To get thing rolling, I figured I'd do a quick "About me" post so you know who you are dealing with. I'm a 30-something wife, mom, daughter, sister and employee of a company that I adore. I love nothing more than spending time with my family - my wonderful husband, sweet daughters, 2 doggies (Bailey and Penny) and the extended crew. In my (very limited) spare time, I like to read, occasionally get a run in, watch TV (currently binge watching Ray Donovan) and sleep!
What brings me to this blog? About 2.5 years ago I started feeling really sick. Whenever I would eat, I would get intense stomach pains, headaches, and generally just felt awful. In September of 2013 I started losing weight at a rapid pace. After losing about 8 pounds in a month, my mom insisted I go to the doctor. Thus began a whirlwind of test and a very scary few months. After nearly every invasive test you can imagine with no conclusive results, my doctor decided to put me on a high fat diet (to determine if I was malabsorping fat). After about two weeks on the diet, I was in back to back meetings at work with nothing to eat so I grabbed a pear from a gift basket we'd received and ate it. The aftermath of eating that pear was horrifying....I'll spare you the details. Upon sharing this with my doctor, his hypothesis changed and I was tested for Fructose Malabsorption - which came back positive.
Having a diagnosis was such a relief, especially one that didn't mean I was dying. The down side was the I was now faced with managing this new lifestyle and I was so confused. There is hardly anything on the internet that is helpful, and what I could find was conflicting. Come to find out, Fructose Malabsorption is a relatively newly discovered disorder so there isn't much out there. Thankfully, I found an amazing dietician that helped me through the first few months. She introduced me to the "Low FODMAP" (Fermentable Oligo-Di-Monosaccharides and Polyols) diet. FODMAPS are certain carbohydrates found in foods that have been linked to digestive issues. After a pretty intense elimination period, I was able to identify foods that were on my good list. While it was way less than I was comfortable with - it was a start.
Don't get me wrong, this was by no means easy - I went through an entire grieving cycle (which, in hindsight sounds ridiculous) and it took months to come to terms with this new way of eating. Now, nearly 2.5 years later, I get it - I don't feel like I'm being deprived, I understand what food trigger bad reactions and I avoid them. Or, I don't and I suffer the consequences.
Through this whole ordeal, I have found a few reliable blogs and resources that have been so very helpful. I figured, since I now feel like I am able to not only get through meals but am thriving and enjoying eating again, I'd create a place to share. What works? What doesn't ? Most of this blog will be recipes and things I've eaten. I will pair that with some work out updates because finding a work out that works for you is so important when dealing with a digestive disorder. While some days it doesn't feel like you have the energy and/or you feel too sick to do it, it definitely helps (as long as you don't over do it!)
Stick around, you might find something you like!
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| My sweet family! |
What brings me to this blog? About 2.5 years ago I started feeling really sick. Whenever I would eat, I would get intense stomach pains, headaches, and generally just felt awful. In September of 2013 I started losing weight at a rapid pace. After losing about 8 pounds in a month, my mom insisted I go to the doctor. Thus began a whirlwind of test and a very scary few months. After nearly every invasive test you can imagine with no conclusive results, my doctor decided to put me on a high fat diet (to determine if I was malabsorping fat). After about two weeks on the diet, I was in back to back meetings at work with nothing to eat so I grabbed a pear from a gift basket we'd received and ate it. The aftermath of eating that pear was horrifying....I'll spare you the details. Upon sharing this with my doctor, his hypothesis changed and I was tested for Fructose Malabsorption - which came back positive.
Having a diagnosis was such a relief, especially one that didn't mean I was dying. The down side was the I was now faced with managing this new lifestyle and I was so confused. There is hardly anything on the internet that is helpful, and what I could find was conflicting. Come to find out, Fructose Malabsorption is a relatively newly discovered disorder so there isn't much out there. Thankfully, I found an amazing dietician that helped me through the first few months. She introduced me to the "Low FODMAP" (Fermentable Oligo-Di-Monosaccharides and Polyols) diet. FODMAPS are certain carbohydrates found in foods that have been linked to digestive issues. After a pretty intense elimination period, I was able to identify foods that were on my good list. While it was way less than I was comfortable with - it was a start.
Don't get me wrong, this was by no means easy - I went through an entire grieving cycle (which, in hindsight sounds ridiculous) and it took months to come to terms with this new way of eating. Now, nearly 2.5 years later, I get it - I don't feel like I'm being deprived, I understand what food trigger bad reactions and I avoid them. Or, I don't and I suffer the consequences.
Through this whole ordeal, I have found a few reliable blogs and resources that have been so very helpful. I figured, since I now feel like I am able to not only get through meals but am thriving and enjoying eating again, I'd create a place to share. What works? What doesn't ? Most of this blog will be recipes and things I've eaten. I will pair that with some work out updates because finding a work out that works for you is so important when dealing with a digestive disorder. While some days it doesn't feel like you have the energy and/or you feel too sick to do it, it definitely helps (as long as you don't over do it!)
Stick around, you might find something you like!