The Blissful Blueberry

The good ol’ days of milkshakes at Denny’s. :)

How the heck has it come to this? Why, oh, why does my body require a strict adherence to a diet? Silly body. I tested positive for a gluten sensitivity and so began my hunt for a solution to my health issues (gut and skin). I’d rather not take any pills–and food is mostly in my control–so here I am. Halfway between full Paleo and skirting around low-FODMAP.

So what are these two diets? 

Paleo is everywhere. So much so that it has a stigma. It’s the new gluten-free craze. It’s the rich person diet. It’s almost taboo to even mention it. I even read on a website dedicated to people who were interested in blogging that they should avoid a site about Paleo living. Why? Because the market is saturated. It’s a fad. Boo. 

The Paleolithic Diet is based on the idea that our bodies haven’t evolved past what they were when we were primal hunter-gatherers. Our world has, but we haven’t. For our health, we shouldn’t be consuming products we aren’t designed to digest. Makes sense. It’s really strict, though, and you have to cut out ALL GRAINS, beans, and nuts. This makes it virtually impossible for vegetarians. (I used to be one!) It is also virtually impossible for anyone who wants to eat out. Try finding local, grass-fed beef at an Applebee’s. Or a Taco Bell. Try finding any fast food, for that matter.

Up to this point, I haven’t been following it closely. Loosely. Very loosely. I eat any type of meat, not grass-fed local. I also kept nuts, corn, and rice in my diet. Basically, I went gluten free and dairy free. If you’d like to be strict, you should check out the Paleo Diet’s website. 

Recently, after scouring the internet for reasons why my skin was continually breaking out, I found the Low-FODMAP Diet by Dr. Sue Shepherd. It seemed to connect my issues with IBS with my skin. It also discussed how to heal the gut after candida growth. Blah, blah, blah, science. Candida growth would make sense as to why my skin would clear up after taking antibiotics. Which are HORRIBLE for you in the long run–something I quickly found out. 

FODMAP stands for Fermentable Oligosaccharides, Disaccharides, Monosaccharides and Polyols. These crazy things are sugars–sugars that are non-digestible in some people. Especially people with IBS. These sugars then ferment in the body creating IBS symptoms which can wreak havoc on your skin and internal organs. Oh joy! The list of high-FODMAP foods is quite extensive.  Garlic and onion?! I’m in trouble. 

Because I am horrible at remembering to take vitamins and supplements every day, and because I am also horrible at sticking to a strict diet, I am in a conundrum. I even contemplated a quick fix from the Acne Free in 3 Days: How I Cleared my Acne in Only 3 Days book where you eat nothing but 36 peeled apples over the course of 3 days (and some grape juice and olive oil, and daily enemas and castor oil on your skin). I might still do it, but apples are on the high-FODMAP list, so I would try the alternate of nothing but grapes! Ugh. 

My current plan: a little bit of everything. I will cut out all grain (including corn and rice), some nuts (peanuts, cashews, and pistachios), and almost all FODMAPs. When it comes to FODMAPs, I’ll keep in all of the vegetables, but I will cut out most sugar. That was something my Dr. recommended anyway to help the candida issue. Following The Candida Diet for a week or so until I get that under control will be tough,  but well worth it. My face is important–as is my tum tum. She recommended basically a no-sugar, no-grain, no yeast diet. Bye-bye, gluten-free beer. (I drank the last one my husband made for me yesterday, anyway.) 

I’ll keep you posted on this journey of mine to mental, physical, and spiritual health!