My Journey to Natural Living Part Two
This is part two of my journey to natural living. If you missed part one, click here!
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Feeling renewed, I began researching PCOS. I reached out to anyone I could think of who might be able to offer some advice. I resolved to trust the Lord whether He chose to heal my face or not. If you are unfamiliar with PCOS, I’ll quote another blogger at Keeper of the Home in her definition,
“It is a hormonal disorder that can look a bit different in each woman, but generally it involves sporadic or non-existent ovulation, higher than usual male hormones, and sometimes actual ovarian cysts. For most women, it means that their entire hormonal balance and menstrual cycle is completely out of whack.”
I learned that the root of PCOS is an insulin resistance. In fact, many doctors relate PCOS to type two diabetes and prescribe diabetes medication as a manager of PCOS. I also learned that PCOS is one of the leading causes of infertility among women. Panic filled my heart as I reminded the Lord of my desperate desire to be a mom someday. He gently reminded me that He is faithful. He simply desires my obedience and my heart.
So, now that I was learning what this disease actually was, the question was what could I do about it? Stephanie’s blog – Keeper Of The Home – was a God-send as I began navigating this journey. I learned that there is hope for people with PCOS! She encouraged me that I could make simple changes in my diet and lifestyle and see big results. I learned that I was actually putting things into my body that were essentially acting as poison to my endocrine system–processed foods, refined sugars and grains, ingredients that I couldn’t pronounce, fat-free products, soy, and more. Sure, I tried to eat “healthy”–you know, low-fat butter spray (no calories!), fat-free flavored yogurt, and high-fructose-corn syrup laden granola bars truly were my idea of healthy. I had counted calories my whole life. Could it be that these “healthy” things were actually destroying my body? This began a journey of the Lord retraining my mind and my heart to eat in a way that He actually designed to work best with my body.
I took the plunge. I traded margarine for full fat butter, coconut oil, and olive oil. Skim milk for whole, raw milk. White flour for whole grains that had been properly soaked. Refined sugar for honey and maple syrup. We began making homemade bone broth and yogurt… just to name a few. It was overwhelming and exciting all at once. I guess it may sound a little extreme, but once I learned how harmful some of the things I used to put into my body were, I couldn’t go back! The more I researched and learned, the more I realized that I have a great responsibility to honor the Lord with what I put in my body. The results can be left up to Him.
After a month of eating this way, we began to notice that the bumps on my face seemed a lot flatter. The redness was still there, but the massive blister-like bumps were beginning to fade. After two months, they were gone completely.
And five months later when I walked down the aisle in my white wedding dress, my face was clearer than it had been in almost a year.
Our Almighty God healed my face. Not because He had to. He would still be just as trustworthy and faithful had He chosen not to heal my face. But, in His gracious power, He chose to use this journey to teach me a few lessons that I will cherish in my heart forever:
1.) True beauty is something that can never be taken from me if Jesus is the object of my heart’s affections–no matter what happens to my earthly body.
2.) I simply cannot trust everything that well-meaning doctors tell me. I have the ability and responsibility to research and prayerfully make decisions that are best for myself and my family
3.) God designed my body to work best when it’s being nourished by whole foods, not by man-made chemicals.
As I type this blog, I am sitting in a rocking chair nestled in the corner of our sweet baby boy’s new nursery. My belly is getting bigger by the minute as we anticipate his arrival any day now. Yes, the Lord did indeed heal my face, but through this journey to whole foods, He gave me another miraculous gift. A precious baby. He used my acne to reveal a deeper problem that could have had a major impact on my ability to get pregnant. But in His sovereignty and grace, he chose to reveal the truth and heal my body through natural means before it was a problem. Praise Yahweh.
Our Father’s ways are perfect, even when He takes us on a roller coaster of a journey to get to where He wants us. May you be encouraged to trust His gentle nudges and to explore the ways He created your body to function at its full potential. It’s liberating and fun and trust me, you’ll feel better, too!
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I wrote this original post for a friend’s blog back in 2014. Since then, God has continued to take me on a journey of discovering His design for nourishing our bodies. Since this blog was written, I have birthed four children at home, learned how to use natural remedies to fight sickness and infection, taken many steps to free my home from harmful chemicals, and continued to learn how to cook and prepare nourishing food that my family enjoys. And I have never struggled with symptoms of PCOS again. We don’t do it perfectly. My kids sometimes eat goldfish and kitkats. And I still celebrate every pregnancy with a huge bowl of Coldstone ice cream–and that’s okay. We have the freedom to enjoy life and indulge in unhealthy treats on occasion. But with knowledge also comes responsibility. Our bodies (and our children’s bodies) are gifts we have been given. Let’s steward them well!
Here are some resources that might be helpful if you have PCOS or are wanting more information about nourishing your body:
The Weston A. Price Foundation
Natural Fertility and Wellness
Does any piece of my story resonate with you? I’d love to hear your thoughts!
