Hi and welcome to Homebody Well Co. - I am SO excited that you've made it to my cozy little corner of the internet. This has been an idea in my heart for so long now, and I'm so excited to finally bring this dream to life.
My name is Ravenne - I'm a wife of 7 years (together 11), shoutout to my handsome hubby for always supporting my crazy ventures. We are foster parents and have 6 babies in heaven. We've been trying to grow our family since we got married in 2018 and have had many challenges over the years. (That's a story for another post!) Our journey trying to conceive is what actually spurred my research into health and wellness.
Enter: The Ketogenic Diet
I actually found the ketogenic diet in 2018 when I was trying desperately to lose weight for my wedding. I have struggled with my weight my entire life and was diagnosed with PCOS (Polycystic Ovarian Syndrome) at 16 years old and was told it would be nearly impossible for me to have children naturally. (PS - If your doctor told you that - simply tell them "Thank you" and find a new doctor!) I was shocked. My entire life, my dream had always been to be a wife and a mom, so when I met my now-husband, I very quickly told him what the doctors had told me. I didn't know then the journey we would endure, but I'm so grateful for my now-hubby's response then, "It's okay; we will figure it out." He didn't run for the hills and showed me such compassion, and for that, I couldn't be more grateful.
Now, back to the ketogenic diet. I started in 2018 at 245.8lbs. I got on the scale and bawled my eyes out. That was the highest weight I had ever seen in my entire life and I was terrifed. The next day, I started the ketogenic diet. Now, let me preface this by saying that 2018 was the dawn of the ketogenic diet, so there weren't a ton of "keto" products. No "keto" shakes, or wraps or bread, and for that - I'm SO grateful because I did a clean ketogenic diet. I tracked my food in Carb Manager and kept my total carbs to 20g per day. My food consisted of meat, low-carb veggies (broccoli, cauliflower, green beans, etc) and dairy, and I cut out all "white" foods - rice, potatoes, sugar, bread and pasta. It's worth noting that I had been gluten free since 2014 when I tried the paleo diet and found out how quickly my body did NOT do well with gluten. That first week, I felt AMAZING. I didn't experience the typical "keto flu" symptoms and I was truly not hungry. As someone who'd been on a diet since I was incredibly young, it was a miracle. I lost 10lbs that first week. I was HOOKED! I stepped on the scale the morning of my wedding and I couldn't believe my eyes - I was in ONDERLAND! My weight had not been under the 200s in YEARS. I was thrilled.
Then came the honeymoon. I remember it like it was yesterday. We were on our way to Florida and we stopped at a gas station. I had been entirely ketogenic up until this point. (I didn't even cheat on my wedding day!) I went into the gas station and said, "I mean, it's our honeymoon. You only get one of these, might as well enjoy it." You know where this is headed? By the time we returned from our cruise, I had gained 12lbs! However, I knew just what to do - I hopped right back on keto, and the weight went right back down.
Miracles DO happen!
November 2, 2018 - the day that changed everything. After a life-changing diagnosis at 16 and 11 months of the ketogenic diet, I was PREGNANT! I couldn't believe my eyes. I think I took 6 pregnancy tests. I remember surprising my husband and we both just cried and cried. At our first prenatal appointment, we got the shock of our lives - TWINS! We were so overwhelmed. I was extremely sick the first few weeks and survived on rice and Kix Cereal; keto was thrown right out the window. Unfortunately, on December 14, 2018, we lost our precious babies. I can truly say - I have never been the same again. From that point on, my search for health and wellness has exploded. After my 3rd miscarriage in May 2019, I was so frustrated that I requested further testing. So my body could get pregnant, but I couldn't keep my babies. Unfortunately, the tests revealed everything was normal except for a genetic defect called MTHFR. I was told to take methylated B-vitamins, a baby aspirin, and try again. Since then, I've had two more miscarriages, my last one being in May 2022. During that time, God lead me down so many paths of healing modalities. I've learned about circadian rhythms, nervous system regulation, grounding, red light therapy, the carnivore diet, hydrogen water, cold plunge therapy, sauna, and CIRS (Chronic Inflammatory Response Syndrome.)
Maybe it's something else?
This year, I received another life-changing diagnosis. Through rigorous testing with a functional medicine provider, I discovered that the root cause of my chronic illnesses (PCOS, Hashimotos Thyroiditis, and Recurrent Pregnancy Loss) was an invisible foe who had been hiding in plain sight for quite a while - Mold toxicity. We discovered that not only did I have extremely high levels of Ochratoxin A, I also have a LOT of gut dysbiosis and pathogenic overgrowth. Finally - an answer. This information has allowed me to spend the greater part of this year working on detoxing from mold. It has been a long, grueling process, but I am so thankful to finally be heading in the right direction. While mold detox is not a quick (or cheap) process, I am so thankful to finally know the root cause of a lifelong problem with gut dysbiosis, PCOS, recurrent losses, chronic pain, headaches, and insulin resistance.
Along the journey, I've learned SO much about true health and wellness. From blue light toxicity, to minimalism, to coping with ADHD and brain fog - Homebody Well Co. was created to help women like myself who have been on the journey for quite a while and are looking for support, encouragement and resources for healing.
While I haven't "arrived" and am still working towards healing Mold Toxicity and seeing those two pink lines again and bringing a child home in my arms, I do have expertise in many areas such as homemaking, organized chaos, and healing and wellness. My hope is that this page will be a source of comfort, familiarity, and practical healing tools that can help you along your own journey.
My faith has played a huge role in my entire life, but especially over these last 7 years of trying to conceive. One of the stories that has resonated with us the most is the story of Hannah. The story comes from the Old Testament in 1 Samuel, chapter 1. Hannah was married to man named Elkanah. He had two wives, Hannah and Peninnah. Peninnah was able to bear Elkanah children, but Hannah was barren. In her grief, she went into the tabernacle and wept loudly before the Lord. The priest, Eli, heard her crying and rebuked her - he thought she was drunk. That's how severe her grief was. However, the Lord heard her cry and rewarded her with a son named Samuel, and she dedicated him to the Lord. In the depths of my fertility journey, the Lord has reminded me of this story. While I don't have my "Samuel" yet, I cling to this promise - "And I am sure of this, that he who began a good work in you will bring it to completion at the day of Jesus Christ." -Philippians 1:6
If you're in the thick of your healing journey, can I just encourage you? Keep holding on. Keep learning. Keep growing. Keep praying. Keep trying. Keep trusting. This is just the beginning.