Finding the Person Within: A Mother and Daughter Journey
It’s Friday, everyone! And that means another Primal Blueprint Real Life Story from a Mark’s Daily Apple reader. If you have your own success story and would like to share it with me and the Mark’s Daily Apple community please contact me here. I’ll continue to publish these each Friday as long as they keep coming in. Thank you for reading!
Once upon what seems like a lifetime ago I was the brightest thing that walked into any room. No, I was not the thinnest, prettiest, best-dressed thing in the room – but I had an aura of pure confidence wherever my feet took me. I had a brilliant mind and unstoppable will. I had overcome so many challenges in my life – growing up with addictive parents, homeless, then eventually parentless and shipped to boarding school. I was an overcomer! The key – I LOVED myself and I feared no challenge. That is until I had my first child. I feared her. She was a challenge. No more me time, lots of her time. Lots of crying and sleepless nights as I tried to figure out this girl. She was out of control and would later be diagnosed with a form of autism. Add child 2 and 3 to the mix and this momma was DONE. Always weak, always tired, 80 lbs heavier – the girl who LOVED herself now hated every inch of her being. Parenthood felt like a failure. I started anti-depressants. Got worse. Started birth control (the Depo-shot) to even out hormones. Got drastically worse. With failing energy and a soldier as a husband who was never home I cooked from boxes and drive-thrus. I continued to get worse – and so did my little girl whose struggles caused her to not be able to be in a classroom. I was done. I felt hopeless. Was this a forever thing? Would I forever be huge and tired? Would my daughter forever be the outcast? Would I be forced to put her on some horrible mind altering meds? Something had to change.
The only thing I knew that I had control to change was our diet. So I researched. From that day on, 2 years ago this November, we have not eaten fast food. We stopped eating conventional meat and vegetables and starting buying only what we could get from local farms, meat and LOTS of vegetables and fruits. Minimally processed food and nothing with artificial dyes/preservatives/sweeteners. Within 1 month my child was COMPLETELY different! Her whole life we were poisoning her without even realizing it! As time passed and we continued to refine our diet she got even better.
Mommy got better too. As weight started to drop and I felt the hazy cloud that had covered my mind begin to lift I started to see glimpses of my vibrant past! I started exercising at a local track – my first sprint I made it about 100 meters and then proceeded to use my daughters inhaler! If I were living in primal times I would be the one that died first 
! I stuck it out though and now there is nothing athletic that I will not attempt. People thought we were crazy. We were those people with the “crazy” diet that no one had ever heard about. We were mocked. I didn’t care – the proof is in the pudding (which of course we didn’t eat!). For the first time since she was school age my little girl completed an entire year in a classroom, second grade, and the thought of having to medicate her was shoved far from our minds! [*disclaimer* I have STRONG opinions that if you have a child struggling with autism/ADD/ADHD or any other behavioral problem that it could only benefit the child to re-evaluate diet. I feel like this should always be a precursor to any decision about medication. This worked for us and allowed us to forego medication. However, at varying degrees of intensity within the spectrum I understand that this may not be a "fix-all" for every child. But I will say that I fully believe that a primal, clean, diet will definitely produce results! We are not calling our grokling "cured" but instead "managed"!]
Within a year I dropped the first 50 lbs and discovered your book and MDA! I was ECSTATIC!! First, I realized that somewhere, rooted deep inside, we all have a little Grok left. What else could explain how so many things in your book I had naturally discovered on my own. My body, all our bodies, WANT to be Grok again; NEED to be Grok again! You gave me something I needed more than anything – validation! Validation that what I was doing was right. (Even recently validating why I have an instinctive need to wrestle when I am feeling overwhelmed – I knew there was something to it!) You also provide a foundation to come to when I need some tweaks and advice and a place to put most of my curiosities to rest – because 9 times out of 10, when I have a question pop into my mind, you have answered it already somewhere on MDA. My family as a whole limit grains by the 80% rule. I strive for the 100%. Lots of good fats and great meat! My husband, who we all thought was healthy other than a borderline cholesterol level, is in the best shape of his life at 32 with a current cholesterol level that is excellent and playing on an Ultimate Frisbee team! Our entire family of 5 all participate in CrossFit. We love our box and we love the community. We make lots of time for fun – from camping to canoeing to 5k mud races – we do it all! And this Mommy is more alive than ever before! Sometimes I see myself in the mirror now and I am shocked at who I am. I ask my husband if he is shocked at the change and he always says no – that this is who I always was – hidden deep within that other person. From 201, with several health issues, to 126 with 0 health concerns – I feel GREAT! I feel whole again and my little grokling feels whole for the first time! Here’s to LOVING life and Groking on!!
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Posted By: Mark Sisson
Congrats! What a sweet little girl!
This is definitely inspirational… especially to us parents out there!
What a change in the pictures of your daughter! Way to go mom! As a speech therapist with a caseload of children with autism, I wish all my families could learn what you have!
I have a friend who has had great results with her son’s autism by putting him on a gleutin-free diet. I belive that so many behaviors we see in children can be attributed to diet (as opposed to blaming and fearing vaccinations). The next step is to overhaul our school lunch programs.
Wow, congratulations. Your story totally resonated with me. (Made a similar switch for a similar reason 6 years ago.)
“I have STRONG opinions that if you have a child struggling with autism/ADD/ADHD or any other behavioral problem that it could only benefit the child to re-evaluate diet.” Amen to that!
Love it! What an inspiration you and your family’s story is!
Fabulous! What a wonderful story!
Giving up is never an option!! Thank you for validating this….
This is an extremely emotionally inspiring and moving story!
Great story! I’ve got two ADD kids and have been trying to push the house into a Primal/Paleo eating pattern. My results since starting down this path 3 months ago are amazing. I’m glad to see examples like yours where the solution was food rather than amphetamines.
Awesome! So happy for you and your family. Thanks for sharing your story.
After six weeks on the PB I’m getting to be as muscled and hardy a primal dude as many, but I’ve got to say–some of these stories bring me nearly to tears. What a beautifully written account of an extraordinary journey.
HOLY COW! I am newly inspired. THANK YOU!
Huge transformation wow! So inspiring to see whole families take part in this lifestyle!
I have tears in my eyes as I type this. What a beautiful story. “I ask my husband if he is shocked at the change and he always says no – that this is who I always was – hidden deep within that other person.”
Beautiful!!
Also, thank you to your husband for serving and thank you for your support as he does. Blessings on you and your family.
Way to go! Isn’t it great to know that you and your family will be healthy for life now? Amazing transformation. I’m sure it took hard work and dedication so congratulations!!!
Ditto on the wish to have a second chance to raise my kids with the right diet this time.
The more success stories I read that credit primal/paleo with amazing health results the more I wish for some definitive studies to challenge CW so that doctors and nutritionists would start giving out sound advice. These are the people we turn to for advice on diet, and they’re telling us to eat grains!
Although no one is advocating fast food and energy drinks and the general population doesn’t have the sense to pass them up.
SOOOOOO Cool!!! I love stories where I see kids getting the benefits. Thank you so much for being courageous in fighting the conventional wisdom for your kids. That’s one of the biggest issues facing our country, is this rush to medicine. Never mind that we’re feeding everyone the very crap that we’re medicating against!
It’s really inspiring to hear your story – thanks so much for sharing!!!
What a beautiful story, Mama Grok! Difficult circumstances are excuses for some. For others like you they are a challenge that brings out the very best.
You are a true credit to the species. I hope you inspire countless others to find their own strength!
Did you hear that? I just let out at big ol “WOO HOO” after I read your post. Very cool.
What strikes me here is how we don’t know the fox is in the henhouse until we go primal, quit poisoning ourselves and become empowered.
You are Awesome! Congratulations for your hard work and healing your family!
Amazing amazing amazing. Congratulations and thank you for sharing such an inspirational story. May many years of happiness be enjoyed by you all!!
Amazing story!
One of the most incredible before/after pictures I’ve seen – but more importantly, that your daughter is doing better.
good for you for sticking WITH IT.
I was sad to read that you were mocked for what you ate
Wow, wow, wow! Thanks for sharing and inspiring!
Amazing!!!
Great job and great story! I notice that you aren’t wearing glasses any more. Did you change to contacts? I’ve heard that some people’s eyes change shape and improve when they lose a lot of weight.
I did change to contacts! My glasses eventually were all too big for my face. So, while I was going to get another pair I just thought – What the heck, why not try something new! Contacts definitely help during all our “primal adventures” as well
!
“The proof is in the pudding.”
Yes indeed. I still read too many stories about how good whole grains are. But how long is that diet going to hold out against a diet that seems to work far better than any other? Not just for weight loss, but for countless stories about people getting OFF the durg merry-go-round?
Awesome. Great story. Excellent pictures. Congrats.
Do you have any tips for switching up a child’s diet? I have a 6 year old son on the spectrum and he is such a picky eater it’s really hard to introduce new foods. I would love to get him eating better, he’s in carb hell. I’ve been doing a primal diet for a few weeks now but I can’t get the rest of the family to follow.
Lisa – It was very hard on us when we switched our little girl. She was in “carb-hell” as well and she revolted. I had to be really firm and after a month her body had a chance to dispose of all the chemicals that were forcing her to crave the bad. It really was hell in our home that first 30 days though. I would say – start small with him. Eliminate anything with high fructose corn syrup on the package first (you’d be surprise how many things that is) and then go onto anything with Dyes. At this point you will have eliminated most packaged foods – just because it is hard to find them without that junk. Then keep adding additional steps … I would suggest to plan this “attack” wisely. A month with no b-days, holidays … other moments where you may want to let him cave would be ideal. Then find your resolve and go for it! It will be worth it in the long run!
Thank you! I’m already Dye free and avoid HFCS. I try to go Organic where I can. I just can’t get him to eat Meat and Veg. I know I just need to toughen up and let him get hungry enough to try it. You have inspired me, I’m going do this.
Sounds like somebody out there should develop a Primal cookbook for kids (and their parents).
Awesome story! I love seeing this success stories going into the weekend. What a way to provide inspiration on the days when routines change.
Everyday Paleo cookbook. It’s got lots of tips and recipes for kids
Hey Lisa,
I was just thinking- have you tried him on cauliflower pizza base and other yummy recipes that swap veggies for wheat?
http://blog.yourlighterside.com/2009/05/low-carb-pizza-dough-cauliflower.html
Absolutely awesome story!
What a transformation…congrats on getting off the ‘zombie foods’.