It often boggles me that people refuse to even consider that diet plays a huge part in our well-being. And when I point out the huge amount of processed foods and additives they are consuming, they often go, “But I can’t go without ……” And so they are willing to live with the various ailments they are suffering from and keep on popping the pills.
And this is where I see how food has such a hold on us 🙁 When I was on strict GAPS and we had to go out for meals with family or friends, they would express horror that I couldn’t eat what was served at the restaurant/café. It was not like I was starving, mind you.
It is inconvenient and sometimes boring (only because I am a boring cook) to eat the GAPS way but after a while, I truly lost the urge to eat the food served outside. In a way, being on the GAPS diet delivered me from the power of food. And so, I often shudder at the dessert photos friends post on Facebook on a regular basis. I can’t help but think – gut dysbiosis! yeast overgrowth! Lol! I have the same reaction when moms complain that their children are not interested in real food but love eating biscuits and pizzas.
But I digress 🙂 Our eczema journey has taught me how big a part our diet plays in how we feel and behave, especially if one has a leaky gut causing one to react to many foods. As one of the more enlightened doctors we saw in the early days of our problem said – food allergies can affect and manifest in our behaviour because sometimes our allergies don’t show up as eczema but as behavioural issues. Allergies affect our brains too. So just as our skin itches from allergies, so do our brains – resulting in ADHD behaviour, brain fogginess/spaciness or temper tantrums/moodiness.
What we put inside our bodies affects us. The same as what we put inside our cars affects them. To say that we can eat anything we want and still have optimal health is naïve. Our genetic make-up only protects us for a while because even someone with great genetic make-up who eats junk on a regular basis will in time succumb to ill health.
But telling a mom struggling with a child with behavioural issues or eczema that she needs to make dietary changes, is almost always met with resistance. And that is understandable. Unless one has a serious illness, I doubt anyone would willingly do it. It is easier to bring the child for therapies, pop pills and slather on steroid creams.
Of course, I know how difficult it is to keep on a restricted diet and how frustrating it is when despite being on such a restrictive diet your health does not seem to be improving. But we have to look at the big, long term picture. It took my dd 2 years before she got better. It took me 1 year. The more ill you are, the longer it takes to see any improvement.
In our fast food culture, popping a pill is the easiest and brings about the fastest effect but unless our lifestyle and diets change that pill can end up being your constant companion 🙁
Anyone who knows me knows I hate to cook. In the 6 weeks that we were living away from home due to the renovations, we ate out a lot. Then when we moved back, we continued to have meals ordered in or bought back from the nearby coffee shop and market because it was just easier on me. But I see the ill effects of eating so much processed carbs, MSG and wheat 🙁
For one, I put on back the weight I lost when I was on strict GAPS! And then a few of us developed severe nasal congestion and allergy coughs that just refuse to go away. And of course, the eczema rashes and hives outbreak keep threatening to rear their ugly heads! Antihistamines became a regular pill/syrup to control the outbreaks 🙁 And so, I have forced myself to cook all our meals again. We have to get back to making eating outside a rare occurrence.
I am not back 100% but I am trying because I strongly believe that what we put into our bodies has a great effect on our well being. I aim for 90% homecooked foods. If you are also walking this road of modifying your family’s diet, do share your journey. We can encourage each other!
But remember that even as we eat healthier, we must not neglect our spiritual food. Otherwise, we will end up with healthy bodies but weak spirits! We are physical and spiritual beings and both need to be nourished with real food!
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2 Comments on Diet Does Affect Our Well-Being
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Food does affect our well beingI! I go for the anti fatigue diet which basically means low salt, low sugar and everything wholegrain. Except for a little soy sauce in chinese stir frys and fried rice, I don’t add salt into my cooking. Alot of people, especially the older generation always tells me that salt is necessary. But salt is in most food, especially our favourite celery and fish. Sugar too, we eat lots of fruits and some honey with pancakes so need to add sugar in coffee, tea, milo etc. I mostly eat the cakes I bake cos I cut the sugar and it’s not so sweet. That’s my indulgence for my emotional well being. I have a sweet tooth. I’m not super strict, I try to follow as much as possible. Also, I get some people, a mix of people my age and those older who gave me this theory that if you restrict a child too much, they will go into excess when they get the opportunity at an older age. My answer is always that I do not restrict sweet stuff but make sure they provide nutrition and not be sweeter than is necessary to make you happy. Yeah, I reckon following whatever diet that we believe in 75-90% of the time is pretty good.
Sorry, I mean no need to add so much sugar in coffee, tea or milo. I don’t put sugar in my drinks at all.