Food

Food is my friend. Life is way too short to eat bad food, so I strive to feed my family wholesome and (hopefully) delicious meals. I have the MTHFR (A1298C) gene mutation, which triggers a host of food allergies, intolerances, and other health issues. My grocery guide is as follows: non-GMO, as local as possible, organic when possible, grass-fed, and free-range. Granted, I’m not perfect, but it’s important for me to try — otherwise I end up sick!

On top of my gluten and dairy intolerances, here’s my official list of food allergies:
eggs
corn
yeast
lemons
grapefruit
pineapple
cantaloupe
watermelon
sweet potato
celery
pecans
peanuts

I made the decision to give up gluten in the summer of 2013. My one year old son had been displaying some peculiar behavior — banging his head on the ground, fussing and crying for no apparent reason (which isn’t totally abnormal for babies, but it was abnormal for his temperament), and having extra difficulties with transitions. Our wonderful family chiropractor suggested that gluten could be the culprit. I stopped feeding Asher foods containing gluten, and I gave it up myself since he was still nursing.

After a couple of gluten-free weeks, his temperament changed for the better, and he wasn’t banging his head. On top of his positive changes, I stopped having what I previously assumed were seasonal allergies, joint pain and inflammation, headaches, GERD symptoms (I’d had debilitating heartburn since my teenage years), and I wasn’t as exhausted as usual. So many other health issues cleared up after gluten had left my system. My daily hiccups were gone, and I lost ten pounds without even trying.

We figure that my son’s behavior was caused by headaches and stomach aches from the gluten in his diet, but at twelve months old he lacked the ability to tell us what was going on with words. All he could do was fuss, cry, and hit his head on the ground. Poor guy.

Each pregnancy has brought with it new food allergies. I began getting sick from eggs during my first, and then dairy with my second. Other unexplainable post-pregnancy health issues led me to allergy testing. And boy did I get some crazy results!

Every now and then the stars align and the boys’ naptimes coincide so I can spend some time in the kitchen. Most of my recipe attempts are geared toward a toddler’s palate…every now and then I get to create something for me. Gluten-free-vegan baking is definitely a work in progress!