Welcome!

     Hi, my name is Becky Holm and I created this blog to help people become healthier, more aware individuals.  My journey to become a healthier and happier person started about four months ago.  What pushed me to change things in my life and diet was the fact that I never had energy, I would get sick frequently, and had horrible stomach pains that kept me up during the night.
     I am twenty-eight years old and was diagnosed with Crohn's disease when I was fourteen.  When I was first diagnosed I had been suffering from Crohn's symptoms for almost six months and was down to seventy-eight pounds.  My body was under attack and my intestines were so inflamed that I couldn't absorb any nutrients.  Everything I ate went right through me and left me extremely malnourished and anemic.  Fortunately, I've never had to undergo any surgeries to remove parts of my bowel (thanks goodness, as literature says that eighty percent of Crohn's patients will undergo a Crohn's related surgery in their lifetime).  I have had two colonoscopies though and have been prescribed a myriad of pills since then.  At one point I was taking 18 pills a day!  (I will make a post later discussing all the medication I've been on for Crohn's and discusss side effects as well).
     Needless to say, I wanted a change.  I didn't want my quality of life taken from me.  I didn't want to feel sick and yucky all the time.  I wanted to be able to get a good night's sleep and feel energized during the day.  I wanted my life back.  This may sound dramatic, but when the thought of walking from one room to another in my own home sounded exhausting - I know something needed to change.  So I did some digging and spoke with a certified herbal consultant as well as read many articles about what foods to avoid and what foods benefit our bodies the most.  I also read some books about healthy eating (some religion based, some science based)  and wrote down notes from them.  So this is my journey and I hope you enjoy these helpful tips and that they help you as much as they've helped me.  My life has totally changed.  Since I started the changes in my diet I haven't had a single stomach pain (no joke!),  I've been able to sleep through the night, I have tons more energy, and overall I'm a much happier person.  I no longer take any medication at all, and that can make one feel empowered;)  So happy reading!