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intermittent fasting (IF)

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Along this path towards overall health, I’ve recently discovered another gem used to increase health and longevity: intermittent fasting (IF).

I’m sure most of us have all encountered the idea of fasting at some point, whether for religious purposes or for medical necessity. And never has it ever been fun. So when one of my friends first mentioned to me that she was doing IF, I nodded and smiled and asked a few questions, all the while knowing I had ZERO desire to take part in it myself. Boy was I ignorant.

Fast forward a few months after that conversation, as the crappiness of being unhealthy started taking a bigger toll on how I felt, I shared my struggles with this friend, and once again she brought up IF. This time, I felt bad enough to start researching. And everywhere I looked, people were raving about the benefits of IF. Then I randomly saw an article about it posted on a health site that I regularly follow. It appeared that all signs were pointing to IF, and how it might be exactly what I should be doing.

Well amigos, here I sit. I’m doing this IF thing, and dern if I don’t feel better after just a few days of it.

It’s not hard at all. I have no idea why I was so obstinate for so long. Oh wait, yes I do. That’s kinda my thing. Sigh.

Anywho, the idea is that you eat within a specified timeframe every day, and then you have a fasting timeframe. There’s no counting things, or not eating certain things, or only eating certain things. The goal of IF is to simply allow your body to fast long enough that it begins to utilize the sugar stored up in your fat cells as energy, before you eat again.

But this one small goal of IF leads to SO many bigger-picture health advantages. Because you can only eat during a certain window of the day (which you determine), you also naturally end up consuming less calories each day (barring you don’t go berserk during your eating window). Other amazing things start happening inside your body as well, as it is allowed to basically “reset” during the fasting window.

From everything I have been reading, it appears that consistent IF actually increases longevity, insulin sensitivity, AND decreases the risk for type II diabetes, heart disease, and even cancer. I’m sure there are many other health benefits that I have yet to discover, but I’ll keep researching and sharing! 🙂

First, you have to get over the word “fasting”, which makes you envision yourself starving in the desert for days without food. Possibly considering that buzzard for dinner. But this is simply not reality.

For example, right now, I’ve decided that my fasting timeframe is from 6pm to 9am. I don’t eat anything after 6pm each night, until 9am the next day. This equates to 15 hours of fasting, most of which I am sleeping away. Eventually, I may increase the fasting window to 16 hours, depending on how everything goes with the 15-hour fast.

I’ve read quite a bit about IF in the last few weeks, and the general consensus is to start slow and work up to your desired fasting-window goal. Start with fasting for 12 hours, and then slowly increase as you have success. So far, I have nothing but good news to report. My energy has increased, my appetite has decreased, and I just FEEL better.

I’ll post a link below for a quick intro to IF. If you’re interested and open-minded, give it a read, do a little googling of your own, and let me know what you think about IF. And please – if you have ANY health conditions, be sure to discuss this with your doctor or medical professional before you start any new eating or fasting plan.

How Intermittent Fasting Can Help You Lose Weight

I’ll be posting more about IF as I gain more knowledge and experience with it. Here’s to better health! 🙂

Blessings,
Emily

CBD oil, not snake oil.

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My husband is a huge advocate for cannabis (CBD) oil. He knows a great deal more about it than I do. He could tell you about the importance of purity (third party) testing, the different concentrations, all the many ailments it can be used to treat, etc. I know very little about it, but I do know that cannabis has been shown to kill cancer cells.

After Mama was diagnosed with cancer, all I could think about was the type of treatments insurance would cover. How the insurance company would essentially give the doctors their blessing to pump poison into her body to (hopefully) kill the cancer cells. But the problem with chemotherapy is that it’s not selective to only killing the bad cells; it kills the good cells too. And don’t get me started on radiation.

Do y’all know that chemotherapy was derived from mustard gas? Yes, the same kind that’s used in war to kill an enemy.

When will this antiquated cancer treatment be updated? When will scientists be able to harness the power of the amazing human immune system to kill cancer, rather than disabling the body’s natural defenses? And when will the insurance companies cover other types of treatments that have been shown to cure cancer, without completely wrecking us?

For now it seems the best answer is to help yourself, using your own good sense and finances to try to avoid cancer altogether. A lot of that involves eating well and exercising. But if you’re like me, and you’re at a greater risk because cancer runs in your family, you may want to go a step further.

This past weekend, my husband and I made at stop at our local health store before heading to see Mama again. I bought some CBD gummies for her, and a dropper bottle of CBD oil tincture for myself. My Mama is old-school and I knew introducing something like this outside of her doctor’s orders was going to be a challenge. So I was thinking the gummies might be the smallest bear to fight. Thankfully, she accepted the gift and started taking them right away. I asked her to take a leap of faith with me, and she did.

So in turn, I started using this Plus+ CBD Oil to help me with being able to relax and sleep better at night. It has amazing reviews, and was one of the first CBD companies to be certified by US Hemp Roundtable – meaning their products can be tracked “from seed to shelf”… Which as my husband pointed out, is extremely important to make sure you’re not buying “snake oil”.

I’ve been using it now for a few days, and so far I have definitely noticed a difference. It has a very light and pleasant taste, thanks to the mint and monk fruit they added to it. (I’ve tried other brands, and some of them are truly gag-worthy.) So this new addition to my nightly routine is a breeze and a blessing!

If you haven’t looked into all the healing properties of CBD oil, please do. Chances are, you or someone you know could benefit from it. I’m not saying it’s the answer to everything from cancer to the zombie apocalypse, but I’m certainly not saying it isn’t. And I’m open to absolutely anything that will help my Mama.

We’re still praying for complete healing, in His name. Please pray with us.

Blessings,
Emily

cancer sucks.

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My heart is heavy today and I need to get this out.

For those of you who don’t already know, my Mama has cancer. She was diagnosed while I was pregnant with Grace, and it was such a devastating blow to my soul. In the midst of celebrating the new life in my belly, we were forced to look upon the ugly face of cancer.

Mama has been battling this evil disease for longer than my Grace has been in this world, and it’s still here, just as awful as ever.

Last week, Mama was so weak that we almost lost her. She was in the hospital for a few days, and they were able to breathe life back into her. But the cancer is still here.

This past weekend, David, Grace, and myself went to visit her. It’s not a short drive, and having a toddler who hates being stuck in the car seat makes it less than fun, but we made it happen.

I was pleasantly surprised to find Mama in such good spirits, all things considered. But she is SO frail. I have never seen her so small, and it scares me.

Y’all, I am not ready to lose my Mama. I am not prepared to be parentless.

I have very vivid memories of Mama making healthy eating choices, and walking with vigor on our farm for exercise after work. She has NO cancer in her family. There really is no reason for her to have this awful, terrible disease, except for plain old “bad luck”. That’s what the doctors told her when she was diagnosed; it’s either genetic or just bad luck (especially for someone who is so healthy otherwise).

Mama’s diagnosis is yet another motivator for me and this journey I’m on. If it can happen to Mama, it can truly happen to anyone. And the last thing I’m going to do is give this wretched disease a reason to latch onto me!

My time with Mama this weekend was precious, and I’m going to make a habit of going to visit her much more often. I’m still hoping and praying for a miracle, but every moment Grace and I have with her is a blessing.

And in the meantime, I’m going to keep working on a healthier me, so I can be here for Grace as long as possible. I started using MyFitnessPal to track my food intake again, and I’m making healthier choices every day. I am thankful for this chance to turn things around, and I’m not going to waste it.

If you or someone you know is struggling with cancer tonight, please know that I am praying for you.

Blessings,
Emily

time is precious

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Time. It’s the one thing that once spent, can never be retrieved, replaced, or refunded. It’s the one thing I’m not willing to compromise on when it comes to my little one. Yes, I’ve heard all the things about it… I know it’s important for me to take time for myself, to be renewed, to be a wife to my husband, to be a daughter, a sister, a friend, etc. And I completely agree with that notion.

But “mom guilt” is a real thing.

As I sat there alone at my office desk, away from Grace, contemplating when I might have the time to get a workout in my day so I could start down the long road back to my healthy self… the one thing I could not fathom was taking more time away from my daughter than what we already lose while I’m at work.

Don’t get me wrong; working full-time has its benefits. I mean, I get to go to the bathroom pretty much whenever I want, and not have a 2.75 ft tall spectator, who has to see everything I do. It’s also pretty nice to enjoy regular adult conversation – something that doesn’t involve the phrase “Fancy Nancy” or “Baby Shark”. (And all the Mamas said Amen!)

But by the end of every day, I am desperately craving my baby’s snuggles and cannot imagine going to the gym or doing anything other than making a beeline home to my favorite girl. Even when I do go straight home from work, I only get about two hours of quality time with Grace before her bedtime. Just TWO hours a day, to try to soak up all of the things I missed all day long – it is not nearly enough. Not by a long shot. And in all honesty, by the end of my work day, I have zero energy and tolerance for a sweat session. So that means there will be no workouts after work.

Some bright-eyed and bushy-tailed folks might say, “What about first thing in the morning? You could get up early and get a workout in while getting some Mama-alone time too!” These people have clearly never met me. First of all, I have never in my life been a morning person. (I firmly believe this to be a genetic thing, because my daddy and his mama were exactly the same way.) So the odds of me magically becoming a Richard Simmons in my 30s is what I like to call “slim-to-none”. Secondly, I have a lazy (hypo) thyroid. (This is not some lame excuse; it has been diagnosed.) I’ve had this struggle for about 10 years now. It takes me a full hour to become lucid in the morning, and that’s after popping a thyroid pill, waiting 30 minutes, and then chugging a cup of high octane coffee. Lastly, I have an 18-month old. Not every night is a sleep-fest. Some nights are a “I’m-going-to-die-before-I-get-to-sleep-fest.” Is it always Grace’s fault? Heck no! In fact, most of the time it is actually the inability to shut my brain off, tell the stress to take a hike, and ignore all of the mom-guilt and anxiety that kicks in right at bedtime, just like clockwork. Sigh. So no, Becky, I will not be getting up at 5am to start my day with Sweatin’ to the Oldies. In the perfect words of Michelle Tanner, “How rude!”

So at this point I’m still sitting in my office, wondering what in tarnation I’m going to do. And then it hit me, like a bear growl right in my stomach – I have a lunch hour! I get one glorious lunch hour, 5 days a week, in which I can do whatever floats my boat. BINGO!

I started thinking about what I could (and would) feasibly do during my lunch hour to get some real exercise in my day. Walking is super easy, and a definite given. But that’s something I can (and usually) do throughout the day anyway, in small intervals. I still wanted to find something deliberate and focused that I could do for the majority of my lunch hour.

After a lot of hemming and hawing, I decided to try a local pilates class. With my history of back issues, and being completely out of shape from having a baby, I thought it would be a good idea to start (gently) rebuilding my core and back strength. I am happy to report that so far, I’m really enjoying it. I am sore, but in a good way; I am still able to walk! 🙂

Once this weather is consistently warmer, and the days are longer, Grace and I will definitely be adding in some stroller walks before dark as well! My girl loves it. And I sure do love her.

Mama friends, what are some things you like to do for exercise? I’m open to suggestions!

Blessings,
Emily