Eat

Saturday morning. Many hours in the kitchen were on today's schedule. My stomach doesn't hurt as much anymore and I'm glad! My body feels lighter, but I've had energy dips during the day. It feels like my body is adjusting to real food after all the Christmas food and sugar intake in abundance.

About 70 % of the people with leaky gut have gut-related problems. This means that 30 % have symptoms that are not directly related to the gut. If you have one or more of the symptoms or conditions described below, you most likely have a leaky gut! But don't despair! There is a lot you can do to heal your leaky gut!

We consume between 3-7 tonnes of food in our lifetime! Some of the food you put in your mouth is not very good for you, as you probably already know. But is it just the food that can cause a leaky gut?

This is part 3 of 4 about leaky gut. In this series of articles I will answer the questions:

"What is a leaky gut?" (part 1),

There are several great techniques to consider when healing your leaky gut! Getting your gut health under control is all about looking at the bigger picture, and taking a holistic approach. We are complex creatures, but we all have the same basic needs.

This is part 4 of 4 about leaky gut. In this series of articles, I have answered the questions, among others:

Woke up at 6 am after 7 hours of sleep and felt refreshed. That hasn't happened in a long time! Today I have spent many hours in the kitchen and in front of the computer. Starting to get a handle on things and have planned the week based on how much time I have to spend in the kitchen. All breakfasts have to be prepared beforehand, there is neither time nor interest to stand in the kitchen and cook in the morning. Most of the food I cook or at least prepare at lunchtime, in the afternoon I have no time to be in the kitchen and dinner must not take more than 30 minutes to prepare. The whole family eats dinner together and I usually make pasta, rice or mashed potatoes for the children. I also have to cook enough to make 3 lunch boxes the next day (here in the US we send lunch boxes to school and kindergarten).

How has my project "Healing leaky gut" actually gone? This is my evaluation of "Healing Leaky Gut: Days 1-30 (Jan 4-Feb 3)".

Before the project started, I wrote, among other things:

"It will first be 30 strict days, when my focus will be to eat food that is nutritious as well as anti-inflammatory. This includes eliminating soy, dairy, eggs, caffeine and nuts from my diet and then one by one testing and reintroducing them again during February, but only if my body allows. The goal is to try to understand which of the eliminated products doesn't work for me, i.e. to try to understand what it is that gives me inflammation and a leaky gut. Description in detail of this method will come in a later blog post."

What happened after my first 30 strict days? How do I feel now? Have I managed to heal my leaky gut? This is a description of how to reintroduce the eliminated foods and how to create a long-term sustainable diet. It is also a personal evaluation of "Healing leaky gut: days 31-90 (4 Feb-3 April)".

A nice and sunny day! Starting to feel ready for the next step in my project now. Next week I'm going to start introducing eggs back into my diet, among other things, and I feel like that's going to help me in the kitchen. Especially with breakfast. I'm still lacking good alternatives for breakfast, as I find it very difficult to eat meat for breakfast. It just doesn't work. The only meat that I think is ok to eat early in the morning is my new favourite: herb meatballs:-)

First day without coffee and it has gone very well! I miss the social aspect of drinking coffee and the taste of course. There is nothing better than a really good espresso or coffee latte, I think. So my goal is to introduce this drink as soon as my 30 day project is over (if my body allows...).

Each day has 24 hours.

We all know that. It's not news. To feel good, we need to prioritise between the basic needs we all have and our other interests, so that these 24 hours are enough. The problem we all face, however, is that these 24 hours never seem to be enough. There is so much we must do and there is so much we want do. So what do we do?

What a great day it was! We were spontaneously invited to good friends and she is a master in the kitchen! Dinner was a delight as always when she cooks authentic Pakistani food from scratch. The food is not spicy, but tasty. We had a busy Saturday, so leftovers were the basis for lunch. That castle steak never ends...

It's been a tough day. I already knew it would be difficult to remove the coffee. However, I wasn't prepared for my stomach to start hurting. I'll wait a few more days and if I don't get rid of that problem, I'll remove coconut products from my diet as well. I already know that the first two weeks are the most difficult and that the positive results will come. I'll wait patiently and work in the kitchen in the meantime:-)

Wow, I can't believe I've already been doing this project for 10 days! Time is running out. Today has been a good day. My gut is calm again and I'm glad I decided to remove all coconut products from my diet. I've started sleeping better, but most importantly, I'm waking up feeling more alert. Soon it will be time to introduce more movement to my schedule as well. But it's important not to change too much at once, or “everything will just pancake out” and it's no fun failing at things you set out to do. It's better to go slowly and take one thing at a time! Building your health from within takes time and there is no quick fix!!

One big difference since I started this project is that I feel much more energetic now. And that was one of my goals when I started. It's good to see a difference, because it really motivates me to continue eating healthier, even in the future!

This project is not meant to end abruptly after 30 days, I see it rather as a test on many levels and that I really give my body a break from everything that could create inflammation and irritation. Continuation will follow even after the first 30 days, when for example eggs, coffee and chocolate will be back in the diet, if my body allows.

I know I'm getting bored and monotonous with my breakfasts, but for the past year I've been drinking smoothies every morning and it's hard to let go of the good habit. I feel like it's good for me and I think it's delicious! The difference now is that I don't use dairy, coconut or soy products in my smoothies. Cold tea works just fine as a substitute!

Another day off, but today with a much more energetic son. He got to help with the cooking, which he usually thinks is super fun. He's going to be a chef when he grows up, he says.

I decided to go for a walk when my husband finally came home in the evening, unfortunately I felt my bad hip halfway up the hill. I haven't felt it for a long time and I am always so disappointed when it hurts like that. I hope the pain is gone tomorrow when I wake up.

The kids are more energetic now, but the oldest daughter was home from school today too. Unfortunately, my hibernating means I haven't had time to write the articles about what leaky gut is yet. But anyone waiting for something good...hopefully my articles will be done before I finish these 30 days:-)

A tough weekend. It's clearly easiest to keep this eating pattern when the kids are at school or kindergarten. Standing and making pancakes for them, without getting to eat them myself is not a dream scenario, but a weekend tradition...So I struggle on. And I know I've already achieved some of my goals, which is very motivating. I knew there would be tougher days ahead, but I wasn't really prepared for them to come right now.

Another “stay at home with sick kids-day”, this time with the eldest daughter...Today I made Kale chips and Honey Candied Ginger and Bacon-Apple Burgers with Cranberry Sauce. It's fun to try new creations, especially now that I've prioritised my time in the kitchen. Instead of trying to make the food as quickly as possible, I'm enjoying all the smells, colours and flavours. When was the last time you spent luxurious time in the kitchen?

My older kids were off from school. My son stayed with me all day. I avoided the kitchen and tried to spend as much time as possible with him instead. He was still not fully recovered from his cold, so it was a quiet "Mommy Day" of indoor play.

This is my last daily update. Now it's time for part 2 of my Healing Leaky Gut project. I will be focusing on finishing my article series as well as reintroducing cocoa, coffee, soy, dairy, nuts etc into my diet to see how my body responds to it. This will take a while and I'll try to keep you updated on how it's going. Enjoy!

I'm halfway through the tough part of this project! It actually feels wonderful! I crave coffee and chocolate and now it won't be long before I get to introduce this into my diet again. I'm really looking forward to it! Today there has been some really good food on the menu. If every day looks like this, I have no problem whatsoever in continuing to eat this way. The food is both beautiful to look at, tastes amazing and is healthy! And on top of that, I feel great:-)

Two steps forward, one step back...Today I have been extremely tired, despite a very good night's sleep the last few nights. It was so bad that I had ½ cup of espresso after lunch. That didn't help, so I took a nap with my youngest daughter in the afternoon. It's all about listening to your body and trying to understand what it's telling you. Listening and being responsive to your body's signals will take you far. Next week I hope to have time to describe what leaky gut is and how I know that this diet I am now eating will help me feel better. Happy weekend to all of you out there in the real world!

New week, new opportunities. An intense and busy week ahead, so I'm so glad my energy is back, because I need it more than ever right now. I'm also very happy that I've gotten into new cooking routines including action and planning.

I decided to reintroduce eggs into my diet today, as we will be away for the weekend and I will not have access to a kitchen. My plan is to prepare food at home and bring at least for breakfast and snacks, and possibly also for lunch. Eggs are super good to bring and easy to prepare.

Today I have felt stressed. Stressed that everything is taking so long. That I feel like I have no time for anything. That the list of things that need to be done never ends. Well, you understand and recognise that feeling, I guess. I've had a planning day. I've put together the menu for the week and shopped for what I need until Friday. Tomorrow's schedule includes cooking.

Now things are starting to happen. I woke up at 5 am after 7.5 hours of sleep and was alert. For the second day in a row! I'm getting back into balance. No one else told me I had to do this project, it's something I felt I wanted and needed to do. I did a similar project a few years ago and the result was that I felt like a princess afterwards. That's the target image I have when the sweet tooth or coffee craving sets in. I want to feel like that princess again. Because that princess can't be stopped when she sets new goals!

Second day with eggs in the diet again. Haven't noticed any negative effects yet, so hopefully eggs will work for me. I will max out this weekend, so on Monday I will be able to evaluate if it is working or not. It's really fun to sit down and write again, part 1 of 4 in my series of articles on "Leaky Gut" is now published.

It's been a weekend with sick kids and home crafts. I've been extremely craving coffee and chocolate, but have managed to stay away from my vices:-). I continue to spend a lot of time in the kitchen and my husband is happy every time he sits down at the dinner table. The kids aren't as flirty though, especially now that they've been feelin unwell. But they certainly eat more fruit and vegetables and less sweets now compared to what they did around Christmas.

This is part 2 of 6 in my blog series on the 6 basic principles for a healthy lifestyle - the following articles are also included in the series: Introduction (1/6), Sleep (3/6), Positive thinking (4/6), Movement and Breathing Techniques (5/6) and Discussion (6/6).

Diet and hydration can dramatically affect your energy levels and biochemical composition, which in turn affects your emotional and mental reality. When our diet is deficient, there is simply not enough energy or focused thought activity to initiate or sustain the changes needed for us to take good care of ourselves. My recommendations based on my own experiences are to vary and rotate the diet, to use only "real" food and to make it as simple as possible so that it works in real life, to eat 5 times a day and to always eat as much as you need.

We sit in the kitchen and eat our breakfast as a family. Before my 8-year-old daughter starts eating, she lines up everything on the table. I ask her what she is doing and she says, as if it is a matter of course, that she puts the packages in order according to how much sugar each product contains. On the far left is the unsweetened almond milk and on the far right is Dad's orange juice...

Have you ever felt butterflies in your stomach or a lump in your throat? Do you ever get a special feeling in your stomach when you meet someone you like or don't like? Has your stomach told you whether something is right or wrong for you?

The stomach can be seen as a source of your intuition. Gut feeling is actually not just nonsense! There are now scientists who insist that we humans have two brains, one of which is located in the stomach (you probably know where the other one is located)! The "brain" of the stomach is located under the outer lining and between the muscular layers of the oesophagus, stomach lining and intestines and is better known as the enteric nervous system (ENS).

Day 2 is over. It started off badly, with a really disappointing breakfast and then ended with a super good dinner. My stomach has been extremely bloated during the day and was really sore after lunch. I know I'm sensitive to coconut products, but have decided to keep these in my diet for at least the first week. If my stomach continues to fuss, I will remove these products as well. I don't usually have stomach pain, but I do have other symptoms of a leaky gut which I will describe in more detail in a separate blog post.

It has been an interesting day. Going from snacking on Christmas food and cookies/candy to strictly following a diet, which includes only the best nutritious and anti-inflammatory ingredients. The transition is sure to take a few days to accept, even as I have prepared myself mentally for several weeks. This change also includes really planning the food, shopping and preparing. Throwing something random together half an hour before food is expected to be on the table will not work. But that doesn't mean that food will take a very long time to prepare, it just requires a little extra planning compared to before.

It was a day off today. My son is feeling unwell. Good thing I had leftovers in the fridge. For dinner, I managed to make a very tasty and easy salmon with mango salsa. I'm hoping for a speedy recovery, have boosted him with probiotics, fresh fruit (kiwi and oranges) and tea and manuka honey. It should work wonders!

A few weeks ago, our youngest child started complaining that she had a sore throat and my first thought was: "Oh, no, not now!" I really didn't feel like everyone in the family was going to get sick and in the event of a sore throat also have to take antibiotics!

So instead of taking her to the doctor, I used my knowledge and compiled a list of what we did to boost her immune system, so that the healing process could begin.