Thursday, August 8, 2013

Happy Belly, Happy Body - Let's talk Food Sensitivities

Those of you who have been following my journey know that it has been quite the weird and windy road for me. A few months ago, I had that crazy rash, found out that my thyroid was suddenly going haywire, changing my body chemistry, and as a result I ventured into the Gluten Free lifestyle.

Fast forward a month or so, my rash had gone away but things still felt weird. That weirdness is really hard to describe. I was always on edge, but at the same time exhausted, and my skin would still get that creepy crawly 'you're gonna break out at any second' feeling.

I was REALLY behaving on the diet, so I was completely confused. I kept trying to figure out what my 'triggers' could be. Was it my shampoo? Lotion perhaps? Laundry Detergent? I think maybe it's coffee and chocolate. I was in a weird place and analyzing EVERYTHING I put in or on me.

I took a chance and started seeing a new doctor. 

He is by no means what you would consider conventional. He's a chiropractor that specializes in metabolic and thyroid disorders. His treatment takes a 'whole body' approach. Meaning that he wants to treat patients as a whole, not just one symptom at a time...and he also uses a natural approach as much as possible. After my initial consultation (which holy cow was more in depth then any other doctor I've ever seen!) I was sent for a TON of labwork.

Fast forward again to this week...My results are finally in! Yikes!

Above and beyond gluten, I have a whole slew of food sensitivities I wasn't aware of. Before I give you this list...let me try to explain what a 'sensitivity' is. A sensitivity is not quite as bad as a full blown allergy, but it's still pretty bad for you. Think of it like this...you can go out in the sun, but you may get sunburn. Stay out too long, and you get sun poisoning. Make sense? Basically, the more you expose yourself to these items, the worse you'll feel.

So...Here's my mother of a list!

Yeast
Sesame
Hemp
Tapioca
Teff
Egg
Rice
Rye
Barley
Spelt
Polish Wheat
Dairy (including Chocolate)

That's quite a list isn't it? Now mind you, these are not 'quacky' results that are just based on feelings or history. This list is a compiled result of some very specific blood lab tests.

Needless to say, I thought I was eating well, but now have to buckle down and do even better. I'm keeping a food diary, and will soon be meeting with a nutritionist regarding all of this. I'll be headed to the grocery store tomorrow with my little cheat sheet in hand, and learning how to get creative with my food.

My adventure just got a little bit more crazy...
But hey, crazy is pretty much the story of my life.

All I know is that I want to be healthy...
and a Happy Belly equals a Happy Body

Stay tuned for more of my results...

What, you didn't think that was it did you? LOL

Until Next time, Stay happy and healthy! 

~Kristina
aka The Contrary Athlete
www.facebook.com/TheContraryAthlete





3 comments:

  1. Drink half glass ahead of going to bed and refrigerate the other half. Next early morning, drink the remaining drink, which you stored in the refrigerator.

    Regards,
    Kopi Luwak

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  2. Ah Hemp...well...there's always nylon. :) What in the heck is Spelt? Oh my dear friend, I'm glad you've found someone to help you. I have been reading his page that you sent me. I might have to take a walk over to his practice!

    hugs and hugs

    me

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  3. Oh, and one more thing. My daughter has had a sensitivity to dairy her entire life. This made feeding her an infant REALLY BAD. We have worked on her digestive system her whole short life. All I can say is, it gets better as you feel better. It seems to be easier to do the right thing. *hugs again*

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