When faced with high cholesterol levels, Lennis focused on
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I'm Cassie and I'm the Chief Recipe Creator, Food Photographer & Writer of Things here at Be Forever Healthier.  I'm passionate about making healthy eating as simple, painless and TASTY as possible.  Let's rock this healthy journey together!

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My Health Journey Archives - Be Forever Healthier



Sorrow prepares you for joy. It violently sweeps everything out of your house, so that new joy can find space to enter. It shakes the yellow leaves from the bough of your heart, so that fresh, green leaves can grow in their place. It pulls up the rotten roots, so that new roots hidden beneath have room to grow. Whatever sorrow shakes from your heart, far better things will take their place.

That is how it feels. Im slowly getting rid of preconceived notions of what my life should look like and how I should feel. Instead, I am choosing to accept that I dont know all of the answers, that I cant fix everything by myself, and that there is so much more to a person than any illness or other obstacle they face in life.

Its hard to say which came first, the depression or the doctors, but the reality is that I struggle with mental illness. Ive been told by people I dated in the past that those with such problems would be hard to love. Family members and friends have pointed out the stigma, but most importantly, I have been hiding from myself in shame and embarrassment. The truth Im discovering is that my illness doesnt make me less or more than anyone else. It simply is my trial and obstacle at this time in my life. (We all get different versions of that.) I believe in some weird way, God is using this experience for my good.

There are many things that I cant control as I push my way forward through life, but Im learning to be intentional about the things that I can. Some daily practices have become essential. Getting enough sleep, staying hydrated, surrounding myself with good music and spiritual things, spending time in the sun, being with people, and, most of all, service are what get me through. If I am intentional about those things, the Lord makes up for the rest. Even still, I faint sometimesand while I despise it, if I intentionally choose to let it go, then I can usually get right back to my life in a matter of a minute or so.

One day maybe this whole thing will go away or maybe there will be a treatment. But if not, I am working to find meaning and purpose in my everyday life. I gave up a while ago on doing anything grand or amazing and instead find hope in the small acts of goodness that I can provide. I can pray. I can write a note. I can send a text. I can do a little here or there.

Currently, Im doing pretty well with keeping the dark suicidal thoughts aside. I cant guarantee Ill never have them again. Sickness and weird episodes of varying degrees that are unexplained are tiring. The darkness comes in waves and not always when I would expect it. However, a friend really helped me put it in a perspective that has been working to keep me grounded. She explained that while suicide feels like you are only hurting yourself, the act actually acts more like a suicide bomb, spewing your pain and sadness onto all of those around you. I dont always feel the purpose in my life, but I do value the happiness of others, so this has been extremely helpful for me.

Every day I get to pick up a few more of the broken pieces of my life and slowly put them back together again. This comes in small steps like going to the gym four times a week with my brother and sister-in-law. It comes in spending 15 minutes a day trying to clean my room. It comes in answering people honestly about how Im doing. It comes from chatting with my roommate rather than hiding in my room. It isnt huge chunks of the puzzle at a time, but slowly every piece is starting to come together again, and I can see that there is more than just a pile of pieces: there is a picture and a plan for my life.

Instead of an ending, maybe the conclusion of my story is simply just a beginning. The conclusion is a new start to the next chapters of my life. Even though I dont have all of the answers, I know enough to keep pushing forward. I know that through it all, I will have the love of my Savior by my side. I know that my weaknesses, sins, and overall shortcomings wont prevent me from that love. That love, I believe, is what will heal my body and my soul.
About
Ashley Dewey
Ashley Dewey is extremely talented at being single. Hobbies include awkward conversations with members of the opposite sex, repelling third dates, talking to boys about their girl problems and to girls about their boy problems. In her spare time she also has a very fulfilling school life, work life, and social life.  Besides being a professional single, Ashley is also a  BYU graduate with a degree in linguistics (Aka word nerd). She enjoys studying other languages, particularly American Sign Language, and finds most all of them fascinating.  She is currently pursuing a masters degree in Teaching English as a Second Language.  Ashley works most of the time and has often been accused of being a workaholic.  Currently she works full time as a merchandiser and supervisor in a retail store, and part time doing social media work. On her day off she works (really it doesn't feel like work) in the Provo LDS temple. The only kind of work she finds difficulty focusing on is house work.  Her favorite activities in her free time are reading, writing, creating social experiments, and spending time with great friends and family. Specific activities with those family and friends include: going to concerts, plays, dance recitals, BYU basketball and football games, and watching sports on television.

Maybe what feels like the end of my story the "conclusion," if you will isn't really an ending at all, but a new start.

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My Health Journey: A Concluding Start - LDS Blogs

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This is a BigDeal
I feel truly accomolished. My goals are not fully acheived yet but I must reward myself for this important milestone!
Today marks a pretty big day for me. I have officially seen a number on the scale that is less than 200 lbs. I know what you are thinking That doesnt mean I am actually less than 200 because weight fluctuates constantly, but today I actually stepped on the scale and saw a number that starts with a 1. It has been years since this was the case.
I still have a long way to go to meet my goals but it feels good to have real progress. I started at 232 lbs. I moved down to around 210-215 for a year (I got lax in my keto) and now I have hit a new milestone!
I have an insane amount of energy, my clothes are starting to fit and I can run a relatively smooth mile. There is still a long way to go and I am still above where a healthy person of my body type and height should be, bit this is real progress!
It takes a lifestyle change not just a gym trip no and again and the occasional salad. It isnt easy but it feels good and is worth the effort.
My advice is to not have exceptions to your rules. Oh I havent seen these people in awhile so I will indulge because we are having a good time or well its the holidays are things that kill all progress because they halt the lifestyle change. If you make excuses and exceptions you will always find special occasions. Make a plan and stick to it. It works!
I feel proud and hopeful and thought I should share!
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my health journey  Keto 2 Speedo

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Ive been on a health journey all my life.  I was always a bit chubby, and I went on my first diet at 8 years old, when the pediatrician told my mom to help me lose weight.  So we started calorie counting.  I remember when I was in elementary school, I kept a little notebook in which I wrote down what I ate and how many calories were in the food.  It didnt help me to lose weight, but it did help me learn something about nutrition, and get the message that there was something wrong with me.  How I wish I could go back in time and give that pediatrician a piece of my mind.
I steadily gained weight until age 14, when my parents signed me up for Weight Watchers.  My dad joined with me and supported me by making my brown bag lunches and walking with me in the evenings.  I lost 30 pounds by following WWs low-fat calorie-restricted plan and exercising daily.
My weight fluctuated during high school and college.  Several times I rejoined WW, attending SO many of their meetings and journaling SO much.  As the years went by, twice more I lost 30 pounds.
When I was in high school, my mom was diagnosed with diabetes.  She changed her/our diet, eating tons of green veggies, switching entirely to whole grains, trying out soy milk instead of dairy.  I enjoyed eating this way and was often the chef, as my parents were busy at work.  We also took long walks together.  My mom worked as a research analyst years ago and that was her favorite hobby, too.  She devoured nutrition articles and shared them with me, so I learned along with her.
As I approached 40, my weight crept up.  I buckled down, eating small portions of low-fat foods like WW taught me and working out regularly at the gym.  It had no effect.  I had days where Id eat homemade vegetable soup and turkey slices, work out at the gymand gain weight.  I became so disheartened.
Then I discovered
The Plan
by Lyn-Genet Recitas.  It opened my eyes to a whole new way of thinking about food.  My interest was piqued when I saw her on TV talking about how there are food

How I learned to eat a whole food clean diet with plenty of healthy fats.

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My Health Journey - Nourishing Tweens

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May 24, 2019  My Health Journey

My Health Journey: It Takes a Village  Part 2: Self-Care
I wrote the first part of this blog, 
My Health Journey: It Takes a Village
, in November 2018, during a time when I was preparing for major surgery.  Fast forward to today and I am happy to say that I can write the second part of this blog from a place of health and well-being, thanks to the Lead Village!  If my experience has taught me anything, it has taught me that self-care is vital so that we can live our healthiest and happiest life!
So what does self-care mean? Self-care is about identifying our essential needs and creating healthy habits to enhance our sense of well-being.  Its about nurturing ourselves  physically, mentally, emotionally just to name a few areas  so that we can become the best version of who we are.
During my journey last year, I realized I simply could not take my health for granted.  Along the way I learned that self-care means asking for help.  I made the decision to correct some unhealthy patterns and issues that I had been neglecting for far too long.
I made an appointment with Dr. Willow ND to address my sleep issues.  Getting restful sleep is essential for our well-being on every level.  I kept hoping my sleep patterns would improve on their own, but things seldom do.  Dr. Willow ND gave me guidance in how we were going to address my sleep issues and prescribed a gentle supplement protocol. She also identified some hormonal imbalances that could contribute to sleep issues and treated those as well.
Next, I made an appointment with Nadia Rybalka, Leads Holistic Nutritionist.  Proper nutrition is fundamental for energy and overall health.  When it came to my eating habits, I knew I lacked consistency and getting enough nutrients into my diet. Nadia, with great attention to detail, thoroughly reviewed my current dietary habits, food sensitivities (wheat, dairy, eggs) and meal preferences. We discussed my goals (weight management, balancing hormones) and she is developing a manageable, realistic meal plan that will put m

If my experience has taught me anything, it has taught me that self-care is vital so that we can live our healthiest and happiest life!

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My Health Journey: It Takes a Village - Part 2: Self-Care  Lead Saskatoon

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I have always struggled with a lot of sickness during my childhood, and it took me many years and a lot of suffering to finally figure out that there was a connection between the foods I was eating and my health problems. In 2013 I was diagnosed with an autoimmune disease  rheumatoid arthritis. It took me another two years to finally pick myself up, take my health into my own hands, and radically change my diet and lifestyle. I started following the autoimmune protocol (AIP)  a nutrient-dense anti-inflammatory diet that completely changed my life.
But lets back up for a little bit because this autoimmune disease did not happen overnight. Knowing what I know today, there were a lot of warning signs early on and I believe a lot of things could have been prevented. I dont believe that I am the slave of my genes anymore and that this all just happened to me. But there were many many years were I felt like a victim and that my body was failing me. I am sharing my story because I wish I knew what I know today and if sharing my story spares one person from going through what I went through it is worth it.
As a very young child I had a lot of severe ear infections that supposedly required antibiotics. Hence my life started very early on with many rounds of antibiotics. Although they can be a life saving drug (I definitely think that there is a time and place for the use of antibiotics) I am convinced that I received way too much of it without taking any probiotics to rebuild my gut flora. I also wonder if there werent other ways to solve the problems and if food intolerances possibly were an issue already back then.
My journey continued with a couple of years of constantly getting scarlet fever, a very common childhood disease in Germany. I remember one year in particular where I had it 7 times in a row, and you guessed right antibiotics were given every single time. Fast forward to my teens, I would get really bad sinus infections and bronchitis about twice a yearand of course antibiotics. I didnt really consider myself a sick child because I was fine the rest of the year. Even though at some point I was put on asthma medication because of a chronic cough and some trouble breathing when I was exercising.
During my early twenties my health completely crashed for the first time and even though I was only diagnosed with food intolerances, intestinal permeability and candida, that experience was actually worse than my autoimmune disease diagnosis. Probably because it took 2 years to even get some type of diagnosis. I was 19 when it started and was pretty much constantly sick for 2 years straight. My symptoms were flu like and affected my upper respiratory system, so I pretty much had a fever, bronchitis and severe sinus infections for 2 years straight. And then random weird symptoms would pop up out of nowhere, like numbness in my face and legs. As soon as I would recover from something, something else would pop up. I thought I was cursed. Trying to navigate the health care system was so incredibly frustrating for me and my family. I felt like a guinea pig running from doctor to doctor, trying everything conventional medicine had to offer at the time. Of course more antibiotics, thyroid hormones and lots of other fun stuff. When that didnt help I turned to alternative medicine. I am not going into detail about all the things I have tried, but let me tell you, some of it was wild. Its kind of funny looking back, but trust me it was far from funny at the time. When that didnt help either I went to therapy because clearly everyone thought it was in my head. I am not trying to say that any of the treatments I tried wont work for others and that therapy wasnt necessary for me, but I always knew that there was something more to it even though my blood work always came back normal. I remember getting really angry at my therapist once defending myself by telling her how can this all be in my head if I am sneezing and coughing up green mucus? (I know gross).
Meanwhile I was trying to live a somewhat normal life, I had moved to Sweden to continue my training to become a professional dancer. I was training and performing with a fever for almost 6 months, pumped full of medicine and painkillersspending my free time trying to recover from being sick until my body would collapse and I would have to stop dancing for a week and then the cycle would repeatbecause I guess life had to continue somehow.and according to western medicine there was nothing wrong with me. After developing pneumonia I had to abort my Sweden experience and move back home to Germany. This happened shortly after I was the guinea pig of yet another try to boost my immune system. I was told that my immune system is weak and cannot fight off viruses and bacteria therefore we needed to slowly get my body used to these. So I had to inject myself weekly with a small dose of viruses and bacteriayeahthat didnt go so well. Again if I knew what I know now I would have never put my poor body through all of this.
Its actually really sad because all this time my body was trying to talk to me and tell me to change something but I didnt listen..I mean, I didnt know how to listen or how to interpret it. And meanwhile I felt trapped in a body that didnt function properly and developed a lot of anger towards it, while bombarding my already compromised gut health with more antibiotics and happily munching on foods that my body didnt tolerate.
So finally after two years of suffering and reaching many lows, where I didnt really want to continue fighting anymore, I got answers and help. A former dance teacher in Sweden told me it could be something related to food and sent me to a man who practiced holistic health and through him and many others I finally found a doctor in Germany who was able to test all of this. I was diagnosed with intestinal permeability (leaky gut), candida overgrowth and food intolerances to mainly gluten and dairy.
I would have done anything at this point in order to be healthy so changing my diet was very easy for me. I worked with the doctor to repair my gut health and cut out sugar, dairy and gluten and tadaaaa within a very short time I was feeling good again. After following specific protocols for awhile I was able to stop taking asthma and thyroid medications and I was rarely sick anymore. It was crazy to me how easy the fix was. But the more I learned about gut health and the immune system it all made perfect sense.
Spoiler alert, as I already revealed in the first paragraph unfortunately this is not where the story ends. Y
ears later, major stress, unhappiness, and a certain laziness to keep up with this diet that was good for me, plus a lack of knowledge made my health crash again, and I was diagnosed with uveitis and rheumatoid arthritis. But more about that in Part 2.
I am sharing this with you because I wish someone had told me back then. I could have saved myself years of suffering. So dont ignore the early s

I am sharing a personal story of my struggles with chronic illness in hope of inspiring and empowering you to take charge of your health.

50shadesofavocado

My Health Journey Part 1 - 50 Shades of Avocado

Anne Nelson
Health is such a big part of Thriving.
How can you cultivate what matters if you are too tired to stay awake for it? Many years ago, I was too tired or in too much pain to even enjoy the afternoon playing with my daughter. All I could think was,  I hope she takes a good nap so I can sleep. This was not a fun season for me. Even after spending an enjoyable time with loved ones, I would find myself exhausted and feeling guilty that I could not offer more quality time to them. Ultimately, the diagnosis was Fibromyalgia. Heres my health journey.
Self Education is Key.
Every doctor I saw wanted to put me on one form of medication or another, but none of it was going to be a cure. So, refusing the medication, I began seeking ways to manage my energy. Generally speaking, I lived a healthy lifestyle, but to function well without prescriptions, I looked to increase my healthy habits. Thus, a long journey toward vitality ensued. I learned so much about health and nutrition. I also learned to listen to what my body was telling me. One discovery led to another. For instance, after doing a whole foods detox diet for eleven days, it became apparent that I had some sensitivities to gluten and possibly dairy.
Persistence Pays Off.
A few months later, I found myself in Minnesota visiting a holistic medical doctor who ran quite a few blood tests. Upon analysis, his tests showed that I had food and chemical sensitivities. Once, I eliminated everything the tests results revealed, my symptoms of fibromyalgia slowly dissipated. Yes, that rights, I am symptom-free and have been for roughly 13 years.
Moral of the Story.
So why do I share my story here? Because mental, emotional, and physical wellness is a journey. We are all just stumbling forward through life, and its by grace that we have a chance to become a better version of ourselves with each passing day. Never give up, but instead accept the forgiveness a new day brings.
Read more about living healthy here

Health is such a big part of Thriving. How can you cultivate what matters if you are too tired to stay awake for it? Here's my health journey

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My Health Journey  Fully Thriving

Posts about #lchf written by ilikewhoiambecomingalot

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#lchf  My Health and Wellness Journey

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My Health Journey
You wouldnt have guessed that I could only stand for 20 minutes per day and that I couldnt take showers without a shower chair and my moms help. I looked like a normal 19 year old girl, except when I was in my wheelchair. My blog made me out to be a healthy girl at this time, too. I was fashion blogging, which was basically the only possible way I could find to make money. Brands would send me clothes to feature, and I would. Id do my makeup, put the outfit on, stand up for 5 minutes, and my mom would take my photos.
Lets take it back a few years. In 2010, I found out I have Postural Orthostatic Tachycardia Syndrome. POTS basically meant that when I switched from a seated position to standing, my heart would be 30 beats faster than it was supposed to. This would cause extreme lightheadedness and even fainting. I had stomach issues, frequent headaches and extreme fatigue. I spent the majority of my time in bed and often missed weeks and weeks of high school. I ended up withdrawing for half of my junior year to start cyber school, which I hated.
Fibromyalgia (chronic widespread pain) came along when I was 19, living in New York. I studied at the Fashion Institute of Technology for a little while, but soon became so sick that I couldnt leave my bed, or even walk. I wouldnt wish pushing yourself around in a wheelchair in New York City on anyone. People just dont give a fuck. They stay in their own lane. I dropped out and moved back to the Philly suburb, where I grew up. It was like I was 3 years old again. My parents did everything for me.
Neither diagnosis came easy. I spent years not knowing what was wrong with me, and people thinking it was all in my head. In September 2015, I ended up spending an entire week at the Mayo Clinic in Rochester Minnesota. I had tests from 8:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. most days, which was exhausting. Later that week, I was diagnosed with Fibromyalgia.
They recommended I go through the Mayo Pain Rehabilitation Program. I attended the 3-week PRC program at Ma

You wouldnt have guessed that I could only stand for 20 minutes per day and that I couldnt take showers without a shower chair and my moms help. I looked like a normal 19 year 

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My Health Journey  Caroline Renae

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My Health Journey  Embrace Each Moment

I used to think sugar was better than fat. I used to think muesli bars were a healthy snack and that peanut butter was bad for you. That was until I started my own health journey in 2015.

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My Health Journey Started Here | Chief Active

My Health and Wellness journey : the Keto DietFor the past few years, my main goal was to overhaul my health on all levels. I was feeling sick, I was morbidly obese and disgusted with my appearance. My fibromyalgia was flaring up on a daily basis. I did not know what to do to feel better but something needed to happen. Im only in my thirties and the future was not so bright. I could see the specter of diabetes and heart disease looming above me. I wanted things to change.Last year, I had to take many days off of work because of intense gastrointestinal pain. My doctor diagnosed a gastritis and I tried to figure out how my diet was influencing the way I felt. I went to an acupuncturist and a naturopath and they both recommended that I quit dairy and investigate gluten sensitivity. I went off both for two months and my gastritis went away. My naturopath suggested that I take a food sensitivities test and the results were astounding. I was sensitive not only to gluten and dairy, but also to soy, eggs, nightshades and many other foods that I was eating on a regular basis. I had to relearn how to eat and cook.Later that year, I was diagnosed with IBS, and my obesity was weighing hard on the quality of my everyday life. It was hard to climb the stairs to my second floor apartment, my feet and knees were constantly aching, heat in the summer was intolerable. I was miserable. I ate a normal amount of food, but I was constantly hungry. All I could do was think of my next meal or snack, and I would often have a hard time falling asleep because I felt ravenous. And I must add that my self esteem was at an all time low. My body depressed me.If youve been reading my blog for a while, you know that Gretchen Rubin is one of the influencers I look up to the most. I consider her my virtual mentor. In one of her podcasts, she recommended the book Why We Get Fat by Gary Taubes. I knew that Gretchen was eating low carb following Taubes advice, but I was curious to learn more.I bought the book and read it passionately. This was no

This is my health journey from morbidly obese to losing 65 pounds and curing fibromyalgia using the ketogenic diet or keto diet.

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My Health and Wellness journey : the Keto Diet - Productive Happiness

Just an average middle-aged man with high curiosity and the desire to change my world, one small bit at a time.

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