A necessary evil- part one

Who knew that anyone could consider food a necessary evil?!  I have some friends who truly savor each bite of their favorite foods- you can hear it in their soft sighs of contentment while they eat.  I like good food, don't get me wrong, but anymore it just doesn't seem worth the effort.  I wish so badly that there was a pill or a shake that could nourish my body for prime health and that I could skip eating altogether.

Last summer I took a trip to Seattle for an appointment at the IBS (Irritable Bowel Syndrome) Treatment Center.  Why in the world would I choose to see a doctor in Washington you ask?   Dr. Wangen is an MD who also has IBS and also utilizes holistic/alternative/natural medicine in his practice.  These three characteristics (MD, has IBS, believes in alternative medicine) in common was exactly what I was looking for to help me.  Practical, practical, practical!  Let's treat the cause not the symptoms and use every resource available to achieve good health.  AND he's been there and done that!  A bonus of empathy!  Have I been diagnosed with IBS?  No, but after extensive reading & research and much time, thought, and prayer, I knew this trip would be worth my time and money.

And it was.  I learned so much more and had my fears set at ease, but the changes to come were going to be so hard.... in reality, so much harder than just sheer willpower.  Upon receiving test results, I learned of the foods that my body considers allergens. The primary weapon that our bodies use against invaders is the production of antibodies. The antibodies cause reactions that result in the offending allergens being removed from the body. In many people, foods act as allergens rather than nutrition.  This list of now prohibited foods was not pretty.... wheat, dairy, bananas, pecans, gluten, pineapple, eggs, asparagus, broccoli, .... the list goes on.  Elimination was the goal.  Once I set my mind to something, it's done.  Elimination began immediately.  Mainly I "got by" on corn chips, 2 bean-corn dip, and Dr. Pepper.  Allergy season was approaching quickly and after a month of this new way of eating, I found that I had handled allergy season better than I ever had since the onset of my allergies 10 years prior.  Yea!! Huge victory, and many of my IBS symptoms were either manageable or gone, too.

My oldest daughter (12 yrs. old) suffers from allergies. too.  When it's bad, she's almost asthmatic.  Inflamed nasal passages and mouth breathing are completely normal for her anytime of the year.  [Yes, we've had her to conventional allergy doctors with no relief]  Rodney and I decided to take her to our local center that does some of the same tests I traveled to Seattle to get.  In a month we tested three more- Rodney, Regan and Rosalind.  I described Regan's symptoms.  Rodney knew there was better health available and his weight was a concern.  Rosalind had irregular digestive pains (unexplainable tummy aches).  And Rayne who we did not test at that time (due to cost) has a metal/skin allergy and increasing skin conditions causing rashes, hives, etc. [And yes, I've had Rayne to several conventional doctors with not much explanation or relief-  I even diagnosed the metal allergy after an dermatologist at OU Med. Center missed it! Ridiculous.]  Needless to say, our test results we all different but with a very common thread... allergic to dairy, wheat, gluten, eggs... Everything else varied quiet a bit.  Some foods listed made Regan rejoice!  Lettuce, for example, lol.  Anyway, now we were all on elimination diets.  No more "getting by".  It was a full-fledged change for the whole family.