New blog!
Hello all!
This being my first blog post, I'd like to give a shoutout to the person who inspired me to do a lot of recent changes to my life for the better- that person being my sister (not by blood but by spirit) Janelle Pica! She is a primal eater, Beyond Organic certified health coach (NOT A NUTRITIONIST), punk chick, kettlebell enthusiast, and long-time friend of mine. She gave me the push to begin primal eating and doing all I can for my health, as well as supporting me in all my efforts to do what I am called to do. Check out her blog here at https://primalburgher.com/ . She is doing fantastic things!
That being said, welcome to the blog! I hope you all enjoy what I am bringing to the table and (hopefully) can learn from some of my experiences doing primal eating, living healthy, leading worship, and living life to the fullest.
To tell you a little about me, I am a 22 (almost 23) year old man living in Greensburg, Pennsylvania. I currently lead worship for The Father's House Fellowship in Blairsville under Scott Dietrich and am always looking for ways to either play music or lead worship. Yes, I am a Christian; but if you aren't or believe otherwise, I'm not going to argue with you over religion. My goal is simply to show that my life of living primal and being all that I can be is a way to be healthy and have peace of mind.
As far as living primal (or paleo dieting) I am into my 3rd week of doing this. My reasons for doing so? One, I've always been heavy. I've never been completely in shape or at an ideal weight, and that's simply unhealthy. Two, I have a genetic disease- I have congenital hypertriglyceridemia- basically, my body cannot regulate the level of triglycerides in my blood and it builds to critical levels. In 2008, I had a bout of pancreatitis (where the pancreas fails and the fluids secreted build up and begin eating away at the pancreas) which nearly killed me. The doctors had no idea why it was and were ready to give up- they were ready to send me home. But then I had a stroke of good fortune- a friend suggested that I be sent to UPMC medical center to find out the truth of my condition. So, they shipped me up there, and 10 days later they found the disease by running my DNA.
Since then, I have had nothing but chronic problems with my health (until a few weeks ago, and I'll get there). I suffered from chronic pain, loss of energy, stomach and intestinal issues, and fatigue. The medications I am on take their toll on my body. Finally, I had enough. Something had to change but I had no idea how.
Again, I had a stroke of good fortune- Janelle Pica, my good friend, sent me a txt message one day saying she was tired of me being sick and wanted to help. I figured I would meet with her and give it a try.
She explained the paleo diet, gave me good resources on my path, and was literally living her testimony of how well it works. She is one of the most healthy and fit people I know. So, I began my journey into primal eating.
Since that time (which is 14 days to the day, I'm on my 3rd week) I feel INCREDIBLE. I have NEVER felt like this my entire life. I have energy (as in we chaperoned a youth lock-in/Kennywood trip and I had more than enough energy for the entire time), I feel healthier, and I'm shedding weight. This has been amazing so far and I am so blessed to have the support of good friends and family in my efforts to literally change my physiology from toxic to abounding with health.
If I can make myself healthier, SO CAN YOU.
Live life passionately and to the fullest!
-Zakk
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