Over
the last few years, my family’s pantry has transformed from looking
like the cereal and dinner-in-a-box aisle to looking more like the
lentils, grains and nuts in-a-bin aisle. While we have scraped the
high-fructose syrup residue from our tongue and weaned ourselves from
most highly processed foods, we admit to an occasional craving for comfort foods from our past. Pizza is on the top of the, “I know I really
shouldn’t have it, but I really want it!” cravings list.
Lately,
ordering out always falls short in delivering the food craving
desired. First, we don’t eat pork, so we are always in search for a
decent specialty meat to top the pizza, which often has a sub-par taste
and texture. We opt for the “real cheese” versus the cheese-like
substance plus add on two or three vegetables to that pie and you’re
ringing up at $25-30. More problematic than settling for mediocre
toppings and doling out extra cash for a craving, is the price our bodies pay.
I suffer from ulcerative colitis
(UC), which is an autoimmune and inflammatory bowel disease which can
cause debilitating intestinal cramping and bleeding. UC is a relatively
“new” disease and not much is known of
it’s origins nor the cause of the painful flare-ups. A majority of
autoimmune diseases and allergic reactions--such as Crohn’s, rheumatoid
arthritis, asthma, and eczema--are most commonly diagnosed from within
the US and other developed nations. So how did we get so lucky to
inherit this bevy of diseases?
The Hygiene Hypothesis suspects
that a lack of early childhood exposure to infectious agents (i.e., gut
flora or probiotics) increases one’s susceptibility to allergic
reactions and auto-suppression issues/diseases. In short,it is suspected
that UC and others are born from diets characteristic of being
protein and nutrition deficient and abundant with man-made foods created
in large manufacturing plants (I, like many other 80’s kids of divorced
parents, can attest that my diet was largely influenced by General
Mills and Kraft).
Preliminary
research suggests that our bodies have become “too clean” from lack of
exposure to infections and infectious agents such as bacteria and flora
found naturally in foods within their most holistic and natural states. Studies supporting
the theory state that a diet devoid of greens, fungus, aged-cheeses,
lentils, and whole grains and rich with refined sugars and
uber-sterilized (think white bread, mac and cheese from the box, and
ultra-pasteurized milk) creates an unnatural environment within the
intestines. The intestines are then “dis-armed” and the immune system
malfunctions and attacks some part of the body.
I
have suffered with UC for a little over two years and and have pledged
that I will not idly accept a lifetime of steroids as my sole solution.
Based on research and common sense, I have decided to “re-train” my body
and alter my diet; this course contradicts my doctor’s belief that diet
won’t alter the course of my UC flare-ups. Whether there is a direct
correlation between my diet and the fact that I have been in near 100%
remission from UC the last six months is still disputable. What is
certain is that I am eating and feeling better than ever. My diet from
the last 30+ years consisted mostly of some variation of corn embedded in many processed foods, refined sugars, meat, and cheese-like
substances. Now, I am eating more “whole
foods”, I have lost weight, strengthened my immune system and feel
healthier now than ever before in my life.
The most major changes I made and am now attributing to my healthy gut are:
- eliminating “fast food” whether drive through restaurants or meals from a box;
- eating a minimum of five daily servings of fruit and vegetables;
- eliminating white bread and eating whole-grain bread only on occasion;
- cutting down consumption of pasta to once a week and rice no more than four times a week;
- eating vegetarian and eating fish each at least once a week; and
- drinking whole, non-homogenized milk from Cedar Summit or Autumnwood farms.
Despite
vows recited, the urge to kick back and enjoy a hot, greasy, cheesy
pizza continues to taunt me and the family as a whole. Each time we
caved and ordered, we were left disappointed with mediocre quality of
ingredients and I without fail, would end up sick from the ordeal.
Forced to adapt, we began experimentation with homemade pizzas. What
resulted was a yummy, affordable, and fun family tradition involving the
whole family and a healthy gut for me. Along the way we collected some
gemstone lessons.
Next up- The Tao of Pizza with lessons learned from homemade pizza night.
Leigh Ann Ahmad was dragged kicking and screaming to the Cities by her husband; having been born and bred in Cleveland, Ohio, she just could not fathom how colder could be better. Now, five years and two kids later, she cannot imagine a better place to play and thrive. She’s a reformed carb-aholic, wannabe writer, social justice advocate, book- club geek, veggie grower and local foods connoisseur. Her last article for SGT was, When life gives you chestnuts...make soup.