...The answer is NO.

Can you say....HOLY SCHNAPS!!!!! good grief?! 

I'm finally surfacing after my absurdly long absence from the blogosphere. SO GLAD TO BE BACK. I don't remember what I said in my "New Year's Eve" post but 2013 has caught me WAY off guard. What happened to "smelling the roses"? Whoops! I guess I was asking for a miracle. It's been more along the lines of "smelling the manure".   -___-

Life happens! No matter what you do or better yet, what you DON'T DO, you might hit a bump in the road. Whether it's a lethal food, a stressful event, a difficult workplace, an overwhelming school load, or an unfavorable person (most likely someone who can't fully understand your bodily issues; NOT their fault), there's no way all of these potential triggers can be avoided. The only way you could come close to smooth sailing 24 hours a day/7 days a week? Crawl into bed & stay there. Don't call your friends. Don't go to school. Don't keep your job. Don't do anything with anyone. Don't have any stress in your life whatsoever.

Now, do you think that's sustainable? Does that sound fun? Do you think you'd be happy without any human contact or affection? Or without the chance to work hard at your job or at school? 

...The answer is NO. 

I've lived that life before. I lived that life when I first started the SCD. Sure, I followed the diet to a T & I felt like a million bucks pretty quickly. Yes, I was eventually symptom-free. Yeah, I had no stress & was able to rest everyday without abandoning my responsibilities; I initially started the diet when I wasn't in school and I wasn't working. 

But after a while, that got lonely. I had no one to share my wellness with. There wasn't anything to show me how well I was. Where's the fun in being healthy if you don't hang with friends or do anything adventurous? The Fall of that year, I returned to school & took two classes. I didn't have too much stress then. The following January, I got a job. That's when things started to get complicated. I made lots of friends... which meant I would have a social life... which meant people might be eating "other foods" in front of me. And last Fall, I signed up for three classes in addition to my part-time job. That was when the ball rolled out of my control. And suddenly I found myself wrapped up in everything else except my health. I wasn't ever at home so cooking proper SCD foods to last me throughout the week became a problem. My health was not my top priority anymore. I wanted it to be but school & work stole all my attention. 

That's the deadliest recipe for people like me. As my incredibly dear friend Damion says of "My Cranky Gut", a hectic life leads to a reckless diet. Convenience takes on a whole new meaning & suddenly you find yourself eating foods your body rejects but your mind/busy lifestyle accepts. Once you enter this vicious cycle, it's extremely hard to get out of it. Those crappy foods make you feel crappy inside & out so then you feel too crappy to make any positive changes to your diet. Oh, shoot me. I ate a handful of organic tortilla chips with organic salsa, or a local apple with salt-free organic peanut butter. (*REALLY?! How sinful... NOT. I ate what normal people eat!!!!! I ate the "healthy stuff from the food pyramid"!!! ARGH!!!!!!*) Depression follows, taking hold of you & making it nearly impossible to remember what it was like to be well. Crawling under a rock seems like the better option (who will miss a nasty sick person anyway?) until someone notices you (parent, best friend, boss) & then you're no longer alone! You need help. OKAY. It's a hell of a lot easier to ask for help then allow yourself to become just short of bedridden & deny yourself of any human contact. Humans NEED other humans to thrive & be well.  

The healing process for the gut/mind is lengthy when it's been damaged over a long period of time (many many years in most cases, like myself). Foods like gluten & fake processed sugars wreak havoc & drag out the process even further. Your thyroid takes a hit (helloooo inflammation) along with your gut & your intestines (& your brain, too!). If life becomes too much to handle, wave the red flag. Sound the alarm. For goodness sake, SPEAK UP! It took me most of this year (ever since the beginning of January) to face the music & build up the courage to ask for outside assistance. 

I'm blogging today from the other side of the fence. I'm blogging today as a woman with help from my friends. I'm blogging today with a new partnership (Dr. Wong). I'm blogging today with a realistic outlook on life. I'm blogging today with more determination to be well than I've ever had in my entire life. I'm blogging today with a purpose! 

I don't want you to give up. I don't want the nearest boulder to be your place of residence. I don't want your best friend to be your pillow. I don't want you to forget what it feels like to be blanketed by the warm rays of the sun. I don't want you to go too long without a hug and/or a kiss. I don't want you to feel underserving of help because you may have eaten the wrong foods. 

It's not your fault! It's not something you should be ashamed of. It's not all of who you are. If someone can't see that this "ill" you is only temporary, that's their loss. It doesn't mean you aren't deserving of love, affection, fun, social outings, happiness, & all the other enjoyments of life. The inflammation you are battling (& me, right there with you!) can be tackled. It just takes the right amount of force in the form of relaxation, rest, sleep, supplements, (maybe antibiotics?), little to no stress, & positive energy. I don't care how crappy you feel. You cannot call "Uncle". I won't let you. 

As always, I encourage you to take care of yourself & continue to be happy! If things are dark right now, things will brighten up. I promise. I refuse to believe otherwise. 

Lots & lots of love, 

Allie 
ps Look out for my next post on "Killing Herbs". I bet you're curious! And I think I'll have a new recipe, too!!