I wanted to share a bit more about how I eat and why. It's been a long journey over the last decade to figure out through trial and error what helps me and what doesn't. There really isn't a simple guideline when you have an autoimmune issue, even in my case when you know the cause (Lyme). I have friends with similar symptoms who haven't modified their diet quite as much as I have and they report to be fine, it is important to figure out what works best for you.
I saw online that 50 million Americans report they have some sort of autoimmune disease, and there are other diagnoses that can truly benefit from specific eating habits. My commitment to healthy eating is driven by my goal of reducing inflammation within my system so I feel better overall and two, (hopefully!) preventing future disease.
I'll be sharing more about the specific diets in some future posts. In my health story post I shared I first eliminated gluten, sugar, soda and processed foods back in 2014 when I was struggling to overcome active Lyme disease. Then, a few years later in 2017, I committed to the AIP protocol and had really good results. While that way of eating is so strict I can't make it a daily lifestyle, I have however, continued to incorporate some of the AIP strategies ever since.
Prioritizing good, healthy protein, and AIP strategy, was a game-changer for me. This took the place of most of the empty carbs I was consuming; think switching out a breakfast sandwich for a healthy sausage patty which eliminated a mid-morning blood sugar crash and
gave me sustained energy. I also added in more vegetables and reduced snacking as much as I could. I reduced my dairy intake to just some cheese here and there, and began consuming more nuts. I found that I was less hungry, with more stable blood sugar and more energy when I had protein, typically at every meal.
While I eat gluten-free, one thing that changed over the last year is my awareness of how that choice may have been causing more harm than good. Many gluten-free foods are made up of fillers, and chemicals and in many cases, these foods are made out of genetically modified corn. Another common ingredient, Rice can also be of concern, as it has high levels of arsenic so it's important to find an organic label. This last year I started avoiding corn-based products overall, while I dearly miss tortilla chips, I do think it's helped me feel better and lowered inflammation.
I also have become very mindful of finding the best food sources I can. That is one reason why we invested time, energy and money into our own garden. I buy local meat when I can and am particular about what I purchase at the store. Again, prioritizing fresh and organic/natural food gives me confidence in what I am putting into my body.
Finally, my other goal in eating a nutritious diet is to lower my chance of future disease. After reading Chris Beat Cancer (I highly, highly recommend especially if you have doubts about the importance of food and ingredients), I realized that the same strategies that could help work against an existing tumor might very likely help prevent cancer cells from developing in the future. I began worrying less about what I needed to stop eating, and instead added into my diet cancer-fighting foods ones rich in phytochemicals and antioxidants, the Daily Smoothie I drink is a good example of this.
This is very much the short version, it's been a long road to figure out what works best for me. I'll be sharing more specifically about the AIP protocol, Keto, Gluten-Free and Histamine diets over the next few weeks.
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