My journey to a healthy diet
started as a child. I grew up in a macrobiotic household, eating whole
foods and staying away from processed sugar, meat, and dairy. We ate healthy
but simple food—a lot of rice, beans, and veggies!
I remember my birthday parties
well: couscous “cake,” and banana “cake” with carob chip rice dream on the side. My
friends would sneak in candy, knowing there would be no sugar at my
party! My parents didn’t know at the time how lucky they were that the
worst thing my friends and I were doing was sneaking in Butterfingers and
Peanut Butter Cups. Fingers crossed that my husband and I will be just as
lucky!
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| Banana "cake" for my 4th birthday |
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| Carob "cake" with Apple butter "frosting" for my 6th birthday party |
When I went to college, I ate
relatively healthy. I remember eating a lot of salad and egg sandwiches, but I
did take full advantage of the Sunday waffle bar with all the toppings and the
soft serve ice cream machine, not to mention the late night pizza outings.
Fast forward 16 years to when I
became a mom and everything changed! My daughter Ayla was born in 2012 and
my daughter Haley was born in 2014. `
While I was nursing Ayla, I started
experimenting with a gluten and dairy free diet and became more mindful of what
I was putting into my body. Then two-and-a-half years later, Haley was
born. She was born a healthy baby, but as soon as she became mobile and it
was time to start eating solids, she slowly stopped gaining weight. She
had a constant runny nose. She was nursing around the clock and refusing to eat
food. This continued until she was two years old. When she fell off the growth
chart, she was diagnosed with “failure to thrive.” Feeling defeated, we sought out the advice of several
different doctors: both mainstream and more holistic. We were given a list
of foods that Haley was sensitive to: gluten, diary, corn, soy, sugar, peanuts,
and citrus fruits, among others. We were also given supplements to help
heal Haley’s gut. Once we changed her diet and healed her gut, Haley’s nose
stopped running and she started eating! Within a year of following a
strict diet, she began to thrive. She is now in the 25th percentile
for weight and 40th percentile for height. I look back at
pictures of Haley when she was one and two years old and I start to tear up.
Now her cute little belly and chubby cheeks makes me smile.
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| Haley's 1st birthday |
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| Haley's 2nd birthday |
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| Haley's 3rd birthday |
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| Haley's 4th birthday |
My husband also struggled with
constant stomach pains and a runny nose. We all decided to follow a gluten
free, dairy free, processed sugar free lifestyle and Larry’s stomach pains have
gone away. His constant runny nose is also gone. Needless to say, the four
of us have all benefited from our new diet.
As a mom, I can now appreciate all
my parents did for us growing up. I understand why we ate the way we did
and am now very thankful for my health! I find it inspiring to listen and
to read people’s stories about how diet has positively impacted their health.
Growing up I thought healthy meant
bland and boring. I now know that eating healthy can taste good too. I
am thankful for my parents and my upbringing around healthy eating. I’m grateful
for my mom’s guidance around health and food and her passion for keeping her
grandchildren their healthiest selves, just as she did for my two sisters and me.
My goal is to feed my family healthy food that tastes good! I want my girls to know that we eat this way to keep us
healthy and strong. I hope my posts will bring you inspiration and guidance on
your journey to a healthier you. It is definitely not an easy journey, but it is
well worth the challenge.
