Skinny Fat Kid: A Little (grain free) Granola

It's been several weeks since I told you about my Skinny Fat Kid Challenge. I would like to first clarify a couple of matters that have been brought to my attention, and also share how the challenge is going.

First, I want to make sure that you all understand that I'm not at this to loose weight or achieve some sort of temporary goal. My short term goal is to see if I can heal my body of infertility with food. There is no real scientific proof that I can do this. I have researched on my own and found plenty of evidence that food 100% affects your health. I think this is commonly accepted thought. I have also seen research that suggest that some infertility issues may be the result of diet. This is not proven. I'm not going to share data on these matters because I am not a scientist nor a doctor. I do not want people to think that I am suggesting we can cure infertility, although that would be AWESOME. I'm just trying something different because I am dissatisfied with traditional medical opinion and trying to force my body to do something it should do naturally with things that are not natural. Plus traditional infertility remedies are known to increase risks of cancer and other unwelcome diagnoses.

My long term goal is to live longer than my genetics/blood work says I will. The one thing that I do know is that my genetic disorder is 100% affected by my food choices. If I want to live a long, healthy life, I have to take charge of my health today. I will not die from heart disease that can be prevented. No way! It would be ignorant of me not to make these changes knowing what I know.

So what am I eating?

I eat fruits, veggies, nuts, seeds, grass fed/hormone free animal products and very little of anything else at the moment. I am gluten free, soy free, and almost dairy free. It's pretty extreme, but it has also been a slow transition. The only dairy is a grass fed butter, but I'm about over it. I just don't crave/need it for cooking much. I'm also beginning to limit my animal products all together because animal protein has an enzyme that my body doesn't break down well.

Right before Christmas I severely cut the carbs. I refused all sugar except for my Granny's thumbprint cookies that are my favorite and whatever was cooked for our Christmas dinner. I did not over indulge by any means, and to my surprise I actually lost a few pounds.

When I arrived home from Christmas I quickly cleared my pantry of nearly everything. It's crazy how much junk is in the food we consume. Chucking it all was the best way to prevent eating. Then, I started reading and collecting recipes to try. I spent a lot of money the first two weeks. There were so many staple items that I needed to buy. It was just like when you move and have to buy new everything.

To my amazement, everything I made was delicious. I have learned I'm a good cook. I'm not afraid to try new things or twist a recipe to work with the ingredients I have on hand. I've never had so much fun in the kitchen. And I can eat as much as I want, no portioning needed. Did I mention it tastes amazing?!

What results am I seeing?

WOW!

That would pretty much sum it up. I feel great all the time. I sleep better. I wake up easily. I do not feel drained in the middle of the day. My skin is clearer. My waist and hips are slimmer. I feel lighter. Not to be gross, but I'm never bloated. I feel whole and complete and healthy all over. I started working out regularly again, something I didn't do much last year.

This week I started feeling the normal symptoms of ovulation that I felt while on Clomid. That is the best result so far. Not only do I feel great, but I feel normal. This, of course, does not mean that I am/will ovulate or that my PCOS is gone. However, it is encouraging me to continue this lifestyle change so that I can test my blood work in the near future.

The challenges..

Hi, my name is Sarah and I'm a sugarholic.

Whether we choose to admit it or not, we are addicted to sugar. You too. Yes, you. It is in every single thing we eat. Don't believe me? Start looking at the ingredients listed on your food. Sometimes its hidden in other things or funny words, but its there. My Granny checked her applesauce today because I was telling her about the applesauce I made. The front said "NO SUGAR ADDED" and "All Natural", but the ingredients included Apple Cider. There is sugar in apple cider. We are all sugarholics! Food companies have made us this way.

So I'm breaking an addiction. I'm still getting sugar in some forms. Mike sent me chocolate covered strawberries for Valentine's day, and you better bet I ate some of them. I also shared with some friends. Mike wrote on the note ever so slyly that the strawberries canceled out the chocolate. It was sweet and a total lie, but I complied.

It is really hard to eat this way and maintain a social life. The problem is that our culture is so saturated in the unhealthy. I cannot eat out at restaurants unless I eat a simple salad with no dressing. That is lame and not worth the money, quite frankly. When I go to social events, I generally cannot partake in the food without violating the progress I've made. At the same time, I do not want to be rude to a host/hostess nor do I enjoy the explanation of why I can't eat something. It leaves me in a pickle. I'm learning to quickly answer any questioning with "oh, I have health reasons why I can't" and then change the subject real fast. I don't want to be questioned nor do I want to make others who are eating the unhealthy food feel awkward because they can't get enough of that cake. Sometimes, I just have one bite of whatever it is, compliment the cook, and move on. I'm not going to die from one bite, and it avoids the issue.

My other challenge is eating on the go. I'm cooking all this great food, but what do I eat when I forget to eat and need something asap. Well...its not Wendy's. I learned that the hard way. I left church at 9:30 one night a few weeks ago and felt my blood sugar drop. I had nothing at home, and I decided eating was better than passing out trying to cook. Wrong! I had migraines every morning for nearly a week after. Not worth it. I haven't had anything fast since. My only solution thus far is not forgetting to eat. I know keeping some easy fruit like an apple or some raw almonds on hand is good too.

A little (grain free) granola...

I'm still learning and researching everyday. I'm learning things about farming in our country, how much the FDA actually sucks (please excuse the harsh tone, but they do), and what foods have the best healing components. It is fascinating, challenging, and I love it. It's not for everyone, but it's hard to argue against God's creation. At the moment I'm trying to figure out where the best place is for me to live to have the most access to everything healthy. Apparently, I may be breaking laws going to Kentucky for my yum yums. So far, I'm thinking California or New Jerusalem with Jesus, but I know there has to be another option for the time being. I know it, unfortunately, isn't Georgia. Anyone think I can get Mike to move to Hippieville? Mmm...yeah I didn't think so. Maybe our own farm. Or The Farm??

These are the things I ponder as I get crunchier.