I’ll begin by saying the day I first injected my son with insulin while at the hospital in June of 2016 was one of the few times I’ve cried as an adult. It was heartbreaking to cause my four-year-old son physical pain. I have never felt worse than I did during that moment. We remained in the hospital for one week and learned how we would care for our son going forward who was now living with Type 1 Diabetes. There was education involving insulin injections, blood sugar checks, counting carbohydrates, and all of the other typical things that are taught when someone is diagnosed with Type 1 Diabetes.
Over the next several months I found myself obsessing over the disease, researching all I could because I couldn’t make sense of the situation. I would be up late at night reading about causes, triggers, and clinical trials. Unfortunately there wasn’t much out there, particularly for children. I found a few clinical trials but they were primarily focused around devices to manage the disease. This became frustrating because I desperately wanted a cure for my son, not more devices. There are a lot of companies interested in managing Type 1 Diabetes, but not very many pursuing a cure.
Less than a year later, my son was diagnosed with his second autoimmune disease: hypothyroidism. The only treatment offered was a hormone replacement in the form of a pill. We were told our son would need to take the pill every day for the rest of his life. It was at this moment I decided I was no longer able to wait around and see whatever else might be waiting for us in terms of his health.
I became more determined than ever to learn all I could about autoimmune disease and how others were treating them. I discovered people were managing these diseases not only through medication, but also through diet and lifestyle, and experiencing life-changing results. This was exciting to me and I was eager to learn more. There are many stories of people restoring their health and I felt inspired by their stories and felt like there was hope for my son. The more I researched, the more I realized the people that were having these breakthroughs shared a similar diet and lifestyle where the focus was living as our hunter/gatherer ancestors lived. This is commonly referred to as “Primal” or “Paleo.”
While I was learning and sharing this newfound information with my wife, I realized that she was not nearly as excited about this as I was. But, why? Why wouldn’t she share in my excitement or share my hope for possibilities beyond what we’ve been told from conventional medicine? What I failed to realize is that she was processing this whole thing significantly different than I was. I recall being particularly frustrated that she would barely acknowledge the topics I would bring up to her. She did her best to listen, but it was clear that this topic was very emotionally challenging for her. I could talk about the disease in a logical way, but for her it was a topic that she could hardly bring herself to think about because of how traumatic it all was. We had many difficult conversations and arguments over what was the best way forward, but eventually came to the conclusion that it was at least worth exploring getting additional help.
We found a functional medicine doctor and began our new way forward in April of 2018. Some of the major challenges initially were to eliminate inflammatory foods, and incorporating more foods that support our health. We decided as a family to go all-in together. I noticed incredible improvement in myself almost immediately. I have dealt with abdominal pain and bloating for many years, but assumed it was normal. Primal living has allowed me to not only enjoy pain-free eating, but I am more confident than ever that I have more control over my health, and my family’s. I don’t know if my son’s diseases will ever be cured, but I do know that I am putting him in the best possible position of maintaining the health he still has.
As for health coaching, I feel as though I have been called to it and it would be foolish not to answer the call. I officially launched my business in March of 2020, and have already helped several people find their path towards health when traditional methods haven’t been enough. I have primarily gained clients by sharing my story and being honest about our own struggles. Primal Health Coach Institute has prepared me wonderfully to serve others in a powerful way. I currently coach on a part-time basis, but coaching full-time is my goal and I have been equipped to do so by Primal Health Coach Institute.
I don’t believe that everything happens for a reason, but I do believe that great things can come out of every situation. I am passionate about helping others receive what I’ve received—the gift of health—and there is no greater wealth than that on this earth.
— Chris Lewis
