Finding My Balance With Food

With all the people out there who are still resolved to stick to strict New Year’s resolutions centered around their eating habits, or those who have thrown in the towel because they slipped up once or twice, I’ve been thinking a lot lately about finding my balance with food.

 

Eggs, peas, carrots, and mushroom chicken sausage

 

 

Many readers will remember that back in October, I mentioned having some stomach problems that led to experimenting with cutting out different types of food and to testing for more allergies or other potential issues. I’m not the only one dealing with this, and actually reading Emily’s recent posts about her own troubles leads me to believe that doctors sometimes don’t have all the answers. So, in an effort to figure out what might be going on I’ve decided to try a basic three-week elimination diet with no grains, dairy, soy, or alcohol (and limited added sugars). I typically eat many gluten free grains like oats and brown rice, and a fair amount of dairy in the form of cheese, yogurt, and ice cream, so it is a significant change.

 

 

 

I was hesitant to try an elimination at first. I’ve come a long way from where I was even a year ago, when I wrote my first post about my past struggles during National Eating Disorders Awareness Week, but the idea of purposely restricting entire food groups for reasons other than a severe allergy (which I already have to do) worried me. I enjoy cooking and eating, but thinking about food all the time isn’t necessarily healthy. I feel like Sarah does listening to people proclaim that eliminating this or that is the only way to achieve good health. I’ve accepted that I probably don’t need to lose those extra 5 pounds, often the reason people do elimination diets.

 

“I go the distance for skinny jeans.” Not me!

 

 

But the more I thought about it, the more I realized that what’s going on with me is a health issue, and an elimination is a potential treatment. I’m not doing it to lose weight. It’s not a diet. It’s a way of eating for a little while that might lead to some answers and feeling better thereafter. It’s for these reasons that I decided not to attempt a strict Whole30 – well, that and the fact that given my allergies to foods other than wheat (avocados, oranges, pineapples, tree nuts) I’d be going overboard. I also didn’t want to restrict myself unnecessarily. So I’m just eliminating the major inflammatory food groups, and allowing myself any and all substitutes.

 

 

Baked Quinoa Flax Cake with Enjoy Life chocolate chips and sunflower butter

 

 

 

I’ll be checking back in about how it’s going, both in my WIAW posts and weekly recaps, and I’m hopeful that things will be looking up. Until then, happy eating!

 

 

 

 

 

 

Have you ever done an elimination for health issues?

 

What’s your take on plans like the Whole30?

 

Favorite elimination friendly treat recipe?

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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