"X" IS FOR X-RAY (vision)

Sometimes, what we see on the outside doesn’t always match what’s on the inside. X-ray vision might allow us to see beyond the surface, and WOW! Our eyes might be opened wide! If you had seen me in 1999, you would have labeled me “the picture of health.” On the outside, I was 26 years young; lean, strong, mostly energetic, and full of life. I ran 8 miles every day. I was practically a size 0, I did Taebo, for Heaven’s sake! But…..a storm was brewing on the inside.

Truth: When the hot light was on at Krispy Kreme, I could eat half a dozen donuts in less than 4 minutes. At the movies, I could pound a large bag of peanut butter m & m’s all by myself. Toaster Strudel for breakfast, chips and soda with lunch—-I was a full fledged sugar-a-holic with a ravaging thirst for the white stuff. The thing was: I wasn’t overweight, so I assumed that I was healthy. I looked fit, so why not indulge? I thought I was just enjoying the gift of a fast metabolism, so I milked that cow for years. Until, that is, my body let me know that the party was over.

I remember shopping in a mall and having to run to a bathroom to throw up. I remember becoming shaky, dizzy, and light-headed in the middle of a work day, and having to go lie down until the feeling passed. I remember noting how pale and pasty I began looking in a mirror. I remember eating meals and still feeling hollow and empty; never nourished or satisfied. “What was happening to me?” I anxiously wondered. My worry led me to doctor after doctor where no answers were offered. Through a friend of a friend, I found a holistic doctor (sounded like voodoo to me), and I agreed to his full panel of blood and other samples so that he could get a read on what my body was trying to communicate.

I’ll never forget the night he called me with the results. He said, “Lori, you are a very unhealthy young woman.” Instantly, I was insulted and went on the defensive. “What do you mean unhealthy? ME?? How can I be unhealthy??”

Despite my protests, he went on to tell me about my blood sugar, and how I was a borderline Type 2 Diabetic. My hormones were wildly out of balance, my gut was demolished (didn’t know the heck my “gut” was), and I was on my way to a number of chronic inflammatory diseases. I listened. I cried. I got mad. And then I got out my highlighter, and I got busy. I made notes on everything he said. I had no idea what “organic” was, or where the heck to locate gluten-free pasta, but I was hell-bent on finding it! (**Remember, this was Nashville, Tennessee in the late 90’s. There was no Whole Foods, no Juice Bar, no Google Search, and no Instagram). I was a lonely wanna-be kale leaf in a sea of biscuits and gravy.

I knew I had to make changes, so, true to my all-or-nothing personality, I jumped right into the deep end. Stay tuned to next week’s blog when I share more about my journey. If you can relate, I’d love to hear from you. One of my greatest gifts we can offfer is sharing our experiences to help others.

In Good Health,

Lori Z.