes, I literally threw them away. The easiest way to avoid hydrogenated oils is to buy organic. So I started coming home from the grocery store with organic versions of my favorite foods--do you know they make organic pop tarts? True story! I also found a love for agave nectar and (of course) organic cereal with organic fat-free milk! (Actually, I switched to almond milk for a while but that's another story!) Around the same time I was trying to lose weight. I've never been considered very overweight, but I wanted to lose 5-10 pounds. I joined a gym. I kept buying low-fat and fat-free products with no hyrogenated oils, colors, nitrates, or antibiotics. I bought protein powder and drank shakes after every workout. I lost zero pounds.
I soon lost steam and quit the gym. A few months later I read some articles about health. Some were by The Healthy Home Economist about some were by Maria Emmerich. Others were by Dr. Mercola. (Dr. Mercola is one of my favorites because he is a medical doctor.) I did hours and hours of research. Basically what I found is that if you want to lose fat, you should eat fat. I realize this is counterintuitive to everything you have learned about health and nutrition, but I began to incorporate real butter into my diet. I switched from fat-free to whole milk. I began eaing coconut oil by the spoonful (coconut oil is my favorite health food, which I use for many many food and non-food purposes! 100% of its calories are from fat!). When I thought about what I was eating I assumed I would gain weight--a lot of it! But I made the changes anyway, giving these so-called health experts a chance. That was a year and a half ago and I now weigh 16 pounds less than I did then. I am never hungry and, while I enjoy being active, especially in the summer, I have not been in a gym in close to two years. I eat gluten-free and mostly grain-free. I limit my sugar intake, but I refuse to eat things that don't taste good. I've discovered a love for my kitchen--epecially baking!--and love almond flour and coconut flour and (again) coconut oil and real butter and whole milk. I moved back to the SF Bay Area to finish school, and my new roommates, who don't eat healthy at ALL, tell me I should sell my baked items. Best of all, I have energy (I used to think I had chronic fatigue syndrome, but now I think it was/is gluten sensitivity) and I feel great--physically and mentally/emotionally! I love teaching others about what I've learned about health and nutrition. I hope to share more about my story with you in future blogs. Until then, check out these helpful websites for more information and some yummy recipes:
Healthy Home Economist: how to eat healthy on a budget!
Dr. Mercola: the medical side, see above!
Maria Emmerich: healthified recipes!
Riddle Love: meal plans (most gluten-free!)
Free Coconut Recipes: self-explanatory
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