feeling lost....(it doesn't often happen!)

10 years ago I was diagnosed with serve food intolerance’s – tested by elimination diets, blood tests, skin prick tests and kinesiology. All providing the same results. 

I was told I was intolerant to (and therefore shouldn’t eat any of) WHEAT AND GLUTEN (I am coeliac) DAIRY, SOY, CORN, TOMATO, MUSHROOMS, PEAS, EGGS, NUTS, ALL BERRIES, ALL MELONS, GRAPES, BANANAS, PORK, ALL PRESERVATIVES / ADDITIVES / FLAVOURS (basically anything with a number) AND AMINES AND SALICYLATES. 

Could you imagine being able to eat anything and everything (or so you thought) and then hearing this? There is no ‘magic pill’ (as a person once asked me!) My only option was to not eat this food – as the pain of the ‘bowel attacks’ of what happened when I did eat it was seriously not worth it (yes I have had 4 children naturally and the pain is comparable to that with HOURS on the loo and passing out).

I decided to do a little elimination diet myself to find out ‘how much’ of this food listed above I could eat….and this is what I came up with and have stuck to for 8-10 years.

I DO NOT EAT (EVEN ONE BITE OF) WHEAT, GLUTEN, DAIRY, SOY, TOMATO, MUSHROOMS, PEAS, CORN, ALL BERRIES, ALL MELONS, GRAPES, BANANAS, PORK, ALL PRESERVATIVES /ADDITIVES / FLAVOURS. 

I found that I could eat IN MODERATION eggs, nuts, coconut, salmon, lentils, sesame seeds, garlic, olives, mango, pineapple, avocado. (e.g. only 1-2 servings of ONE of these things per week) 

From here I was doing well. I was healthy, had energy, maintained a healthy weight and created my 2 gorgeous recipe books “Cut out the Crap” and “Cut out the Crap for Kids” ….. until recently. 

I started noticing that these ‘sometimes foods’ were starting to react with me more and more, over a 6 week period I made a food diary and paid attention to common themes and how I was feeling. I was running to the loo a lot more, cramps in my stomach daily, migraines every other day and not too keen to leave the house. I felt like I had turned back time to 10 years ago when ‘food’ was doing my head in and getting me down….with a history of depression which I will NOT let beat me,  I didn’t want to go back to that place.
I am proud to say that I am VERY aware of my body and when I realised that something major was going on I needed to do something about it straight away. My business is full-time work which I still run on my own and also having 4 children I NEED to be healthy!!!!!   

I am not one for self diagnosing and then not getting confirmation /proof from a Dr….so as much as I thought I knew what I needed to avoid, I also needed it confirmed. I LOVE food and the last thing I want to do it cut out something nutritional that I actually could be eating and enjoying! I started doing research on more intolerance / allergy testing and have an appointment with my allergist from years ago (not for a few months) . 
I also decided after talking to a few friends who have had successes that I would get an IgG 93 test done …..blood tests that tested for 93 different food types. It cost me $410 dollars and I am not sure if I should be happy or disappointed with the results. I was hoping to have it show something in relation to these ‘sometimes’ foods….but it didn’t….it confirmed the MAJOR things I already knew and then also told me a MAJOR intolerance was ‘Kidney Beans’ ….. did I just spent $410 to find out I am allergic to Kidney Beans? I think so. 

So I feel I am back to square one. What do I do about this list of ‘sometimes’ foods that I know upsets my stomach with cramps and loo trips. Its not normal. Do I avoid them? Do I continue to have them at times? 

To top it all off, only last week (Easter Saturday) I spent the day in hospital drugged up on Morphine with SEVERE chest, rib and stomach pains and after a week of tests, tests and more tests it seems I have too many ‘acids’ in my gut as well as Gastritis (inflammation of the lining of the stomach) which it seems to be bought on by and caused by too much Nurofen …. which if we back track….I was taking for those 6 or so weeks when my food intolerance’s were at their worst….eeek….it seems its one big vicious circle!

Now I need to find out ALSO a way that I can get off the horrid chemical medication I am on and control this more naturally!

Please forgive me… I am not always a ‘poor me’ person and this is certainly not how I want this post to be perceived. I have SO many things that I am grateful for and thank God for daily. I know that there are people worse off out there than me, and for them I pray also. I guess its just not often I feel ‘lost’ with where to go next with my health…. in the past I have seen so many specialists and people that claim they can ‘heal’ me and it has only resulted in a waste of time, money, disappointment and another ‘bowel attack’.  I am hoping that by sharing my story 1) you might have something to help me – advice, kind words, direction, research and 2) I may help you and have you know you are not alone. 

I am taking medication which I hate doing, I am eating a bland diet which is boring (especially when I am in the middle of cooking for CUT OUT THE CRAP 3) and I am missing my daily juices and fruit!!!!!!

I have had a beautiful and overwhelming response of people offering advice with my health issues with the little they have read on Facebook, which I am looking into each and every one and seeing if I find something that ‘clicks’ …..  My ‘gut’ (pardon the pun) is telling me to go back to my Naturopath that I have been seeing on and off for years whom I trust, she deals in alternate medicine and Chinese medicine and I am sure (if not the whole problem) that she can at least help with the acid issue and gastritis…..as for the other food intolerances….at the moment I have no idea!!!!!!!

I guess I will take it one day at a time as always and do my best to turn these experiences into something to learn from and hopefully help others along the way. 

I will keep you posted….

Take Care of You,
Collette x

feeling lost....(it doesn't often happen!)