My Food Revolution: the back story

Though this blog was hardly created to list medical woes and symptoms and such, I figure a bit of a back story is necessary to explain the significance of this "food revolution" concept in my life. And why I feel the need to start a blog about it.

In March of 2008, I went to the doctor with complaints of stomach and digestion problems. Skipping the minutia of this, the result was a lot of tests and a new diet - with referrals to a nutritionist and a gastroenterologist. The result of my visit to the nutritionist: a few strategies for my new diet and the No-List, a list of all of the foods I was not allowed to touch and the foods I had to limit in my daily food intake. Results from the visit to the gastroenterologist: a whole new line-up of tests (in which you never want to partake) and more foods to add to the No-List.

Thus began the drastic shift in my personal food culture. The diet is most succinctly described as a "low-fat, no-acid" diet, but with strict ties to the No-List. The No-List became (and still is currently) a central theme in every day life, starting relatively small, but building in length with every doctor visit or new odd symptom. A 6-month period of time has resulted in the No-List firmly planted in my brain, and an almost comical length of restrictions. [Seriously, sometimes, when I sit back and think about it, it makes me chuckle.]

The past 6 months have also seen some big changes in my life, all related to the mysterious digestive issue and my ever-present No-List.

Exhibit 1: I dropped 20 lbs in 2.5 months - which translates to dropping from a size 6/8 to a size 2 pant-size, a medium to an extra-small shirt/dress-size, and a size 6 to a size 5 1/2 shoe-size. [Yes, even feet shrink when you're weight is disappearing like ice cream on a hot summer day!]

Exhibit 2: My refrigerator/freezer/pantry now contain very little processed or pre-packaged foods; exchanged instead for natural, fresh foods and lots of home-cooked leftovers (my new idea of "pre-made meals").

Exhibit 2.5: I have gained a much greater awareness about my personal food-landscape and bodily nutrition and I've developed a new interest in general nutrition, healthy-eating, and the effects of different foods on a person's digestive system (whether healthy or whacked out like mine).

Exhibit 3: I'm eagerly planning my first meal when the restrictions slowly begin to lift. [See the countdown on the sidebar!!!]

As of this writing, I feel like I'm finally taking things into my own hands with regard to this diet and the restrictions it has imposed on my food world. The No-List has become less of a defining force in my life and more of a daily challenge - a game, a battle of wits if you will. I have to constantly get creative to avoid the No-List, to skirt around its strict rules and limitations. And it's become quite fun, actually! I no longer feel so much imprisoned by the restrictions; instead I'm creating a whole new world of food - food that works for me and my stomach. Food that isn't just bland nothingness thrown together in a pot, but actually allows me to appreciate things like taste and flavor combinations a little bit.

And this is what I mean to share on this blog. The creations I've made in my kitchen, thoughts and stories surrounding this diet and the restrictions I live with, and ways this diet has changed the way I approach, think about, and cook food. It is as much for me as a reminder of what I've been through and how far I've come as it is a breakdown of my experience for anyone else who cares to read this blog.

This is my food revolution. I hope you enjoy the ride.