The 5 Best Things that have come from following my “crazy” diet

Mexican Asters blooming beautifully in my garden

The journey back to health using holistic means may feel agonizing at times and certainly can look crazy to others.  However, there are many things that keep me going strong.  Here are just five of the many great things that have come from eating potato and cane sugar free:

1.     I’ve gotten really good at Meal Prep

I typically choose to bring as much food of my own as I can when I go on trips or to events to avoid the infamous unseasoned burger situation (See my first Post: The Agony of Health).  At first, it was quite difficult to find some packable food.  One of the first weekends on this diet that  I went away with friends for the night was last summer.  We went up to Milwaukee for Summerfest and in my typical nature I panicked. At the time I was not aware of any bread or lunchmeat that fit the Potato/Sugar free bill so sandwiches (a typical packable option) were not available to me.  After some thought, I ended up making a meatloaf and packing cold slices into zip lock bags surrounded by frozen fruit puree packets.  I also brought a few RX bars, meat sticks (Nick’s Sticks) and a can of tuna, all in a small green Kate Spade Backpack.  It was a great plan.  I would just have to worry about the bottled water at the festival. 

The night before and the morning of I did nothing by panic…”What if the security guard confiscates my food?”  This was all I could think about. I even practiced fake crying and telling him or her that I was literally allergic to everything and to please let me bring my food to the festival so that I wouldn’t starve to death.  I made it to the festival at last and nothing was confiscated.  Actually, I had a great time. The meatloaf was delicious (even better than the festival food in my opinion). 

As time has gone on I’ve learned of far more products that work and I now have a variety of sandwiches, pre-cooked sausages and even Lupini snacking beans that I tote around when I need something filling to eat for a trip.  I’m a meal prep Ninja now and I would never have acquired this skill if it weren’t for my Food intolerances.

2.     I no longer live every day in debilitating pain

I experienced a lot of pain behind the scenes of my vibrant social life for seven years that seemingly had no rhyme or reason.  Every event I went to I worried that something might cause a flare in pain.  I always felt like having a drink when I was out with friends because that was the only real way I could guarantee the pain wouldn’t ruin my fun.

Now I can go anywhere (movies, bars, on trips, running, swimming etc.) and not have to worry that the activity will come with pain.  I don’t have to have a drink (if I don’t want one) because I don’t need to numb the pain so that I can enjoy a social situation.  The Christine before pain has returned and honestly I am better than I ever remember being.  I will be forever grateful.

3.     I don’t care nearly as much about what others think of me.

As you can probably tell, eating in this way is not for the faint of heart.  Any meal eaten out requires some sort of modification (unless you’ve been there before and they have something on the menu you know can be eaten without question).  The weirder the question or modification usually the crazier the reaction of the server or the people you are eating with.

Being bombarded with judgement all the time makes you more immune to other people’s opinions.  At some point you have to learn to let it go because the reality is you are going to face judgement every time you eat somewhere new or with someone unfamiliar. Most people are not the subject of this much criticism (or any really) when they try to eat a meal.  The choice for me has been to face critics every day or continue to live in pain.  Criticism is just chatter and all of it just starts to roll off the shoulder with time.  At the end of the day I know why I am making this choice and that it has and will continue to change my life for the better.  Putting your health first should not be controversial.

4.     I appreciate small wins.

Going to a restaurant is not an easy task with a potato intolerance so when you find a place that has something flavorful for you to eat, you celebrate. For example, there’s an Irish restaurant that’s local to me that makes a chicken curry made with Kosher salt that I love. It tastes great, has a sauce I can have and is full meal of vegetables, rice and chicken.  I am grateful to have a meal that is about 15 minutes from home that I can order without the need for modifications. 

Any place that has something filling or complete that I enjoy is a win. When you don’t follow a food intolerance or food allergy free diet you take delicious restaurant food for granted as it is available at your fingertips 24/7.  With a food intolerance you celebrate the small indulgences of life and finding them is oh so sweet.

5.     I’ve realized my own power to bring about healing

Food choices are just the beginning of the beautiful ability we have all been given…to heal.  I have always tried to make what mainstream society would deem “healthy” choices: low-fat yogurt, snack packs of carrots and ranch, granola bars, whole wheat bread etc…early 2000s staples.  But if my choices were truly bringing about positive changes in my health I should have noticed them.  I should have noticed anything positive at all really. 

With the variety of changes I have made in my 28th and now into my 29th year of life I have witnessed dramatic bodily changes that I have never before been able to bring about with any of my previous “healthy” habits. My current lifestyle choices have included Neurofeedback, food intolerance avoidance, Castor Oil Packs, Digestive balance, liver detoxification and the most fascinating of all (in my opinion of course): homeopathy.  These have all contributed to a complete lifestyle 180, not just a few so called “healthy” choices.

I can say for sure that since my lifestyle change: my skin is clearer, my sleep is deeper, my hair is shiner, my mind is clearer and my smile is wider.  And the best part of it all is that when I chose to use the tools suggested for me to initiate healing, I actually have seen real differences for the first time.

I read a quote this morning that said, “to have a different body you must become a different person.” This really resonated with me.  Different in the best possible way.  Different in a way that finally brings you peace and brings an end to the relentless search for answers. The human body is powerful beyond anything we were ever taught.  It was about time that I unlocked this power within myself.