In 2010, I had just finished a grueling 11-month masters program while working full-time. Soon after I finished the program, my body told me I had overdone it and I became really sick. With the help of my sister, who was going to school to be a naturopathic doctor, I figured out I had become very sensitive to gluten. I had turned on the switch for a food-induced autoimmune condition. I remember going through the grieving process, thinking my life was ending because I couldn’t eat my favorite pasta dish from The Olive Garden. Well, fast forward to today and I assure you, I don’t miss The Olive Garden at all. My husband and I embraced the life change and  learned how to cook from real, whole foods.

I believe healing your body is done in layers. For years, just eliminating gluten was all I could handle. Eventually, my body began telling me I needed to get to deeper healing. I began the journey of learning about therapeutic diets.  When I tried the therapeutic diets, I did them with fidelity.  Mostly, I had positive results.  Eventually, I became fatigued over chasing symptoms and not being able to get to a place where I was satisfied. I decided to pursue testing through a naturopathic doctor and am finally in a great place. 

Through the last nine years, the therapeutic diets I have explored are Clean, Keto, Whole 30, Anti-Inflammatory, GAPS, diets focused on hormones, adrenal fatigue, auto-immune diseases, and histamine intolerance. I have gone through many successes and failures with all of these therapeutic diets. Each one of them, I learned from and incorporated parts of each into my daily life.

I have been to numerous doctors and practitioners. Many were not helpful, some were very helpful. I was determined to figure out how to make it all work while working full time, raising two kids who also have dietary needs, and living a happy life with my husband. I am so glad to have been through my endless healing journey. It is time to pay it forward.

There’s a couple of things I’ve learned along the way….

1. All therapeutic diets use food as medicine. Food is either hurting you or healing you.

2. Everything is figure-out-able.

3. I have learned that I love to help people get healthy!