Welcome to my site. What you’ll find here is a little Jesus, some articles on health, opinions (lots of opinions) and some natural living advice. You may also find inspiration for what NOT to do.
I believe nature has the power to heal us (combined with faith in a big God).
For the love of nature, I became an early downsizer. At the age of forty-five, I sold most of my belongings and a really cool older home in order to get a jump on retirement savings and dedicate more time and money to outdoor pursuits. Slower mornings and sunset sips are my new favorite things.
I am:
- a native southerner
- beginner minimalist (except I overpack for all trips)
- chicken tender (3 little ladies boss me around for snacks)
- mortgage lender by day
- dog lover (former dog mom and he will always be in my heart)
- mistruster of healthcare
- passionate believer that nutrition and nature are keys to good health
I’ve always been active and tried to maintain a reasonable weight and avoid sweets. Type 2 diabetes was a common thing in my maternal bloodline, but so was the intense love of all things sugary. My health plan was to put off becoming diabetic as long as possible.
I’d grown up around people who were in and around healthcare and I’ve worked on the fringes myself. We didn’t question doctors but over time, I heard enough things in healthier circles that caused me to think more critically.
Now, I believe whole-heartedly that Type 2 diabetes is a lifestyle disease, with minimal genetic risk . Actually, I believe all diseases(with a few exceptions) are lifestyle diseases.
Little word bomb nuggets along that journey have shaped my belief. I’d hear something impactful, head down a rabbit hole of things and come out with a new habit.
The first one was if you can’t pronounce it easily, your body doesn’t know what to do with it.
I didn’t ever remember a doctor telling me that, yet it changed everything. I’d met some amazing ladies who seemed a bit radical in how they selectively ate or refused the commercialized foods and drinks other people were enjoying. But as I educated myself on what some of those ‘ingredients’ were, it made sense.
Before, I called them crunchy, woowoo and other affectionate, but skeptical adjectives. They were full of vitality, had great skin and lots of energy. They also had a mistrust for food, pharmaceuticals and products made by big companies. They used all natural beauty products, sought out local organic foods and rarely saw doctors.
Then at age forty-nine, I grew tired of what I was just being told was ‘getting older’. My lower abdomen, hip and back pain were constant. I had way more stomach virus events than any human should have. After spending a couple thousand dollars on doctors and imaging tests, my earlier skepticism gave way to well, nothing else is working.
I made an appointment with a lady I’d called woowoo before I even met her. I’d first heard her name in 2012 and a few times since. Then in March of 2021, I ended up in her church. Gina Webb had a reputation around the area for just knowing all the things your body needed to perform its best.
Those things for me were some Chinese adrenal fatigue blends, Biblical herbs (hyssop, coptis, myrrh) and two months of clean, sugar-free eating. Two months of a little bit of discomfort in rearranging some habits set me on a totally different path of health.
It’s June 2024 as I write this and the past year’s grief has taken it’s toll on my heart, but I continue to seek healthier ways of doing life. From relationships to restaurants, I’ve become more selective about how much of the world I allow in. I stopped putting (as many) junk things made by this world into the body God made just for me. Frankly, I like the way it’s turning out.
In the picture from June of 2023, I see, and remember, the heavy weight of grief I carried. I’d just ended a long term relationship, my dog was in his final weeks of life and my mother and her last living sister were both dying soon as well. I was wrecked with pain and heartache, but the two previous years of ruthlessly cleaning my diet and my medicine cabinet had thankfully made me physically healthier. I believe it helped me to endure the torturous months I would spend at the vet or beside hospital and hospice beds.
I’m not going back. Lifestyle change is a gamechanger for health. Wait, that’s an understatement. It’s the only way to true health. American healthcare is not making people better. Obesity, sickness and chronic disease rates are skyrocketing in this country.
When it comes to true health, we must simplify. Don’t follow the fancy fad diets or latest prescription craze. Culture has placed emphasis on weight as a measurement of health, but it’s so much more. It’s strength to move through life with ease. It’s faith and connection and community and appreciating beauty of nature. It’s enjoying foods that nourish your body and slowing down. It’s a journey, but a lovely one. Come along.
Nurture 
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