Category: Autoimmune

It only took me 25 years: Anna teaches me how to do my Curly Hair!

I was born with platinum blonde curly hair. It has darkened over the years, no thanks to my interference with “Sun-In” and lemon juice and lots of harsh dyes. I also went redhead for 2 different seasons, and have had many different colored strands – pink tips, purple and blue strands, teal streaks throughout. These days I am sticking to whatever comes out of my head, which (when clean) these days is a golden dirty blonde.

My mom has beautiful straight blonde hair, my dad had curly dark hair when he was younger, so my sister got this sun kissed wavy perfection and I got this very curly craziness that I have had to wrestle with my whole life. I have not done it well, fighting it at every turn. Until now.  Continue reading It only took me 25 years: Anna teaches me how to do my Curly Hair!

A Cleaner Life… One Step at a Time

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As someone who has chronic illness and autoimmune conditions, I know I should be doing everything I can to help out my body and set my health on the right track.

But my health is not my full time job, not is it my full time interest. So I am just trying to make the next best decision I can. I just try to do the next right thing.  Continue reading A Cleaner Life… One Step at a Time

AIP Abroad – Eating AIP in a Third World Country: It is Possible. 

Eating AIP in a Third World Country: It is Possible. 

 

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I have been eating strict AIP (Autoimmune Protocol or Autoimmune Paleo) for 467 days now. That’s close to 67 weeks, close to 1401 meals. I’ve probably cooked all but 10-12 of those myself (shoutout to Shannon, Kaitlyn, Kandice, and Mom for those awesome meals). 

I have also, in that time, done a week hiking trip in Utah in the summer of 2017, a week-long mission trip in Haiti in January 2018, and 10 days in Israel in April 2018. All while being strict AIP. 

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A lot of people’s advice around domestic travel, even international travel, and restricted eating, goes like this:

  • Do lots of research on the restaurants and grocery places near where you’ll be staying
  • Pack some snacks
  • Book an airbnb or hotel room with a kitchen so you can prep your own food 
  • immediately go get tons of fresh fruit and veggies and any AIP compliant snacks from the local shop

Except, what if there is no local shop?  Continue reading AIP Abroad – Eating AIP in a Third World Country: It is Possible. 

My Autoimmune Journey

When I was around 11, I woke up and my eyes were swollen shut. My mom took me to the eye doctor, who recommended I wash my eyes with baby shampoo if this ever cropped up again. He diagnosed me with something I couldn’t pronounce, but the solution seemed simple enough, and it wasn’t until later that I realized I had been given my first autoimmune diagnosis. One of many to come.

Continue reading My Autoimmune Journey