When I was diagnosed with chronic migraines last month the doctor told me I would need to cut certain foods from my diet along with adding certain vitamins in ... my diet would change drastically. He assured me I wouldn't regret it ... even though I was to give up a few things I love to eat.
I was frustrated at first ... but then a week in when I felt so much better, I was a complete believer!
Since I am not a meat eater, with the exception of chicken breasts and fish, I had become a creature of habit with my meals. I consumed a lot of nuts, cheese and bread. Three things that trigger migraines and all three had to go. Basically I was eating all the wrong things for me. I eat quite a few salads but after a few weeks of feeling trapped by my choices I knew I would need to venture out and add a lot more ideas to my rotation.
For me it hit home after a lunch at a local pizza place with Little Bit. I ordered a gluten free pizza with veggie cheese. It was delicious and possibly one of the best pizzas I had ever eaten. It was fresh and yummy. When I got home my oldest told me something I won't forget. "I'm proud of you Mom. You got creative instead of just being frustrated."
My whole thought process changed.
Since it is summer there are a ton of amazing things available to me to be able to add to my salads at home to make them more exciting. I was definitely getting into a rut eating the same safe things to avoid any of the trigger foods. And that rut was completely making me feel trapped by my diet. And I definitely don't want to feel trapped ... I want to embrace this with both feet in. When you feel so much better you definitely don't want to venture into the bad lands.
Don't let me mislead you ... this weekend at Haven every single evening they served amazing cheese trays and I indulged every single night. I was hoping cheese wasn't a trigger food for me since it is one of my absolute favorite foods. Sunday I had two migraines and was convinced more than ever that eating clean for me includes avoiding any food on the list the doctor gave me.
I need to get creative so as not to be tempted to fill my plate again with the foods I am to avoid. I spent some time this morning adding some amazing salads to my board on Pinterest ... and if you are like me you are visual and pretty pictures will inspire you to make amazing meals!
Looks like I need a trip to the market ...
Good for you Paige. I and my youngest can TOTALLY relate, but it will get easier as time goes by and you will find many other things to enjoy in place of those you had to take out. We are a few years in now and don't know the difference other than we feel so much better! Now we love being creative with food.
ReplyDeleteWe had to go gluten free a couple of years ago for College Girl and we spent a lot of time trying brands, researching recipes and learning to eat differently and definitely cleaner. Now it's so easy and routine with practice and we feel great so we don't miss much of the stuff that we thought we loved and couldn't live without. You'll get there - feeling good definitely makes a big difference in how easy it is to avoid certain foods. And we pin salads a lot too :) And since she is also in a boot this Summer for two stress fractures we are also researching foods on her list that contribute to good bone health LOL
ReplyDeleteHey Paige! I am going through something similar except my Doctor put me on a restrictive diet for insulin resistance. I too have had to cut breads and carbs in general. The Wheat Belly Cookbook (30 minutes or less) has been really great. He has recipes in there so that you can still have crackers, tortillas, and pita chips without using wheat, corn, barley etc... You might want to check it out.
ReplyDeleteI'm not gonna lie, I just cried my way through this entire post. I needed to read this today! Thank you for giving me inspiration.
ReplyDeleteEverything looks so delicious!! Great seeing you at Haven!!
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