Guest Blogger Jessie Ann Talks About Living with Food Allergies
/Hey there all you lovely people! I just got back from Colorado and am settling back into reality. I had a great time and will share that with you in another post!
Today I am pleased to turn today's post over to my guest blogger and fellow FitFluential Ambassador Jessie Ann James! This gal is super sweet and has a great story to tell so make sure to show her some lovin' in the comments below!
xoxo - Amber
Well hello there!
I‘m Jessie James over at A Spoonful of Freckles and I’m so excited to be posting today! Huge thank you to Amber for having me!
Let’s chat about something a little bit more personal today…Growing up, I battled with stomach problems, mood swings, and weird bumps on my skin! Luckily, I grew up in a family with a knowledge for health all thanks to my grandma who spends a lot of time researching holistic health and healing so we did turn to natural remedies to help!
I blame my birth story for a lot of my allergies and intolerances. Long story short…I was an emergency C-section and as soon as I saw the light of day I was shot up with all sorts of un natural antibiotics to fight the infection. I do understand that most of the measures were probably necessary for my life, but my body has suffered every since.
My poor parents suffered as I was always screaming with stomachaches and an allergy to dairy. They started me on goat’s milk, formulas, and even carrot juice to get me some nutrients since I wasn’t breast fed. My heart breaks for my parents because I must have been an AWFUL baby! So from an early age, I was allergic to dairy, sensitive to wheat flours, and struggling with hormone imbalances. My mom always made two separate meals, one with spelt flour and one with regular flour, spent tons of money on dairy free/gluten free goods, and tried her best to teach us about our intolerances and give us a love for veggies and clean food. Thank goodness she did because as I get older and learn more about my allergies, I am glad she did her best to work around them!
With that said, how do I deal with my intolerances married to a man who has none at all? At first, it was a little tough because I was always bloated, emotional, and trying hard to find the best options, which was probably exhausting for my husband and I wasn’t even fully sure of my allergies. After visiting a Homeopathic doctor, lots of blood tests, and experimenting with food we discovered a whole slew of new intolerances! It wasn’t gluten as we had thought! I am sensitive to white/wheat flours, allergic to dairy, intolerant of any un natural hormones, as well as a whole list of dark green foods! (Sounds insane right?) Honestly I felt I was going crazy because what the heck was I supposed to eat with this new knowledge?!
The first step I would advise is patience. I was initially frustrated and in tears most of the time because I couldn’t get answers…. Once I had someone tell me to write down exactly how I felt an hour after eating for two weeks and I felt like that was a lot of work. Turns out, that’s exactly what helped me figure this all out! My husband is also learning patience as I re learn what to shop for. I can’t make him eat the way I have to because that’s a battle in itself, but he is learning to be supportive of my shopping cart and what I need to feel good. We often eat the same meal but his varies a little from mine. I will be totally honest, it is a little more work but it is SO WORTH IT to feel good! How lucky are we at this day and age to have so many more options for allergy friendly meals than even just 10 yrs ago! These options often taste great too!
I think it is also important to surround yourself with people who are open to being supportive when eating out. It’s much easier to ask the waiter for substitutions when you know you’re not being judged by people sitting at the table. It’s tough not eating the convenient food but your body will thank you for taking a minute to listen and find what is best for you!
I can’t say how great I feel after being more aware of my intolerances. Now, I am far from perfect and slip sometimes with my eating but I do feel it….Just find a balance and don’t give up! Research, get second opinions, and experiment to find what makes you feel better! You don’t have to live bloated or sick your whole life!
Good luck on your journey to health!
xoxo
