Hi! We’re just an Indiana couple whose lives changed forever when we switched to a paleo centered diet.  At first, it seemed like such a burden for two people who ate pasta 2-3 times a week and cheese on everything. Could we really do this?? Yes, we could and did, and yes, you can too. Crazy as it sounds, eating real food feels really good! Like really, unbelievably good! Here’s what lead us here…

2015 was the most life changing, exciting, confusing, and happiest year of our lives. In April our sweet daughter, Violet, was born, and dang it, she’s the most beautiful, heart melting, sassy pants angel we have ever laid eyes on. All in all, V has made it pretty easy on Mom and Dad, but any parent can relate that a newborn with all of its excitement comes alongside some the most difficult, terrifying experiences any of us have ever had. As if figuring V out wasn’t hard enough on Dad, he quickly started to fall into a world of pain and discomfort. The pain traveled to his back, then his neck, then his knee, then all of the above. His condition forced him to quit running and exercising, something that had been part of his daily routine for years. Between losing the ability to do something he loved and all the pain he was in, he became irritable and frustrated and just wasn’t himself. After aggressive progression into his hands and feet, several doctor visits and costly bills later, Marc was diagnosed with Rheumatoid Arthritis.

In July, Marc had his first visit with what most people call a Rheumatologist; we called him Dr. Downer. He had one solution to Marc’s diagnosis: pharmaceuticals. Humira, Xeljanz, Methotrexate?? I will never forget the night when he came home with all those pamphlets and then reading all the side effects..Lymphoma? Tuberculosis? Sterilization and birth defects? Long story short on the drugs, they weren’t worth the risk for us. We quickly dismissed this as our first option.

A month went by, and well, Marc got worse. He couldn’t open a bottle of water. He struggled to start his car or turn the steering wheel. He couldn’t put socks on himself. If that wasn’t heartbreaking enough, on September 15, 2015 I got a very worrisome text message from Marc. “Yes the less I have to handle her the less chance of an accident” His hands had gotten so bad, he was uncomfortable holding out infant daughter. At that point, I knew we had to do something. After some research and planning (and a few more negative doctor visits), changing our diet made the most sense. On September 28, 2015, it all started and we will never look back.

Marc feels little to no pain or stiffness anymore. He is back in the gym almost everyday and feels great. I have lost all of my baby weight plus an extra 20 pounds, and even through the first year of sleep ups and downs with Violet, we both have more energy than ever! We truly believe that by simply changing what we eat everyday has given us the power to feel the best we can.

We have no medical or nutritional background but feel like it is important to share our story because we believe this diet can and will help people just like us. Whether you have RA, other autoimmune diseases, or just want to feel better, check out our lifestyle and please give us feedback. Thank you for reading!

With Lots of Love, Courtney and Marc