Many people today have diets deficient in 3 things, protein, fibre and water. If you can make changes in those 3 areas alone, you will move toward more optimal health, and it is so easy.

1. Protein is one of the building blocks of life. It is needed not just for fuel but also to heal. When you do not eat enough protein often your body has little left after healing to convert into energy to give you that zest for life. In general someone who weighs about 150 lb. needs approx. 60 grams of protein to meet their body’s needs. 
2. Fibre is something that we often forget about. Everyone needs to consume approx. 30 grams of fibre daily to help with body functions and to feed the gut microbiome which controls you immune system to help you fight off disease and sickness. Many people today take fibre supplements. Wouldn’t you rather get your fibre from the food you are eating?  
3. Water is the most important and easiest way to help your body be healthier. Did you know that on average 60% of your body is made up of water? Your body needs you to drink 8 to 10 - 8 oz glasses of water daily to keep you hydrated and body flush toxins from your cells. Some signs of dehydration are dark urine, bad breath, dry skin, feeling tired or dizzy.

To help you begin your journey eating the right amounts of protein and fibre, while drinking your 8 to 10 glasses of water, I am offering you a free Healthy and Affordable 3 Day Meal Plan complete with recipes and a grocery list.
Enjoy! And remember I am here to help if you need me.

This time of year my skin is always at the top of mind, what about you?

Here are some fun facts about your skin, along with a list of foods to avoid, and foods you should be eating to support skin health.

At the bottom you can download a Free 3 Day Meal Planner to Show Your Skin Some Love. The meal planner comes complete with a grocery list and 15 recipes to make getting started easy. A download link is provided in the registration response.

Fun facts about the average person’s skin. It:

• is the largest organ in your body
• protects your body from infection and diseases
• surface is about 2 square meters  - Wow no wonder my body is wrinkly
• weighs about 9 lbs or 15% of your body weight
• has about 11 miles of blood vessels running through it
• contains about 19 million cells per square inch with 300 sweat glands
• sheds about 30,000 cells every minute
• completely renews itself every 28 days - thank heavens
• changes in your skin can actually signal changes in your health

Foods you should be avoiding to support Skin Health

• dairy products  - allergen and linked to acne breakouts
• gluten - allergen and linked to skin conditions like eczema
• eggs - allergen possibly linked to eczema
• soy products - allergen possibly linked to eczema
• refined grains and sugars - ​high glycemic index and low fibre
• anything with a high glycemic index
• anything deep fried - causes free radical damage and inflammation
• alcohol - can lead to dry skin as it is a diuretic

Foods you should to be eating to support Skin Health

• Cold water fatty fish like salmon and haddock. These are rich in omega-3 fatty acids and keep skin supple. If you are deficient in omega-3 fatty acid your skin will be very dry.
• Avocados are high in fatty acids which have been associated with more supple and springy skin and are thought to help protect your skin from sun damage.
• Walnuts, especially the brown skin that surrounds the nut itself, are high in both omega-3 and omega-6 fatty acids and are high in zinc for healing as well as battling bacterial and inflammation.
• Sunflower seeds, like nuts and seeds in general, are high in vitamins E, selenium, zinc and protein, all good things for supporting skin health.
• Sweet potato contains beta carotene which is converted to vitamin A in the body and acts as a natural sunblock. As an antioxidant it may help prevent sunburn, cell death and dry wrinkled skin.
• Red and yellow peppers are again a great source of beta carotene but are also a fabulous source of vitamin C, which aids in the production of the protein collagen and helps keep skin strong and firm.
• Broccoli is full of vitamins and minerals including zinc, vitamin A and C necessary for healthy skin.
• Tomatoes are a rich source of vitamin C and all the major carotenoids like lycopene and lutein, which have been shown to protect skin against sun damage. Eating carotenoid foods like tomatoes with a healthy fat like olive oil increases the absorption of the carotenoids.
• Dark chocolate which we always need another reason to eat daily, has been proven to make skin thicker, more hydrated, less rough and scaly. When 20 gms of dark chocolate was consumed each day studies showed the skin was able to take twice the amount of UV rays before burning.
• Green tea contains catechins which work to improve the overall health of your skin in regards to roughness, thickness, and elasticity. Note it should be consumed without milk to allow for maximum absorption of nutrients.

Putting this all together can seem like a challenge, so to get you started off I have for you a downloadable Free 3 Day Meal Plan to help you Show Your Skin Some Love.

If you would like more guidance once you have completed this 3 day meal plan please make sure to reach out to me. I am here for you!

​Exploring the World of Food with you.

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

I love getting all the fresh veggies this time of year.

There is no doubt that time farm to table affects the nutrients of the foods we eat. This time of year I am are able to source fresh produce close to home vs. in the winter when my produce must come from far away.

I have to admit that knowing that produce sourced in winter has a higher carbon foot print as well as less nutrients affects the choices I make.

Did you know that food flash frozen within a short time from harvest contains almost the exact  amount of nutrients as fresh produce? So in the winter I often look to purchase frozen produce to meet my desired nutritional needs.

But it is summer and fresh produce grown locally is in abundance.

The other day when I was making a delicious fresh cabbage slaw salad, I was stunned by how beautiful the waste cuttings looked. I just had to take a photo to share.

Now these beautiful cuttings could go into the garbage to break down at the dump, or if my city had a program, it could go into green waste to be converted to compost, but it would be such a waste to loose those beautiful nutrients.

Year round I keep a container in my freezer to put my waste cuttings in. I collect them until I am ready to make a delicious veggie broth, or better yet to use them to add flavour to an even more nutritious bone broth.

Did you know that bone broth contains 9 grams of protein per cup and is an easy way to bump up your protein intake to assist with healing, cell repair and to grow new cells?

I use my InstaPot to make my broths. It is quick, easy! You don’t need an InstaPot to make your broth, you could use a slow cooker or just a pot on the stove simmering away on a low heat for a couple of hours.

Once the broth is finished and cooled, I strain out the spent veggie cuttings to then go into green waste or garbage. The remaining broth that holds all the vitamins and minerals spent from the frozen veggie cuttings. The broth is then used where ever I would use water in the cooking process. I use broth to make things like rice, quinoa, soups, stews, gravies and more.

I usually keep a litre jar of broth in the fridge ready for use when the need arises.

The excess broth goes into mason jars filled to about 2” from the top, sealed and placed on the side in my freezer to allow for expansion during the freezing process. Once frozen they are stood up and kept in my freezer door.

Some of the veggies I save for broth are garlic and onion skins and cuttings, ginger skins and fibres left from grating, plus herb stems and cuttings, not to mention all the other veggie cuttings like carrot tops and peelings, potato peelings, cabbage leaves. The list is endless.

Literally, just wash, drain the cuttings and of course take out any spoiled bits, then into the freezer they go.

So the next time you are preparing dinner or any meal involving vegetables, I hope you notice how beautiful those cuttings are, and think about what you could do with those extra nutrients.

Maybe they are too ugly to eat, but maybe, just maybe you will take advantage of the abundance of nutrients and make yourself a delicious broth.
​
Exploring the world of food with you.

If you are unsure how to do this on your own, I will be hosting an online workshop in the fall on How to
Make an Immune Boosting Broth.
Looking forward to meeting you there!
​Click the link below to keep up to date with what is being offered. ​

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

Most people who know me, and know my story, understand how strongly I feel on this topic, and how excited I am to be able to offer this service to my clients.

Most of my life I have lived with food allergies and gut issues. Food allergy testing was difficult at best looking for that IgI reaction and it was hit or miss whether my skin reacted the same way as my gut. Back then, some 35+ years ago, food sensitivity testing wasn’t even thought of.

Without reliable testing for food allergies and sensitivities available, most possible culprits were self identified by looking back at what I had consumed and trying to decide what could have possibly caused the issues I was experiencing. Now I know that unless you keep a meticulous diary of what you have consumed including beverages, then look back the possible 72 hours that a reaction could take to show itself, identification of the culprit is a crap shoot. Hit or miss at best.

At the age of 35 I was so ill with unexplained gut issues that my health care team was prepared to do exploratory surgery to find out what was causing them! Pretty extreme in my eyes. Before surgery could happen, I attended a dinner and was seated beside another person with food issues. I learned in conversation that they had the same symptoms as I did and it had been suggested that they might have a canola allergy or sensitivity. The idea was a lightning bolt that could not be ignored. So I began to eliminate all canola which if you can imagine was no easy task. My health improved slightly, but I continued to have issues.

As the years progressed every time I had issues, I would try to identify and then eliminate whatever I thought could have been the cause. Soon I had a great list of what I was avoiding, but still had random attacks. I was stabbing in the dark.

Fast forward a number of years to when I learned about Food Sensitivity Testing, the IgG test to be exact. I was reluctant to have the test  because I thought I had it all figured out. At the persistent encouragement of my family I finally agreed to having the testing done. When the results came in my Naturopath did not want to give me the list because she felt I would be overwhelmed. True, I would have been overwhelmed without the help of my daughter.

What I learned that day was that I was not sensitive to any of the foods I had been eliminating for some 30 years! Things like canola, yeast, nuts, vanilla, etc., etc., etc. Instead I was sensitive to gluten, eggs, dairy and a few other things. Mind Blowing! No wonder I had such a hard time identifying what was making me sick. I would inevitably have something I thought I was sensitive to with something that I was actually sensitive to. It was a perfect storm situation and no wonder that I couldn't figure it out on my own.

Food Sensitivity Testing changed my life, and today I am healthier, feel better, have more energy, sleep better and am happier than I was 30 years ago. Life is Good!

I have had clients who have had IBS - D for years, who had tried to follow the FODMAP diet as long as it was humanly possible, but still nothing made them better. In recent years it has been identified that people with IBS often have food sensitivities as the underlying condition creating the IBS. This has proven true with more than a few of my clients. After their food sensitivities were identified and eliminated for a period of time for their body to heal, their general health improved immensely, and their IBS - D was then under control.

Once you know the list of foods, we can make a decision on which ones need to be eliminated for a time, or which ones you will need to limit to eating once a week. After a period of about 3 months to allow your body to do some healing, I can then help you decide how to re-introduce the list of foods you have eliminated to see if they can be tolerated again. Some foods will be, but some others may need to be avoided for a longer period of time. Having worked with these tests personally and professionally I can attest that having someone guide you through the process is very valuable.

It is really a personal decision to test or not to test, but wouldn’t you rather be in control, have a starting point and know what to eliminate instead of going by guess work that could be completely wrong, like I lived for so many years.

For an experts view point on food sensitivities have a look at my blog post They Are Real.

In the past I have had to refer clients to various naturopaths to have IgG tests ordered, and wait while they visit a lab to have a blood draw done, then another wait to see the naturopath again to get the results.

I am so excited to be able to offer Food Sensitivity Testing (IgG) via an easy at home test kit. I literally order the test kit to be delivered to a clients home. They put 5 drops of blood on a test strip, let it dry and mail it to the lab. As soon as the results are completed, the results are emailed to me, and we can begin planning your healing journey.

You are not alone, I am here to help and now I can be with you through the whole process.

Happy Gut! Happy Life!
​
I am sure you have all heard the saying ‘Happy Wife, Happy Life’ which is most likely true, but have you ever thought about how much your gut microbiome contributes to your happy life?

I have been on a journey recently, sharing information in my workshops on what contributes to a healthy gut, what doesn’t, and exactly what an imbalance in your gut microbiome affects, along with how fermented foods can help support gut health. In doing the research for my workshops one thing I learned and have been able to share is that a happy gut can indeed contribute to a happy life.

Did you know that the gut microbiome has a direct link to your brain through the central nervous system. Changes in the microbes in your biome have been proven to significantly affect things like mood, pain tolerance, cognitive performance, behaviour and mental health.

The gut microbiome is often called  the ‘second brain’.

I was surprised just how much the ‘second brain’  can affect your feelings. I am sure you have often been told to trust your gut, had butterflies in your stomach or experienced a gut wrenching feeling. Those feelings actually begin in the brain and were communicated to the gut microbiome as a warning that something was happening.

Many chemicals used in the brain are actually produced by the gut microbiome. The chemicals that are needed for the brain to produce the powerful antidepressant Serotonin for example. When the gut biome is out of balance and unable to produce the amount of required chemicals then the brain cannot produce enough Serotonin, and depression can be one of the results.

This was an eye opener for me!

If the gut microbiome is not in balance the result can cause an imbalance in the brain which in turn can cause depression.

So in reverse, if we can treat the microbiome to get it healthy and in balance, would that reverse depression. it is certainly food for thought!

Often you hear of people suffering with depression being given prescriptions to help restore the balance in the brain, but what if that is just a bandaid fix and not a cure? The drugs have to be absorbed through the gut to get to the brain, and what do they do to the gut microbiome in the process? I wonder if that is being studied now? I certainly hope so!

Imagine if someone is being diagnosed with depression, and the health care provider continued to explore their gut health in light of the diagnosis? Then looked at their diet? Then imagine if they were referred to someone to help them make the necessary changes to integrate a healthy eating strategy in their lives. The results could be amazing!

Now I know and understand that fixing the gut microbiome is not something that happens overnight when you change your diet, and that to help people already suffering with depression  something interim would most likely be needed until the gut was healed, but what if it was a healing process to the point where they might not need that prescription?
​
Food as Medicine, and Food for Thought!
Just imagine the world of possibilities! Exploring the world of food with you…..

 Have you tried the tangzhong method to make your sourdough bread, yet?

I don’t know about you, but 2020 was a very long year, and 2021 is shaping up much the same. The one new thing I took up in May 2020 was making gluten free, dairy free sourdough bread.

It was a leap when I started. I was just someone who was bored and wanted to try something new. So I started right from the beginning with the thought that if it didn’t work, I would throw it out and move on. But it worked and I was hooked from the first loaf.
​
As the year went on, I continued to feed my culture and make my sourdough loaves. With each one I learned a little more, tweaked my recipe and technique a little. As I stumbled on new techniques, I researched and decided whether or not to give it a try. My sourdough bread just improved as the months went by.

About 2 months ago I stumbled on a technique called tangzhong.

Have you heard of it?

It is used in making Japanese milk bread. Well, at first I discarded the thought of trying it as I am both gluten free and dairy free, but then as I continued to have that word pop up in front of me I began to think that it might just work for gluten free and dairy free as well. So I gave it a whirl.

The tangzhong method is basically taking a bit of the flour and a bit of the liquid and making a roux of it, then adding it to the dough warm just before the sourdough culture. The dough then goes into the rising phase already warmed from the inside out.

Apparently, making the roux starts the starches in your flour, wheat or gluten free grain, pre-gelatinizing which in turn allows the starch to hold more liquid. This enhances the softness and the shelf life of the loaf.

Sourdough already has a great shelf life due to the sourdough culture, but I was intrigued at the idea of a softer loaf.

The result was quite amazing and the process literally took an hour and a half off my time.

​That’s right 90 minutes off the time to make, rise and bake the loaf.

Now instead of letting the dough rest for an hour between mixing and adding in the sourdough culture, for the flours to absorb the liquid in the recipe, I just add it all in my special order ending with the warm tangzhong roux, and finally the sourdough culture.

Next the dough goes into a towel lined bowl covered with a damp towel and into my warmed oven which is turned off and the light left on to keep it warm. Here is where the other 1/2 is saved. Instead of letting the loaf rise for 4 hours, it is more than ready to bake in 3 1/2 hours.

My gluten free, dairy free loaf comes out with a soft enjoyable texture that has lots of bubble spaces or small holes. It stays softer for an extra day, but after that the softness can be brought back with a few seconds in the microwave.

Give it a try! If you are interested in receiving my Sourdough Bread recipe and method to create a gluten free culture click the link below.
Don't forget to keep me posted on the fun!

Food Sensitivity Coach, Certified Culinary Nutrition Expert and
All round general Food Lover. Exploring the world of food with you.

I am living proof that they are real, and knowing about them since my IgG test years ago has changed my life.

For those of you who do not know my story, I have suffered with food allergies and sensitivities all my life. Over 30 years ago, traditional medical specialists were going to do exploratory surgery to see if they could ‘find’ out what was wrong! Whoa, wait a moment here…… they were going to cut open my gut to see if they could find what was causing my issues at the time.

The next week I was at a dinner and seated beside someone else who needed to avoid some foods. He told me that recently his allergist had suggested that he may be reacting to canola. He had similar issues to me, so I went home thinking that before they cut me open, I needed to try eliminating canola to see if that’s what it was.

Now at that time I was living in Winnipeg. Oh yes, that is where a lot of canola is grown. Beautiful fields of yellow in the summer. I was breathing it in, it was on my skin and it was in most of the processed foods I was eating at that time.

The long and the short of this story is that I did eliminate as much canola as possible from my diet and 3 weeks later I was considerably better, not perfect but better.

Let’s fast forward 25 years. I had self identified over the years that I needed to avoid canola, yeast and nuts, but I still was not healthy, and had random bouts of symptoms.

That is when Dr. Tapp came into my life.

After much encouragement from my daughter I agreed to have the IgG test done, and it was quite a shock. I thought I had it all figured out, but clearly I was wrong.

The IgG test showed I was super sensitive to gluten, eggs, diary and a number of other things.

How could that be?

Well, I was a perfect storm when I was self diagnosing. If you think about it, whenever you eat canola, yeast and nuts, most likely you are also eating gluten, eggs and/or dairy. Yup that was me.

Of course from that day, I eliminated the foods I tested sensitive to and today more than 5 years later, I am healthier than I have ever been in my life. Amazing!

Having that IgG test done gave me a place to start to make a difference in my life and my health.

In the video Dr. Tapp talks about the other way to identify what you are reacting to, and that was how I did my own self diagnosing, but it is sometimes difficult and time consuming.

Your health and wellness is so important, especially today.

If you feel you may be sensitive to some foods I highly recommend having this test done. It is often covered by extended benefits. I know it was covered by my benefit plan.

Once you have your test results, when you are wondering how do I do this, I am here to help you get started, that is what I do.

I help people integrate a specialized diet into their everyday lives.

Whether it is knowing what foods and ingredients to avoid, or what foods you CAN eat, that is what I help with. I help you know what to watch for when shopping, cooking, sharing a kitchen, making family meals, and lunches too.

I am here to help you navigate the wonder world of food that is out there.

Take the guess work out of finding a path to feel what the most wonderful you feels like!

​Food Sensitivity Coach and food lover passionately exploring the world of food.
Thank you to Gin Quist Photography for the perfect Unicorn photo!

I love this photo of my granddaughter Violet doing her shopping, when she was about 3, rushing nilly willy down the baking aisle. 

Have you ever thought about how and what you shop for and what your personal food philosophy would be? 

Now that my course to become a Culinary Nutrition Expert has begun, this is one of the assignments I have been given and it has been enlightening.

Over the years I have adopted different food strategies, low fat, low sugar, more veggies, etc, etc, etc. All those health washing ideas printed on the packaging of processed foods that I purchased, but I have never really put it all together, and wondered if it was good for me and my family.

I know all too well, that as my children were growing and I was busy working, getting meals on the table was the most important thing. Then getting to the end of the week so that we could relax for a couple of days before it all started again. Even though I am a planner by nature, it all just never came together to think about our overall food and eating habits.

I have also been overweight most of my life. When I think of the different diets I tried, lost weight then gained it back when I went back to my old habits, it was a downward spiral.

Maybe if I had a food philosophy back then it might have been different.

If I knew some of the things I have learned over the summer doing the pre-reading for my course, things might have been different. I accept that I cannot change the past and I am now in possession of some knowledge that I think will help me walk the future at a healthy weight.

So what is a food philosophy?

I would say that a food philosophy is an overall strategy that governs how you shop and make decisions regarding the food you purchase for consumption. As well, it goes to whether you process the foods yourself or purchase already processed. Sometimes it also goes to what you are willing to do, have the time for and what you feel is out of your wheelhouse of skills to do, like growing your own, or preserving, making jam, baking, etc. It is also something that will always be changing and evolving.

Previously I would have said my food philosophy was that I am a “Gluten Free, Vegan who eats Meat” with food sensitivities.  If I think about that I guess it makes me an oxymoron but the statement covers off a lot of my sensitivities. Now however I have realized it is more than just that.

Although I was already eating whole foods, I now find that I am eating even less processed foods than I used to and when I do purchase them I look for organic, Non-GMO products where sugar is not in the first five ingredients. I consume grass fed, pasture raised meats and poultry, raised without the use of antibiotics and hormones as my budget allows. I prefer wild fish whenever possible, but if not cost effective I look for farmed fish raised without antibiotics. I also try to purchase local foods when they are in season.

I think that the biggest influence on my latest food philosophy, would be Michael Pollan’s book In Defence of Food. I agree with him that real food should be our source for nourishment, vitamins and minerals before looking to supplements to achieve optimal health.

I would say my current food philosophy is that I am a “Gluten Free, Vegan who eats Meat”, still an oxymoron, that is sensitive to gluten, eggs, dairy, peanuts, almonds, banana, and pineapple. I try to purchase products that are organic, Non-GMO and whole foods that have been humanely raised, without antibiotics and hormones. I also prefer to do as much processing of food at home where I control the ingredients.

That is mine! What would your’s be? Is it something you have given some thought to? Or is it something you have not really been concerned about?

Please let me know in the comments on my blog, I would love to hear what your food strategy is!

This is such an amazing journey, I have grown so much already!I look forward to further exploring the world of food with you.

​Stay tuned, there is still lots coming to share and ponder on.

I hope you have been enjoying my journey to get ready for my Culinary Nutrition Expert program that begins in 2 short weeks. Yikes!

It has certainly been an interesting journey for me so far. I have read books and viewed documentaries I never would have thought to read or watch. I have learned so many things that I knew were out there, but never had the time to explore or become passionate about.

I can’t believe how much this new learned information has already changed my life, and look forward to more to come.

You know when you are going through daily life, sometimes you just have to get to the end of the day, then rinse and repeat. It takes time to think about things differently and decide what fits into your life and what doesn’t, at least not yet.

It all began with a desire to help my clients with food sensitivities be able to approach their food lives with a positive spin. Focusing on whole, not processed products to heal and become healthy once again.

But then it all changed and this journey became not just about my clients but about me and the food choices made in my home.

The information I was reading and watching began to have a huge impact on my everyday life and the decisions made in my home. My husband jumped on board watching documentaries with me.

We began to question what we had done for so many years. I think that is amazing.

So what are some of the changes we have made?
    1. We don’t worry so much about eliminating fat as possible from my diet. We eat healthy fats, including some saturated from animal products. We try to use the appropriate fats to compliment each of the foods we are eating. Olive oil for salads or cold dishes, avocado oil for foods that are being cooked at a higher temperature. We stay away from canola, soy, corn and cottonseed oils that are most likely from GM crops.

    2. I now realize that big business has really done their best to make me crave the processed foods in my cupboards that I just couldn’t leave alone.  So I have eliminated many of those foods and opted for whole foods that will keep me satisfied. I have to say it was hard at first, but now I don’t crave those foods even when I see other people eating them and that has made a huge impact.

      3. One of my big wake up moments was the day I realized that this is not a diet, this is a choice. This is a choice to fuel my body with foods that will keep me full, healthy and give me the energy I desire.

    4. I have to say the documentary King Corn had probably the most profound effect on me, and it has little to do with corn. Instead it is all about feedlots and how cattle are treated while they are being fattened up for my consumption. Fattened on GM crops that yes I would prefer to avoid, but more importantly, I want to consume meats from animals that have had a good life, in a pasture with sunshine, that eat the grains and grasses they consumed long before GM crops were around.

    5. I have been revolted by the photos of plastics in our oceans for quite a while, but just hadn’t worked out how to replace them in my home. I now use beeswax cloths to store vegetables and left overs, as well as glass containers. My tooth brush was a big problem until they began to sell bamboo tooth brushes where the handle can be recycled once the bristles are removed. I also now look seriously at the packaging my food products come in, and that enters into the decision to buy or not to buy. Even a small step can make such a difference.

    6. Previously I never really felt the organic label on my food was worth the cost, but after learning more about how organic foods are never GM, and that being grown in the soil with weeds, and pests, those plants have to work harder to grow and thrive and there is a reason. They may not provide convenience for the farms, but they may provide more nutrition to me. The jury is still out on that one.

There are more changes as well, but I will leave the list at that.

Suffice to say, I have found the spark and the passion again. I am excited to begin my program and move into a whole new world of food. Hope you will continue the journey with me.

​During this challenging and amazing time, what has given you a spark of inspiration? Please put a comment on the blog post to let me know.

​Food Sensitivity Coach and food lover passionately exploring the world of food.