Life Update

     Gosh, I don’t even know where to begin.  So much has changed (for the better!) since I last blogged and I am long overdue for an update.  Although no one may even read my blog (besides my Mama), I love to look back and see where I was at a certain point in life.  This blog holds the memories that seem to vanish quickly as I go about my day to day activities.  Four significant changes have taken place since May and I couldn’t be more grateful for all that has happened.  

1. We have ZERO student loan debt!  When J.T. and I got married in 2012, he had accumulated around $80,000 worth of student loan debt.  This debt was mainly a snowball of accumulated interest on loans that were taken out to pay for his Bachelors, Masters, Education Specialist, and Doctorate.  We knew we wanted to attack the loans aggressively but didn’t get serious until May of 2013.  I sat down and devised a payment plan that allowed us to knock out $57,536.63 in 12 months.  Every Friday, we made loan payments, beginning with the loans holding the largest interest rate.  To say we have been living on a budget would be an understatement!  I literally tracked every penny that was spent (and still do).  We didn’t take trips, go out to eat, or spend money on anything that wasn’t absolutely necessary for survival.  I have learned more about money and budgeting in the last year than most people do in a lifetime.  The days of freezing in the winter, burning up in the summer, “Meatless” Monday 5 days a week, and quick showers are behind us, but I will never forget this experience.  To celebrate, J.T. and I went shopping to buy some items that were beyond needed - clothes, shoes, socks, underwear (ha!).  This debt was not paid off by our hard work alone, but rather by God’s constant financial blessings over our life.  Some month’s we didn’t think we would make our goal, and time and time again extra money showed up.  We are now saving for a house and couldn’t be more thrilled!  
2. I got a new job!  I am still working for the same organization but have transferred to a different department and higher position.  Even applying for a different job was a difficult decision for me to make.  One of my best friend’s works in my old office and I miss seeing her daily.  Luckily, we have been able to talk on the phone a couple of times a week to catch up.  
3. J.T. started his administration certificate.  Yes, you read that right.  After paying off a ton of student loan debt, he started back to school again.  The administration degree will allow him to become a principal, school board employee or even superintendent if he chooses.  This degree is something he has contemplated for quite some time and we are finally financially able.  He started this fall and will finish this summer.  While neither one of us are crazy about his week night classes or monthly Saturday class, it is worth the sacrifice.  Since I work at the school, he gets half price tuition and we are paying as it comes due - no loans or pulling money from savings.  The finished degree will result in a raise that will pay for the degree itself in a year.  Here’s to degree number 5!
4. We have gone paleo.  As much as I fought this current diet trend, I finally caved after shear desperation.  A few years ago, I started itching - no rash, no dry skin, and no doctor had a clue.  It got to the point where it was wreaking havoc on my daily life.  I was having difficulty showering or even wearing certain clothes without being miserable or in tears.  My brother’s mother-in-law is a doctor who is knowledgeable in holistic medicine.  Through her guidance, I have been placed on a paleo diet along with numerous supplements for nutritional deficiencies.  The nutritional deficiencies were confirmed via blood test at my last checkup.  As much as I hate to admit it, the paleo diet is working for me.  Many of you know I was gluten, dairy, and soy free before beginning the paleo diet, and restricting foods even more seemed daunting.  At the beginning of June I started an elimination diet which restricted grains, dairy, nuts, seeds, eggs, certain vegetables & fruits, and sugar.  I am surviving!  The first 30 days were a terrible struggle.  In June I itched for 23 days out of 30.  In July, I itched for 15 days out of 31.  In August, I have itched for 9 days out of the 28 that have occurred.  An unhealthy gut is the root of all sickness and I have embarked on a journey out of desperation to heal mine.  As much as I didn’t want to jump on the paleo band wagon, the diet plus supplementation has helped me tremendously.  I have struggled with health problems for years - hypothyroidism, secondary amenorrhea, IBS - and chronic itching was the final straw.  This new way of eating is expensive but if I don’t have my health, I have nothing.  My $60 grocery budget has flown out the window and I am slowly learning how to cook without grains.  I would love to one day eat a bowl of oatmeal, but if that comes at the cost of itching daily, I will remain grain free forever.  Time will tell.  

That’s enough changes for one day.  I hope you enjoyed a brief 3 month recap of our lives!

My Story & Publix – September 7, 2012

     I love reading blogs, especially blogs that discuss food. Currently, my favorite blog is 100daysofrealfood.com. This blog chronicles a family of four who cut processed food out of their diet for 100 days. Over the past few weeks I have learned more about the scary food industry in America. In particular, processed foods and how they can affect our health. I can no longer continue to purchase groceries as I once did. In the past I kept cereal, chips, crackers, cookies, and other processed goodies stocked in our pantry. While I have always maintained a fairly healthy kitchen, I kept certain processed food that could serve as quick snacks for me and J. T. I am by no means vowing that I will never purchase anything processed again (you will see a few processed items in this post), but I am choosing to be very selective of the processed foods I bring into my kitchen. I am aiming to only purchase processed foods that have five ingredients or less.
     
     For me, this change will mean more time spent in the kitchen – one thing I will never complain about. Instead of buying crackers, fruit bars, etc., I am going to try my hand at making them myself. Yesterday, I made my first batch of granola cereal and it turned out quite tasty. I will continue to purchase cereal for J.T. because I cannot think of a decent breakfast alternative for him (he does not eat oats, so oatmeal and granola are out of the question). Many of you who know me are probably thinking, gosh, that girl is obsessed with healthy food! I am normally a very private person when it comes to my health, but I thought it was time to share why I am so interested and protective of what foods enter my body.
     
     My interest in nutrition began when I was a sophomore in college – even taking one semester of nutrition classes before settling on accounting as my major. I have struggled with my digestive health for many years now. In the 10^th grade I was diagnosed with clostridium difficile colitis. This is an infection in your large intestine that causes bacteria and toxins to be released. C. diff (as it is referred to in the medical world) is normally caused by antibiotics. At the time I was diagnosed with C.diff, I was taking the antibiotic tetracycline for my acne, a medicine that had been prescribed by my dermatologist. In order to kill the bacteria and toxins that had accumulated in my intestine, I was prescribed two rounds of the very strong antibiotic vancomycin. After taking this medication, I still did not feel better. I could not eat food without having diarrhea or severe stomach pains. As you can imagine, this was a nightmare for someone in the 10^th grade. All my teachers gave me special permission to run to the bathroom as needed during class time. I cringed every time I had to get up in leave – it was embarrassing and humiliating. I missed over 30 days of school that year. From that point forward, I would not go anywhere if I did not have access to a bathroom. I never fully recovered from C. diff., even being diagnosed with lactose intolerance as a result of the infection. After numerous tests and doctor visits, the doctors diagnosed me with irritable bowel syndrome (IBS). This syndrome is basically the catch-all category disease at the gastroenterologist office, meaning the doctors are not really sure what is wrong.
     
     Fast forward four years later and I was entering my sophomore year in college. The summer of my freshmen year I started exercising and making healthier eating choices. As a child I was always overweight, but after my freshmen year of college I had put on even more weight – weighing in at 175 pounds. I knew something had to change. My clothes were very snug and I refused to buy a bigger size. It was my brother who encouraged me to start exercising and his plan worked. I slowly changed the way I ate, but exercise was my main priority. By December of my sophomore year I was down 45 pounds. I was feeling great about myself, but I knew something was wrong. Up until this point I had always battled with diarrhea, but now I was struggling with constipation. Other symptoms included severe muscle aches, extreme sensitivity to cold temperatures, weight gain, and excessive fatigue. I distinctly remember calling my mother from the couch and telling her I was so tired that I could not get up – something very unusual for me. Luckily, my yearly check-up with my general doctor was coming up. After a blood test, it was confirmed that I had hypothyroidism, an underactive thyroid gland. As soon as I starting taking the proper medication, I immediately felt better. The weight that I had tried so hard to lose seemed to fall right off. While I felt better, I was still dealing with some of the same stomach problems – alternating diarrhea and constipation, bloating, and stomach cramps. These were problems that kept me from leading a normal life.
     
     During the fall of my junior year, I began interviewing for accounting internships. I accepted a three-month tax internship with Reznick Group, P.C. in Atlanta, GA. This was a HUGE step for a girl who had never been away from home for longer than a week! I realized that I needed to get my stomach issues under control. With this internship, I would be expected to be at work every day, sick or not. Matt Rouse, a man that I worked with at church, suggested that I try a gluten-free diet (Matt and I shared similar digestive issues and would frequently discuss different foods, etc. that we had tried). I began an elimination diet, which included a gluten free diet, in October of 2009. This elimination diet prohibited gluten, dairy, corn, soy, oats (MY BELOVED OATMEAL!) peas, beans, nuts and soft drinks, because all of these foods are not easily digested by the human body. I followed this strict diet throughout my internship and it gave my intestines time to heal. All of a sudden my diarrhea went away. I can only recall one instance of being sick during my internship. Before starting this diet, being sick three to five days a week was not uncommon. Following such a strict diet was not easy! I almost cried after I left the grocery store for the first time, because I was so frustrated with my limited options. My love of cooking was born after this trip. If the grocery store didn't sell it, I decided I would create it. I refused to eat mediocre food because of my dietary limitations. The elimination diet involves slowly reintroducing the foods that you had eliminated back into your diet. I have gradually reintroduced peas, beans, nuts, corn, and oats. I cannot tolerate corn in its whole state, but I have been able to handle items made with corn meal and grits. Just a month or so ago I was finally able to have oats again for the first time and I now eat them on a daily basis. Sadly, dairy and gluten will never be something I can tolerate. Throughout numerous doctor appointments, not a single doctor mentioned a gluten free diet or an elimination diet. This is something I had to figure out myself with Matt's help (Thanks Matt!). The food we put in our bodies has a huge impact on our health and the LONG story I have written above is truly why food is so important to me. Food dictates the way I feel and how I function on a daily basis. Most days I am fine, but I still have days where I feel sick. By reducing the amount of processed food I eat, I am hoping to improve my health.
     
     Congratulations to you if you made it through this entire post! My new quest for unprocessed food will probably decrease the amount of coupons I use, but I will try my best to use them as effectively as possible. I am also considering an increase in the grocery budget to $60 a week. We are not spending $100 a month on toiletries, so I may pull excess money from that budget. I know you have been anxiously awaiting the budget numbers for the week! The total spent on groceries this week was $45.77 and the total spent on toiletry items was $3.15.

   

• Dairy
  • (1) Publix Greenwise Organic Milk @ $5.99
  • (1) Silk Almond Milk @ $3.49
    • $1.00/1 manufacturer coupon - $2.49
  • Davidson's Safest Choice eggs @ $3.49
    • $0.75/1 manufacturer coupon - $2.74
• Grocery
  • (2) Publix Greenwise Organic Oats @ $3.98 or $1.99 each
  • 1 lb. Publix Navy Beans @ $1.79
  • 1 lb. Publix Pinto Beans @ $1.79
  • (4) Dole canned crushed pineapple (8 ounce) @ $3.00
    • (2) $1.00/2 manufacturer coupons - $1.00 or $0.25 each
  • (1) General Mills Original Cheerios (BOGO) - $2.50
    • $1.00/1 manufacturer coupon - $1.50
  • (2) Materne GOGO Squeeze applesauce (BOGO) @ $2.59
    • (2) $1.00/1 manufacturer coupon - $0.59 or $0.30 each
  • (1) Publix Pure Clover honey @ $2.99
• Meat
  • 1 ½ lbs. Publix Greenwise Chicken Drumsticks @ $3.69
  • 1 ½ lbs. Publix Greenwise Chicken Thighs @ $4.30
• Frozen
  • (1) Cascadian Farm Organic frozen spinach @ $2.69
    • $0.75/1 manufacturer coupon - $1.94
  • (1) Cascadian Farm Organic frozen broccoli @ $2.49
    • $0.75/1 manufacturer coupon - $1.74
  • (1) Van's Gluten free/Wheat free waffles (BOGO) @ $1.58
    • (1) $1.00/1 manufacturer coupons - $0.58
• Produce
  • Organic bananas @ $0.99/lb. - $2.05
  • Publix Greenwise Organic Baby Arugula @ $2.50
  • 1 lb. Publix Greenwise Organic Carrots @ $1.29/lb.
  • 2 lbs. Onions @ $2.00
  • 1 garlic bulb @ $0.30
• Other
  • (2) Right Guard deodorant (BOGO) - $3.89
    • (2) $1.00/1 manufacturer coupon - $1.89 or $0.95 each
  • (2) Chapstick medicated lip balm @ $2.00
    • $1.00/2 manufacturer coupon - $1.00 or $0.50 each
  
   
  $5.00 off $25.00 purchase Save-A-Lot competitor coupon
  
   
  Total before coupons         $65.17
  Less: coupons used            (16.25)
  Total with Tax                   $48.92