Posts Tagged "food"

8-Months Gluten, Dairy, & Egg Free!

Posted by Elle on Apr 27, 2012 | 0 comments

Good morning! It’s such a beautiful day! It has officially been 8 months since my diagnosis of gluten, dairy, and egg sensitivities. Since then I have created an entirely new diet for myself  from scratch and embraced myself for all the hardship that brings. It was hard for a while, and yet it occurred to me when I was walking to lunch with my girls this week that I have completely forgotten about how that walk used to torture me! I used to walk in horrific, silent pain every day and was happy to arrive back at my desk so I could rest and my pain would subside for a brief minute. Now that seems like a distant memory! Once I started thinking about it I realized that I haven’t felt even a stitch of pain in a whole month! Wow! How my life has changed! It’s funny how I had completely forgotten my pain!

I’m FREE!

Since then I have met many people who give the customary head tilt and sympathetic “awwwww” when I have to explain that I have food allergies. “You can’t eat cheese or butter? That’s horrible! You are allergic to everything!” So bizarre that I used to think the same thing! Cheese was my absolute favorite! But I don’t deserve that sympathy now because this is the happiest I have been in an eternity! My life changed without me even realizing it! And it really has! I could not be more grateful for my life than at this exact moment. I can honestly say that cheese doesn’t even sound good to me anymore. Amazing!

Let them eat cake!

And! I’ve even discovered that I can have birthday cake next year (if I ever crave it again that is!). Thanks to one of my fave celebs (who also happens to have the exact same food allergies as me) Zooey Deschanel, I have found Baby Cakes. Baby Cakes has gluten-free/vegan and sugar free cupcakes and cake at their NYC and LA bakeries. And they deliver all over! SCORE! And look how pretty they are (see picture above)!

So many awesome joys to this new life without pain! Hope that your journeys are going well too! It seems that food allergies have become pretty rampant these days! Good health to you all!

One Person’s Poison

Posted by Elle on Sep 16, 2011 | 0 comments

I hit a wall. But that is what lead me here, to a place where I finally have answers that will hopefully shed light on problems I’ve seen faced by sooooo many people! And there ARE answers! People with IBS, Crohn’s, Celiac, or the perpetually undiagnosed CAN find out what is ailing them and make positive changes with their life! All it takes is a little bit of info and some positive life changes!

I have struggled with digestive issues on and off for the past couple of years. When “on”, I could easily slide myself into a stress funk (which makes it even worse)! I would think, I have appendicitis! A tumor! Something had to be seriously wrong judging by the intense stomach pain I felt. Only cuddling up in bed could provide me any relief. Over time I have researched and researched and researched to try to get to the bottom of what is causing my pain. After a three year struggle to get to the bottom of it, I finally found good news. In other words, we aren’t all doomed.

What the Experts Say (and can we believe them??)

After dealing with bouts of colon pain I decided I wanted to get to the bottom of it and try to rid it once and for all. I started with a few doc visits. After a lot of money and time, here’s what they had to tell me: Doctor number 1 tested me for Celiac (negative) and said I might be lactose or gluten intolerant. Doctor number 2 laughed it off as IBS (no cure, you’ll have it till you are 50-sorry!). I went to an Ayurveda Practitioner who chalked it up to stress as well as diet factors such as not enough fiber, and too much cheese and bread (common in the west). Lastly, I saw a Clairvoyant who told me that she could see that I was holding long-term trauma in my stomach. Alrighty, soooo stress, food intolerances, diet, and a doomed future…. I’m going to need more information.

Thus began my research online. On the web, there are thousands of conflicting sites that all claim to know how to solve digestive ailments. Google IBS and you will find advocates who say a Paleo diet is the true solution, or that the Mediterranean Diet is the cure. Some say low-fat, some say high-fiber; some say good fats, high-omega 3′s, low-carb or no carb. There are “experts” who say avoid fried foods, sugar, wheat, milk, and pretty much every other food under the sun. Exercise, take supplements, probiotics, enzymes, laxatives! Drink raw milk, no milk, no dairy. No gluten or no grains period! What advice are we supposed to follow? It seems that these “experts” aren’t any more knowledgeable than the general public! If we are to follow all of the advice that’s out there we would be on a water and vegetable only diet and a heavy load of supplements that will contradict each other! (Trust me, that is not the answer).

The Good News

After 3 years of complete agony, and the millionth google search about what my symptoms could possibly mean, I stumbled upon an excellent article in Natural Health Magazine. The article talks about food sensitivities, and although I have tried to eliminate items from my diet before without success, it gave an excellent piece of advice: get tested. After the author tested his mother for food sensitivities and discovered she reacted strongly to egg, removing that element from her diet gave her a whole new life.

I started looking up different means of testing, when I found a true gem. The IBS Treatment Center in Seattle. I read every testimonial on the site and found a ton of people EXACTLY like me, with the same symptoms, the same “life threatening” feeling that I was constantly feeling!!!! Empowered, I scheduled an appointment with Dr. Wangen and flew up to Seattle to see him. After a blood and stool/DNA test, I received my results this week. Like many before me I found some answers! Food intolerances.

I cannot even describe to you the relief! Gluten, Dairy, & Eggs (“The Big Three” as they are called) are my culprit. I eat all three of these things daily! Two days ago I revamped my kitchen, planned menus and am on my way to a new life! A life where I will be able to run, do yoga, go for hikes! I can’t wait to see the results from my new diet and hope to be pain-free in no time! I will let you know my results as I hit the 1 and 2 month marks. (about how long it takes for your digestion system to repair itself after the poison’s are removed). There will be some recovery ahead, but at least there are finally answers! I hope that my answers can be of some help to others going through the pain of discovering what ails them. It is a hard process, but there ARE ANSWERS! I promise!

I would be happy to talk with anyone that finds themselves in the same scenario! Email me at elle@happyyogis.net

Good Luck! and Good Health!

Eat the Rainbow! (Skittles Don’t Count)

Posted by Elle on Mar 14, 2011 | 0 comments

Have you been as crazed as I have looking at all the completely different, yet scientifically justified diets out there? It’s a bit insane to tell one from another, and they all recirculate throughout the years with new names to further confuse you. The best food advice I ever got was from my mom’s doc in Oregon:

Eat the rainbow, Get 15 minutes of sunshine daily, drink as much pure water as you can, and think moderation when it comes to wheat, corn, and soy. (Humans have messed with them too much!)

I love the idea of eating the rainbow and ever since I heard this advice, I have seen confirmation of it everywhere! Fruits and veggies get their beautiful colors from the same nutrients that make us healthy and happy and keep us disease free. In fact, many studies will even go so far as to suggest that if people simply ate more veggies, cancer wouldn’t even exist! (Robb Wolf). So each week I trot off to the farmers market (or Whole Foods in winter) and pick up fruits and veggies in every color. Then I come home and look up the veggies on epicurious.com to see what fantastic meals I can make with them. That makes for 7 days of delicious and healthy meals that I don’t have to stress over.

My absolute favorite read about the pleasures of food and healthy living is “French Women Don’t Get Fat.” Whether
your goals include weight loss, or just a healthy lifestyle, this book is a great read and gives you a passion and respect for all of the beautiful things that we put on our plates each meal. Not to mention it promotes a healthy relationship with food, which, quite frankly, many of us didn’t have the fortune of growing up with. Since 100% of our food habits are learned, if you didn’t get good habits from your parents, might as well get them from Mireille Guiliano, the author of the book. Not only is Mireille svelte and beautiful as a woman in her mid-50′s, she is an empowering woman who was a long time spokesperson for Champagne Veuve Clicquot and former President and CEO of the French wine company Clicquot, Inc. (LVMH). Her website is jubilant with a strong message of passion and enjoyment, not restriction and suffering. http://frenchwomendontgetfat.com/content/about-mireille

Real Simple also has a great article about beautifully colorful and nutricious foods. http://www.realsimple.com/health/nutrition-diet/healthy-eating/the-30-healthiest-foods-00000000051152/index.html

Hope you enjoy these resources as much as I did! Remember, the more beautiful your plate is, the more nutritious the meal is! And try something new! There are so many beautiful fruits and vegetables that I haven’t even tried yet. Last week I had my friend teach me how to eat a Mango, and since then, I have eaten three of them! You never know if a new fruit might become your favorite. Living should be enjoyable, and with the simple advice of my mom’s doc, you can enjoy your life, and love what you eat!