If I Knew Then What I Know Now…
I am not sure I would believe it. Oh, how would my life look different? What pain or illness could have been curbed? What decisions would have changed? I’m sure you could say that about something too, right?
It would be easy to say that it started with just a “feeling”, really a “knowing” the past 13 years. My hormones were off – that much was clear simply based on a thyroid diagnosis. Because I cope with learning all I can about an idea or issue or event, it became a new interest for me. As I learned more, this “feeling” that I wasn’t doing everything right or giving my body the best grew more intense in the past several years.
For Pete it definitely started with the chronic pain and the continued uncertainty of falling asleep each night wondering if tomorrow would be a good health day or a bad one.
a 1 Corinthians 6:19-20 approach
It was clear Pete and I needed to figure out something different for our health than what we were doing. When both our doctors said, “You’re doing great! Your tests are all coming back normal. Your overall health is good!” and yet we were certain it’s not, we continued to do our own research.
So while this is not Becky’s nor my typical writing topic or theme, (or maybe it is in a way), I have had so many people ask us what we are doing because of the physical changes they have seen.
God means it when he says, “Your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit, who is in you, whom you have received from God. You are not your own; you were bought at a price. Therefore honor God with your body,” (https://www.bible.com/bible/111/1CO.6.NIV) Pete and I felt the need to take care of our bodies the best ways we know how. And for years, we didn’t know any better.
know better, do better
One of Pete’s and my philosophies, mostly in parenting, was “if we know better, let’s try to do better.” Of course, as sinful parents we did not always listen to our own convictions even though we wanted to. Familiar habits, even though bad, are hard to break.
The same can be said for our health. For years I thought I was on to “the something better” – healthier eating – but I wanted to ignore it because I knew it was going to involve a change in lifestyle that I wasn’t sure I wanted to embrace. But the headaches, oh, the headaches! They persisted at least once every couple months. Then they became more frequent…and more severe. Over the course of several years, the annoying throbbing pain eventually turned into migraines, full-out migraines including all the not-so-pleasant flu-like symptoms. So when I learned that friends used essential oils for head tension and support, I started listening.
a lifestyle to embrace
It was then that I started with something that I WAS interested in learning about – essential oils – and it didn’t take me long to embrace that lifestyle. Oils that smell amazing AND have health benefits AND products that we could use that didn’t have chemicals or other added ingredients that would really harm us? Products directly from God’s creation! Yes, please! Anyone that knows me, even semi-well, knows that my family and I are advocates for essential oils and the benefits they offer for our health – physical and mental. Through my 9 year journey of essential oils, I’ve been listening to more than just information about oils.
It was through the people I got to know on my oil support team that I began to recognize I have had the same symptoms they talked about when talking about mental health, adrenal health, and thyroid health. You mean I can actually heal my thyroid? My thyroid disease could actually have been a result of adrenal fatigue? The depression, the mania, the hospital stays – all of it! – could have possibly been avoided? But my adrenals were never tested, and I wasn’t getting treated for adrenal fatigue. If only I knew then what I know now.
listening even more
When we learned of The Wellness Way – a group of doctors that approaches health in a whole new way, in a way that looks at the whole body and all its systems affecting each other – we wanted to learn more. We were interested, but still not sure we were ready to take the leap. We learned from friends “it’s expensive” and “insurance doesn’t cover it” and “it requires a whole lifestyle change”. Eek! That’s not something we want!
But we also learned from friends “it works” and “you can find out foods that are actually harming your body” and “they will test you properly based on your symptoms.”
We did want restored health. We did want to feel well more than we wanted to feel crummy. I did want to get rid of the nagging feeling (or urging from deep within my spirit) that we weren’t doing all we could…and that if we didn’t change, our health was headed for complete destruction. Since what we were doing wasn’t working, and The Wellness Way takes a look at health in a whole new way, we decided we needed to at least explore it further.
a health restoration approach
Finally, this past Fall, we took the leap. Testing (and finally the right testing!) told us that our health was absolutely headed for complete destruction. Phrases like “severe inflammation,” “more internal infections than I’ve ever seen,” “misdiagnosed – this is actually an auto-immune disease,” “hormone levels worse (lower than) a postmenopausal woman,” “your poor mental health is likely a direct result of having your gallbladder removed,” “high risk for breast and ovarian cancers,” among others really got us listening. And (almost) overnight our lifestyle changed…
drastically…
With a combined total of 30 food allergies that were causing the inflammation, many of them different from each other, we knew we were in for a marathon – a couple marathons, really – and this would not be a sprint to the finish line. We did not get in this situation overnight, and it would certainly not be an overnight fix. That first week, I took a mental nosedive. When Pete lifted me out of that despairing hole, I began to embrace more than just oils. We needed to work together.
We both needed to embrace this new lifestyle because we now knew better. Our bodies and our lives are more important than just pressing on in our own comfortable (and poor!) habits. Essentially, we felt if we did not start implementing the new things we learned, we would be blatantly ignoring the life preserver God just threw our way.
And after just one month of the new lifestyle, which included a regimen of herbs and supplements and of course avoiding the food allergies, we knew it was the right thing to do. Three weeks in of avoiding the food allergies, Pete and I both lost 15 pounds – “15 pounds of inflammation,” the doctor said. That showed us that the changes must certainly be needed…and working!
Now, before I continue any further, I must say a couple things. First, that the full story will best be shared in person where I’d feel more comfortable sharing more details if I feel it would help you. I would welcome a visit – via message or phone or in person.
And second, I don’t share this because I want the focus to be on us. In fact, it took a lot of courage to write all this because I don’t love focus on us at all. It’s not all about us. We want our lives to be a reflection of Christ, not us. It’s about how he created us, his purpose, to his glory. It’s about how he works in our lives. It’s about helping support you if you feel like you are in a similar situation. It’s about helping you towards optimal health so that you too can continue serving the way God has intended for you.
similar stories
I was at a conference several months ago with 1300 our church body’s leaders. Health became topic of conversation with the very first 2 people I talked to. In those two conversations, we shared what health struggles we were having, and they were similar. I told them what we had found and started implementing, and they both replied with, “Can you please send me that information? I know I need something different than what I’ve been doing.” I know it was only 2 people, but that was 100%. One hundred percent of the first people I talked with were wondering if there was something they were missing in their health journeys because they weren’t looking at the body’s systems as a whole.
If you’re experiencing chronic pain or illness or symptoms and that annoying nagging feeling that something isn’t quite right, maybe you should do something different. Keep listening to that nagging feeling. Keep wondering and searching for more answers. If what I share can help you wonder more about how to improve your health and look at your body as a whole system working together, then I am thankful.
some simple thoughts
In layman’s terms, every physical or mental affliction you’re having likely stems in the gut. And if your gut is not functioning as God intended, then your brain is also not functioning as God intended. When your gut digests whatever you put in it, there are going to be only 2 results – good or bad. And what we put in our bodies for our gut to digest are only two kinds – good or bad. When both are good, then your gut will properly send neurotransmitters to your brain to then also give you good brain health.
In order to keep serving God, ministering to the people in our lives, and carrying out the responsibilities and opportunities God has given us, we need to fill our own cups first. We know we have to make this a priority.
But it’s hard! It’s really hard! As we go from one activity to another, listening to the demands of our callings and responsibilities, it’s so easy to still make food an afterthought. I’m realizing more and more that how we nourish our bodies affects everything else. Just like we need to nourish our souls with the truths of God’s Word in order to keep sharing it, we need to do better to nourish our bodies with the foods God created in order to have better health and energy.
continuing the journey
How do recovering alcoholics stay on the right path? They continue to attend classes and workshops, growing in strength and perseverance. They teach others what they’ve learned and how to overcome addiction. I’m looking at this journey a bit like that. Poor habits can be an addiction too. I’m going to need to keep learning and growing, reading and doing, sharing with others, and teaching what I know. Accountability is key.
the interdependent approach
I’m sure it was part of God’s plan that Pete and I started this journey together. God did not create human beings to live alone on islands. He wants us to support each other. Pete and I both had very different health concerns, but are working towards better health in many of the same ways together. We’re thanking God for the experiences that others shared with us and leading us to a place where we are finally finding some answers that are making a difference.
Where are we at today? A repeat testing of our hormones and gut and my thyroid 2 months ago showed much progress. We now heard phrases like, “the fastest turnaround I’ve seen” and “your hormones are definitely on the right track, we just need to give them a little more support.”
For this we thank God for the strength and resources he provided this past year to see us through this.
As many times as I’ve said, “if only I knew then what I know now,” I also have said, “No, we can’t keep looking back. We can learn from it and move forward with what we know now.”
And that’s all you can do too. Holding on to regrets and “if onlys” don’t serve anyone well and can negatively impact mental health. If either Pete or I can help support you in any way, pray with you and for you, or answer questions, we would be happy to.
some practical things you can start now
and this is just the beginning….
Books to read:
Eat Dirt by Dr. Josh Axe
The Essential Thyroid Cookbook by Lisa Markley, MS, RDN & Jill Grunewald, HNC
Essential Oils Pocket Reference by Life Science
Essential Oils: God’s Extravagant Provision for Your Health by Teri Seacrest
Foods to replace:
Grains → beans, lentils, seeds, nuts, quinoa
White table salt → Pink Himalayan Sea Salt
Store-bought salad dressings → Homemade salad dressings
Iceberg lettuce → Kale, cabbage, spinach, spring mix, arugula
Mayonnaise → Vegenaise
Unhealthy oils → Organic Coconut, Avocado, Grapeseed or Extra Virgin Olive oils
Hormone/antibiotic pumped poultry → Free-range chicken and turkey
Farmed fish → Wild Caught Fish
Meats → Grass-fed Beef, Buffalo, Lamb, Venison
Refined sugar → xylitol or stevia
Sugary drinks → green tea, homemade sugar-free coconut cappuccino
If you have a health success story, we’d love to hear about that as well! Please share with others as you feel comfortable so that we can keep learning from each other.
May God guide us all to greater understanding and wisdom in the way that we care for the bodies he has given us while serving him.
