On a daily basis I see clients, receive emails, or even look in the mirror at myself and see and hear all the different ways we've been denying ourselves of health. We try new protocols in order to achieve an optimal state of health, and when things don't turn around for us immediately, we decide that it's not working for us, give up, and go back to our old way of being. I know.....I've been there myself and this past week I've personally, once again, cheated on myself.
Six months ago I did my 3rd food allergy test. Every single time I get tested, eggs show up at the top of the chart with a big red flag stating to basically NEVER eat them again. But this time it was eggs and coffee that rang the victory bell. Loud and clear I heard it and immediately removed both offending foods from my diet. It was easy actually. I just simply decided that I was done. I was sick and tired of being sick and tired all the time. I wanted to heal in a real way. I wanted to give my innards an opportunity to truly heal on a cellular level. Nourish my body from top to bottom and to see what true optimal health was all about.
These past couple of weeks I had been seeing the benefits of my eliminations, the healing of my digestive system, and the diminishing of my dermatitis taking place. I started to see an increase in my energy and better sleep at night. All of these taking place together led me to believe that the past health issues were gone and I was able to "cheat" a little bit. Wrong Again!! With the addition of both coffee and eggs this past week, we're talking pure comfort food here, I completely overwhelmed my digestive and my immune systems. I had eggs three times and had bullet proof coffee for 4 days in a row. And although I don't feel badly physically, it's showing up for me in other areas. My dermatitis flared up slightly and I had several days of being extremely emotional and mentally exhausted. Like I had been pushed over the edge.
We have the tendency to be emotionally connected to certain foods. They bring us a sense of comfort. For me there is nothing better than a steamy hot cup of coffee with some organic full fat coconut milk in it to start my day. It brings me a sense of "AHHHHHH." But that "AHHHHHH" has brought me much suffering within my digestive system that has caused a great deal of inflammation in my body. Not worth it. I simply was not healed enough to handle it even a couple of times.
There is nothing more important than feeling our best. Inflammation does not make us feel our best. It stops us completely in our tracks. It causes pain in our bodies and for me personally it causes pain in my spirit. It is true that you can be sensitive/allergic to food at one point in your life and then be able to handle it at another. What bothers you today may nourish you tomorrow. Our bodies can be fickle like that. But when you have over consumed/over exposed yourself to certain foods (coffee, eggs, dairy, grains, gluten, corn, soy---the typical foods that get rotated in the American diet), you run a higher risk of developing an immune system response to those foods. So for the sake of healing your digestive system, you need to eliminate them for a certain period of time. Apparently six months was not enough for me. Lesson learned.
Don't cheat yourself out of your very right to be healthy. If you can't have a certain food, don't tell yourself you can only to pay the price for it down the line. It's like having one too many cocktails.....you will hurt eventually. Don't deny yourself a strong digestive and immune system. They go hand in hand. When you feed one you nourish the other. Give your body systems the rest that they need. You will see it all come together in it's due time. Be patient, loving, and gentle with yourself. Learn what your sensitivities are. Doing this now truly could save you from having to eliminate entire food groups down the line.
There are many NPs out there that can run an IgG test to check your sensitivities. I personally work with the Innate Response line to help with gut restoration which has been showing up as truly beneficial for myself and my clients. Move your body daily. Do some sort of physical activity to help bring in fresh blood, move energy, and help you strengthen your body. Have 90% of your foods be homemade and as organic as possible. Practice self care....this truly helps to reduce your cortisol levels which is also a factor in inflammation. And make sure you are getting plenty of rest as well.
So as I start out a new month, I'm starting with going back to my basics. For me it means following my food elimination diet, continuing with my gut restoration program, continuing with my exercise program, and allowing my body the time it needs to come back from all the trauma it has experienced.
What's yours? What do you do to stay strong, healthy, and balanced? What process have you followed in order to create that optimal state of health that you love living?
To Your Health!!
Tracy Lynn