Let’s get real—there are so many diets out there telling us to avoid this or that, and it’s a total mess, isn’t it? One day it’s “ditch the dairy,” the next it’s “gluten’s the devil,” and before you know it, you’re surviving on air and a prayer—it’s enough to make your head spin! But let’s slow down for a second—is it really the food? The food we’ve eaten forever, the stuff our grandparents thrived on? Maybe we’re asking the wrong question. Maybe before demonizing the foods, we question how they’re processed. I learned this the hard way, and I’m here to share my story, because you leave the legacy you live, and I want yours to be one of health, faith, and freedom.

Our Vegetarian Journey

Let’s rewind a bit—seven years ago, my husband was diagnosed with Lyme disease and polyneuropathy. It was a tough season for us, and our doctor handed us a list of foods to avoid—no dairy, no eggs, no meat, basically a full vegetarian diet. He explained that these foods could cause inflammation, which would worsen my husband’s condition. So, we did what we were told— we went all-in— cutting out dairy, eggs, and meat entirely. We swapped in all the plant-based alternatives, thinking we were doing the right thing—after all, my nutritionist training had confirmed that plant-based was the way to heal. But here’s the kicker: after 4 years as devotees to the vegetarian lifestyle, my husband just got worse. My husband was fed up and I was right there with him. I was already a certified nutritionist, but I dumped everything I learned when I realized it was just spreading the plant-based narrative and not really about real health. This pushed me to dig deeper, beyond the BS fed by institutions and generic certifications out there, into what truly nourishes us. That’s when I said, “Enough!” and we did a 180.

What I Learned

I dove into research on dairy-free alternatives, and what I found was eye-opening. Many of those “healthy” options were loaded with additives, synthetic vitamins, and artificial flavorings—stuff that’s far from natural and can actually mess with your body more than the real thing. So, I turned my focus to dairy itself. What I learned changed everything. While some folks do have a true dairy intolerance, a lot of the issues come from conventional dairy—non-fat, ultra-pasteurized, and packed with hormones, GMOs, and antibiotics. That kind of dairy is highly processed, making it inflammatory, allergenic, and tough to digest. In other words, it’s not the way God intended us to consume it! But when you switch to grass-fed, grass-finished, organic raw, whole milk, it’s a whole different story. That’s dairy as it was meant to be: nourishing, whole, and good for your body. After my dairy investigation, I started digging into grains, fats, and other foods we are told to “avoid”!

And in summary what I learned is that everything we’ve been taught is total BS. It’s not the food, but the production, that’s the real demon.

And it’s part of a bigger scam which includes eating low-fat diets and avoiding saturated fats. A topic I dig into in my piece, One Big Fat Lie (check it out—it’s backed by legit research showing how real fats can actually be good for you!).

In my work with clients through the Wise & Wild Way, I often have them eliminate certain foods temporarily to give their digestive systems a break. But here’s the key: the goal is always to return to a whole foods diet once their gut is restored. So many of us have digestive issues because we’ve been eating refined, denatured, conventional “faux foods” or the highly inflammatory Standard American Diet (the SAD diet). My clients learn that it’s not about the food itself—it’s about how it’s grown and prepared. Those “forbidden” foods they’ve been told to avoid? They can often enjoy them again once they’re body is restored and when the foods are consumed as God intended.

The Rebel’s Diet

So, we decided to rebel against the food rules and slowly returned to what I call the Rebel’s Diet—a real foods diet that honors how God made things. We started drinking raw, grass-fed, grass-finished, organic whole milk. We brought back real cheese, real butter, and I even started making my own yogurt and other cultured goodies. But we didn’t stop there—we also reintroduced pastured eggs and grass-fed meats, along with properly prepared grains and lots of real salt. Shh—don’t tell the food police!

We tested this approach for about three months, bringing back one food at a time, watching closely for any reactions. No bloating, no pain, no skin eruptions—nothing! In fact, my husband started feeling better. He had more mobility, strength, sharper mental focus, and less nerve pain. And me? I felt better too—more energy, and I finally lost those stubborn last 5 pounds I couldn’t shake. Turns out, eating food the way God made it was the answer we’d been missing all along.

It’s now been a few years since our rebellion and my husband has regained his full health and that inspired me to begin my Wise & Wild Way Workshop for my clients—so they could receive the benefits of eating real food!

Question Everything

Now, I’m not saying this is right for everyone—our bodies and lifestyles are unique, and we’ve all got to find what works for us. But here’s the big takeaway: food manufacturers tinker with foods in ways that make them inedible, and then we blame the foods themselves. That’s backwards! My philosophy is simple: question everything before adopting anything. Don’t just take a diet’s word for it—dig deeper. Look at how your food is grown, processed, and prepared. Is it as close to God’s design as possible? If not, that might be the real problem, not the food itself.

Be a Rebel

I’m here to help cut through the noise and get back to what works! When you subscribe to SPBTV, you’ll learn how to reset your body with whole foods, restore your digestive system, and rediscover the joy of eating the way God intended. SPBTV—your Holistic Living Network—is packed with classes and programs to empower you with the faith and grit God calls us to. From my Wise & Wild Way nutrition class to fuel your family right, to programs that help you build confidence, leave the past behind, and step boldly into the life you were created for. Learn more and join the waitlist and let’s create a legacy of unstoppable wellness, faith, and freedom—together!

~Inspired by a life of truth, grit, and unstoppable wellness.