AIP Paleo - Day 13 - 15
- Brittany Bowman
- Aug 25, 2016
- 4 min read
Aloha!
Today is definitely a day of just laying it all out there and letting you know the serious truth about what has been going on. I have not been able to stick to this AIP Paleo lifestyle since Sunday and here is why - we are completely broke right now. We literally have zero dollars to our name. I know this is something so many families face - forced to stretch your dollars to the next paycheck so must sacrifice quality food for quantity. There is something wrong when Mac N Cheese & Top Ramen is cheaper than wholesome fruits & vegetables but that is the reality of the world we live in. Jason's work has been extremely slow the past 2 weeks and he hasn't had any work. No work = no paycheck. Luckily, we do have another source of income but it only comes in twice a month. So alas, we must wait for this paycheck to come in so we can begin focusing on this lifestyle again. I am so grateful we have such an amazing family that has been helping us through this tough time. They have been such a godsend to us. I'm not saying this to pull sympathy from anyone. Far from it. I just want to be real and share the real struggles we are facing. Does it make me feel exposed being this honest about my life? Yeah, at times. I think the honesty of my story will help more people to know they are not alone in life's struggles. I think we as a society stay "hush hush" about our struggles because we perceive it as a weakness. Maybe it is. But I know, where I am weak, the Lord is strong. God has been pressing it on my heart to move forward with this blog in a very open & real way. I am just going to trust he knows what he is doing & let him guide me.
As for how I have been feeling with the foods on the no-go list? I have been eating many of them because let's face it - breads, pasta's & grains are cheap. Let's just say, I cannot wait to get back on this lifestyle. While it has been nice to have the freedom to eat what the rest of my family is eating, it hasn't been the greatest on my body. I feel very heavy, lethargic & have had more stomach upset these past few days than when I was eating on the AIP. I cannot pinpoint exactly which food items are causing all of these symptoms because I have eaten way too many no-go food items at once. Tonight we had chicken fried rice. This has probably been the first meal I haven't had severe stomach upset but to be honest, it's still there. The thing on the AIP is, you eliminate so many foods known to be irritants & you can actually feel the difference. My body felt more energized, my head felt completely clear & I realized how healthy and light I felt. I know it isn't just me either. Jason brought this subject up the other night. My mother-in-law also really enjoyed the meals we were making while on this path. So, I know it is not just me. I think I notice the subtle nuances in my body now because I have physically experienced the difference in how my body felt. We have had pizza & chicken burritos the past few nights. I know pizza was probably the worst thing I could have eaten because I felt horrible after. This isn't something I am happy about because pizza is one of my top favorite foods. The chicken burrito was good. I didn't load it up with beans or salsa. It was actually very plain with shredded chicken, onions & cheese. I felt fine from that.
I think the thing I would want you to take away from this whole post is life happens. Struggles are real. They do not last forever. If you fall off the bandwagon, whatever it is, do not quit. Get back on it. Failure is never an option. You take what life gives you & do the best you can with it. One saying I love is, "If all the doors are closed, until God opens the next door, praise him in the hallway." In other words, have faith another door will open. Stay positive. Regardless of your situation, with God on your side, you will get through anything. This is the truth I speak to myself and the situation we face. Does it suck? Yes. Absolutely. But I know who my God is and I know he will not abandon us in this place. All we need is faith as small as a mustard seed and we can tell our mountains to move (Matthew 17:20). Honestly, I am actually excited to see how the Lord will bring us through this valley. It is only in the valleys of our life we grow the most.
Mahalo,
Brittany Bowman
"11. For I know the plans I have for you,’ says the Lord, ‘plans for well-being and not for trouble, to give you a future and a hope. 12. Then you will call upon Me and come and pray to Me, and I will listen to you." - Jeremiah 29:11-12
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