My Journey with Healthy Eating

Here at the Daily Apple we are passionate about natural health and healthy eating. In this blog post our leader Amanda details her health journey in hopes to inspire others to take control of their health. 

I started my professional career as a graphic designer and journalist and when that no longer kept my interest I returned to college and became an elementary Spanish teacher. After teaching for 4 years, I took a leap of faith and purchased the locally owned health food store in my small rural town from a 93 year old woman. (And yes, she was still working each day in her store.)  What, why would someone with two college degrees and a master’s degree in teaching leave her career and buy a small business? That is the same question my friends and family were wondering when I purchased Schafer’s Health & Gifts five years ago. You see I have developed a real passion for natural health because it helped me overcome several big health issues.

Seventeen years ago, I was about 30 pounds overweight and lived on a processed food diet high in carbs. I was addicted to artificial sweeteners and sugar, just like so many people today are. I began to change my diet and take vitamins and supplements. Gradually I lost weight and had so much more energy. These lifestyle changes were a process and the healthy lifestyle journey continues still. Then 6½ years ago, I figured out I was highly allergic to gluten and wheat. I knew this is what was causing my health issues from working in my health food store but I was in denial for a long time and refused to change my diet. Finally, when I got a horrible rash that would not go away I knew food had to be the culprit and I committed to trying a gluten free diet. I was just sure back then that I could take the right supplements and heal my body and be able to eat wheat again. As I began to research (I love to research because I am always a skeptic), I quickly realized, “Why would I want to eat gluten and wheat?” I discovered that so many serious health conditions can be caused by diets high in processed foods. Now I want to help other people realize this and begin to make healthy changes.

My health journey is ongoing. It was one year ago this month that I completed my first Whole 30 and I have never felt better. Now I like to say I wish I would have felt this good in my 20s but we don't know until we know. Now I try to follow a Paleo diet most of the time focusing on eating whole real foods that fuel the body and then when I need it I complete a Whole 30 to keep my body going. 

I invite you to visit one of our Daily Apple brick and mortar stores or connect with me through our website to get your questions answered.