Welcome! I’m so glad you stopped by!
For those of you who don’t know me, I’m Jen, the author of My Healthy Homemade Life. I’m a wife and mom to my four children: Derik, Julianne, Ryan & Katelyn. I’m an avid gardener and lover of green smoothies and all things veggie. I admit, I’m a bit of a health nerd; I love to read and research things I’m passionate about! I also love to experiment with new projects and recipes. There’s always something new brewing in the MHHL kitchen!
My Story
My health journey began several years ago when my husband, Terry, was diagnosed with severe ulcerative colitis. The disease left him gaunt and weak and too sick to work for nearly a year. He lost nearly 100 lbs in a few months and was at his junior high weight. More than a few times, we worried that he wouldn’t make it.
After visits to numerous doctors and specialists and several surgeries, we both came away with a new view on health. We had some fantastic specialists along the way but one thing became clear to us —- no one truly cares for your health has much as you do. A seed was planted in my mind. I needed to take better care of myself and my family. Our health was a precious thing. I just didn’t know where to start exactly.
Over the next few years, my husband’s health improved slowly but he had permanent nerve damage due to the lack of nutrition caused by the disease. He was also left with an internal colostomy bag called a J-Pouch due to the removal of his colon. He had gained back some weight and was starting to look healthy when we noticed he was starting to lose weight rapidly again. This time it was thyroid disease. We were told his thyroid needed to be radiated or he would continue to get worse. At the doctor’s encouragement, the appointment was made and it was done. Looking back now, we both have such regret that we didn’t question it more or look for another solution. We were just scared.
It was after my husband’s thyroid procedure that I started to feel more and more that we needed to take better care of our health. Instead of blindly following doctor’s orders, we needed to do more research and find if there were better, more natural options. It was also around this time that I started going to the library every week and reading everything I could on how to improve our health.
My husband had more serious issues but I wasn’t a vision of health either. In 2008, I was 30 lbs overweight with high cholesterol and extremely high triglycerides. My kids were constantly in the doctor’s office with respiratory issues and ear infections. We needed to make changes and the first place I started was with our diet. You can read about what I did to transition my family to a healthier diet here.
Before we started our health journey, we were eating the Standard American diet.
It was seven years ago that I started my family on the path to better health. It started gradually with the introduction of a green smoothie into our day and it is has grown into so much more. Today, we primarily eat a gluten- free, plant- based diet consisting of whole foods with an occasional addition of fish or seafood. We have two children with food allergies so that can be a challenge at times. I try to focus on feeding my family nutrient dense, delicious foods. We aren’t always perfect but we’re trying!
“After” –6 years after we started our health journey.
About the Blog
My passion for health and wellness has led me in so many unexpected directions, all of which I’ll be sharing on the blog. You’ll find everything from my family’s favorite healthy recipes, natural remedies, natural cleaning products, beauty recipes, gardening tips and more. Our health journey continues as we face new challenges and learn more. I hope you’ll join me as I share with you my adventures in pursuing health and wellness.
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