Well hello!
I’m Heather and I am 16 17 18 19 20 years old.
I’m southern Wisconsin born and raised. Here in this part of the country, football is a religion (go Packers and Badgers!!), cheese is life, tractors are the classiest transportation, 40 degrees equals bikini weather, and most people’s next-door neighbors are herds of dumb but friendly cows. It’s a good life.
My mother and father have always fed us “healthy” food growing up; whole wheat bread, pasta, and crackers, lots of veggies and fruits. Special occasions were when I ate badly. 10 ears of corn and six slices of watermelon? No probs. I have pretty good genes and was always of a healthy weight and quite active. Although looking back I realize I was carb addicted. Breakfast was 2 bowls of Cheerios (with 5 spoonfuls of sugar -duh), lunch was brown rice with margarine (no, I’m not joking – I though Smart Balance was healthy!), and dinner was whatever my mom made, often pasta or roast meats with homemade bread or rolls.
I remember eating and eating and never ever feeling full, From as long I can remember, I was always bloated and dealt with digestive issues. When I got a little older, I started dealing with migraines, which I now realize were brought on by gluten and the MSG that I consumed when I ate Chinese food.
When I was 14, I came across the book Nourishing Traditions. My mom had it in the house because she had just gotten diagnosed with breast cancer and was looking for healing ways to eat (She’s cancer-free now thanks to treatment.). I was so intrigued. It wasn’t a “paleo” book, but it was a whole foods book. It also included lots of science. Nourishing Traditions taught me to soak my grains, and that fat wasn’t bad for me (major revelation for me and my family!). I had always loved to cook, and this book taught me how to cook REAL food. Then eventuallly I found the book Everyday Paleo, by Sarah Fragoso. I read Sarah’s amazing writing, her meal and workout plans, and of the course the recipes, and let’s just say I was literally itching to go paleo. My mom and I jumped in with both feet.
This is where things get really interesting; it’s always a little hard to explain to people that I was diagnosed with celiac disease 2 years AFTER I went paleo. The reason was that I wasn’t actually eating paleo; gluten 2 times per month is 2 times too many. I had just been walking for my exercise, but I had decided to start a strength training program. I’m a type A kind of person and definitely worked out too long, too hard, and too often. My “cheating” on gluten and hard-core exercise pushed my body over the edge. I remember there was one night when I went to an event and ate half a dinner roll with supper. I was up until 4 AM every night for the next month with gluten-induced insomnia. I was cranky, tired, my digestion was the worst it’s ever been, and I kept losing weight that I couldn’t afford to lose. My body had had enough, and I was eventually diagnosed with celiac disease at age 16.
I went totally gluten-free, and have been healing ever since. In the last 5 years I’ve dealt with celiac, appendicitis, antibiotics, and more, so today my #1 priority needs to be health, especially gut health. I’m not 100% yet, but I’ve come so far. Right now my protocol (in addition to a low-ish carb – most of the time – paleo diet) includes 2-4 tablespoons of collagen peptides per day in coffee and such, plus the best women’s probiotic I’ve ever come across, and daily magnesium. I’m constantly amazed at the resilience of the human body when nourished correctly with food, supplements, and healthy movement. I’ve learned how to strength train responsibly and effectively (2-3 times a week plus an occasional rock climbing day) so I finally have the muscles and general full-body strength I’ve always wanted (still working on flexibility though; being tall makes that a toughie), plus I’m healthy because I don’t overdo it!
My body has been through a lot in the past few years, but I can honestly say that I wouldn’t change a thing about my journey. I have learned so much about how the body works, found my super-nerdy love for science, and built this place on the Internet that I’m now blessed to be able to call my job. I absolutely love cooking because it’s chemistry you can eat! I adore science because I love knowing exactly how everything works, big words and all! My mom laughs at me because whenever she says something like ‘isn’t {insert thing in nature here} such a mysterious, cool thing’ I can’t help jumping in and educating all present exactly how that thing in nature works down to biochemical reactions; I can’t help it! The sheer complexity of everything in creation fascinates me. I love applying that to cooking; thinking about the end goal of what I want my finished dish to be; and deconstructing it down to different kinds of ingredients and their chemical properties, and different cooking methods and how they will affect the chemical structure of each ingredient. A lot of science goes into a good batch of paleo cookies!
Do I eat perfect paleo? Of course not. Sometimes I eat peanut butter. And I eat cheese, for obvious reasons. And gluten-free sourdough at a restaurant? Pass the butter, please.
We’re only given this one life and I think we should live it to the fullest; to me that means focusing on the big picture: God, family, friends, and health. Eating real food and exercising is how I keep myself healthy to enjoy this beautiful life as long as possible and serve and bless as many other people as I can. My advice is don’t get caught up in whether or not chia seeds are paleo; just eat relax, move, eat real food, and do what you love!
Facts about me:
-I was homeschooled (by choice) through grade school, middle school, and high school. I loved every minute of it and before you ask, yes, I did have friends.
-I love going deer hunting each year with my dad, grandpa, and brother. Got my first deer in the 2015 season!
-I have a twin brother.
-I’m 5 feet 10 inches tall, but most people seem to think I’m about 6′ 1″.
-I wanted to be a ballerina for the first half of my life, and even took four years of ballet classes. I eventually realized that I lacked all flexibility needed to be a ballerina, but I’m glad I took those classes because I learned how to move my very tall frame gracefully (sort of).
-I am a Christian. This video and this video give a good idea of what I believe, and if you’d like to chat about this you can email me 🙂
I think everyone should be able to eat their favorite foods, whether that’s minestrone soup or doughnuts or bread or whatever. Even if you’re gluten-free, paleo, AIP, nut-free, egg-free, or allergic to something, you’re still entitled to your pizza! Once you realize that you can still eat your favorite foods, it’ll be so much easier to eat healthy, right? Should you eat paleo cupcakes every single day? Of course not! Can they fit into your lifestyle make your life easier? You better believe it! So look around, try a few recipes, and leave me a comment or two! I’m here to help you and your family make the transition to a healthier you!
If you have a favorite food that you’d like me to make an allergy-friendly version of, let me know! If I’ve already made it (or if one of my favorite bloggers has), I’ll send you a link to the recipe. If I haven’t, well let’s just say I love a challenge and will do my best to make it!
Hi, Heather!
Just found your site. Looks awesome! I was just wondering where in Wisconsin are you from? I grew up in Lake Mills and currently live in Racine. I also grew up on cheese, brats and Jesus. (Not necessarily in that order 🙂 )
Have a great day and go Badgers!
Hi JoEllyn, nice to “meet” you! I’m in southern Wisconsin; Madison area. Cheese, brats, and Jesus; yup that sounds familiar lol 😉
Hi Heather! My name is Ainsley. I am a 13 year old (14 in July) blogger. My family is Paleo, as well. 🙂 My mom’s friend recommended your blog to me, so I thought that I would check it out! I love it, and I can’t believe how creative you are!! I love to cook and make my own concoctions, but I have never gone as in depth as you have! 🙂
As I was reading your story, I realized that we have a couple things in common. Number 1… I am also tall. Being 5ft. 8in., I am not as tall as you, but I know what it is like to be the tall one in the bunch! Number 2… I am also saved! I received Christ in my Savior when I was 6 years old, and I will never be the same! I attend a Baptist church, and I participate in an amazing youth group. Number 3… I love to cook! Like I said, I have never done anything as amazing as you have, but I like to make my own creations now and then. Mostly, I like to follow other recipes. 🙂 Number 4… we’re both bloggers! (this one is probably obvious) I don’t post recipes and such on my blog, but I am rather obsessed with makeup and hair!! I also love to blog about the Christian life and other random topics! 🙂 Number 5… we both eat Paleo! I already mentioned that fact, but why not mention it again?! 🙂 I haven’t been eating that way as long as you have. In fact, my family is rather new to it, but it is definitely a healthier lifestyle! Lastly, number 6… I love chocolate!! It’s not often that I get to have some, but when I do…. I savor every moment!! 🙂
Your blog is a great inspiration, and I love what you’ve done with it!!
~Ainsley
Hi Ainsley! So nice to “meet” you! LOL tall girls unite!! I’ll have to follow your blog; while I am mostly into cooking I do love makeup and hair too. So cool to find another Christian teen here too! 🙂
Hi Heather,
I’m so happy I discovered your blog! It’s great!
I have a question about your celiac diagnosis. I’ve been paleo for 4 months, and 100% gluten free about two months. Yesterday I got glutened accidentally, and was sick all night and today. I’m 99% sure I have celiac disease (I’ve had years of sickness, GI problems, bloating, migraines, etc. I want to get tested, but everything I read about celiac testing says you have to be eating gluten in your diet in order for the test to be accurate. The specific article I read said they want patients to eat about 4 slices of bread a day for four months before testing. I can’t imagine doing that to myself only to find out I should be eating gluten free.
Did you have to do that for you celiac testing? If not, what route did you go?
Thanks!
Sage
Hi Sage, I was still eating gluten 2-3x per month (that’s why I still didn’t feel good), but I stopped eating it a month or so before I got tested. I honestly cannot believe I still tested positive, and that is definitely not a route I would tell someone else to go; you could definitely get a false negative. I just didn’t know what I was doing and my doctor wasn’t clued into the process. That whole gluten challenge thing is crazy; “eat the thing that makes you sick so that we can test you and tell you that that is the thing that makes you sick.” I can’t imagine what eating four slices of bread a day would do to me. So it’s a bit of a catch 22 for sure; but it seems like you already know that your body reacts strongly to gluten without testing, you know?
Yes, that’s where I’m stuck. I guess I just “want” the diagnosis so that my family and friends will know that it’s legit, but at the end of the day I know my body and I know gluten hurts it so that’s good enough for me.
I’ve made so much progress during my 4 months of paleo eating, I refuse to wreck my body for the sake of testing. I was diagnosed with a wheat allergy as a child, but was told I’d grow out of it. I’m now wondering if I should have been diagnosed with celiac. It was the 80s, no one knew what gluten intolerance was then!
It would be one thing if there was a treatment that was offered after diagnosis, but I’m already eating gluten free so I’m ahead of the game.
Thanks for getting back to me so quickly, and thanks for sharing your experience!
I totally understand that; it is SO much easier to refuse gluten when you can say you’re on a doc-prescribed GF diet!! However, I do know a lot of people who have “self-diagnosed” celiac or gluten intolerance though, but that doesn’t make it any less real or recognized. If gluten hurts, it hurts, and good for you for going paleo and focusing on healing; best of luck on your healing journey 🙂 🙂
That’s strange. I responded to this last night but it disappeared!
Yes, I think I’ll just forego the testing. It would be beneficial to have an official diagnosis (so people in my life would take it seriously) but I will not wreck my body for the testing. I’ve seen so many improvements from just 4 months of paleo eating, I refuse to undo that.
I was diagnosed with a wheat allergy as a child, and the doctors said I’d grow out of it. I’m now wondering if I should have been diagnosed with celiac. It was the 80’s, I don’t think celiac was on the radar then!
Thank you for your quick and informative reply! I look forward to reading more posts from you in the future!
Sage
Hi Sage,
I stumbled on this great website from Heather (you are doing a great job Heather!) and read your comment about testing for celiac. There are different tests available and one is a genetic test for celiac. You can find info on testing on the website from enterolab.com . You do not have to reintroduce gluten if you are already eating gluten free.
Hope this helps.
Mylou
could you try making a recipe for rosettes? my mom says they’re amazing and i really want to be able to eat them
Oh goodness; rosettes; I had to google what they were! I’ll definitely have to do a post on those.
Heather-
I’m recently diagnosed with type 2 diabetes. I’ve recently discovered Wheat Belly Total Health and eating without the seeds of grasses. Do your recipes include the food facts? Carbs, etc? I’ve been putting my grain free kitchen together and working on getting flours that work for a diabetic. Any thoughts on carbs and your recipes?
Patrick
P.S. Kudos on your blog, lifestyle and ambition. Very impressive.
Hi Patrick,
I have read Wheat Belly and I love that book. I don’t normally include carb counts in my recipes, although I probably need to start doing that. As a reference, any flour from a root vegetable (cassava, tigernut, arrowroot, tapioca) is considered higher carb. Any flour from a nut, coconut, or fiber (almond, coconut, hazelnut, walnut meal, psyllium, flax, chia) is lower carb. I do use honey, maple syrup, and root starches in a good portion of my recipes because I do make a lot of nut and egg free recipes so they require more starch, so I would avoid those if I were you, although I don’t know what carb count you’re aiming for. My Low Carb Baguette recipe and my Low Carb Coconut Flour Waffles recipe would be good for you, as well as the entree and vegetable recipes on my site. I have a post on How to Cook with Coconut Flour that could get you started on that. You could check out stevia for a sweetener. Also check out ditchthecarbs.com – lots of really nice low carb recipes.
Best to you on your grain-free journey and thanks for your comment!
-Heather 🙂
Thank you Heather for the referral! Your photo shoot was truly a blessing to me. <3
Hey heather! First of all, we have a lot in common; I was diagnosed with celiac a year ago (at 17) and have been AIP ever since. I’m slowly reintroducing foods and am trying to move towards just paleo. I’m just curious if you’re going to college this year and if so, ifyou will be living at home or a dorm? I’m really struggling with how my paleo lifestyle is going to work in college and would love any advice you may have!
Thanks!
Hannah
Hey there Hannah; so nice to meet you! I am not going to college this year; I’m taking the year to see what I can do in this amazing blogging thing. So unfortunately I don’t have firsthand experience. From what I’ve read it’s about buying in bulk and keeping stuff simple; not worrying about grass-fed, organic, *insert buzzword here*, food. You might drop Monica Bravo from Bravo for Paleo a line; she’s paleo, has a blog, and is a pre-med student, so she might have some insight for you. Here’s her page: http://bravoforpaleo.com.
Best of luck as you head off to college! 🙂
Hey Heather, I just stumbled on your blog from Real Food Fridays and your recipes look Incredible. I share a similar health reform story (thanks WAPF) and am a writer at groundedapproach.com. It’s not often I find another young, health conscious blogger with beautiful pictures (even more rare to share a name) so I’m certainly glad I stumbled upon your blog!
Keep up the great work- Heather
Hi Heather; great to meet you! Heather is a pretty good name, isn’t it ;).
I love your recipes! I can’t believe you started so young! That’s great! I’m in my 30s and was diagnosed with Celiacs and some other allergies/intolerances a few years ago. I went gluten-free, but still felt sick. I started a paleo diet about a month ago and feel amazing.
Also, last summer, I went to the real Green Gables house in Prince Edward Island. It’s pretty cool to see the real thing!
Thanks for the recipes! I can’t wait to try out more!
Hi Megan! So nice to meet you! I am so glad that paleo helps you as much as it helps me! I would so love to go the Green Gables house; must have been a blast! Have a wonderful weekend. 🙂
Hey Healther!
My name is Kinsey Van Druten. I am the Nutritional Consultant for Immuno Laboratories in Fort Lauderdale, Florida. We are widely recognized as one of the leading food and environmental allergy testing facilities in the world. We offer the Immuno Bloodprint which has been helping people “Eat Well, Feel Well and Live Well” for years. Our blood test can help identify food intolerances or hidden food allergies that may be the cause of chronic conditions such as arthritis, A.D.D. (and hyperactivity), autism, chronic fatigue, diabetes, I.B.S., migraine headaches, otitis media, and more.
The reason I am reaching out to you is to offer you the chance to personally get a feel for our test in hopes to share with your readers! As you know, kids, teens, and adults suffer from underlying food sensitivities they don’t even know they have; or better yet, choose not to associate “x” food with “x” symptom. Our goal is to find each client’s unique food sensitivities so that they are able to find recipes specifically tailored to them for their body and not because it is “vegan,” “paleo,” or “gluten-free.” Kids in particular, are more susceptible today than ever before with developing food allergies. How much easier would it be for the busy parents who read CIUP to know exactly what they should and should not be packing in their children’s lunch?
If you would be interested in finding out first hand your own food sensitivities, please send an email subjected “Cook It Up Paleo” with your contact information to info@immunolabs.com.
We look forward to serving you and your readers!
Hi Heather,
I am a senior in high school and I’m am making a paleo cook book for college students for my senior project. I was wondering if you had any good sites I could use for research on the Paleo diet and what it’s benefits are! Its so cool to see someone my age doing the same thing as me (i’m not quite as successful or enthusiastic as you are yet lol). I have Crohn’s disease and started eating paleo this year and I have kind of struggled with it. I’m trying to find good recipes I can take off to college!
Your blog is awesome
Christa
Hi Christa! What an amazing senior project! I recommend checking out http://chriskresser.com as well as http://balancedbites.com. The best way to learn about paleo is through my favorite books, which are The Paleo Solution by Robb Wolf (somewhat dated but great info), Practical Paleo by Diane Sanfilippo (super practical with lots of amazing recipes), and It Starts With Food by Dallas and Melissa Hartwig. Also, my cookbook is a great resource for recipes 🙂 http://www.amazon.com/dp/B00LK8QJGU Thanks for your comment and good luck on your paleo journey!
Hi Heather,
I just came across your blog. I have been a religious Paleo follower for over a year. At age 12 I was diagnosed with lupus and by following the Paleo Diet, I have never been healthier and I do not take any medication any more! I just wanted to leave you a comment and let you know that your blog is beautiful and I really respect and admire you for being so passionate about food at such a young age.
Keep up the awesome work!
Wow! This made my day! Real food really is powerful! Thank you so much for your comment and your kind words. 🙂
Hi! my name is Hannah I am 9 years old. I love to cook, and i think it is so cool that you have your own blog. I am hoping to start my own blog. What is your favorite breakfast recipe?
P.S. this is my mom’s email, but you can email me back here 🙂
Hi Hannah,
So cool that you want to start your own blog! I would really recommend using WordPress (http://wordpress.com).
My favorite breakfast recipe? That’s a hard one, but I would have to say probably my Banana Bread Pancakes recipe (http://cookituppaleo.com/my-cookbook-is-here-sneak-peak-recipe/). If you need any tips for starting your own blog, feel free to email me!
Thank you! I look forward to trying the pancakes.
thank you for the offer to help, I will be in touch when I start my blog.
I love Anne of Green Gables too! <3
…and food.
…and chocolate.
Which book in the Anne of Green Gables series is your favorite? Thanks for stopping by 🙂
Hi Heather. I am curious, why Paleo? I am 60, diabetic, have always been active. I grow a fair sized garden, would love to always have organic, fresh and need to lose weight. I would also like to pass knowledge on to my grandkids who live on processed and microwave foods at home. Getting them to like green things (that they loved when they were toddlers) isn’t an easy task. I am thinking that they might relate to you.
Also, my son owns a gluten free brewery. He has developed the recipes himself through a lot of experimenting. A main ingredient he uses is chestnuts. The farmer that brings the chestnuts gave me a 5 gallon bucket of flour and I am excited to try your recipes on my grandkids, we have 1 gluten free and possible another.
Your site is great. I admire the work you have done creating your recipes.
Linda
Hi Linda!
There are 2 main reasons that I eat paleo:
1. Paleo is about health, period. It’s not a fad diet, it’s about giving our bodies the nutrition they need to stay healthy and strong for the long term.
2. I have digestive issues/brain fog when I eat grains/sugar/beans.
If you’re looking for more info on the science of paleo, I highly recommend Your Personal Paleo Code Chris Kresser. And try Everyday Paleo by Sarah Fragoso and Practical Paleo by Diane Sanfilippo for some awesome recipes.
I can relate to trying to get kids/picky eaters to eat healthfully. Our family has been gluten-free/mostly paleo for a while, and it was a struggle in the beginning to find foods that everyone liked. Something that really worked for us was to find new ways to prepare things like broccoli. Our family won’t touch it steamed, but they love it roasted. Also, finding recipes for things like pancakes and brownies that were paleo was awesome; we don’t eat “paleo treats” every day, but it’s so much easier to eat healthy if you know you can still have a brownie once in a while. Also, don’t underestimate the power of a good example!
That’s so amazing that you have chestnut flour right from the farmer! You are going to love it; chestnut flour is awesome.
Thank you so much for your comment, and best of luck eating healthy and passing that on to your grandchildren!
-Heather