Welcome to my page. I am here because I just can not get enough real food talk in my life. I have to let everyone know that you can feel good too. You are what you eat simple, be real!!! I am still working on figuring out where my shift in reality came from. I was once a negative girl who thought if you never have BIG dreams you will never feel disappointment. Wow let me tell you that is such a false statement. When you tell yourself things like that they become your reality. Be kind to yourself always. Somewhere in my recovery my mind opened up. I am clear now. I know what I want and I am going after it. Please follow us as we search for our homestead, eat lot’s of real food and become a homeschool Family!
Here is my Story.
I got Lyme Disease 10 years ago in the Cascade Mountains at Cultus Lake. It got bad quick. I was Diagnosed with Multiple Sclerosis 6 months later. The day before my oldest daughter turned 6. I will never forget that day 9 years ago. Having both Lyme and MS became very hard to treat. Doctors in Oregon would not treat the Lyme Disease and I had to travel out of state as far as Connecticut on a couple occasions. I had so many different specialists. We tried every antibiotic even a 100 days of IVs antibiotics delivered directly to my heart via a picc line. I did 2 different MS injections one being a small dose of chemo therapy. One lovely side effect of that one is suicidal depression. I was lucky to have a great Nurse Practitioner watching me very closely. My symptoms were getting worse and I was so depressed and sick. I had to stop the shots.
I lost eyesight in 1 eye over 8 times and had lesions on my eye nerves. A total of 17 lesions in my brain and spine on last count. And 13 previous ones that healed after IV antibiotics. I lost all feeling in my Legs and walked with a cane for a year. I rarely ever wanted to get out of bed and enjoy life. I had given up.
The Doctors best advice was to learn to live with it happily! Life is all about attitude, right? NO! I wanted to feel good too. I was not me anymore I was a shell of a once happy person. I had heard Doctors say a healthy diet may help with quality of life. It seemed silly to me how could food do anything if there great drugs did nothing?
I loved my SAD Diet(Standard American Diet). I dipped everything in ranch and washed it down with a coke. I thought the joy my taste buds felt also made me feel good. Boy, was I wrong. That food had left me so inflamed.
I went and saw a very alternative Practitioner who studies Iridology. She looked in my eyes and said this will be easy, you just need good digestion and detox. We will feed your body the most nutritious food, detox the toxins out and treat the parasite’s. You body will then start to heal and your immune system will start to work right. That was 2 years ago. I really did not believe her at the time!
I went vegetarian in the beginning. We did a big 10 day cleanse and I started to feel normal again. There was a glimmer of hope, but something was still missing. We were always hungry. I randomly saw a video on facebook about a DR with MS. My moms friend had been diagnosed recently so we hit play and watched together. Please watch Dr. Wahls here.https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KLjgBLwH3Wc
The first thing to pop on the screen “recorded on 11/11/11.” Me and my oldest friend love 11 11 in all forms. It is our thing. I knew this video was going to be good. By the way our other new thing is Lyme Disease we both test CDC positive. What is the likeliness of that? Especially in Oregon where they say we do not have Lyme Disease. That is a whole other story.
Dr Wahls has PPMS that is the bad MS, Primary Progressive. I have RRMS, Relapsing Remitting. Meaning it comes and goes you will have good months and bad months. Mine always seemed to be bad and worse. But with PPMS it is just downhill no recovery. There is no treatment or cure for PPMS.
In the video Dr. Wahls talks about taking all the best MS Drugs and having the top MS Specialist. Yet she continued to get sicker. She then decided to research the disease herself. She realized she needed to heal her mitochondria. She found the nutrients the Mitochondria needed to thrive and heal. She supplemented them with vitamins and that did not work. She then decided to find them in her food. She developed the Dr Wahls paleo diet and is no longer in a wheelchair. She is biking 18 miles and just started jogging again this year, my hero!!!
Right now she has clinical trials treating MS with a paleo diet. A clinical trial using REAL FOOD as medicine that is unheard of. And guess what first round was successful in treating fatigue. A major problem for people with MS. She is going to change the world with real food and I am going to help!!
Shopping a couple weeks later I saw a paleo bar at the store. Made by a local Oregon company, Paleo Eats. It was so good I said I can do this I am going paleo! I asked the owner Debbie on Facebook what book I should buy, she suggested Practical Paleo” by Diane Sanfilippo BS,NC. I ordered it on Amazon. The book came as we were walking out the door to visit the in laws in Texas. I threw it in my carry on and boarded the plane.
First words in book “Let food be thy medicine , and medicine be thy food.”-Hippocrates.
Diane writes.
“Know this:
We are not smarter than Nature.
We cannot make better food than nature.
We need to eat real, whole food-period.”
I was in love. Diane’s book spoke to me as she breaks down what the grains and the dairy were doing to my auto immune disease. Something clicked for me and I jumped right in. I instantly gave up all grains/dairy/legumes/soy/corn that day and added back in organic pastured animal products. It was very easy to find great grass fed beef in Texas!
That was August 2013, result I have been in remission from my MS and Lyme Disease since December 2013. It took less than 4 months of getting the grains, dairy and GMOs out of my diet for my auto immune disease to shut off. And I lost 85 pounds! Just a huge bonus!
I am walking up hills again! Volunteering in our local food movement because I have the energy. I am a new happy healthier version of me. I love me again! You really learn to appreciate life when it is so close to gone.
A little on GMOs. It just so happens by following this diet and only buying organic and mostly local ingredients we cut out all GMOS from our diet. We do not even eat meat that eats GMO feed. The more I learn about genetically modified food. The more it scares me. It is not natural and I believe the bodies immune system is freaking out because of it. I think this is one big reason we are having a surge of auto immune disease in America.
Great Links and resources:
My Facebook Page https://www.facebook.com/realfoodinspiredme?fref=ts
Buy “Practical Paleo” by Diane Sanfilippo here
Dr. Wahls Page http://terrywahls.com/
Podcast all about me! My 2 Favorite Paleo Nurse’s
www.paleocare.com/paleocare-podcast-13-lyme-disease-beth-schultz/Diane Sanfilippo BS,NC author of Practical Paleo
Dr. Wahls Ted Talk
Oregon Right to Know
realfoodinspiredme 
Reblogged this on Reversing MS Symptoms with the Wahls Protocol & Sativex and commented:
Here’s another blogger who used diet to treat her RRMS. She’s hiking once again.
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I am excited to go and check out your Blog. Thank you for sharing. The real food World is so nice and supportive. I love it.
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Very inspirational! Keep it up.
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Thank you Susan! I am loving it. Dreams are coming true!
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I just ordered the book on practical paleo. I am one month into a paleo life, I was diagnosed with PPMS in 2010 at the age of 54. I try very hard to defy and deny MS, but every morning it is an uphill battle.I am determined to beat this. It is not easy…. To following this diet, Thanksgiving was especially difficult. I brought my own dinner to the celebration because I didn’t want the host to have to worry about my limitations in food. It is also challanging to go out to restaurants with friends, I avoid Italian restaurants ,Chinese,and all others have have mainly a gluten,grain,dairy menu. I hVe been searching out restaurants that offer free range, organic meats and organic vegetables . I have not felt any difference yet but I know I am only one month in. I appreciate your words of encouragement. I long to take long walks and dance again.
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Andrea, I want to see you Dance and Hike again too! 1 month in that is awesome and you made it through a Thanksgiving Feast eating your Real Food. You got this!!! Please keep checking in with me, it will keep getting better. Restaurants are tough. I live in a pretty small area. I have 2 places I can go and eat completely Organic and Paleo. Our Social Lives have also changed a lot. We used to go have Beers with Friends now we go Volunteer on Farms. I have way more fun on the Farm. It has became a whole Lifestyle that took time to love and embrace. It gets easier everyday I promise. I read somewhere that it takes 2 years to change your Diet completely. It is true. Thanksgiving was my 2 Year Anniversary of cutting out all Processed Food and going Real. I feel like it is just our Life now. No stress involved.
Have a fabulous day and kkeep up the hard work. It is work to be Healthy. Beth
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Hi!
I love what you are doing with real food. I too am on the Paleo diet (for about a year and half) and have seen amazing results with energy levels and immune health!! I’m writing to you because my mom had second progressive MS and she’s in really bad shape. She’s been battling the disease for over25 years and has not walked in over six years. I have started a kickstarter called Heal Live Thrive to raise awareness for the importance of real food in healing people, esp those who suffer from autoimmunity. I have a blog and posted a video about my journey to heal my mother’s MS. Please check it out and let me know what you think. The link is above, you can also youtube the video: it’s called Heal Live Thrive
Thanks and I hope to connect soon
Miriam
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I am going there now Miriam! Thank you so much for sharing with me. We all need to stick together to get the message out that Food is Medicine. You are what you eat, feel and think. Be Real!
Always be Kind ! Beth
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Wow! Interesting and encouraging.:-) My 3 closest friends all have chronic Lyme. One had symptoms for 12 years before they finally found it. Now, almost 7 years later and numerous IV treatments, she is still getting hit w/ it along w/ the coinfections that oftentimes accompany it. I was dx’d w/ RRMS 5 years ago. So far so “good”. Have been loosely following Wahls’ protocol for 3 years. I have don’t really have major symptoms- “just” fatigue if I do too much and can run down a little easy. That alone should prompt me to be more strict diet-wise. I know Lyme and MS are often interchanged w/ each other. Most people are dx’d w/ MS and it’s really Lyme and then go untreated. My friends were all thinking I might have Lyme when I was dx’d w/ MS. It’s still in the back of my head, though, in case those Lyme symptoms show…
Curious. Do you still have lesions or did those clear, as well?
Thanks for posting this encouraging post:-). I look forward to following your blog from here on out;-)
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Amy, I have not had an MRI in a couple Years. My Last MRI was before Diet Changes. I had 17 Lesions in my Brain and Spine. There was a time in 2007 after I.V. Antibiotics I had am almost clear MRI. 13 Lesions had healed. I stayed in remission for awhile until I had my Daughter in 2008 and then lost feeling in my Legs. I saw my MS Specialist last January after hitting what I call remission. She was shocked. She thought I must be on that Low Fat Vegan Diet for MS. She had never heard of Dr. Wahls. She quickly wrote down her name and to watch her Ted Talk. I see her in a few weeks for my yearly I hope she watched! We decided on NO MRI last year because 1. I had lost my Insurance. It was a special plan for people with pre existing conditions so Obama Care cancelled it out. I still have No Insurance because I am still very mad at our Sick Care System. We need a complete change we have Health Care for Profit and the People are loosing and Corporations are getting rich. I am out til something changes. My Insurance for now is with my Farmer 2. I have never had an MRI without Anxiety Meds. They are very stressful to me and I prefer not to take any Medications at the moment. 3. I feel good that is all that matters to me! I have wondered if there will come a time that others will really want to see what it looks lie in there. I may be open to that. I will do almost anything to spread the Word that Real Food Heals! Amy have an awesome day I truly appreciate you reading my story. I hope your Friends find remission for there Lyme. It is a very complicated Disease just like MS.
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Reblogged this on filapaleo and commented:
Awesome!
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Thank you. I am having the most fabulous day knowing that people are reading happy news! I look forward to following you. Headed over to your page now.
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Goosebumps. Such a powerful transformation and message. Thank you for sharing your journey
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Thank you for reading! I am inspired to share and help others get to where I am. I truly believe in the bodies ability to heal when it is nurtured and nourished. Welcome to my little page of Love.
Always be kind to yourself! Beth
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Thank you for reading. I am overwhelmed today with love and support. I have had a few happy tears today. Dr. Wahls blew up my page today. So awesome!!!!
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Hi, I have been feeling really bad today and was browsing the web thinking what else can I do to start feeling better. In 2012 I was told I have MS, admitted to the hospital, put on IV drip of steroids for several days and after about a week couldn’t even lift my head of the pillow, not even mentioning trying to make it from hospital bed to the bathroom. When they finally released me I left in a worse shape than I came in. (plus after a very bad spinal tap experience and being sent home with spinal fluid leaking out) Few months later I tested positive for Lyme and Bartonella. After that was put on several different oral antibiotics, Bicillin shots and all possible herbs and supplements.
It’s been about 2 years and sometimes I feel like things are improving but some days are just really bad and those are the days when I loose hope. I have bad head pressure on the right side of my head that puts pressure on my right eye, and a lesion on the brain.
I still somehow manage to work full time (have to, without my income we wouldn’t be able to pay the mortgage), but it is a struggle for me.
Your story was an inspiration for me. I have tired to do paleo before, but got overwhelmed and gave up. I really don’t like to cook, neither do I have energy to after 8 hour work day.
I just don’t know how will I manage to do paleo.
I will really need to pick some easy recipes at the beginning.
I admit I do feel overwhelmed, but I know I have to start to do something if I want to live.
Finding your story came in right time, I was very down and scared of future today.
There might be a light at the end of the tunnel, I just need to figure out how to do the change.
It does make me nervous, I’m not going to lie.
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I was not nervous when I went Paleo. I was hungry from the Vegan diet I had been doing to heal. So Paleo seemed easy 😉 I am not gong to lie it is tough in the beginning. You have to break that sugar addiction and that includes all those processed foods, even bread and pasta we are seriously addicted. I wish I knew how I broke it. When I figure that out and write the book I may get rich. It is America’s problem Sugar!
So you just have to do it. Decide what kind of Person you are. Jump right in or go slow. 1 food at a time or all the Inflamitory foods. I love how DR. Wahls book has 3 Levels. Do you have her book? I also recommend “Practical Paleo” by Diane Sanfilippo.
Keep feeling inspired. Beth
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I saw she has 2 books – Dr Wahls protocol and the first one – Minding my mitochondria, which one did you / do you go by ?
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I would get her newest one The Wahls Protocol: How I Beat Progressive MS Using Paleo Principles and Functional Medicine
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I have done so much reading on this and want to do it, but my family doesn’t want to, which makes it hard! I feel so overwhelmed and don’t know where to start! My MS is pretty well controlled, but fatigue is a biggie for me. I also work full time and that takes about a lot of my energy and I feel like this way of eating takes a lot of preparation and cooking. Can you give me some insight?
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Kathy, I am glad you found me. I will do the best to support you. it is hard for People to believe that food can make such a HUGE difference but it can. If you believe it then do it. I promise you will feel better eating good. You can do no harm. No support that is tough. My Husband jumped right in and he is the Chef. I just quit my Job and get to stay home now and am learning to cook. Real food is easier to cook. When you take just a few real simple ingredients and combine them they taste great. Do you do Facebook? You can follow me at https://www.facebook.com/realfoodinspiredme?ref=bookmarks I am available there too much for support. We also have a closed food group that is private and people can share openly without Family seeing 😉 Message me on FB and I can point you there. There are so many great websites with free recipes I can point you in. Do you have the book “Practical Paleo”? I think it is a must have. If you do this and your Family sees you feeling better in a Month they will most likely slowly change.
Ask me almost anyhting I am an open book. Be kind to yourself always. Beth
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Hi there,
Fantastic reading. Thank you.
Thereason I write is about MRI scans. Basically they are dangerous. My nutritionist explained the way the machine works, with massive magnets, interrupting your body’s whole electrical system. It can actually make you more ill. I would not have one. Look into it folks, because thedoctors tell you that it is completely safe, but so many people come out of them really messed up for weeks! Especially MS type problems with the electrical signals & nerves already being distrubed/damaged. Happy healthy healing everyone. Loads of love to all x x x x x x x x
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I appreciate it. I am not a fa of them either anymore. I do know that I am extra sensitive to EMFs. We always turn of Cell Phones and WiFi at night. We have noticed better sleep. Thanks for looking out. I know the feeling when you have a message to spread. Keep inspiring, Beth
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I too have followed Dr. Wahls and share her info with others. I’ve not had all the medical treatments along my journey due to lack of finances & having a very large family deductible. Eating healthy has impacted me greatly too. I just wished I enjoyed cooking. Food is just something we have to do to exist, especially when removing so many of the treats that I used to eat. (I was a sugar addict.) I would have someone live with us rent-free if they’d cook! 🙂 I wish harmful GMO’s were banned in the US and that truth was easily seen when lies were being lobbied against.
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I wish I could be the Traveling Cook and come live people and cook for them. I am so glad you found me Linda. I like my treats. Being Egg Free has cut out a lot of Paleo treats. Probably a good thing for me. Keep eating good and sharing with me. Take care and be kind to yourself. Beth
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thankyou for sharing, I recently had a diagnosis of MS, I am inspired by stories such as yours and attracting only those, , I have Terry Wahls book. currently I have am symptom free and planning on keeping it that way. I am in my final year of a naturopathic diploma and believe I have more tools available to me than what the medical profession had on offer.
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Yes let’s keep it symptom free!
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What type of detox did you do or do you continue to do?
Thanks’
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Jen, I have done so much. We started with a totally organic diet, distilled water, and SOLE. I do a weekly sauna and ionic foot bath. I have a closed Facebook group called Real Food Inspired Healing. We talk food and detox all day. Come find us~Beth
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I listened to your podcast. Do you think real food and gentle detox alone would have cured your lyme without antibiotics? I’m using real food and the pk protocol to heal mine. It is slow but working. I also did ozone last year.
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We will never know for sure because I did do so many antibiotics. When I quit taking them I was still very sick. Antibiotics would kick it for a bit but when I stopped taking them the Lyme was always came back and worse each time. So yes I do believe you can get rid of Lyme without antibiotics. The antibiotics never fully killed all my Lyme. You may need extra help. There are a lot of different herbal, homeopathy, essential oils to consider. You should look for our closed group on Facebook Real Food Inspired Healing, we are very actively discussing Lyme everyday.
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Do you follow an AIP diet or were you healing with just a Paleo diet? How important is organ meat do you think? I still can’t stomach the thought or taste of it. Can I still heal without it from autoimmune conditions?
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I follow Dr. Wahls Paleo diet. It has a focus on 9 cups of vegetables a day. Yes I think organ meat is very important and I am not a liver lover and I do not eat as much as I should. My favorite trick for organ meat is grinding it into our ground beef. A butcher can do this for you and some farmers even sell it like this if you ask. You can freeze little chunks of it and take like pills. I have even taken it and blended it into a tiny shot glass of a smoothie and quickly shot it back. There are also some supplement companies that sell liver pills.
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