It was a Friday afternoon. I had just finished up early at the hospital and I was headed back to Madison for a weekend. I ate some leftover cheese ravioli and slammed a big glass of milk as I rushed out the door to the weekend that awaited.
I got on the road and called my mom just to chat. Then, about 30 minutes into the drive…it happened.
The panic, the cold sweat, and the flipping stomach. I HAD TO POOP!
I flew off the interstate at 90 mph, flew into a Kwik Trip parking lot, parked across 2 spots diagonally, and ran in pinching my cheeks as hard as possible.
I will spare you the details from here.
This was the last time I drank milk. Spring 2014.
Since then, I have realized a few other foods thats don’t hit me THIS hard, but lead to some unfortunate results.
How about you? Do you have issues with certain foods? Do you feel lost, frustrated and confused as to what you can eat and what you can’t? I know how you feel.
I felt this same way once – before the “incident” that “woke me up” – but what I found now is that by investing a little extra effort and time into solving this issue, I can now live mostly gut issue free!
Let’s start with the simplest tactic: awareness.
Like anything else that matters to you, you need to be aware of the fact that you are doing it or not doing it. “I have no clue why my kid resents me?” – maybe you are unaware that you never play with them… “I have no clue why I always get bloated and gassy after certain meals” – time to become aware.
Take mental, or better yet, physical notes on what’s going on! See if you can pin down the food that is causing the issue. For me – nearly crapping my pants was the final wake up call I needed to know milk probably wasn’t the best option.
Also, I noticed that every time I ate a raw fruit with a pit, my throat got scratchy. So guess what, I stopped eating them.
So many people decide to throw in the towel on their food and say “this is just how it’s going to be…”. Well, that’s not me, and that shouldn’t be you.
Once you find awareness, it is time for acceptance.
Milk wasn’t a hard one for me to give up. But other dairy products that I love have been.
However, none of them give me as bad of a reaction as milk, so sometimes I choose to live with them…and this is part of acceptance. Either accept the fact that something makes you feel so crappy that you are okay with avoiding it, or accept the fact that you are going to live in denial and just continue feeling crappy.
For me, I have accepted my choice to avoid milk, and to limit the other stuff to special occasions – and accept that I might be a little gassy and bloated – and I’m ok with that once in a while.
What if you cannot pinpoint the culprit?
Food sensitivities can be brutal, and hard to pinpoint. Some common issues that maybe don’t seem so common are:
- asthma and allergies
- autoimmune disorders
- skin conditions
- arthritis
- atherosclerosis and other cardiovascular diseases
- neurodegenerative diseases such as dementia
- mood disorders
- ADD/ADHD
- narcolepsy
- addiction
- migraines
- kidney problems
If you feel like you cannot pinpoint what is causing your issues, I suggest running an elimination diet. Yes, don’t get a test done – they are often inaccurate, and will just end up telling you to do an elimination diet anyways.
So here we go again, something that seems “hard” and most people won’t do this. But the freedom that this might bring you, and the pain and frustration it might prevent should motivate you to do this!
The Elimination Diet Protocol
First Three Weeks; follow these guidelines – via Precision Nutrition
Yes, this sounds tough, but again – worth it. Buckle down, own up, and make this happen.
After 3 weeks:
You want to pick ONE group that you eliminated and introduce it back for ONE day. Then cut it out for 2 days again – and look for any weird symptoms:
- Gi Issues
- Worse sleep
- Joint pain
- Sinus issues
- Skin issues
Then reintroduce another food group and repeat the process with everything you cut out – one group at a time.
It might look like this:
- Weeks 1-3 – Elimination Diet Protocol
- Week 4- Monday – Add coffee back (yes, this would be the hardest for me too)
- Week 4 – Tues – Wed – Cut coffee out (note any issues)
- Week 4 – Thursday – Add citrus fruits back
- Week 4 – Friday -Saturday – Cut out citrus (note any issues)
Repeat this with everything, and when you DO have that 2-day stretch where something seems to feel funky – you NOW have you suspect! Good work!
Final Tips
Yes, I know this doesn’t look easy. But again – are you willing to work to improve your well being and health?
Look back to the list above of what foods you can eat. Toss out anything that isn’t on the list – or the stuff that is on the elimination list. Then, use it as your shopping list. Go grocery shopping and buy only these foods, and find ways to prepare them.
It actually doesn’t look all that bad…
So much so that if this post gets 10 shares, I will run a full elimination diet and document the whole process for you! Game on!
Take your health back, invest in the process, and feel better in just about a month and a half…doesn’t sound all that bad, does it?
Would you like more guidance on taking back your life, learning to love food again, and getting life long results along the way? IF so —> CHECK OUT ONLINE COACHING***
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Stay healthy my friends,