My Journey to Natural Health and Fitness

When I was 23 years old, I saw an allergy specialist and was tested for allergies due to a strange rash I kept getting on my chest.  What they found was that I am allergic to an obscene variety of foods - so many that my doctor told me I could not avoid them all or I would be severely malnourished.  She gave me an Epi-Pen, the list of foods I am allergic to, and sent me on my way without any real guidance, except "Experiment and find what you react to more strongly than others - and avoid those."  

Gee, thanks.  Looking back, it was semi-good advice.  But not to a 23-year-old whose American diet consisted mainly of beef, potatoes, and the like.  So naturally I ignored the advice, continued with the rash and went on my way.  

See, that's the thing about our bodies.  They are smart little machines.  They'll chug along, let you put a bunch of crap in them and function the best they can for a long period of time.  Until the fateful day they can't do it anymore.  Which, for me was around my 25th birthday.  I had just gotten married, was living happily ever after, then bam!  All of a sudden my 5'8" lean frame had gained a whopping 20 pounds.  Just like that.  THIS did not make me happy.  My entire life I had always been thin, even borderline underweight at times.  I guess I just thought that would continue - but my body had to get my attention somehow, and boy did it.  

I was tired all the time (a battle I had been fighting since my senior year in high school), I had asthma and was on several prescription medications, and I got headaches 2-3 times per week, with migraines setting in at least twice per month.  On top of that, my doctor diagnosed me with PCOS (polycystic ovarian syndrome) which looking back has been making my life miserable since about age 9.  YES, I said NINE.  So the thing to remember here is that my body had been speaking out for quite some time!  I was just conditioned to cover up the symptoms with medications and hope for the best.  

Well, once the weight set in I was absolutely unwilling to let it continue and I determined to get rid of it!  Most people tell me I didn't look bad - Maybe it's because of my height, I don't know.  At my heaviest point, I weighed 165 pounds.  My average weight up until that point was between 140-145, so it was quite a difference for me.  

ANYWAY... I tried a couple of "diet programs" before I nixed that idea altogether (HCG, which is okay... but you don't feel like you lost anything cos you look the same, and a colon cleanse, which tore my insides apart and I vowed to NEVER do it again!).  I was lucky around this time to meet a wonderful man who changed my life forever, Dr. Allan Millet.  He introduced me to Veo Natural, a line of 100% natural, plant-based formulations designed to work with your body and promote healing.  REAL healing... sounds like a miracle or far-fetched theory, right?  I was super skeptic, until my husband and I decided it couldn't hurt to try something new.  

I won't get into too much detail here (and if you want more you can ask me about it later) but all I can say is WOW.  Within 2 days my energy levels were higher than I remembered them being in a looooong time, and over the next 6 months, I steadily became more energetic, dropped 20 pounds, and KICKED all 7 of my prescription medications to the curb, never to be touched again! The BEST part?  I didn't even have to continue taking Veo's products - it's like my body figured it out!  All I take now is a multivitamin packet for my daily nutrition.  It still amazes me.

So this is probably where a lot of people would have stopped and become complacent, and I don't blame a one of them!  To have normal weight and energy is more than a lot of people experience in their lifetime!  But for some reason this new-found energy gave me drive - drive to try something I'd never tried before, so I started running.  (I should say I started running during my time taking Veo's products, and it only got better after I stopped).  To all you asthmatics out there, you heard me.  I started RUNNING.  Without an inhaler.   I started with the Couch Potato to 5K program(Find the program here: http://www.coolrunning.com/engine/2/2_3/index.shtml) and away I went.  I started with only being able to run consistently for 60 seconds, all the way to over an hour!  My lungs are incredibly capable and much stronger than they have ever been!  I have had asthma since I was 9 years old, and was on steroid inhalers twice per day to control it - and so it amazes me to this day that I can do what I do without medication.  

I am now 28 years old and have run 4 Ragnar Relays, the Grand Teton Relay, and am training for my first marathon, hopefully within the next year!  I love running and am so grateful for the ability and the health to be able to do it, and the vitality it gives me in return.  

Now, on to the next phase of my journey.  I have been running along, having fun and living life the way I want to - and it's amazing!  BUT, I got stuck at 140 pounds (which is REALLY good - I'm not saying anything bad about being here) but I felt like I could do better.  I had this little ring around my belly I wanted to get rid of!!  What woman doesn't, right?  I am a yoga instructor and practice regularly, but no matter how much I strengthened my core it didn't seem to go away.  I considered myself a pretty healthy eater - I avoid fast food and haven't eaten beef in over 2 years, and I prepared a lot of home-cooked food for myself and my husband.  

So what was missing?  The answer is, it's more like what needed to be missing was not!  

I met my good friend T through another good friend, Brett.  T is a personal trainer, and we got to talking.  I told him I wanted to tone up a bit more and he offered to help me out.  T is VERY knowledgeable about the human body, diet, how things are processed, and what your body needs at different activity levels.  I was super impressed when talking to him and decided to give him a shot.  So, I met with him and he gave me a meal plan to follow.  I should preface this by saying I really don't believe in dieting - I believe in making lifestyle changes.  I don't believe we should deny ourselves anything our body craves, as long as we do it in moderation.  For example, I eat very healthy throughout the week.  If, on a Tuesday night, I get a mad craving for chocolate, I eat it!  BUT - if I buy a small bag of M&Ms, I don't eat the whole bag.  I give myself a small handful, and put the rest away.  Simple as that.  On the weekends, especially during the summer, we go to frequent BBQs, and I don't deny myself anything in those situations either.  I just try to be smart about it - I portion well and avoid eating an entire bag of chips!  :)  

So this meal plan T gave me consisted of lots and lots of food that I already eat, but he took away 2 things I love dearly:  Bread and Pasta.  I thought I was never going to be able to do it!!  But I promised him I would give it my best, which I did.  I will be honest, the first 6-8 days were hard as hell.  I went through highs and lows as my body adjusted to the lack of simple carbs. But I stuck through it and eventually got used to it.  Guess what I started to notice?  I didn't get bloated.  At all!  My hunger pangs were lessened, and my sugar levels didn't jump all over the place.  

After 4 weeks, I was feeling great.  I was working out with T twice a week and he got me into a strength training routine.  I hate strength training - always have.  I use yoga as my strength training, but I will admit I needed a little more cross-training looking back.  Once again, T was very knowledgeable and was able to transform my body very quickly!  (Strength training is actually starting to grow on me even!)  I could feel my body toning and tightening, and my darn love handles even went away!!  My jeans started fitting better and I had a lot more confidence.  I was getting pretty excited!  At this point, I hadn't lost a single pound but it was okay - I had been gaining muscle.  

I am now about 8 weeks in and am happy to say that I have officially broken the plateau!!  As of this morning, I weigh 134 pounds.  I don't even remember the last time I was here!  I do know that when I graduated from high school I weighed 130.  That was 11 years ago!!  I feel healthy, fit, and happy.  I have energy to do the things I love doing, like running, hiking, and cartwheels with my nieces.  

My journey has been relatively short - and I consider myself incredibly lucky to know the things I know.  I have effectively changed my lifestyle and live life to the max, with all the energy I could want that does not come from a can, or a pill. I used to go to the doctor several times per year and pay over $120 per month for prescription medications.  Now I have no prescriptions and go to the doctor maybe once per year for routine exams.  My immune system is strong and I feel healthy inside and out.  To have health is the most important lesson I could have learned throughout this process, and I am so glad I took the chance and made the change.  

I just wanted to share this story, in case there is someone like me out there that wants to make a change - or maybe there are people who, like me, have a story of their own and feel empowered to help others.  I know I'm long-winded but thanks for taking the time to read this.  I'd love to hear your feedback and wish you all the best of health and fitness!  

My picture story is below:  

The first picture shows me at 21 (left) in a bikini contest with my friend Meg, then the other 2 show me 4 years later at 25

My latest journey as of 2014 includes Ayurveda, which is powerful, logical, and difficult, but WORTH it.  I now weigh 135 pounds and I feel healthier than ever.  More to come on Ayurveda in a separate post.  Thanks for reading!