Hello Readers!
First of all, thanks for making your way over to my little part of the blogosphere!
I am a native Minnesotan, living in the suburbs of Minneapolis, trying to find MY healthy path in life.
The necessary ridiculous selfie.
I’m also a vinyasa yoga fanatic, attempting to-be runner, body -weight exercise lover, and avid cook and organizer.
I love trying new recipes and workouts (Crossfit was rough!), reading blogs and surrounding myself with people and things that make me happy!
My life motto.
A few years ago, I saw a holistic doctor who changed my life. I had rapidly been gaining weight, getting ill, and had been feeling pretty crummy all around. Previous to this visit, I had suspected I might have a dairy and gluten sensitivity, but the scope of how messed up my insides were was unexpected. I still struggle with an upset stomach every now and then, but it has helped to know what the triggers may be. I do not eat gluten or soy and I try to eat as little dairy as possible, definitely no cows milk!
As a kid my favorite foods were bagels with cream cheese (I think I had one for lunch almost every day of kindergarten) and pasta with butter and parmesan. As I grew up I dabbled in vegetarianism (Fell off that wagon for bacon!) and finally came to settle on a pretty healthy diet, or so it seemed. I had switched to whole wheat carbs, soy milk and lots of fruits and vegetables. I was baffled at why I was gaining weight so rapidly, almost 60 lbs in 4 years. I did indulge in normal college activities (drinks, late night snacks, takeout!) but it was way more than the Freshman 15.
My sister and I having a ball at the Color Run 5k in Minneapolis. Summer 2012
My holistic doctor ran some tests, which were fascinating – s0 much so that my mom who was there to take notes, forgot to until I asked if she was getting it all. HA! Hopefully I’ll go more into depth on that sometime, but essentially he let me know that I am severely sensitive to gluten, dairy, soy and a whole slew of environmental toxins, including formaldehyde and petroleum. I was stunned that my suspicions were confirmed. I had to change my whole diet, my “healthy” switch to soy milk was just as damaging as the cows milk, and potentially even worse for me since I had also just been diagnosed with hypothyroidism, an auto-immune disease in which ones thyroid does not produce enough TSH, our metabolism producing hormone. That was another reason I was gaining weight. The puzzle pieces were all starting to come together in my gluten-induced brain-fogged mind.
Quinoa Greek Salad – One of my first forays into gluten free cooking was through QUINOA! Love this stuff
So what was the solution? Stop eating gluten, dairy and soy products and start taking an arsenal of vitamins daily along with my medication for my thyroid. Easy enough? Not at all. The life change was the hardest thing I have ever done. I still struggle, but I have learned to set boundaries and limits for myself and am practicing self control when in the midst of my previously beloved wheat products. I cried many nights because I either felt deprived, alone and isolated or because I was experiencing the worst stomach cramps and pains of my life. I had no one to blame but myself for those days I thought I wouldn’t feel sick after eating pizza or pasta. And as for feeling deprived, I now have more knowledge about foods and strange ingredients, and Love to experiment with recipes. I don’t feel alone AT ALL. I have a fantastic support system of family and friends who all understand, know and are willing to keep me in check if I feel like I’m going to fall back into a wheat or cheese induced coma.
That said, I still do eat cheese and yogurt, in moderation! I definitely feel much lighter and clear minded I do not have any dairy, but I have no interest in attempting to cut it out completely.
So thats my story! I hope you all keep reading!
Allie
bakingmehappy 