This post is by our #PFX15 special guest Gabriella Schneider of Beyond the Bite.
I had always dreamed of going to the Paleo f(x)™ conference. Ever since hitting a brick wall in my health due to untreated, neurological Lyme Disease, I have been persistently researching my way back to health. I have found food to be a central part in my healing, which is ultimately what brought me to eat a Paleo diet customized to my body’s needs.
Throughout the years of eagerly seeking information about the human body, food, and the science that connects the two, I have come across many individuals with similar passions as myself. Whether it be food bloggers, inspirational speakers, functional medicine doctors, lifestyle coaches and beyond, many of these individuals all have one thing in common, and that is we all believe in thriving from primal principles.
Therefore, when the folks at Paleo f(x)™ contacted me about having my mother and I attend the 2015 conference, I knew that I must seize the opportunity attend, even though I was not entirely sure whether my body would allow it. Healthy people thrive through experiencing both the challenging and the unexpected. Therefore, I believe that in order to heal physically and mentally from a chronic illness, taking chances is sometimes needed. With a suitcase packed full of supplements, a bag of emergency food, and a caring mother as my support system, off to Paleo f(x)™ I went. I had never been to Texas and wasn’t entirely sure what to expect. Yet from the moment we landed and I felt the warm air on my skin, I knew that the weekend was going to be a great one.
Presentation topics ranged from performance and athleticism, to gut health, stress management, sustainability, debunking common health myths, what to feed primal children, reducing toxin exposure, and reversing autoimmune disease, all of which lasted the three days of the conference. There were cooking demonstrations that went on all day, as well as primal play, strength and conditioning workshops both out and indoors.
As for myself, I began the weekend listening to a few of the leading men in the primal movement, Robb Wolf, Mark Sisson, and Able James, discuss a variety of topics and questions in the “Robb and Mark Show.” Of course, I sat in for Chris Kresser’s talk on the Acid Alkaline Theory, as I have been following his site for many years now.
I also had the pleasure of listening to Dr. Terry Wahls, and extremely inspiring woman to say the least, who has defeated the odds and reversed her MS. Her talk was on maximizing nutrient density. She says that in order for our gut biome to truly be healthy and strong, we must have diversity, much like the soil in which we grow our food. Michael Roesslein spoke on how to reduce one’s exposure to toxins in today’s world, how to efficiently detox, and how to nourish and clean our bodies cells from the inside out. I’m already doing many of these things to heal from chronic Lyme Disease.
One of my favorite discussions had to have been the panel featuring Mark Sisson, Diana Rodgers, Kyle Brown, Jimmy Moore, and Robb Wolf, as these individuals are easily some of the most influential figures in the real-food scene. There was a lot of talk about quality of life, how to co-exist with other diets such as vegan, and also show that paleo is affordable for all classes and race. I especially liked the point that Diana made about taking away the negative mindset on meat, and instead focus on highlighting it in a sustainable way.
Aside from the talks on diet and lifestyle, I thoroughly enjoyed hearing Diane Sanfilippo share how to market and monetize your passion. As a business women in the field of Paleo, it was great hearing her take on running a successful business, staying inspired, and knowing that listening, laboring, and launching is the best way to turn your passion into your dream job.
Lastly, my mother and I attended Ben Greenfield’s talk on fueling the primal athlete, as well as a a short talk by Dr. Amy Meyers on reversing autoimmune disease, of which was very inspirational, and certainly deserved more time in the lime light.
Aside from all of the amazing speakers at Paleo f(x)™, the expo floor was truly a place of great enjoyment, community, and networking for bloggers, business owners, and regular, everyday primal enthusiasts. Being able to meet up with all of the individuals that I had previously met through cyber space was incredible! Whether you are new to the paleo diet and lifestyle, or have been around for a few years now, the expo floor at Paleo f(x)™ is truly unlike anything you will have ever experienced. With dozens of the hottest and newest food brands, farms, books, authors, speakers, and businesses, my mother and I loved being able to talk and get to know the owners behind many of the brands that we support, as well as meet those not yet known in the “paleosphere.”
Overall, I could not have asked for a better experience at Paleo f(x)™. I’m still fighting a chronic illness, lacking energy, and battling a wide range of symptoms and could have easily used to psych myself out of going. However, things could not have gone any better. Ultimately, I believe this is due to the fact that just like the name implies, Paleo f(x)™ is filled with innumerable, like-minded people who truly have others’ best interests at heart. Many of whom also understand what it is like to strive for true healing despite the odds of a chronic illness.
I felt a great amount of support and community, and know for certain that I will be coming back next year. If you have not yet attended Paleo f(x)™, I highly encourage it, because there is no other place where people following a primal diet and lifestyle can connect, brainstorm, and most importantly, have fun.
Gabriella Schneider is a special guest blogger for #PFX15. We learned of Gaby’s story through Twitter and invited her to Paleo f(x)™ 2015 as a VIP special guest. Learn more at her blog, where she hopes to spread awareness of Chronic Lyme, give hope for fellow Lymies, and share creative Paleo-Primal recipes for those dealing with dozens of food allergies and health complications http://beyondthebite4life.blogspot.com. Follow Gaby at:
Twitter (@beyondthebite)
Instagram Beyondthebite4life
Facebook BeyondtheBite4Life
Pinterest “Gabriella820”
