My Story – Part 4

In case you missed Part 1, Part 2, and Part 3, make sure to start there. This week, I’ll pick up my story for Part 4, the final part, right where we left off.

My Story – Part 4

In Part 3, I mentioned that my love of healthy eating began in Grand Rapids. I also learned that sometimes you have to eat differently than other people if you want to feel good. Then, I moved to Arlington, Virginia, a little over six years ago.

I finally got serious in my quest to determine what was causing my stomach aches when I moved to Arlington. I realized that you don’t have to live in pain if you’re willing to put in the work to figure out what’s wrong.

Losing Weight

In Part 2, I mentioned that I didn’t want this story to be about weight, but a key part of my story is that I did Weight Watchers about six years ago. My weight had crept up and I knew I needed some help. This post is not about Weight Watchers or the pros and cons of their program. But Weight Watchers actually lead me to figure out an important part of my story. It was through cutting out processed foods and eating more vegetables, fruits, and whole foods that I realized part of what was causing my stomach aches. 

I found that when I ate a minimal amount of processed foods, I had fewer stomach aches. I mean, it seems so simple. We all know real food is better for you. But that’s not even the most simple realization.

Eating Slowly 

This is so embarrassing to admit, but one other component to lessening my stomach aches is to eat slowly and chew my food really well. I tend to have big blood sugar swings so I can get very hungry, very quickly. When that happens, I also eat too fast because I’m trying to stabilize my blood sugar quickly. And sometimes, I have a tendency not to chew my food as much as I should. I’ve realized this is another major piece of my health puzzle.

My Diet

I’ve been eating a mostly Paleo, gluten-free diet for a few years. I say mostly gluten-free because if I’m at a great restaurant or bakery and I know they bake their own bread from scratch, I’ll have a piece. I try to avoid the overly processed foods from a box. Or the products with an ingredient list a mile long. I feel better when I eat products straight from the produce aisle or the perimeter of the grocery store. I could write another whole post just on what I’m doing these days when it comes to food.

And unfortunately, I haven’t solved all of my stomach issues. It’s a work in progress. And that’s part of what led me to start this site. If any of you are like me, you have some dietary issue you haven’t figured out. Or maybe you’re just searching for the foods that make you feel good on a daily basis. 

A Love for Research

Throughout this process over the last 10+ years, I learned that I love reading and learning. It’s fascinating to read about new diets, new trends in food and wellness, and the latest research on healthy beauty products. That’s where my love of beauty products comes in. Once you work to clean up your diet, the next step is to look into what products you’re actually putting on your skin. At least that’s how I discovered the healthy beauty products. If you’re working so hard on what you’re putting in your body, why shouldn’t you care about what you put on it?

My love for reading and researching is the other factor in what led me to start Crunchy Kat. I figured if I was so curious about food, nutrition, and healthy beauty options, I wanted to turn the work I do into a helpful tool for others.

What about you? I’d love to know what you’re struggling with and how I can help. Even if that’s just to share other resources or professionals with you. Let me know, I’d love to hear.