About Us - Lemhi Vittles

Howdy! I’m Kimberly, founder of Lemhi Vittles.

My health journey started in 2020. I faced the repercussions of the pandemic, and it was from an angle different from everyone else’s. I have had a sensitivity to chlorine since I was a teenager. It hasn’t been a big issue because I would encounter it half a dozen times a year and I could just walk away from the source.

Now enters the pandemic environment of 2020. Chlorine is cheap, effective and has great chemical combining capabilities. Chlorine is being used everywhere and in different combinations because sanitation is necessary. The only way to describe what it feels like to have the world-at-large start using the one substance you are sensitive to and not being able to help yourself is this: Imagine you are standing in a deep hole, from which there is no escape…slowing filling with water, which will drown you … and everyone is watching — but without empathy, because it doesn’t affect them.

It didn’t take long after the pandemic started for me to start feeling a difference in my health. I made numerous trips to the doctor and they ran multiple labs trying to find what was wrong. All my lab work came back within normal range. It was frustrating to say the least. I allowed this to continue for a few months while my health declined.

In July 2020, there was a point when my frustration and health intersected and fueled my motivation to start doing my own research. I needed a change and if I needed to help myself, so be it. Some of what I learned is that the physicians had completely overlooked one major body component: the endocrine system. The hormones of the endocrine system are how the body talks to itself and, because of the environmental change, mine were having issues conversing. It was at this point I changed for my well-being. I started the AIP diet because it was the one decision, I could make for myself that didn’t require assistance medically. (No one but you controls what passes your lips.) Then, I proceeded to fire my current physician and look for someone to be a part of my health team instead of a blocking guard. I was lucky enough to find a naturopathic doctor that specialized in the endocrine system and severe allergies within a couple of hours’ drive.

With the diet and supplements, I started to feel better. It is innate for the body to heal if you supply the right resources. I felt like I was on the road to recovery, slow but surely. So, when it was suggested that I might need to find a different occupation, I politely ignored it. I liked my job and it’s a position not easy to come by in my rural location. And I was under the impression that it may slow my progress, but I was willing to accept that. Little did I know how much I would pay for this decision.

During the winter months and into 2021, I plugged along the best I could. My schedule was unpredictable and I worked long hours. I could not keep my chemical exposure at bay. My co-workers (unintentionally) were bringing it in from home on bags & coolers and the preventable measures were losing their effectiveness. I could feel my health sliding away. By spring, my boss was trying to isolate my work activities in order to reduce my exposure. But it was too late, the winter work had already taken its toll and I needed an immediate change. The labs showed that my entire endocrine system had tanked and most of my hormone were at the zilch level. I was pedaling backwards.

In May, I started my FLMA leave because I required isolation in order for my body to heal. And we also had to increase my healing program, I had to add bioidentical hormones and more supplements to my regiment. My isolation policy required that if I didn’t control the environment, I couldn’t be in it; so even my known safe spots were a no go during this time period. The benefit of the pandemic was the ready access to remote shopping. Most of the merchants I frequent completely understand my situation and have been extremely accommodating.

The summer of isolation did serve me well and my body started recuperating. I was beginning to realize how much lifestyle choices impact our health. I did continue my health education. I did participate in two programs that altered my actions as well as my thinking. Dr. K (www.drknews.com) has several programs that you can participate in to learn about your body, your immune system, and how all the pieces are affected by your environment. He gives lay-level presentations but fulfills my nerdy need for scientific explanations. The second program immensely helped fit some of the missing health pieces into place. This program focuses on your nervous system and how it can affect your health. For me, it was my inattention to my nervous system’s signals that was hindering my health. Dr. Aimie (www.draimie.com) has programs and YouTube videos for those interested.

Well leave time does end and I still wasn’t sure exactly how I was going to change my lifestyle because I still needed to provide an income for my family. But this time I wasn’t in my job; I was looking at it from a different perspective. I didn’t last long, only 3 weeks. I was not going to let all my hard work on my system go down the drain. There is more to life than a job.

So, I’ve decided to completely alter my lifestyle for my well-being. It took some thinking and research but I came up with a viable business solution for myself. I can work and be productive as long as I control my work environment. Lemhi Vittles allows me to use my health journey to help others. I know the trials and tribulations of following the AIP diet. There are better solutions for parts of it and I hope that I can help others in that department.

For My Soapbox:

You and only you are responsible for your health.
If your physician is not on your team, don’t waste time…find a new one.
Remember that everything leading up to this point has contributed to your condition. You must find different solutions and change your patterns.
Do the necessary research for your health…the information can be found. There are health platforms such as Health Means and Inaura that have valuable data & resources.
Please avoid the AIP pitfall. Don’t try to find AIP substitutions for your prior diet. Those food choices are why you are not healthy today. Enjoy the adventure, try new things, look for nutrients and remember variety is the spice of life.