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My Health Story


I was a sick kid.  Not the kind with a life-threatening illness that made you think, "Oh, that poor kid!"  No, I was the kid who was always sneezing, or stuffed up, or had a cold or a sore throat. I even had that "cute" little crease in my nose from rubbing it too often. In my late teens, despite years of allergy shots, I had my tonsils removed (which helped immensely, by the way) and then had polyps removed from my sinuses (not fun, but it certainly cleared things up--for a while).  I can't tell you how many rounds of antibiotics I was on throughout the years, and I tried every type of mind-numbing allergy medicine out there.  

I distinctly remember wanting to try things that involved a lot of speaking and realizing that I couldn't rely on being able to speak clearly on any given day.  I ended up being a teacher, which of course, involves a lot of speaking, but every September I could count on my allergies spiraling out of control and leading to sinus infections that would last at least through winter break.  When I was pregnant with my daughters, I was on a constant stream of antibiotics and decongestants again, just so I could survive the stuffiness and sinus pain that were magnified by the hormonal changes.

Notice that I looked mainly to pharmaceuticals to solve my problems, and had no clue that lifestyle and diet had anything to do with any of it. When I was a teen I lived on doughnuts, Big Macs, and Diet Mountain Dew. In my 30's and 40's I tried vegetarianism on for size, but ended up replacing meat with lots of sugars, grains, and chemically engineered food substitutes (ahem, Impossible Burger, anyone?) I finally discovered the Neti pot during my second pregnancy, but even that didn't do much good when I was already chronically inflamed and infected.  No one ever suggested that I could be allergic, or even sensitive, to any types of foods, and it wasn't until I started my own self-experimentation that things started to get better.

I didn't stop eating sugars and grains for my sinuses.  At the time it was all about maintaining my weight and building the metabolic flexibility to become a stronger athlete.  Vanity can have its benefits, though.  Now that I eat very few grains or sugars and build my diet around quality, whole food, I can’t remember the last time I had a sinus infection, and my allergies are a hundred times better. Maybe I could have avoided a couple of surgeries and lots of doctor visits if I had known that then.

Besides the changes in my sinuses, I've noticed a lot of other benefits too, because, let's face it, sometimes a stuffy nose doesn't hurt enough to make you put down the pizza and beer. (Although I had a beer last weekend, and wow! The congestion was instantaneous!) As an adult in the prime of my life, the brain fog, digestive problems, and hormonal issues, are a lot more concerning and definitely less sexy. What I've realized is that all of these things are related and that by changing what I put in my mouth I can drastically change how I feel—both physically, and mentally! Now that I've cut the carbs and chemicals, I no longer feel like a slave to my appetite and to the scale.  I no longer go through the roller coaster of hormonal changes each month, and I no longer have to base my outfits on what I ate the night before.  I even notice that my moods and mental focus are much more stable than they were before. A win for everyone around me! :)

I still work in a school and see the effects of nutrition on our children every day.  My greatest wish is that I can help women feel better, and by passing on the knowledge they gain, help our next generation avoid many of the problems that we have gone through.

I am also a certified nutritionist who provides coaching and customized meal plans to help people reach their health and wellness goals. If you'd like to talk to me more about a nutrition plan that works for you, contact me  at JenniferIbenWellness@gmail.com or book a free call with me by clicking the Calendly button.  I look forward to talking with you!

 
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