Healing update part two: Mommy!

I post this primarily for my various friends and family who have supported me and loved me even while I've been much less than my perky self.  I also share to bring hope. God made the body magnificently - it not only can survive, it can heal.

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I dreaded doing the Introduction diet for some time. Surviving on just meat and veggies? No raw milk? Going without eggs for a couple days? How would I get enough calories? My biggest fear was just what monsters would come out of me when doing major cleansing. Retracing is pretty common, and I have a lot I never want to retrace! Setting a date and committing a month to it were critical, otherwise I may have put it off indefinitely.

And ultimately, Intro really wasn't that bad. My liver has been definitely healing, as I only felt I needed ox bile to help with fats a few times, as I've been gradually switching to a much higher fat diet for a long while, and low and behold, I can survive without huge amounts of dairy and piles of high carb veggies! When I first went on GAPS, it was a huge struggle to eat enough, and I couldn't keep my calories high enough. Now I've healed enough to just eat more fat. I ate less than I anticipated, and I felt much better than I had hoped for. I found it funny that healing can be so delicious!

As my nursling is still eating little food, I went through the Intro very carefully, going backwards through the stages and then forwards to reduce die-off.  (Check out this awesome info-graphic of the Intro diet.)Frequent long detox baths and doses of chlorella helped absorb toxins. And I tried to keep my obligations low so that I could be home and resting as needed. Extra vit C and continuing to take Bioray LiverLife also helped the cleanse be easier on my body.

Somewhere in the middle of this process - my cravings evaporated, my mood lifted, and I found myself playing with my kids!!! Though overall Intro was a rollercoaster emotionally and physically, reaching a high I hadn't experienced in well over a year was a huge blessing. You never know how bad off you were until you experience what normal should feel like. Having battled depression, ( which was a lot better, but not totally gone) finally feeling joyful and energetic again is amazing.

This is what you wanted to know though: What is better now?

•My mood! I'm still working on some bad habits that have developed over the past year, but I feel much more chipper and lively. It is wonderful.
•Energy levels are a lot better. My adrenal fatigue was already much improved over where I was a year ago, but now I feel like I have the drive to get things down and not just mope around the house.
•I can eat fruit again! Previously many different fruits bothered my nursling through my milk, and now I've re-added many items without issue! I hoping to try those pesky nightshades again soon.
•Less liver support needed. Bioray LiverLife is a fantastic supplement, but is pretty expensive when you depend on a huge dose every day, I've cut my dose in half without my sensory issues coming up to bite me.
•Less cravings. Granted, I still want my chocolate - but I'm much happier with just meat and veggies now.
•Better habits - I'm more consistent about ferments, I learned that some foods really do taste good boiled, and I renewed my commitment to lots of broth.
•Histamine tolerance is better. It's still allergy season, so avocados are still a little much for me, but I'm eating yogurt and bubbies pickles and not getting a histamine response. Yay!
•Sensory issues are much better - I'm walking barefoot in the house, something I couldn't tolerate before because the sensation on my feet made me crazy. I'm folding laundry and touching papers all the time, as opposed to waiting for my "good days." And I'm feeling normal hunger symptoms, something I've very rarely experienced before!

I'm not done healing, as what is torn down in years takes years to build back up, but I finally feel like I've recovered from the onslaught of stress and then wear and tear of a pregnancy immediately following that stressful period. Never underestimate stress! Through all the events I attended with my soups and boiled sausages and the hours spent soaking in the bath, my motivation has been my kids. God be praised for giving them to me, I wouldn't be here without them!