When I was a young lass (I’m part Irish…then again, who isn’t) I ate just about anything. I have always had a “passion” for food but back then it was probably called an obsession. I was had some healthy Midwest curvature to my figure that I blame wholly on my ability to guzzle gallons of milk, devour mounds of fried anything and let’s not forget the ranch. You haven’t lived until you trek to middle America for some ranch.
I went in and out of trying to eat healthier without fully understanding what I needed to do. I did some fad diets, didn’t eat, woke up and did Tae-Bo while my other 14-year old friends were sleeping in their skinny bodies, everything. My sophomore year I made a major decision that this girl wanted more than small town Nebraska and headed back to my roots. Not Ireland…GERMANY! I spent the next two years of high school in the land of strudel and schnitzel. I exposed myself to foods that were beyond foreign in any city of Nebraska, most of which was either naturally made or grown.
After I graduated I headed back to the states and began having problems eating the same foods I once loved. From one moment to the next I was having complications digesting anything dairy-related. At the same time I began my consistent gym lifestyle. In that change I also started educating myself on clean eating and have since used my body as an experiment to see what works best for me. This has meant cutting out overly starchy carbs, foods high in fat, dairy and beef.
In making these changes I have developed further complications digesting them on a cheat day. Husband-face even went as far as mentioning that I may now be allergic to gluten. As much as I don’t want to be that person, I may have to face the facts soon and “get tested.” By nature, I am now forced to eat healthy. If I cheat in anyway I experience intense stomach cramping followed by the sexiest bodily function ever…
On one hand, this has been a blessing in disguise. My body is forcing me to eat healthy or it will wreck me. For that, I have strong discipline that makes eating healthy a lot simpler than someone who wouldn’t be crop-dusting around their house after a pizza.
The disguise is that it’s torture. I started this blog in hopes of inspiring thousands of people who are just like me. They want to be as healthy as possible but still want to enjoy some cheesecake and burgers from time to time. When I do decide to cheat it’s not only sacrificing my progress which can be decision enough not to, but I’m sacrificing my intestines.
As the experts say, a healthy lifestyle is 20% about working out and 80% about eating clean. Nothing gives my abs more definition and the rest of me better results than eating healthy. Around the holidays it’s always difficult for me to decline sweets (major sweet tooth) and making that 20% more like 45%. As of recently I have been extra strict making my cheat meals strike with greater vengeance than before. Could the healthier I eat for longer periods of time be worsening my ability to digest the garbage out there? Until I get to the bottom of it, my cheat meal looks to be pita chips and hummus. Midwest Sarah would be very disappointed.
I haven’t seen a specialist as of yet but may be on my 2013 “to do list.” Have any of you experienced digestive changes since you started a healthier lifestyle?