My Story

Hi! My name is Kathleen, and this is my blog, Kat’s Health Corner.

Nutrition and health are few of my passions. I am sorry to say, but my family didn’t always use to eat healthfully. Before my mother was diagnosed with diabetes, what my family ate only depended on “the cost” and “the taste.” Foods with little nutritional value (i.e., processed and packaged foods, cheap TV dinners, and Hamburger Helper) were commonly for dinner and filled the pantry.  I was tired. I was unhappy with my body. I felt physically weak.

When my mom was diagnosed with type 2 diabetes, we began to turn our lives around. We began looking at labels – we weren’t as concerned about what was in the product as what was on the nutritional label; nevertheless, as we made the changes (more home cooked meals, homemade bread, exercising), slowly but surely there was an improvement.

But then, over the years, I became… restrictive. The restriction didn’t develop all at once; it was kind of one little step at a time. No more moderation… I was all concerned with:

-the number on the scale

-the number of fat grams

-having to have a certain thing at every meal whether I wanted it or not

-eating even if I wasn’t hungry, because the clock said it was time to

-not eating even if I was truly hungry, because it wasn’t time to

-only eating a certain amount at a time – whether I was satisfied or not.

I wasn’t listening to my body. I wasn’t in-tune with my body. I practically ignored it. I was under this mindset for longer than what I want to remember – I was overly concerned. I was on the verge of developing a full-blown eating disorder, orthorexia in particular. (The term “orthrexia” was coined by California doctor Steven Bratman in 1997 and used it to describe those with a “healthy eating disorder;” in other words, it’s meant to describe those people who are overly ”obsessed with making healthy food choices.”)

I went to extremes. I wanted to be “perfect,” like it says in the scriptures: “Be ye therefore perfect, even as your Father which is in heaven is perfect” (Matt. 5:48 KJV).

It took time, but I finally came to the resolve that this was a problem – a problem I needed to overcome. I was only hurting myself – my body – my sacred and divine temple. I needed to develop a healthy relationship with food. I thought I was being “healthy” before, but in fact, I was just being restrictive. I needed a balance.

What I have learned is that every nutrient is imperative – calorie, fat, carbohydrate, protein, vitamin, mineral, phytochemical –they are all imperative for my overall health, each with its own valuable role in the body. If I have an imbalance in just one of these nutrients, it wreaks havoc in my entire body. I now strive to feed my body the nutrients it needs — to listen to my body — to be in tune — to live in balance.

During this period of change, I started developing a love for nutrition, and to this day it is my pride and joy. Right now I’m studying Nutrition at college and truly working on my relationship with food and health. I now look at food as fuel, not a set of “number tables.” Every apple is not alike, but they each have healing properties for the body.

When I’m not busy with my health classes, I’m in the kitchen baking-up some goodies. I focus on eating real, whole, unrefined, less-processed foods, and that’s what I bake with. It is one of my deepest passions. Fortunately, these pictures were taken before I got covered in flour.

I am so grateful for my Savior and Redeemer, Jesus Christ. If it wasn’t for Him, I don’t know where I would be right now. It was Him that helped me realize what I was doing and guided me back to the path towards balance. He never gave up on me. He was always there, ready to lift me up, and help me get back on my feet. He continually strengthens me, and I am so grateful for His love and comfort. I am so grateful for my family. Their love and support keep me moving forward. They help remind me that I’m a child of God, a daughter of a loving Father in Heaven, a daughter of a King. They remind me of my potential and that through Christ I can use this experience to help others. I am also grateful for my friends who have been there for me, whether they knew I was going through this or not. Their care and kindness really made a difference in my life. Thanks for always being there for me, through my ups and my downs.

I love meeting new people, so drop me a line when you get the chance.

It has been a difficult journey, but you know, it’s something I work on daily. I can never give up. I will never give up. I have to keep moving forward.  Obsession is not fun. I have been that way, and now I’ve learned from it. I would never ask for that experience to have been taken away. It was hard, but it has made me the person I am today. I’ve learned that balance is the key to happiness.

 

Follow me as I strive to draw closer to my Savior, Jesus Christ, strive to find balance with and within myself, and make some delicious goodies along the way. <3