A Balanced Approach

Happy parent holding a child in front of fall leaf trees yellow

I got appendicitis two years ago when I was 36. I was a mother of two middle school kids and was always of average weight.  I considered myself a food lover and splurged here and there on big dinners but for the most part tried to watch what I ate.  I had an office job and my active levels were pretty low but my kids kept me grooving. 

What was a routine surgery turned into a two week stint in the hospital for septic shock where I was given nothing but broth as I awaited my next tests.  After that I returned home and was so nauseas from the meds I could only keep down dry crackers and water.  After I finished the meds I slowly returned to eating normally.  But then the stomach cramps started. I would get really bloated and sometimes broke out in hives.  At a check up, my doctor said I was probably having an allergic reaction and so I monitored what I ate to try to figure out what was causing the problem.

It’s been two years and I still don’t know what it is.  What I do know is that when I didn’t eat processed foods and ate foods closer to their natural state, I was fine.  I don’t mean just salads and raw fish.  I mean less pre-packaged foods, fast foods, and sugary drinks.  After a couple of months, the stomach pains and hives have all but stopped and I started to wake up feeling energized even.  That’s when I started to believe in the good of clean eating.  Natural foods, organic foods, less sugar, hydrate with water.  

We still eat burgers and fries and go out for dinners at restaurants.  My vice is fried foods and I’ve learned to panko and fry them myself at home though. Now I workout at home a few nights a week after the kids go to bed. It feels good to be able to fit into old clothes and play tag with the kids. Health truly comes down to lifestyle change but you don’t have to give up everything. Everything in life is about finding a balance, and I feel lucky I’m closer to finding mine.

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