Everyone has favorite foods. They look forward to familiar comfort foods, family favorites, quick grabs, snacks, decadent desserts, local restaurants and holiday specials. Finding out that you have food sensitivities and many of those foods are responsible for your uncomfortable and incapacitating GI issues could bring on feelings of hopelessness and the thought that you will just have to live with your discomfort. This does not have to be the case.
There is hope for those of you who find yourself in this situation. In today’s interview, my sister Kim will describe her journey through this issue. It will give hope to those with food sensitivities and others with different reasons why their food choices may need to change (health reason, weight loss, etc.)
The interview takes you through the process of change, the importance of resources and the expectations of trial and error. You can modify her advice to fit your own dietary needs or give you the boost you need to go grab some professional help when and if needed!
Several years ago, Kim started having severe, digestive issues that were impacting her life in a bad way. She tried self-diagnosing and eliminating various foods from her diet but was not getting anywhere. Through a functional medicine clinic, she went through many tests and scans. It was determined that she had multiple food sensitivities. None of them were life threatening but they made her very uncomfortable and limited her activities. Dairy, gluten, eggs and beef are the main culprits. She has learned how to modify her diet so that she does not suffer.
This is an issue that she cannot cure, but she can manage. It is an ongoing process and through research, trial and error and a willingness to try new things, she has kept her discomfort under control. A plus side is that she dropped weight quickly because much of the excess weight she carried was due to inflammation which subsided when she changed her diet. She has found replacements for many of the staples that are usually on hand. Specialty and now even mainstream stores are carrying items that not only fit into her diet but actually taste good. She keeps a bank of recipes that work for her and is constantly getting new ideas from supportive friends and relatives.
Not everyone is supportive which can create difficulties when eating away from home. When eating out she typically checks out the menu ahead of time, so she knows what to order without making it an issue while in the restaurant. When she goes to a potluck, she takes something that she knows she can eat so she doesn’t have to question the ingredients everyone else used. If that is not possible, she eats before she goes so she doesn’t have to worry.
Kim’s diet is not 100% perfect. But she is leaps and bounds from where she started. Her continuing journey is inspiring and brings hope to others who suffer.
Resources:
www.healthaccountabilitycoach.com
www.facebook.com/houselifestyles
