I love food. I love cooking when I feel like it and ordering out when I don't — it's my way of supporting local business, and I'm sticking with that story. But while I love almost all food, my body eventually made me rethink some of it.
We all get busy and tend to ignore what our bodies are telling us. But those little ignored signals have a way of adding up, and at some point you have to deal with them. Without too much drama and private detail — after years of this and that — I finally found a simple, straightforward path that actually worked. This site is me leaving the notes behind for anyone who might need them.
It starts with knowing exactly what your body has a hard time with. You could keep a food journal, but that's a slow process and you're essentially experimenting on yourself, which is not ideal. I chose to get a food sensitivity test. That test changed everything — like a fog lifted. I was surprised by some of the items on the results. Things I was eating every single day. No wonder, huh?
Armed with that information, I finally had something to work with. Bye bye eggs, garlic, and milk. It's also worth noting that age, activity level, and for women — especially around menopause — play a real role in how your body processes food. Worth keeping in mind.
I decided to go with the Mediterranean diet. I love hummus, pita, veggies, nuts, and fruit. Perfect, right? Except after a few months I was bloated like a balloon. What the heck? That's when I discovered FODMAP — foods that didn't show up on my sensitivity test but are known to cause digestive issues anyway, just because. So, no more hummus. But then what in the world am I supposed to eat?
In my case it came down to a mix. I stay away from beans, fermented foods, and the items I know cause my specific issues — but otherwise I eat whatever I want. The key was making a list. Seeing it clearly: what's okay, what's sometimes okay, and what to avoid. That list became my compass.
I also never liked meal planning. I have no idea what I'll want in three days, and nobody should have to commit to that. So I don't. Instead, I just make sure I always have the right things on hand.