Much Needed Lifestyle Change.....My Body Was Screaming at Me.

Hey it's me Heather Marie,
       
               I wanted to write to share some things that are going on in my life and some very big decisions I've had to make. So, let's start from the beginning. Ever since I could remember I've had stomach problems, Later came to find out I had IBS, irritable bowel syndrome, which is not fun at all. I struggled with it my whole life and the questions that come with it. what can I eat? when can I eat? Is this going to upset my stomach? I've tried a ton of different diets by cutting certain foods out and blah blah blah. Nothing seemed to help. Recently I decided to go back to the doctor because I was just sick all the time and the acne on my face was getting worse and worse and nothing I was doing was helping the situation. Well after much trial and error, I discovered I was lactose and glutton intolerant.....I was kind of relieved. Now that I know what I can't eat I can start to eat the right things and maybe that will help. Well it didn't help I was still sick and I was tired all the time. I had no energy and my skin wasn't clearing up and my stomach problems weren't getting better.
              I started doing a lot of research because I didn't need a quick fix diet I needed a lifestyle change. I quickly remembered seeing a woman in the press about eating 20 banana's a day sometimes, I went searching for that article again because I remember her being really fit and healthy. When I found the article she use to have bad acne and struggled with the things I was struggling with along with a bunch of other health problems. So of course my next question was, "so what changed?". Turns out she's started eating a raw vegan diet. Now of course when I first heard this I was like great, "I'm just gonna be able to eat leaf's and nuts" but after doing more and more research the lifestyle actually started to sound appealing. After all, what did I have to lose I would try anything to get better.
              So basically it's not just a raw vegan diet it's a high carb, low fat raw vegan diet. I found Freelee the banana girl ( http://thebananagirl.com/ ) I started to watch her videos and hear a lot of people's stories of their life changing after starting this lifestyle. I was convinced, this is what I need to do but I was still confused on what exactly I'd eat. So basically I will eat around 3,000 calories a day, 95% of that coming from fruit the rest from greens and root veggies. I'll get to eat as much yummy juicey fruit as my heart desires. I know that sounds crazy but after hearing people living this lifestyle for 5+ years and still feeling amazing and having a ton of energy and even in some cases being healed of IBS and eating disorders.
                These people are lean mean fighting machines. Of course I won't change over night, It took years of abusing my body to get where I am now so it's going to take time for my body to adjust and get back to running the way it's suppose to. I realized why I've been so sick, it's because I've been filling my body with crap for so many years. My body has finally reached it's breaking point, and it's screaming at me to change. So I've decided to change. It's going to take a little getting use to, but I'm tired of feeling like crap and not having enough energy to even get out of the bed in the morning.  I need to start filling my body with good things instead of bad things. If you feel your body with crap you will feel like crap.
                  I hope to share each stage of my journey with my friends and family and I'm also looking for support. You may think I'm crazy and if you do keep it to yourself. So as Freelee says, "go fruit yourself" cause that's what I'll be doing!

-Heather Marie

Our Lives Are Not Our Own...

So recently, I spent a couple of days in the hospital. I was released yesterday morning and I'm basically on bed rest and I'm still on a bunch of medicine. I had a severe asthma attack Thursday night and I'm still not completely better but I'm doing a lot better than I was. I was suppose to leave for Chattanooga Saturday to go to Campus Outreach New Years Conference. At first I was very upset that I couldn't go because I was in the hospital. I thought this is stupid I can't go because my lungs aren't letting me breathe. But through a lot of prayer and texts from my friends. I realized if I was meant to go I would have. God has a plan and It's not always our plan. I thought that going to NYC was what God wanted and I was upset that I couldn't go. I think that all of this though was kind of like God giving me a wake up call. I've been dealing with my asthma a lot over the past few months and I never really gave myself time to fully recover. I just thought If I take my medicine and keep doing everything I was doing before it will just go away, but that wasn't the case. I was trying to make my plan God's plan but that's not how God works. We have no control over our lives God is in control. I believe through this experience God was trying to tell me to take care of myself, to stop trying to do everything on my own, to ask God for help and rely on Him for my strength. If I trust in Him everything will work out. I shouldn't stress over the things I can't control. Right now, although it makes me sad I'm not a NYC, I need to make sure I'm taking care of myself. I need to slow down and make sure my priorities are straight. I need to make sure I'm giving my life to Christ and not trying to make my plan His plan. We as humans get caught up way to often if the everyday life of school, work, family, etc. We try to control our own lives, we forget all the time that our live is not our own. We are here to bring glory to God, and spread His word. But in order to do that we need to make sure we are taking care of our own relationship with God and growing in that relationship. We need to surround ourselves with people who are going to point us to Christ. So I guess What I'm trying to say is that over the past few months I was trying to control my life and do everything on my own, when what I really needed is God. I need to put Him first and stop trying to do everything on my own. Well I'm going to get back to Sudoku, movies and breathing treatments. I hope all of you have a great New Year!
-Heather Marie

Rediscovering the Joy of Christmas....Through Music.

For those of you that don't know I'm a Entertainment Industry Major at the University of North Alabama. I'm a junior studying the Business side of the Music Industry. I use to love Christmas time, and love listening to Christmas music. What this has to do with my Major we'll get to that later. I've been reminiscing lately, I remember putting up the Christmas tree the day after thanksgiving. My mom, sister and I would put on Christmas music and break out all the ornaments and little village houses and lights. It was such a joyful time. I got to spend time with my family and sing songs granted my mom was tone def so she never sang in tune, but that didn't matter. It was about family and Jesus and celebrating his birth. 

After moving to college and my moms passing, I loved to go home and be with my dad and sister but it wasn't the same it never would be. Putting up the Christmas tree and decorating without my mom just wasn't the same. I started to resent people who would listen to Christmas music all the time and be joyful, and I hated stores for skipping over Halloween and Thanksgiving and putting out Christmas stuff in September. I knew that's not the way I should be but that's the way I felt. 

I rarely go home now not because I don't want to but because I'm just so busy with my life in Florence. I just got back from my thanksgiving break and I loved spending time with my family, I hadn't been home in months. After all the Thanksgiving gatherings, there wasn't that "now Thanksgiving is over time to decorate for Christmas" feeling. I'm not even sure my dad is going to put a Christmas tree up this year. It makes me sad, not because Christmas is all about decorating its about Jesus and celebrating his birth, but it's fun to spend time with your family and sing, be joyful, wish for snow, and drink hot cocoa. 

Over the past two years I just stopped thinking about Christmas. I would never make a big deal about it, but I just bought She & Him's new Christmas album because I love their sound and Zooey Deschanel's voice. I don't know what it was, but Listening to their Christmas songs just sparked some kind of joy in me. I started to remember all the good times with my mom all the laughs and how I should spend life celebrating her and being the person she knew I could be. It made me think of what she always use to tell me, "Christmas isn't about presents it's about celebrating the birth of Jesus, his life, and what's He's done for us. It's about being with your family and the joy of having each others company." I now can't stop smiling and can't wait to get home and put on Christmas music and start singing and decorating even if my father protest. Yes, I still dislike store's skipping over Halloween and Thanksgiving and going straight to Christmas, but I think I understand it a little more. We all long for that time of year when we can sit by a fire with the ones we love and celebrate life. 

So now back to my Major. It's funny how music, the one thing that has changed and inspired my life so much, including my choice of Major, can make me love Christmas again. I know God has been working on the hardness in my heart for a while and he used music to soften it. So be happy this Christmas no matter what you are going through or what you've been through. Just remember What Christmas is truly about: Family and the most important family member of all your Heavenly Father.

-Heather Marie

Being a redhead....do redheads find other redheads attractive?

So it's been almost a year since I posted my first blog, and I realized I'm not a very good blogger considering that's the only blog I've posted. I really do want to start blogging more. Today I picked a subject that is very close to me. Being a redhead. Do redheads find other redheads attractive? It's the lingering question I've been asked a thousand times. For me, yes. If a guy is attractive and he has red hair that makes me even more attracted to him. Now I know what your thinking, most redheads try to steer clear of other redheads but I have a theory. I think the reason I find other redheads attractive is because I think that's one of my best characteristics. If you asked me what I liked most about my appearance it would be my red hair and freckles. I even use low SPF sunscreen in the summer so my freckles will pop even more. I think since that's a characteristic I admire in myself I find it attractive on other people. I embrace being a redhead and I think most redheads don't. If you don't like something about yourself you're probably not going to like it on someone else. If someone asked you want you most liked about your personality and you said being able to talk to anyone, then you would probably find some one who is a easy talker more attractive. I hope that makes since to you. It makes since to me. Also it makes it easier to explain why a ginger like myself would find another ginger attractive. One day I hope to have a family full of gingers, like the Weasley family. Also, I think you should embrace who you are. God created you and he created you the way He wanted, and you are perfect the way you are. Once you start to love who you are you will start to enjoy life more. I use to hate my red hair because I got bullied as a child and I wanted to dye it so many times, but my mom would never let me. I'm so glad that she never let me dye it because now I love it. It makes me unique and it's a part of who I am. On that note though, Just because it's a part of who I am it's not all I am.

New Year. New Me.

Hi It's me Heather Marie. 

                All my friends tell me I was born in the wrong decade and maybe it's because I'm very old-fashioned or maybe it's because I love everything vintage: clothes, shoes, books...etc. But what ever the reason they're right. I often feel like I was born at the wrong time. I struggled with a lot over the past couple of years: graduating high-school, moving out, losing my mom, starting college, and trying to define myself as a young adult. I feel like that's what every person my age is trying to do. We are trying to find our place in the world, where we fit in, who we fit in with. Since a new year is about to start I figured I would start a new project and new stage in my life. This blog is my new project. I don't want this blog to be a place where I complain or trouble you with my problems cause lets be honest that's what everyone uses twitter for right? I want to just blog as a young person starting my life figuring out who I am. I want to live everyday like it's my last. If I've learned anything from my mothers death it was that life is fleeting and we must do everything or rather nothing to just enjoy life. Take the time in the morning to drink coffee or tea and look out your window and enjoy the view. When I walk around downtown here in wonderful Florence Alabama I often find myself stopping to just close my eyes and take a deep breath. I love to just look around and try to find beauty in everything and thank God that the world he created for us is so amazing beautiful. I feel like people me included get carried away with our jobs and family or in my case school work. We don't take the time to enjoy the world around us. So today I'll leave you with some word from one of my favorite TV shows One Tree Hill.

"You know it's been said that we just don't recognize the significant moments of our lives while they are happening. We grow complacent with ideas, or things or people and we take them for granted and it's usually not until that thing is about to be taken away from you that you've realized how wrong you've been that you need it, how much you love it." 

So have a wonderful day and take the time to just enjoy every moment as it comes.
               with great joy,
                             Heather Marie

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