About Me

          I grew up in a very hard-working and health-conscious family.  My parents were persistent in teaching myself and my siblings correct nutrition and taught us the value of laboring to produce a flourishing garden, even in the desolate soil of rural Nevada.  Though, I was provided with a well-balanced diet thoughout my childhood and teenage years, I came to realize that I was often sick with colds and flu more frequently than my peers and even more frequently than my parents and siblings.  I also often felt foggy and drained, and my weight was a bit of a concern to me, especially as a self-conscious teenager.  These things troubled me greatly because I knew my diet should be more than adequate, at least when compared with standard nutritional guidlines.  But, nevertheless, something was wrong. 
          In highschool, I began running every morning before school at 5 AM; that helped somewhat, but was not a constant solution.  I even tried eating less, which was a mistake altogether.  For months and months, I tried to understand the problem, but was rewarded with no success.  It wasn't until years later, when I left for college, that I really began to be enlightened. 
          Upon starting my college career, I still had no clue as to what my problem was and why I was so different.  I struggled, incessantly, to understand what was wrong with my body.  In my efforts, I eventually sought the help of a nutrition consultant, who helped me formulate the perfect diet for my body.  I thought that, if I narrowed my diet down to the very form of perfection, that would solve the problem.  For several months, I consumed the "perfect" diet, designed for my body type, as a normal American woman, and was persistant in going to the gym every morning before school from 5 to 6:30 AM.  This, however, failed to solve the problem, and maintained the underlining idea that my body was not normal. Thus, I continued in my research, and, one day, came upon the Paleo diet.
          This new plan focused on eating only whole, unprocessed foods, excluding grains and starchy foods; which meant, you would, basically, only be eating fruit, vegetables, and meat.   This diet sounded very difficult, especially in a college environment; but, at that point, it was worth a try.  Immediatly, I was persistent in following the diet guidlines.  I completely cut out all processed foods from my diet, and watched intently for results.  Almost instantly, I noticed a difference.  I had energy!  I was also able to think more clearly, and I even lost weight.  For a month, I continued this way of eating, and believed I could make it a permanent aspect of my life.  However, I soon found the change was too dramatic, especially in a gluten-and-dairy-loving college environment.  Furthermore, though there were many benefits to persuing a strict diet, I experienced many cravings for foods I had given up.  In short, I discontinued the Paleo lifestyle, but only at social events.  I thought that if I MOSTLY removed gluten from my diet, I could remain healthy and happy; however, that wasn't the case. 
          For several months later, I grappled with two ideas: the first, that I return to the Paleo Diet, from which I experienced so much success, or, the second, that I formulate a new diet, only removing gluten and possibly dairy.  Through a series of events, much research, and a very informative meeting with a health professional, I came to the conclusion I currently hold. 
          My personal philosophy, now, which may or may not apply to others, is to eat what makes my body happy, giving up past pleasures and accepting the facts of my personal life.  At this moment, I have given up gluten completely and am in the process of removing dairy as well.  I do still eat gluten-free grains but only when they are minimally processed.  The main thing, is that I try to listen to the needs of my body and meet those needs the best I can while in this period of my life.  Being gluten and dairy-free in college is a challenge, there is no question of that, but it is completely possible.  I am enjoying experimenting with new foods and recipes, and I believe good health is worth my best efforts.