How Emotions Can Hijack Your Diet Choices

Do you ever ask yourself why food is known to damage you, but not to heal you, to make you feel better? Why do the media and doctors say that you should eat less of this and less of that? Why food x caused y condition and nothing is said about what you should eat for a healthy system? I do to. Even more after being diagnosed with an autoimmune chronic illness like multiple sclerosis. I not only choose to quit sugar, but gluten and dairy too. Let me tell you why.

Last time I wrote about this issue (find it HERE) I was on a positive wave, or more well said, going through a constant good and calm state of my life. What I failed to remember was that life is a roller coaster. I didn't pay enough attention to the fact that the Black Knights (more about them HERE) are bound to come back and trash my efforts of leading a healthy life.

I'm talking about those moments when you feel so upset or tired, that you just need an ice cream or some chocolate. Eating sweet or tasty foods helps you feel better almost instantly (or at the bottom of the can, in some cases).

But that's the real problem. Our brains have been wired from an early age to know that we can find comfort in eating. What nobody told us was how to better manage what and how we feel. How to identify and balance the emotional roller coaster life has prepared for us, and do that without food.

For me, choosing not to eat gluten, dairy and sugar came as a no brainer once I did my research. And when I say research, I mean spending hours upon hours finding out how casein and gluten can mimic other proteins in the body and how sudden insulin spikes put the body into deep stress (and get you fat in the process). I have the notes to prove it! :))

I still have the same principles and ideas, only that now I am more aware of how moments of angst, fear or anger can make my hormones and neurotransmitters fluctuate, and thus somehow make me crave the foods that I know very well can make me feel bad.

On a rational level, it's all good, and I stick to the plan about 80% of the time. The other 20% is dependent on how I'm feeling. That's why I now focus mostly on balancing my emotional state, as it is the root of all evil. Kidding, just the root of cravings (which are equally as bad :)) ).

All this "I'm changing my diet!" is in fact a process, with its ups and downs. But nobody really talks about failure. About cravings, about how it's all connected to the way we feel, not only by logic and willpower. The stricter the diet, the most prone to failure it is. Especially if you go through hard moments in life. 

Here's where self-compassion comes in. I used to get upset with myself for eating some gluten or having some dairy, or for eating chocolate at certain times of the month. The trick is to allow yourself to indulge for a bit (if you're feeling really crappy there's no use in making things even worse) and then return to your usual eating habits. The problem begins when you continue on a downward spiral and eat mindlessly, going over your own decisions.

At the end of the day, we are all free to make our own choices, but just make sure they align with the rest of our lifestyle.

The following months we'll go deeper into what it takes to become stronger: body, mind and spirit. To become the architect of your wished lifestyle. To become #strongerthanMS.

Until then, I thank you for being here. Liked this post? Share it with friends. Want to receive more articles like this right into your inbox? Add your email to the SMart Choosers list HERE. You’ll receive every new article and a monthly Newsletter of wonderful resources and insight, to help you make the smart choices that best fit your lifestyle.

Sincerely yours,

Denisa

Why I Quit Sugar, Gluten & Dairy (And Why You Should Do The Same) - #HealthyThursday

Hi there! So nice to write another #HealthyThursday article for you. This time we deal with food choices when faced with health problems. Do you ever ask yourself why food is known to damage you, but not to heal you, to make you feel better? Why do the media and doctors say that you should eat less of this and less of that? Why food x caused y condition and nothing i said about what you should eat for a healthy system? I do to. Even more after being diagnosed with an autoimmune chronic illness like multiple sclerosis. I not only choose to quit sugar, but gluten and dairy too. Let me tell you why.

HOW EATING CAN IN FACT STARVE YOU

If you’re reading this it’s most likely you have been diagnosed with an autoimmune condition. You could also dropped by just wanting to learn more about the question in the title. Either way, this article is for you. We all want to be healthy and enjoy our meals in the process.

Disease starts small. Very small. Cells are the first ones to get it. Your lifestyle and diet are powerful factors that can make you well or make you sick. But you know this by now. I am sure you had at least one stomach problem or sluggishness from food you ate, sometime during your lifetime. So you can relate to what food can do to you if eaten mindlessly.

There is quite a big difference between being full and being nourished. Our body needs fuel to function the right way. What you eat has great impact on how you feel physically and emotionally. Your internal biochemistry needs to function correctly in order for your body to thrive. Too much inflammation and starved cells are a direct result of your lifestyle choices.

WHO ARE SUGAR, GLUTEN & CASEIN?

Sugar is in fact a group of short-chain, soluble carbohydrates that have a sweet taste. Like most carbs, it can be simple (glucose, fructose) or a bit more complex (sucrose, lactose). You get your daily amount from fruit  and other food you eat, and from table sugar and dairy. In fact, you are consuming just empty calories and your body starves on the inside. Sugar also encourages bad bacteria and yeasts to grow in your gut. It can oxidize proteins, making them unrecognizable for your immune system. In individuals that are genetically predisposed, it can lead to attacks from T cells, as they treat the protein as a foreign invader.

Myelin, the tissue attacked in multiple sclerosis is made out of protein.

Gluten is a protein found in grains, mostly in wheat and also in barley and rye. Gluten makes dough elastic, helping it rise and keep its shape. It can cause a lot of issues, ranging from simple bowel problems (ex: bloating, foggy mind, fatigue, rhinitis, etc) and wheat allergies to coeliac disease (intolerance to gluten).

Casein is another type of protein, but it is found in dairy, mostly in human and mammalian milk. It is one of the main triggers of food allergies. Casein can influence the release of histamine in the body, thus leading to inflammation in the bowels and influencing the immune system.

Lactose, the sugar found in milk, is also a major allergy source and deserves a sidekick role in this post. In certain predisposed individuals it can cause lactose intolerance, meaning that milk and other dairy products can’t be digested properly, causing gut problems.

THE ADDICTIVE THREE

Gluten, casein and sugar are very similar to the opioids, meaning they cause addiction. You surely know the effect a cheese pizza, a strawberry milk smoothie or chocolate have on you. The chemical process is simple. When you eat foods like these, your brain releases dopamine to signal the body it just had a pleasurable meal. It also rises your body glucose levels, making you feel good.

Over time, this effect is less and less powerful, thus you increase the amount of dairy, sugar or gluten you eat, in order to feel the same sensations. Your brain becomes addicted to that high. Another damaging effect is that you end up eating to much calories and less and less nutrients.

Because you have been eating them all your life, or most of it, you are not aware of any sensitivities that you might have or not. You do not associate many of your symptoms with food sensitivity to one of these elements.

The body has grown accustomed to the food you have been eating and to the damage it has been causing. You are used to the way you feel, and thus you keep consuming them. For only 30 days, do a test and give up dairy, gluten or sugar and then do a test meal and see how you feel. If you notice any reaction, be careful with it or eliminate it from your diet alltogether.

These three (four if we count lactose) are part of the factors that may increase the strong immune response. You also need to take into account many other issues like the amount of toxins in the body, hormone levels, infections, amount of omega-3 fatty acids (found in fish, chia seeds, flax seeds, etc), food intolerances, etc.

WHAT NEEDS TO BE DONE & MY EXPERIENCE

When dealing with an autoimmune illness, your goal is to dampen the immune cells reaction so they are less likely to attack oxidized protein in the body and cause symptoms or a possible relapse. The solution is quite simple, and has been given by many others before me. Good examples are Sarah Wilson, founder of the I Quit Sugar platform, Dr. Terry Wahls, creator of the Wahls Protocol,  Melissa Hartwig and Dallas Hartwig from the Whole30 Program. They all state that a healthy, nutritious and allergen-free diet is key.

Being such a curious person, I tried their advice on myself and found out they were all right. I also remembered the time I was on the Dukan diet and wasn’t eating any cereals and sugar. Gluten was making me feel bloated and sluggish, sugar made my insulin levels spike up and making me gain weight. Dairy was the last of them, as it never caused me major issues. But a test meal after 30 days off it made me realize that it does more harm than good.

It all led up to making up my mind to quitting sugar, gluten and dairy altogether and replacing them with healthier alternatives (more about these on future #HealthyThursdays). I gave them up and I advise you to do the same. The choice is yours.

I know social influence (ex: meals with friends, commercials, lunch brakes, chocolate :)) ) can have a powerful impact on your choices, but take time to think about the long-term effects and then make a decision. See if and how each food influences you mentally and physically. 

Give them up one at a time and most of all… take your time. Don’t rush it or it will become a chore and you will most definitely give up. It’s OK, we are all used to eating bread, chocolate, and cheesecakes. I know how hard it can be. I’m here for you if you have questions or need help.

I encourage you to do your own research and adapt it according to your own lifestyle. Be as comfortable as you can with the decisions you make for yourself.

If you follow this blog you know that I can’t recommend enough a healthy lifestyle, with all that it offers: whole foods, home-cooked meals, a diet as free as possible of allergens, sugars and toxins, regular exercising routine and basically taking care of any health issues like infections, hormonal imbalances or stress.

It’s all about the choices you make. The smart choices that through daily practice become habits for living a healthy life. Even with an autoimmune disease.

This was all for this week’s #HealthyThursday! Thank you for reading and if you would like to receive my next articles right into your mail

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Have a most wonderful day & make healthy choices!

Sincerely,

Alexandra