It's no secret that what we eat affects the way we feel and how we look. In fact, every one of us living in this world of processed, chemically-laden, genetically altered food can attest to having had some reaction or another to the food we ingest, or at least we are likely to know someone who has experienced one.
Speaking as a Mom of Boys, all of whom have food or skin sensitivities, here is what I have learned about eating the wrong foods:
It makes us feel sluggish
It creates a bloated, uncomfortable feeling
We sometimes experience constipation or digestive issues in general
It makes us moody
We get...itchy
One of my boys has eczema, and one of the main things I have watched is his diet. All of my children are sensitive to lactose, and two of them have had gluten issues, as have I. Now, with a third son reacting to anything scented on his skin (like his mom), I am also looking closely at his diet.
It can never hurt to go back to clean, real food when other methods fail us or we just need a place to get grounded. It's as if we are starting over, giving our bodies a re-start and allowing them to experience a bit of calm in the midst of a storm of medications and failed treatments. It's no surprise that so many of us experience these issues today; we've changed the processing of food so much that our bodies have trouble keeping up, and maybe they shouldn't have to keep up. They weren't built for this kind of food to begin with, so we have to bring it back to the basics sometimes.
So, what does real food look like to me and to my family?
- Greens - and lots of them
- Lean proteins (our bodies need it, but make it free of the junk and go grass-fed)
- Raw, sprouted grains
- Nuts
- Fruits and Veggies
- Good fats (olive oil, coconut oil..)
- Anything that is not too acidic for this family:)
That has been our experience, in a nutshell--so to speak. Feel free to share your own in the comments because, as we know, taking care of ourselves involves so much more than diet alone. If you want to join the discussion and follow along with our monthly challenge this June, hop on over to the Facebook Group. You might even win something fun!
XOX,
Carrie