Our Healing Food Choices
Last week I shared information on what our nutritionist does and why we use one in attempt to answer frequent questions Jason and I get. When people find out our children have food sensitivities and that we follow a different kind of diet/lifestyle; there is one other popular type of question by far.
“What kind of food do you eat then?” and/or “What ingredients do you have to avoid?” At first, answering these questions was frustrating for a few reasons.
1. There’s a long list of ingredients/food we do not eat. Some are because a member in our household has reacted to it. Most are because of our beliefs they hold no nutritional value, are hard for the body to digest, are harmful to our body, and/or are full of synthetic components.
2. After trying to explain that in simplest terms people would tell us we’re crazy, being too restrictive, isolating ourselves, too paranoid, etc.
3. If someone was interested in the reasons for our choices, we could talk for hours about it (mainly Jason) and there’s usually not time to adequately explain. After 6 years of living this way, a lot has been learned!!!
We’re at the point in our journey were number two and three aren’t a huge deal anymore. We know what we do is different and we’re perfectly ok with that. Decisions aren’t made on a whim but talked over with our nutritionist and other friends who have medical backgrounds. There are select bloggers and organizations we follow and use to confirm our thoughts. And then there are the books we’ve read for further detail.
We’re also ok not fully understanding exactly how things work. It’s ok if we see positive results without being able to quantify what changed in the body. God created us so intricately I don’t think we’ll ever fully understand just how the human body works and how many pieces are tied together. Prayer is a powerful tool and as we’ve used it (humble heart required), sometimes healing we can’t explain takes place.
You may also notice I called it a “lifestyle”. If you truly want to heal, following a diet for a short amount of time and changing nothing else in your life will always lead to disappointment. I learned this the hard way. Jason is an all-in type of person. I’ll get my toes wet and see what happens. Things improved way quicker for him than for me. True healing involves looking at the physical, mental, emotional, spiritual, and environmental areas of one’s life.
Why Do We Choose This Type of Diet?
I am not eloquent when talking about this. I can remember some things, but to be honest, we’ve learned so much over the years my brain has forgotten the details. Jason is so much better here and gave this explanation recently, which perfectly sums it up:
“We do it for our children, future grandchildren/great-grandchildren, and so on.”
Our lifestyle today is going to have direct impact on future generations. What we’ve personally seen since the days of our ancestors is a downward slide towards deterioration. Doctors in the mid 1900’s were not constantly diagnosing food allergies/sensitivities, diabetes, obesity, ADD/ADHD, mental disorders, eating disorders, cancers, miscarriages, etc.
If we look at why these diagnoses are changing, we need look no further than what enters our mouth and our lifestyles. Some say those things are more genetics than anything else – and I would agree! We can’t change genetics, but we CAN change how well our body is able to adapt, fight, correctly identify what’s happening within, and most importantly, heal.
How do we initiate change? Get rid of all the toxicity both inside and around us. If we allow the body to remain toxic, our children are born toxic, toxic load is then increased throughout their life, their children are then born with an even heavier toxic load – and the cycle continues to perpetuate until one day life might not even be viable. Studies have shown a person’s gut microbiome is passed on through their mother in utero. An increasing number of studies are also showing how much our microbiome plays a role in the body’s ability to function properly. It may not be chromosomal genetics, but it’s certainly another kind not to be ignored.
We live like we do to provide healing for our two children as much as possible to give them a steady foundation as they grow, learn, and inevitably encounter various toxicities. Our prayer is they see the value and continue it on their own.
We live like we do because we don’t accept general answers of “It’s just how it is”, “Nothing can be done”, “They’ll grow out of it”, “These synthetic medications will fix that”, etc., etc., etc.
We live like we do because God has given us the responsibility of being good stewards of our bodies and taking care of our children/families.
We live like we do to set an example for our children and others. Yes, the road may be difficult, but it can be traveled. Yes, it might be restrictive, but it comes with healing and increased health. We promise it’s worth it.
Our Choices
The following is how we choose what foods we’ll eat at home. It’s important to note this didn’t happen overnight. Initially, we picked what we thought was the worst in our diet and started there. Once we had a handle on that we gradually started removing other foods. And as more studies are done and information is changed, we may need to reassess, but this has been our baseline for the last 4 years.
Jason and I do deviate when traveling, going on a date, special occasions. We are certainly not perfect in following this when not eating at home! The kids however, we do not deviate with, as we know there are existing sensitivities, and bring food from home with us when going out.
~ Approximately 98% of foods eaten are certified organic, non-gmo, gluten free. . Usually pass on anything that’s not aside from a few exceptions (noted below).
~ If God created the item, good to go provided no reaction noted.
~ If man created the item (processed foods), read the ingredient list.
~ How many items are in the ingredient list? If more than 10-12, usually pass.
~ Can I pronounce most items on the ingredient list? If yes, maybe. If no, pass.
~ Do I know what each item is on the ingredient list and/or is it an ingredient created by God? If yes, good to go. If no, pass.
~ Strictly avoid these:
Artificial/Natural Flavor & Coloring – even if part of an organic food item, pass.
Soy and all soy byproducts – even if part of an organic food item, pass.
Added Vitamins/Minerals (equals synthetic) – even if part of an organic food item, pass.
Most Sugars – exceptions are rapadura, sucanat, coconut palm sugar, honey, syrup if organic or sourced from someone local we know/trust.
Vegetable/Canola Oils – we use olive, avocado, and coconut oil. Exception is high oleic sunflower oil found in some processed foods (like the tortilla chips) if organic.
Additives – Dextrose, maltodextrin, xanthan gum, guar gum, carrageenan, etc.
Processed foods – mostly avoided with a few exceptions. These items have passed everything else listed above, are gluten free, and are eaten in moderation or as treats – Tortilla Chips, Sprouted Wheat Burritos, Traditional Sourdough Bread, Sourdough Pizza Crust, Hummus, Almond Flour Crackers, Seed Crackers, Sweet Potato Crackers, Ketchup, Mustard, Salad Dressings, Tomato Sauce, Peanut Butter, Brown Rice Pasta, Coconut Cookies, Chocolate Chips
~Dairy – We own part of a farm and get raw dairy items from there. Apart from some organic string cheese, no other kind of dairy is consumed.
~ Flour – Our favorite the last two years has been Einkorn, not gluten free, but an organic heritage grain that is unmodified. Typically avoid other “replacement” type flours like rice, tapioca, lentil, garbanzo, potato, etc.
As with anything, it can be difficult when you start, but you soon learn what brands you can use/trust/like. You also adopt the mentality of grocery shopping “the outside aisles of the store” where most natural food is found, and everything processed is housed in the interior aisles. Change happens once small step at a time and it’s never too late to start!!!
