Ok, I admit the title of this post is very random and seems confusing. But it is an accurate title because I want to give you guys a glimpse into some of what I have been eating recently and some challenges I have had knowing what foods I can and can not tolerate. My hope in sharing this with you is that you will be able to learn something about your body and that it will ultimately help you out in some way.
I believe wholeheartedly that there is not a one-size-fits-all diet out there. There are some things we should never put in our bodies. For example: artificial sweeteners, colors, chemicals and chemical laden processed foods. But when it comes to healing foods there can be a season for inclusion and a season for exclusion. A lot of it depends on your previous toxic exposure (how sensitive you are), current stress level and overall business of life. Those factors can determine the need for making a diet switch. Our bodies are so smart and our physiology and inflammation levels can change with our changing stress levels.
I want to share with you my most recent diet discovery. I have been tested numerous times and in many numerous different ways for food allergies. It’s always come back that I don’t have any. With that being said, that doesn’t mean that I can and should eat every food. Just because we aren’t allergic to something doesn’t make it a nourishing food. But on the flip side, just because it’s a nourishing food (like raw dairy from healthy cows, nuts, beans, etc…) doesn’t mean that it is nourishing to your body at all times. I hope this makes sense. I felt a little confused writing it. The basic idea is not all foods are good for everyone at every-time. Our bodies are so complex.
I have had quite severe gut (digestive) problems in the past. I lived with a severe leaky gut ant it was what I lived with for 8 years and mildly still have now. I have done so many things over the last 3 years to get my gut healthy. I want you to know it’s better, but there is still healing that needs to take place. Lately I have realized that some of the foods I believed to be healing to my body were actually causing some additional stress to my digestive system. The foods I have recently discovered are irritating my gut are cooked eggs, dairy (except for raw cultured dairy and grass-fed butter) and nuts are some things I have cut out of my diet. I have completely cut out cooked eggs, regular dairy and I eat something containing nuts in moderation about 2-3xper week. When I first thought of taking more out of my diet I got really discouraged. I didn’t want to make another change! I thought I’ve done enough, let me keep my “fun” foods. To me, fun foods were dairy and nuts. But the amazing thing is once I took these things out, I started to feel better. And feeling better is worth making a change. Sometimes I have to talk myself into making a change (it’s hard), but I did it and I’m committed to my health!
Does this concept of bringing foods in and out of your diet at times sound weird? Maybe some of you are actually thinking it sounds a lot like you. I am going to try my best to explain it very simply so it all makes sense and you can be a better investigator of your own body.
Grains
Grains are super sugars. Some grains are worse than others (like our hybridized and processed wheat!). But grains can be very irritating to the gut and can cause inflammation of the cell membrane and affect cellular function. If your health goals are met and are feeling really well, I am ok with eating ancient grains in moderation. Ancient grains are quinoa, buckwheat, amaranth and millet. But if any symptoms start to creep back up or if you are feeling stressed, drop the grains again. It’s better for your gut and microbiome. Sprouting your grains are by far the best way to prepare them if you are eating any grains in your diet.
Dairy
I believe that dairy can be a health food and should be a health food. But, because we have altered the genetics of most cows, pasteurized the milk and taken the fat out of it (fat-free dairy + skim milk) it has become a very inflammatory, addictive, and allergenic. It is known as beta a-1 casein. Because of what we have done to our dairy, we need to be very careful what dairy we choose to eat. If you can have dairy, choose raw dairy from very healthy beta a-2 cows. Cultured and fermented dairy is also a better option because of the beneficial bacteria you get from the fermentation process. Examples of the fermented dairy is kefir and Amasai.
Dairy, in Chinese medicine, is known as a heavy food. It has a tendency to stir up the gut when we are stressed further driving leaky gut. Dairy may possibly be a food you have to limit for a time until you get your gut healthier. And then, of course, always choose the healthiest forms of dairy you can get! To get into the science: unhealthy beta a-1 dairy has a BCM7 protein and causes leaky gut and causes inflammation and brain issues. The problem with purchasing even organic dairy is that the dairy is mixed from many different cows from different farms. The best is finding a small farm where the farmer knows he has beta a-2 cows and getting your dairy from them. The other option is purchasing plain Amasai from Beyond Organic. You can go to the link and set up an account through Youngevity to access the Beyond Organic products and get products shipped directly to you.
Nuts
Nuts are a food that are high in lectins. Actually dairy and gluten are also high in lectins. Lectin is a protein that is sugar-binding. It allows for molecules to bond together and can be a defense against microorganisms. Lectins in themselves are not a bad thing. There are some in almost every food. But they are very high in nuts. If a person has an unhealthy gut or an autoimmune disease, nuts can be an irritant to the digestive system because of the high levels of lectins. Your body can actually start to form antibodies to the lectins and increase autoimmunity and increase gut dysbiosis. If your gut is feeling bad, take nuts out for a while. Or only eat them 1-3x per week. You may be surprised in how much better you feel!
Guess what? Our bodies are amazing and they respond in the exact way they are supposed to. Our lives go in and out of different seasons. Some are more balanced than others and some seasons are stressful. Know that altering your diet can greatly influence how your body responds to inflammation and stress. Get to know your body like I am doing. It’s a truly a learning process and I am always learning myself. Some of these little modifications can make a drastic difference in healing your gut and healing your body.
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