The D Word

Get your minds out of the gutter people! I’m talking about the word “diet”!!! I think I’ve been on a diet since the age of 8. I grew up in a household where all the women were always trying the newest diet and they would constantly say, “Oh, I can’t, I’m on a diet” or “I really need to lose weight” or “I’m being so bad”. I could go on for days about the ridiculous things we say when we’re “on a diet”. But the truth is, we are not “on” diets, what we eat is our diet. Both the “good” and the “bad” foods make up our diets. Okay my rant of quoted ludicrous diet expressions is now complete. Now I’ll move on to my latest philosophy on food.
I’ve recently been a pescaterian, vegetarian, a very short lived vegan to now, a whole-foodegan. (Do you see what I did there?) To make a very long story short, I have a skin condition call eczema, I’ve had it since I was a child and it usually only rears it’s ugly head a few months out of the year and it’s more annoying than anything. But this year it got so bad it was affecting my work and my sleep. So I went on a mission to get rid of it for good. Eczema is one of those things that they say you have to cure from the inside out, and that it’s a gut health issue or a food allergy. I learned a lot about myself, my body and how foods affect me on each of these diets, but I always felt a sense of restriction.
  • Please excuse my terribly manicured feet and if you have a weak stomach, but here is what my eczema looked like just a few months ago.

Fast forward to today, I am allowed to eat whatever I want. I’ll let you soak that in for a moment and then I’ll repeat it. I AM ALLOWED TO EAT WHATEVER I WANT!!!! It is one of the most freeing experiences of my life since I have always been on some sort of diet! Here is the catch…because you know there’s always a catch! I want to be the happiest and healthiest version of myself and to do that I need to consider what I am eating. Gluten and highly processed foods make me feel bloated and give me an eczema rash almost overnight. Eczema is an inflammatory condition inside your body, so I try to avoid foods that are inflammatory. Key word being try, because if I want it, I eat it. But I know what the possible ramification might be. So I try to only eat whole foods and if I’m hungry I eat. What a concept right? Listening to what your body is asking for? Weird! Here are some incredibly delicious meals I’ve prepped.

I used to think that I needed to eat less to lose weight, but it’s no longer about losing weight for me, it’s about my health as a whole. All of our bodies function differently, but also very much alike at the same time. Our bodies tell us when it needs fuel and we can choose to ignore it, which only causes problems or we can choose to nourish our bodies with amazing foods that will make us feel good and function properly. The decision is something we all have to make for ourselves and all our journeys will be different and that is what makes it so beautiful.

I get asked a lot what my diet is like. Again, I just try to eat whole foods, but if you’re interested in seeing what I eat in a day just leave a comment below. If there is enough interest, I’ll dedicate a post just to what I eat in a day with beautiful photos to accompany it and maybe even a few recipes.

And just for the record, my eczema is 100% under control since making this change. I’ll leave you with another photo of my feet from just moments ago.

8 thoughts

  1. Great post! I’d love to see what you eat in a day, starting with breakfast. It’s pretty Incredible how amazing your feet look now – food is thy medicine!!

    Reply

    1. You don’t want me to start with dinner? 😉 Thanks my friend, you have seen my feet at their very worst and I thank you for loving me anyways! <3

      Reply

  2. I really enjoyed this post. I like eating anti-inflammatory wholefoods because it helps keep my acne under control 🙂 Looking forward to your future posts!

    Reply
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  5. Congrats on getting rid of your eczema! I’ve been suffering with it for decades. Could you suggest a simply elimination diet? I’m always confused on what is a fairly safe starting point once I’ve eliminated wheat, grain and sugar.

    Reply

    1. Hi Sam,

      This is what my doctor gave me. Essentially, you can only eat fruit, veggies and meat for 30 days. Then slowly introduce each item every 3-4 days.

      Citrus fruits: Avoid citrus fruits, such as oranges and grapefruits.
      Nightshade vegetables: Avoid nightshades, including tomatoes, peppers, eggplant, white potatoes, cayenne pepper and paprika.
      Nuts and seeds: Eliminate all nuts and seeds.
      Legumes: Eliminate all legumes, such as beans, lentils, peas and soy-based products.
      Starchy foods: eliminate wheat, barley, corn, spelt, rye, oats and bread. Also avoid any other gluten-containing foods.
      Meat and fish: Avoid processed meats, cold cuts, eggs and shellfish.
      Dairy products: Eliminate all dairy, including milk, cheese, yogurt and ice cream.
      Fats: Eliminate butter, margarine, hydrogenated oils, mayonnaise and spreads.
      Beverages: Eliminate alcohol, coffee, black tea, soda and other sources of caffeine.
      Spices and condiments: Avoid sauces, relish and mustard. Eliminate garlic.
      Sugar and sweets: Eliminate sugar (white and brown), honey, maple syrup, corn syrup and high-fructose corn syrup, agave nectar, desserts and chocolate.

      It’s tough, but totally worth it.

      Reply

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