Hello hello! It’s been a while since I’ve done a post in regards to my health and well, a lot has happened in the last year. Ever since I started “recovery” all sorts of changes have been happening to me. Physically, emotionally, psychologically, and spiritually.
Leaky gut
I’ve started to go to a naturopath recently and ended up getting an allergy test done. I thought that this might be a waste of money but I was tired of feeling tired and bloated all the time so I figured there was nothing to lose. Well, let me just tell you the result was not at all what I expected. According to the test, I was allergic to practically everything. I couldn’t have any proteins (not even vegetarian or plant-based ones), seeds, barely any nuts, dairy, and only a couple grains. I know. It was a lot to take in.
Despite how scary the results looked, based on the naturopath’s “diagnosis,” I have something called leaky gut where there are holes in your intestinal lining. This means that undigested food particles and potentially toxic substances can get into your blood stream!
I know it sounds scary and dramatic but this basically happens when you over-work your digestive system by eating foods you’re intolerant food or overeat on a consistent basis. When your intestinal lining gets worn down from this, all the unwanted substances end up building up in your bloodstream which means that your liver needs to work over-time to get rid of all the extra toxins in your blood. Overtime this can lead to increased inflammation in your body and digestive issues.
Tracking food
Upon learning this, I started to really keep track of what I was eating and more importantly how I was feeling upon eating it. It started off with me realizing that I was getting migraines and shallow breathing after having wheat or dairy. Then I realized that sometimes I’d get stomach cramps if I ate cold things or citrus fruits. I’m still trying to figure out the specifics but ever since I’ve been reducing my intake of the foods that bother me I’ve been feeling better.
With that being said, I started this entire process around the time of spring break so my stress has significantly reduced as well. So it’s hard to really say that the change is strictly due to my slight changes to my diet rather than the reduction of stress and increase in sleep. We’ll have to see when I get back to work.
Diet
So what have I been doing diet wise? How I eat and what I eat is a question that I get asked more often than anything else. Am I vegan? Do I eat only whole foods? Do I eat meat? And it goes on. Well first of all I don’t think how anyone eats is something that they should be judged on because we have the freedom to choose what we choose to put into our bodies.
Prior to this, I basically ate anything and everything I wanted except red meat or poultry. Typically I’d have a bagel/toast with fruit for breakfast, a salad with smoked tofu for lunch, and then a stirfry of sorts for dinner. In between all my meals I’d have a protein bar or smoothie and then a couple fruits before bed. This was what worked for me and when I craved it I’d have my dark chocolate squares or whatever sweet pastry I felt like having that day. On the weekends I’d go out and eat what I felt like having.
I tried to not restrict what I ate but I had a problem with how much I ate. I think that is an issue that a lot of people going through recovery go through where you end up losing sight of what a “normal portion” is anymore. I’m sure this is what also lead to my stomach and digestive issues.
Healing my body
Now what have I been doing differently now to heal my body?
I’ve cut out soy, dairy and eggs from my diet for the most part. By that I mean I don’t consume anything with dairy in it (whey, casein, yogurt), I no longer eat tofu or use soy sauce (but I might have the occasional bit of miso paste), and I don’t eat eggs. I’m not overly strict with this and I’m still feeling better but if symptoms get worse again I will be more careful with these items.
I’m currently trying to cut wheat and gluten out of my life because I’m sure the benefits would be even better for me but knowing me, the more I force myself to avoid something, the higher the likelihood that I’ll binge on it later. So I do my best to avoid it but if I’m craving a slice of toast, I’ll have it. Why don’t I just eat gluten-free breads? Because most of them still have lots of binders that can cause stomach distress and I don’t believe that replacing a gluten product with a gluten-free version is necessarily healthy. If I make a change I rather make it one where I have a whole-food item instead.
So what DO I eat?
- I’ve incorporated chicken back into my diet. I only have it when I’m unable to get my hands on seafood though.
- Adding turmeric and black pepper to almost everything I eat. This helps decrease inflammation in your body.
- Drinking a cup of bone broth everyday to help heal my gut lining
- I incorporate a scoop of collagen peptides for extra protein and to help heal my body
- I try to eat a higher fat and lower carb diet. This is because when your body has too many sugars in it, it can build up the yeast bacteria in your stomach and lead to candida.
- I add coconut milk and coconut oil it practically everything!
- Try my best to get into bed early and read to reduce screen-time before bed
- I work out 4-5 times a week. Usually it’ll be 3 days at the gym with 20 mins cardio and either a lower body, total body, or upper body workout depending on the day. The other two days I’ll do either HIIT circuits or pilates depending on how I’m feeling.
Have you struggled with digestive issues? What have you done to help heal your body?