Health, Food, and Me ❤

An abridged version of my health journey and the birth of Live Right Be Healthy.

Hello all my healthy food lovers. I am so blessed by all your love and support. If you are looking for a new experiment/recipe, I am sorry to disappoint, but today you'll just be getting a big ole spoonful of me and my health journey. I will not blame you if you do not read this post. I mean who really cares about the girl behind all the recipes. It's all about the food, right?!

My health journey began at a young age, well actually before I was even of age and still in my mother's womb. My darling, loving prone-to-sickness/injury mom had parasites when I was born. This set me up for many stomach and other health problems down the road. Not related to the parasites, but I had chronic, painful earaches until five years old. Until finally, a wonderful, God-sent osteopath was able to diagnose me with a milk allergy. I still have occasional, mild sensitivities in my ears, but since I gave up dairy, I have not had chronic ear pain. 

For my whole childhood up to late teens, I had poor digestion and many food sensitivities. I was able to manage it quite nicely eating organic and healthy foods {my mom has always been a strong advocate, or should I say tyrant of health}, but when I went off to college, I became extremely sick because I was not able to eat as healthy. It got to a point where if I ate my stomach would be in extreme pain, but if I didn't I would have no energy.  Anyways, eventually I was diagnosed with parasites {we believe I had them for many years} and it took over a year through all natural means to finally gain my health back. I have zero symptoms of parasites now, thanks to Dr. Marshall and my mom, but the parasites did create havoc on my gut and I think I'll always have to eat healthy.

I have also struggled with unhealthy relationships with food from overeating and gaining weight to under-eating and losing the weight. It never got too extreme, but I can honestly admit that at one point I was on  the verge of anorexia. By the grace of God, He saved me from that. Not to say that I am completely free from all of that, but I am starting to gain a healthy perspective of food. That is why I started my Instagram. I was at a point in my life where I had an extreme case of adrenal fatigue from taking WAY too many units {27 to be exact} in my last semester of college and also working. I destroyed my body and I was paying for it.



Anyways, I had zero energy. It was taking every ounce of strength to do anything, even with sleeping over ten hours a night. I was gaining weight even though I was exercising {probably too much} everyday and eating three small meals a day. My natural tendency was to start cutting/counting calories to start losing weight, but I was so fed up with all my health problems and the fluctuation of my weight/dieting, I realized this was not the solution. Instead, I made a decision right there and then that I wanted to gain a healthy perspective on food and weight in order to be free from this continual, dreadful cycle. I wanted to start striving for health, not the perfect figure, and that my dear readers is when Live Right Be Healthy was born.

Between the milk allergy, stomach problems, low energy, prone to fainting/face-planting, anemia, and my mom forcing me to eat my salad when I was young {stubbornly, I would sit at the the table for over two hours a night refusing to eat my salad}, I am where I am at today. It was only three months ago that I started my Instagram Live RIght Be Healthy and was introduced to the Whole30 program and Paleo. My energy levels and stomach are so much better. I have since been eating Paleo and feeling great.  Paleo has also allowed my creativity in the kitchen and my love for experimenting with food to flourish.

I know I have not told you much about me besides my health issues, but maybe I'll bore you with more about me in the future. I must add, that Jesus Christ is so much a part of my life that I can not leave Him out of this post. He has been my strength, protector, and Lord through all the pain in my life. He has guided me exactly where He wants me and I could not be happier with what He has brought me through and all that He has taught me through it all.  He will forever be my Lord and penetrate every aspect of my life.  

Thank you for reading and for encouraging my love for cooking, baking, and all things healthy. Hugs, Hearts, and Health to all my fellow readers and friends. May God be showering you with blessings and His love. ❤

"For He [The Lord] had satisfied the thirsty soul, and the hungry soul He has filled with what is good."
~Psalm 107:8-9

If you have any questions or want to know anything else, please ask away.  

***Photos taken by my talented best friend Sarah