By Michelle Jenck, Tillamook County Wellness Coordinator
Ian Fauver at 26, looks like a guy whose got it all together. He just started his career working at a local bank and is newly married. On the inside, however, he wasn’t feeling so good and he decided he needed to do something about it.
Recently, Fauver began experiencing debilitating digestive symptoms. He was lethargic, bloated and “just felt sick all the time.” It got so bad, he began calling in sick at work and was struggling with anxiety. He visited his primary care doctor, and listened to advice from friends, but he just wasn’t getting to the root cause of his symptoms. He became very discouraged. “I found that doing what other people said worked for them, was not working for me. I had to figure things out for myself,” says Ian.
He started paying attention to how he felt after eating and noticed patterns of food sensitivity. Wanting desperately to feel better, he began preparing all his own meals, monitoring his food intake carefully and making changes based on how he felt. He read food labels and was careful to eat a balanced diet of healthy, whole foods. The results were astonishing. His stomach sensitivity improved dramatically. He had more energy and his anxiety improved. He also noticed he was saving a lot of money by not eating out.
Fauver credits his mom and his best friend as being the biggest influences along his health journey. “My mom has always been really ‘health forward.’ She used to be very overweight and worked to lose a lot of weight.” Fauver says his mom became very health conscious, sees a naturopath and is a very spiritual person. In thinking about his mom, Fauver decided the issues he was having provided a good opportunity to make some lifestyle changes of his own, including reading the Bible and reconnecting with God.
The other main influence in Fauver’s life has been best friend, Ollie, who he also describes as being “health forward.” Ollie, also 26, attended Nursing school and has been a “gym rat” since high school. Ollie tried to get Ian to join him in the gym over the years but lifting weights just wasn’t Ian’s thing. Growing up, Fauver was active in sports but was able to show up and participate without doing any formal training. “You have to have your own reason for doing stuff. Just because someone else does it, doesn’t mean it’s going to work for you.” Ian knew he wasn’t into lifting weights, but he did miss being physically active. “I didn’t want to get bogged down with having to learn workout routines. I just wanted something simple.” He began going to the gym for a cardio workout on the treadmill, bike or rowing machine before work each morning. Fauver says, “working out has been a total blessing.” In fact, he has even added weight lifting to his morning routine and is loving how it makes him feel.
“I just feel a glow. Everything I have done has made a black-and-white difference. I have such a sense of accomplishment and it gives me the motivation to keep going with the changes I have made,” adds Fauver.
Visit tillamookcountyhealthmatters.org for local wellness information and inspiration.