Welcome Everyone!
Thank you for stopping by today to see my post. I have not posted in awhile, and I will share with you why and what my plans are for the blog. I care very passionately about our health and I want all of us to thrive and prosper. This year has been very challenging for me. Until two weeks ago I was working 7 days a week with two jobs for most of this year, and it has been the source of much stress. It can be so difficult to have the right work/life balance these days, and I am sure many of you may be struggling with this very thing. You get tunnel vision and are just living in survival mode. This was the beginning of my troubles this year.
- Did You Know? Sweden has introduced 6 hour work days, only 1% of the working population works more than 50 hours, and by law companies have to pay for 25 vacation days a year! Can you imagine? Work/Life Balance
After many months of building stress, my body decided to REBEL! I know many people can bear many years of stress and unhealthy eating and habits, but my body decided to take a stand! I have not had a lot of time to food prep and make healthy meals until recently, so it has been lots of veggie fast food trips to Thai, Indian, and Chinese restaurants. Tons of fat, MSG, sodium, gluten, and refined carbs day in and day out. Have you ever been so busy you find yourself eating out all the time? I love preparing own meals, but it does take time and effort that some of us may not have.
- Did You Know? Americans spend more on eating out than buying groceries? One month sampled last year showed that Americans spent $52.3 billion eating out, versus $49.7 billion on groceries! 2015 was the first documented year that this has happened and is showing a scary trend toward the convenient fast foods. Eating Out
It is terrifying what stress can do, and it brought to surface many health challenges. The good news is that since this all began about 4 months ago, I have been able to make a lot of progress. So what did my body do?
- Massive Weight Gain
- Neurological Problems
- Psychological Problems
- Muscle Weakness
- Extreme Fatigue
- Gastrointestinal Distress
- High resting heart rate/Irregular heart rate
- Illness when consuming almost any foods at all
In regards to #8, I will tell you that it is hard for me to eat anything now. My body has become incredibly sensitive. When I started becoming ill I started giving up everything to help my system heal and start to recover. Eating sugar, fat, caffeine, refined carbs, gluten, and any flour products seemed to make it all worse! I have a very negative reaction to foods that fall on this list and have given them up as much as possible. I have had countless tests done already, and have more scheduled. Very little has been found at all, except that the doctor believes I am suffering from chronic stress. However! The self-assessment and testing I have done has revealed things to me. It turns out I am intensely Gluten Intolerant! When I gave up sugar and gluten my stomach was quiet for the first time in decades! What a difference! Any of you who suffer from any stomach issues should try giving it up for a month and see how you feel. It made a HUGE difference for me…
- Did You Know? Gluten is linked to many severe symptoms that often go undiagnosed for years! While stress made everything worse, gluten has turned out to be the cause of many of my problems! Check out this amazing article HERE
So the good news is, that I have been making improvements in my life such as letting go of one of my two jobs, spending more time outside, exercising more, eating cleaner (very clean!), and spending time with friends and family. My recovery has been slow and it is still ongoing. Even as I type I feel my nervous system fighting me with anxiety and a high heart rate. I have learned it will pass and I just ride it out while doing everything I can to self-help. My spiritual life helps me daily as well, never downplay that!
So, what I am here to tell you is, that I would like to start spending more time with all of you. We are all on this journey together, and the choices we make everyday affect our health and well being. Let me be a testament to what stress can do to you, and start making changes now! Don’t wait for it to over take you my friends, do something now.
- Did You Know? Some statistics show that 77% of the population regularly experience Physical symptoms from stress, and 73% of the population experience Psychological Symptoms from stress. Check it Out.
Finally, I am looking forward to reporting more good news about my recovery. I also am looking forward to discussing many topics on how we can all live One Radiant Life together! Thank you for stopping by today!
One Radiant Life 