food for thought or thoughts of food

I love food. I had (and still working through) a dysfunctional relationship with food. And I'm beginning to think about food as nutrition and not as something to fill a void. My problems with food started after my parents got divorced and I was left home alone a lot while my mom was dating again. I would fill my time and stomach with eating pretty much whatever I could fine. I'd have 2 dinners on some nights. Gross I know. But at 13 I didn't think anything of it. I made pasta from a box, cookies, fruit snacks, cereals, bread ext.

The whole time I was growing up, I never felt good. I know that's a bold statement but it's dramatically true. I was always suffering from headaches. I'd tell my mom how I thought something might be seriously wrong with me because none of my friends felt like this. None of my classmates complained of headaches 4 days a week. I felt lost and kind of alone especially since I would bring my symptoms up to my mom who would brush them off.

I don't remember a time I felt awesome, until I became pregnant with P. At age 26, I finally felt great, no headaches, yes morning sickness for the first 6 months, but totally manageable. Vomit and move on, LOL. Unlike my headaches that stuck with me for days. After I had P the headache symptoms returned. I felt frustrated and confused.

On my way to work (it's  40 min commute one way) I hear a health coach on the radio. They read a listeners question about constant headaches/migraines. I turned my radio up. The health coaches suggestion was to keep a food diary and find the food triggering the headaches. I started logging my food that night.

I quickly realized that everything I ate was giving me headaches!

The same factor in all my food choices were artificial dyes. They are literally in EVERYTHING! Everything I was eating and everything most American's are eating to be honest. They were in my favorite foods and my favorite drinks. The foods I would reach for when I wasn't feeling well (comfort foods) were making me even more sick. It was a relief to finally have a reason, but terrifying to figure out how to move forward.

My food allergies consist of:

• eggs -- these actually are a food I've been allergic to since I was a toddler
• shellfish -- like most people 
• artificial dyes/preservatives 
• wheat-- sensitivity, not full blown allergy but definitely heading that way. 

See food allergies are just like any other allergies, they become worse the more they get into a person system. And I'm starting to see the beginnings with wheat. I will get frustrated and eat a sandwich because it sounds good and I want to be a normal person and I feel the headaches creep in and also the intestinal issues rage for a few days as well.

I am starting to eat to fuel. Being a runner I need to appreciate my body and what it does for me each day.

I find myself really watching what P eats too.(when she's not with us but with other family members that don't eat as clean as we do) I would never want her to feel the way I felt growing up, always stricken with headaches feeling like crap. We eat very well in our home. It's obviously for the better, but at first it was different and took time to get use to. I fall "off the wagon" every now and then or eat something while out to dinner I wouldn't realize would have artificial flavoring and I manage the headaches and know they are going to be short lived. Thank goodness for that!  

This will be an on going thing. But it's made me think about each and every piece of food that goes into my mouth and my families. :) Totally worth it!