Until my mid-thirties (well before I was a health coach), I routinely ate cereal, a muffin or a bagel for breakfast, sandwiches for lunch and pasta for dinner. Tortellini with Alfredo sauce was one of my absolute favorites. Cheese and crackers were a staple in my diet and I was an ice cream fiend. I pretty much ate ice cream every single night of my life from when I was 12 until I was 35.

Little did I know back then that my brain fog, joint pain, digestive issues and reflux were due to dairy and gluten intolerance. Boy, did that throw a wrench into my eating habits!

My diet these days looks much different… I haven’t had gluten or dairy in five years and I honestly don’t miss it. It wasn’t like I didn’t enjoy it; according to one of my test results, my brain actually turns dairy into an opiate! But, as much as I loved it, it was slowly killing me. I felt like I was 80 in my 20s! My immune system was so overworked, I couldn’t fight things off and I took forever to heal. I feel so much better now, I can’t imagine “cheating.”

These days, I enjoy plenty of good quality, homemade food and very little processed food or artificial ingredients. And when I say enjoy, I really mean it. I don’t feel deprived and I feel healthier now than I did when I was younger. I still enjoy treats, but they are generally a much healthier version.

People often say to me… “Wow, I could never give up [insert gluten, dairy, sugar, etc.].” I used to think that, too. I wonder if they would try it if they knew how much better they could feel!

If you felt a lot better as a result, what changes would you make?