My ‘Nightmare Brush’ with Plant Based Diets: 5 Tips on finding a Lifestyle Diet that doesn’t make you Sick!
Food intolerances generally have a delayed reaction, and rarely have immediate clinically severe consequences, although they can cause severe chronic disease such as malnutrition. BMC Health, 2017
Have you ever been told it’s all in your mind? You’ve been eating healthier than ever before, and yet, the chronic, overwhelming exhaustion is getting worse. You wake up feeling like you need another eight hours sleep. Your head is pounding, you feel like you’ve got the flu and your mood is dark. Not again! Why me, why this, and what the f*ck is going on?
You’ve upped your dietary intake to more plant based foods, eat little fat, exercise regularly and manage to fit in your down time. Yet, here you are again! Absolutely flattened. Life is overwhelming and that deadline you have to meet is due today!
Sound familiar?
It’s not you, it’s your sandwich!
I am a huge supporter of plant based diets. Growing up in a carnivore household, I craved salad, a variety of ‘healthy’ foods and dreamed of being able to enjoy a meal without a full beast on the table — I was once forced to eat my pet chicken ‘Betsy’ when my grandmother visited.
In my early 20’s I decided to go full out vegetarian. It was such a challenging thing to do in the 90’s. I still craved the taste of meat, but I was grateful for the smorgasbord of vegetarian delights I discovered in the food capital of Australia — Melbourne. I was healthy, glowing, and enjoying my contribution to ensuring a healthier future for our planet.
Within six months, I was in hospital. Gastritis. Unknown cause. Rapid weight loss and incessent vomiting and nausea. I thought it was the cocktails I’d had a few nights before on a party night with friends. But I never recovered; I was always exhausted and extremely underweight. “Eat more meat” was the advice of my well meaning friends and family.
I walked everywhere, waterskied, jetskied and had a great social life, but I was flagging. Eventually, I’d had every test under the sun to determine the cause of my extreme malaise. My iron levels were fine. My bloods were fine. “It must be in your mind!” was the common phrase.
Eventually, I knew I had to start eating meat again. It was intuitive. I attempted to go vegetarian again years later and had “another brush with vegetarianism” — same results.
I have lived a life where food has been my enemy. It was years later, after being told, once again, my fatigue was depression, that I finally went to a naturopath. Another huge expenditure, Another diet. Another failure.
Soon after, I was diagnosed with Chronic Fatigue and immune deficiency. Next step was an immunologist. I was not fond of labels, so I ran a 10 km marathon just to prove my mind was stronger and that the medical establishment were wrong. It would be months before I recovered. People with fatigue should not over-stress the body with exercise regimes designed for thriving athletes. I know that now…
Eventually, I found a doctor/naturopath who specialised in food intolerances. I’d been on anti-candida and many other diets before, I was sceptical and resistant to forking out even more money for little results; what would be different this time?
Food sensitivity. Not an allergy. Just an intolerance to chemicals found in most plants and fruits. Salycilates and amines. I started the FAILSAFE diet which was developed by the RPAH for use in children with ADHD, Aspergers and behavioural issues. Eventually the research proved it was beneficial for more than just behavioural problems in children. It was my godsend.
We must pay greater attention to keeping our bodies and minds healthy and able to heal. Yet we are making it difficult for our defences to work. We allow things to be sold that should not be called food. Many have no nutritive value and lead to obesity, salt imbalance, and allergies. David Suzuki
It’s a depressing diet. I can’t lie. It really sucks. However, many behaviours including anxiety, depression, anger outbursts and depression can be linked to food additives, flavourings, preservatives and high levels of amines and salycilates, in both children and adults.
People with eczema and skin conditions are over 50% more likely to have some type of food intolerance that often go undetected for years, if not a lifetime. More on that at a later date.
It is estimated that as many as 20% of the world’s population have some type of food intolerance. That figure is what we know at present, so I’d wager the numbers are soaring much higher. If you’re feeling blue, exhausted and you’re finding nothing is increasing your energy, consider the following:
· If you are in any doubt at all, speak to a professional before embarking on a fitness or diet regime.
· Find a naturopath or doctor who specialises in food intolerance.
· Seek out relevant websites for your complaints such as Karen Fischer’s eczema diet. This is great for any type of food intolerance and is a great start if you are concerned at all.
· Find a support group online such as Sue Dengate’s Failsafe group on Facebook and other support forums. There’s loads to choose from.
· And don’t forget, the products we use to wash, clean and preserve all have chemicals that can harm. Do your research. It may mean a calmer household.
I have pinpointed a few foods that I realised have caused my latest brush with “healthy eating” resulting in a physical and emotional meltdown. Being on an elimination diet allows the skin and organs to recover. It helps the body to stop working overtime to combat the offending aggressor. Eventually, I’ll do what I always do and start consuming some favourites again, in moderation, but with more awareness.
I know it is counterintuitive to all we’ve heard and read, but I’m now eating much more meat; it is absolutely imperative to keep up my protein. Not ideal, but necessary. Please, don’t judge. I love my greens and legumes; I love the environment; but for me, I gotta eat more meat and potato for now!
Happy, healthy eating!
