My journey started in 2008, with the birth of my first daughter, Rebecca, I was only 18 years old and went through a grueling (to say the least) and complicated birth which ended in a 'T' incision on my uterus. Needless to say, I did not anticipate the impact this would have on my body and what it would take to recover. I decided to keep my chin up and do the best I could day by day. I did what many women do, jumped into cardio, purchased an elliptical trainer and got right to it. I ate light and infrequent but loaded up on Timmies double double's, 'cuz a girl needs 'fuel', right?! Well needless to say this routine didn't get me far. I soon picked up the South Beach Diet book and for awhile it was my BIBLE. I did lose the baby weight and I was 'skinny' but I was also very sick. To save you the-long-gruesome-story let's just say I developed some serious 'gut' problems that resulted in the infamous diagnosis: "IBS" *rolls eyes* (with a side of agoraphobia).
Some days it was hard to get out of bed, never mind go to work. I was scared to leave the house and to eat. I went on various medications that never really helped. This went on for a year or more.My fiance and I decided it was time to try and get pregnant with baby number two. a few months later, I did! It was an exciting and happy time. Six weeks into my pregnancy I started bleeding (coincidentally, or maybe not so, after eating a 10 piece chicken nugget meal from McDonald's). They told me there was no heart beat and that I should anticipate a miscarriage but to come back in a day or two for an ultrasound. At the ultrasound they found a heartbeat! Baby was holdin' on tight, but I was still bleeding. I was told I had 'incompetent cervix', my body was slowly going into labor everyday, by 21 weeks I was 4 cm dilated when they put in an emergency cerclage, and I somehow managed to skip what would have been a severely premature baby. Again, SHE held in tight. After 7 months of bed rest and so many ultrasounds I couldn't count my miracle baby, Summer, arrived.
Oh the high! Just being able to get out of bed and LIVE was fulfilling. I had a lifetimes worth of lazyness. Sleepless nights and diapers couldn't get me down. I made great friends, hula hooped, stayed pretty active everyday gardening and hanging with my girls. It was an awesome time, but I was weak, even little bouts of activity took their toll and it was slow going to get in 'actual' exercise.
I think maybe after so long of living in fear of everything when really in the grand scheme of things I had it SO good, Summer arrived safely against great odds. I it made me want to make a change. To be better, to do something that really scared me, just to know I could. I went and picked up my first pair of REAL nikes, and set out. I decided I was going to be a runner. And so I did. I embraced the cold-canadian air (It was December, 26th 2011, brrr). I ran long, I ran hard. I built up slowly, but it didn't take long. I was running 45-60 minutes 4-5 days a week, and finally conquered my fear, I ran a marathon! Well, not a full marathon, it was a 14 km trail race; Golden Ears. It was tough! But such a beautiful and euphoric experience. After running 14 km through the mountains, what can't you do.
It was year or so into my running career when I started having a lot of pain, and as usual an upset tummy, but this was nothing new. I had been a vegetarian since a few months into my second pregnancy (hoping it would be the answer to my 'Ibs'-bs, and for ethical reasons), so my diet was largely based on whole grains (during my bird-seed-home-made-hippy-bread-days) and carbs to fuel my running and fruits vegetables I went to my Dr, and she noticed a lump in my lower right abdomen, I could feel it too. It was maybe nickle sized and portruding. She thought maybe hernia or cysts. My ultrasounds came back negative. I had been told by somebody on a support group that maybe I had a wheat intolerance so I suggested it to my Dr, and she sent me for the test, and sure enough, it was positive! All this time (probably years, maybe even since childhood) this had been the problem! After a week of cutting out gluten, my lump disappeared, a rash I had had since childhood went away (my 'apparent' dairy allergy). Lots of people say, oh, gluten intolerant, that sucks, but not this girl, oh no! It was the best news ever. Finally the answer to all my problems.
I've spent a lot of time throughout my journey to health learning to cook, my true passion being the food. In the beginning it was adjusting to food prep as a vegetarian (3 years), which then evolved to gluten free (over a year and counting), and now a grain free/paleo approach, and have enjoyed every step of the process to the knowledge I now have of food. I reintroduced meat because I became anemic and was just overall not diggin' it anymore (yeah, I said it). I know vegetarianism was not the healthiest lifestyle for ME (that's not to say it won't work for others). I aim to bulletproof my life. I have never felt better. I believe leading a healthy and active life is the key to happiness. I maintain my fitness by running, high intensity interval training, weight-lifting, and yoga. I love trying new routines! I'm currently working on my trainer certification through ACE (American Council of Exersise) Going to school, spending time with my beautiful family, getting stronger and preparing wholesome grain free and organic meals for my whole family, as well as helping anyone I can along the way are my top priorities.
Thank you to everyone who took the time to read this LONG life story. xoxoxo
Heres to rockin' 2015!
Steph
-xoxoxo