Paying it Forward to ME: Taking Care of My Future Self

I asked her to go back and repeat what she said.

”You’re prediabetic.” It didn’t sound any better the second time around.?

The news on the surface was surprising. Exercise has been a daily mainstay since I was a young kid. After turning 50 six years ago I really cleaned up my diet – no more packaged foods, a daily assortment of wholesome, one ingredient goodness, plenty of water. I was told by my doctors that my weight, body fat and muscle mass were excellent for my age – I patted myself on the back. I’m taking such great care of myself, I pridefully thought. On the outside all was well, but trouble was definitely beginning to brew.

There was that recent long bout with Epstein Barr, a Hashimoto’s thyroid diagnosis, followed up with completely losing my hair with no clear explanation. Seventeen vials of blood work later, I’m sitting in the exam room of a functional medicine doctor, hearing the ugly truth.

Prediabetic? Well, maybe …

Knowing that bloodwork leaves honest clues, I started digging around. These particular clues spoke directly to me:

One by one, I began to connect the dots. I had to be really honest with my 56 year old self. Did I eat clean, yes – but there were relentless sugar cravings, Strawberry Acai’s at Starbucks, chocolate or cookies as a treat one too many times.?Lifelong struggles that pointed the finger right back to me. Sugar in all its various forms had been used to comfort and massage emotions when times got tough, boredom set in or the stress was overwhelming. I didn’t like admitting it, but I needed to do a major course correct.

Receiving that diagnosis was a perfectly timed punch-in-the-gut to reverse the path of disease in my life. A beautiful opportunity to believe once and for all that I was fearfully and wonderfully made. Unbeknownst to me there was a key missing ingredient in my healthy life journey – my faith. It was time to start pairing food with faith – honoring this temple that God has so graciously gifted to me.?

If you’re staring down a diagnosis, not thrilled over the upward creeping numbers on the scale, or feeling fatigued and unmotivated on a daily basis – I want to walk alongside as you start a new path today. Much like having your coffee paid for in the drive through at Starbucks, I began to envision my robust and healthy 80 year-old self looking back at me (aka my mom) and saying,”Thank you!”. I call it – paying it forward to me: taking care of my future self. Hearing those words “pre-diabetic” turned on a sense of fire within me. This diagnosis is reversible, there is something I can do and I would start doing the hard things today.

Here’s a few things I’ve done to start transforming my health journey for 80 year old me:

It was no coincidence that at the same time of hearing this “pre-diabetic” news, I was already halfway through Dr. Rhona Epstein’s book “Satisfied: A 90 Day Spiritual Journey Toward Food Freedom.” I was reading it to help my coaching community with their struggles with food, not understanding it was my struggle too. I know now? that God was preparing me for what was coming up.

As I read her book, the concept of food and sugar addiction fascinated me. Pairing that together with a spiritual journey made so much sense. To step it up a notch while reading through “Satisfied” it became apparent that there was uncompleted loss and grief in my life. I’d been shoving it under the rug for far too long and it was boiling over in unwanted behaviors. I began working with a grief recovery specialist and saw first hand how grief, loss and addiction in all its various forms play hand in hand the musical discord of a stuck life. There was more to this lifelong sugar addiction and other habits that were surfacing than simple lack of willpower.

We often think of addiction in conjunction with drugs and alcohol, but when was the last time “retail therapy” spiraled out of control in your life as a way to quiet a lonely heart? Or when busyness became a stronghold so you didn’t have to face a failing relationship? Anyone out there who couldn’t let go of a social media streak for fear of answering to chaos in your life? Addiction of any kind can wrap its steely cold fingers around us one by one, until we’re so trapped in its grip there’s little room for escape.

The good news for all of us who struggle, while small and rarely traveled there is a path of escape. Our healthy lifestyle journey starts with inviting God in – after all He is the one who created you and knows you best. Your health is an infinite, ongoing journey and will require the strength and power of God to keep you on the right path. Commit your ways to him and He will direct your path. I promise!

Once you link arms with God, it’s time to roll up your sleeves and get to work. Take this seriously knowing that 80 year old you is watching and depending on you to make wise choices.

When the doctor gave me the ominous diabetes warning, she ended our discussion with, “…cut your sugar intake and stop drinking wine”. That was it. Problem is I could stop drinking the wine although I enjoyed it, but I’d been struggling with the sugar-thing for years, simply saying, “STOP IT” was not a solution.

My proactive and practical steps:

I asked my doctor to prescribe a continuous glucose monitor aka CGM so that I could monitor it over the next month or more and understand my food intake on a deeper level. She hesitated saying insurance wouldn’t pay for it since I wasn’t diabetic –?yet. I pushed harder, remembering I’m the sole caregiver for 80 year old me. Low and behold my insurance covered it! The knowledge I’ve gained from this contraption of modern medicine has been a complete game changer in how, what and when I eat.?

Next on the list, I raised my hand and sought help with my mindset around food. I realized how much I had been using distractions such as busyness and comfort sweets to sweep some decades long hurt under the rug. Bringing them out into the open and completing the loop has helped tremendously. Using food for comfort was losing its hold on me, and God was providing the strength to overcome it.

What could you do to be proactive with your health in body, mind and soul? Create a vision, make a plan and start taking practical steps today.

The work I needed to do to pay it forward to my future robust 80 year old self, did not begin at the frig. It began with my faith, my mindset and finding the root of my struggles.

Do you also need to dig a little deeper to discover the root of recurring struggles in your healthy lifestyle journey?

If so, it’s time to gather knowledge and support. Start reading books, listening to podcasts you respect and building an inner circle of support around you. I had never sat down with a nutritionist and I figured that would be a great support person to put in place. I went prepared with questions and honesty about my struggles.

Talking with her opened up a world of possibilities for whole food choices. I started seeing things through an abundance mindset again. Looking for healthy snack options high in protein on Pinterest – I never thought of that! There were literally thousands of ideas - my knowledge base expanded.

Another thing I’m learning is eating the right foods for my activity level that day. The glucose monitor has helped with this. I had grown so accustomed to going out for a morning workout and having episodes of dizziness that I brushed it off as normal. With the CGM I could see my blood sugar take a serious dive when I was dizzy. I also had times during the day that I’d get irritable or snappy, with the monitor I was able to see what was happening physiologically and do something to prevent it. Knowledge = power and a happy hubby!

Being intentional and disciplined around food has become not only possible but rewarding.?

I understand my body now. If I’m going out for a long ride or hike, I’m going to need more energy-based food to avoid a blood sugar crash. A day at the computer? I need more protein-based food. Tailoring my eating and food choices based on my activity level requires forethought and planning. The good news is I’m in the driver’s seat and I know what to do!

In all of this, there’s an attitude of tremendous thankfulness. An unwanted diagnosis has turned into a beautiful opportunity to learn and grow toward the healthiest me. It also has spurred my husband on to make changes right along with me. Win, Win! Beware my friend, a healthy lifestyle can be very contagious. Be encouraged that these are all things we can do and our 80 year-old fabulous selves will be looking back at us with grateful hearts!