Hello my people!

I was just thinking today of how being in possession of one’s health is such a glorious thing!  Having personally overcome major illness and severe body toxicity through change in diet, I’m an intensely passionate (hmm is that redundant?) advocate of the belief that your diet effects a whole lot more than simply your weight.  It effects everything.

Food is often viewed as the less important component in determining the cause and cure to illness, being one-upped by a person’s health history and genetic weaknesses.  A change in diet is usually a last ditch effort for healing after medication and procedures and testing prove fruitless.  As a result, we don’t immediately link diet to our health or consider that some items we regularly consume could be responsible for our health issues.

Health = Diet

Without reiterating what we discussed in the last post (quality versus quantity of food – to catch up on that go here), allow me to build on that topic by stating that certain foods – even high-quality health foods – can trigger reactions which can virtually destroy the body from the inside out.

With toxins and GMO’s joining our food supply in droves, more and more people are suffering from food allergies.  Allergies go far beyond the common tree pollen and peanut variety (EpiPen and inhaler).  Food can be pretty subtle, undermining your health silently until you’re body has been worn down and you’re experiencing all sorts of symptoms.

Which leads me to propose…

… a question!  How can we know if we’re allergic to certain foods?  We know that testing for gluten sensitivity or Celiac’s for example, isn’t super accurate and that food allergies in general can mask themselves in the form of many other issues.  (Hence treating the “symptom” is no cure at all.  But I’ll leave that for another day.)

Skipping Down Memory Lane

When I was a kid I didn’t have any allergies.

However, my little best friend was allergic to dust.  Cute right?

I thought so.  I would judiciously dust the house whenever we had a play date and it was my turn to entertain.  I thought it was pretty cool that she was actually allergic to something and I envied her important status that required special treatment.

Now many years later…

I have many food allergies.  Haha.  And I finally feel cool.  Well not really.  I mean I feel cool but for other reasons.

The kicker is this: I had eczema off and on as a child but was told I’d grow out of it.  It wasn’t until much later that I found the link between my skin “disorder” and my body’s stubborn refusal to “grow out of it” were certain offending foods that triggered the recurring rash.  Foods I LOVED and ate multiple times a day.  Duh.  Why was that so hard??

Allergic & Don’t Know It?

The point of the trip down memory lane was to suggest that we can be allergic to something and not know it.  Sometimes we dismiss our symptoms believing that it’s simply “our normal”.  We think “this is just who I am”, “I will struggle with this because someone in my family struggled with it”, or “oh yeah you’ll just grow out of it”.

Ridiculous!

Right below is a list of some common symptoms to food allergies and sensitivities.  Several of them might be surprising to you.  But keep in mind that food sensitivities are often more subtle at first and grow to be a problem later – with symptoms increasing in seriousness as the problem goes unchecked.  If you deal with any of those symptoms more than once a month, please hear me loud and clear, that’s not normal!

This isn’t to freak you out but rather to encourage you!  You don’t have to settle for this way of life.  This half-living.  There is a way to be truly “normal” (ok we’re all pretty weird to begin with so I’m talking relatively normal here. ).  By figuring out what foods your body needs you can  experience real health.  The link is your diet.  But first let’s go over those symptoms.

Symptoms of Allergies & Sensitivities

Keep in mind you could be allergic to your environment as well as a type of food (i.e. toxic chemicals used for household cleaners, mold, new furniture that is out-gassing, etc.).

1. Skin – rashes, eczema, psoriasis, oozing skin lesions, acne
2. Hair – loss, lack of vibrancy, brittle, dull
3. Nails – weak, easily ripped or torn
4. Extreme exhaustion / energy levels abnormally low
5. Stomachaches
6. Headaches / migraines
7. Puffy or swollen eyes / face
8. Irritability / anxiety / depression
9. Gas, bloating, diarrhea / constipation
10. Joint pain
11. Inability to concentrate / fuzzy-brained
12. Congestion / running nose / itchy, watery eyes
13. Constantly sick

For me, a huge tip off in addition to the eczema, was my insanely depleted energy levels.   (It’s a major reason why I avoid gluten, dairy, and sugar.  Don’t pity me though, I actually eat like a queen now and enjoy more foods than before – like this delicious and healthy chocolate cake - check it out!  It’s win-win when you come over to the healthy side. Mwahaha!)

Figure Out Your “Food Frequency”

Now, I’m not trying to give you an I’m-allergic-to-everything-thanks-a-lot-Gabriela complex.  While I believe that unnatural “foods” (not naturally occurring in nature) should never be ingested by humans, some foods such as whole grains or raw dairy do very well for some people.  I’m not saying everyone should go gluten-free or dairy-free or Paleo or Raw or whatever.  There are elements to all of those diets that I love, as well as elements that are unhelpful and even harmful for some people.

The goal is to get in tune with your body so you notice how you respond after a certain meal or drink or dessert.

Understanding what your body thrives on and what it has a hard time processing is the goal!  Everyone needs a little something different.  The adventure is figuring out what YOU need.  It’s a gradually increasing awareness of yourself and your environment and honing in on what makes you feel better and dare I say it? – feel AWESOME!

A Parting Word

A quick word to the lucky ones who don’t struggle with food allergies:

Congratulations!  Although a word of caution.  Bad food yields “bad” consequences.  Always.  Whether you deal with those consequences now or later simply depends on your body.  While having zero food sensitivities sure makes things a lot easier, it also isn’t license to binge on junk while fending off the inevitable with the insistent “I can eat anything” mantra.

If you have food allergies or are concerned that you might have rest easy.  You have a lower tolerance for triggers and prefer to deal with them quickly.  It doesn’t mean that you’re broken.  In fact it means your body is highly intelligent and discerning.  (So I might be biased.) 

So!  Eat, be aware of how you feel, and enjoy greater health!  And if it’s maintaining energy that you struggle with, try ditching the gluten, juice it up, and snack on this heere Energy Buttuh!

Energy Butter is a blend of nuts and seeds rich in protein, healthy fats, and flavor!  It’s roasted almond butter with extra goodies added for more nutrition and staying power.  Very high in protein,  a couple spoonfuls of “butter” with celery or crackers is a great snack to fend off hunger and get some omega 3′s into you!

Energy Butter

• 1 cup roasted almonds (To roast almonds: spread on a cookie sheet for 8-10 minutes at 325 degrees, stirring twice to make sure they roast evenly.)
• 1/2 cup unsweetened shredded coconut
• 1/3 cup sunflower seeds
• 1/4 cup flaxseeds

optional add-ins:

sea salt / cinnamon / honey / vanilla extract

Add roasted almonds, shredded coconut, sunflower seeds, and flaxseeds in a food processor until smooth.  Store in a glass jar and keep in the refrigerator for when you need a snack!

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