Living my Best Life

I have lived with self identified food sensitivities and allergies nearly all my life. Once the real culprits were identified by a IgG food sensitivity test, my life and health changed significantly for the better.

Years later when I started my journey to become a Certified Culinary Nutrition Expert, I had no idea of the magnitude of additional changes that were to come from what I learned.

In the beginning, I made the easy changes to consume pasture raise meats, stop eating the top 10 GMO foods and eat more veggies (organic when affordable). Now I find I am paying attention to the other foods I purchase. I look for what country they are grown or produced in and the common farming practices used in those countries.

I now make a conscious choice when I purchase fish and seafood to look for wild or if wild is not possible due to cost farmed from specific countries. I look for products produced in countries that do not use significant antibiotics in the raise them. I consciously avoid fish and seafood from countries like India, China, and Vietnam and look for product from countries like Chile, Peru and other countries with better aqua-farming practices. I continue to monitor changes to keep up on the research, regarding what aqua-farmed fish and seafood are fed, and the farming conditions.

Just like buying organic, wild still tops the list though when I can afford it.

In my research for clients I have learned some astounding things about micro plastics in our oceans. Did you know that in a recent study of modern sea salt samples from around the world, all the samples contained micro plastics? Definitely a concern, but I have yet to give up eating wild fish and seafood and stick to ancient sea salt for my seasonings today.

One step at a time.

I recently noticed that I no longer crave sugar like I used to. This is most likely because I eat very little sugar today as result of eating a diet of whole foods and purchasing less processed foods. Understanding what consuming refined sugar does to my gut microbiome is the biggest deterrent. Sugar as an acid promotes the growth of the bad bacteria. This and the fact that when you eat refined sugar that is not immediately needed for energy, it goes straight to fat cells for future energy use.

We all know how hard it is to get that energy back out of your fat cells at a later date!

As a result I try to eat refined sugar in limited amounts, and to stick to sweeteners like coconut sugar which has a lower Glycemic Index (GI), takes longer to digest so it doesn’t go straight to fat cells and has actual minerals and nutrients unlike refined sugar.

Yesterday I had a big revelation about how far I have come in my journey.

With the opening of patios in Ontario, we stopped at a local Ale House after our morning bike ride. My husband ordered french fries, of course. For me, knowing that the oils they use in the process of cooking those french fries add more omega 6 to my diet was a concern. Omega 6 oils such as canola, soybean and corn are high in fatty acid which feed the bad bacteria in my gut microbiome. For me this was the last straw for eating restaurant french fries. Again, all this is not to say that I will not eat french fries ever again in my life, but more that if I am going to have them, they will be homemade in my oven with the good fats, avocado oil or coconut oil.

10 years ago, I could never imagine the changes I have made both unconsciously and consciously in my everyday eating habits, or that they would be so successful.

I feel good about my choices made to date which include consuming pasture raised meats, wild fish and seafood, Non-GMO foods and more veggies (organic when affordable), and avoiding refined sugar and fried foods. It is a journey though, and I continue to make additional choices everyday that will contribute to living my best life with better health going forward.

Have you made any conscious changes big or small in your everyday eating habits in the last year that you believe will benefit your long term health?I would love to hear about them!
Please leave me a comment below and let me know what they are.

We are on this journey together after all.  
Food for Thought as we Explore the World of Food together.

Diane Couse
​The Food Sensitivity Coach and Certified Culinary Nutrition Expert

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