My Whole Food Life…One Bite at a Time (8 Tips to Get you Started)
If I could get a dollar every time someone said “Oh I’m sorry but I am going to eat this in front of you, don’t judge” or “ Don’t let Tracy see you order that,” I would be rich!
I was your typical American eating SAD (the Standard American Diet). In fact I was a runner in high school and I often remember one of my teammates and I going out for a long run day and stopping at 7-eleven and buying a box of chocolate donuts and hiding in the girls bathroom eating them.
At 20 I was diagnosed with IBS (Irritable Bowel syndrome) a vague chronic problem that afflicted me for all of my adult life until recently. After several ER visits, GI appts and no answers I found a friend who became my food mentor. She taught me about organic foods, switching from dairy to nut milks, and we replaced the late night snacks of pizza and nachos with oatmeal and fruit and salads. This began my whole food journey and it literally was one bite at a time.
I began to own my health journey at 26 when I moved to Texas and became a personal trainer. Trust me the path was not perfect and I learned as I went. My first pregnancy I enjoyed the cranberry orange muffin & chai tea from Starbucks and ate my fill of pasta. After both my boys were born, what I ate seemed to affect my body more and I couldn’t work out as much as I did before children. So 8 years into my journey I began to eat more raw veggies, bought a Vitamix for smoothies and meal prepped so I could always have whole foods for the boys and me. I started a whole food cleanse in 2011 and began to create my own version that I did 2-3 times a year, took probiotics, drank apple cider vinegar, lemons and removed processed foods completely.
In 2015 much to my surprise I was diagnosed with colorectal cancer. Healing my body from that ordeal was trickier since my body’s chemistry had been altered and I was thrust into menopause, which changed my body. I followed Dr. Daniel Pompa’s cellular healing diet for 90 days and removed all starchy veggies, fruits except green apples and berries and increased my healthy fats. I also began juicing green juices to get as many phytonutrients into my body. I lost 25lbs, blood work was back to normal and I was feeling good but still had inflammation in my tummy at times and I was determined to sort this out. I found a GI who specialized in IBS and had research that 75% of those who suffered with IBS had SIBO (Small intestinal bacterial overgrowth). So I decided to test it! I did the low FODMAP diet for 3 months and took the supplement Atrantil that Dr. Brown suggested. I had never felt better! After the 3 months I even tried a few foods that usually irritated me and I was fine. I took the test for SIBO and tested positive for both hydrogen and methane gases. This certified I had SIBO. Living the way I did I choose the antibiotic route and I have been symptom free for 6 months.
My goal is to help others transition to a whole food mainly plant based lifestyle, improve their gut health and create healthy eating habits that are sustainable.
Tips to start a Whole Food Life to get you started:
Start by reading ingredients on the foods in your pantry or things you eat most often
Begin to swap out processed foods for whole plant based foods
Begin to buy Organic produce & meats that are grass fed and finished, fish that is wild caught
Educate yourself with documentaries such as What the Health, Forks Over Knives, Food Inc. or other literature on whole food plant based recipes
Focus on what you can add not what you are denying yourself
Be aware of marketing tricks and avoid junk food vegan, gluten free foods
Hire a nutrition coach to support and educate you
Be patient with the process of change, it truly is One bite at a time!