The Case for a Healthy Lifestyle

When I was growing up, no one talked about living a healthy lifestyle, we just lived it. There were not as many processed foods, preservatives and artificial flavors as we have today. Our family ate plenty of fresh fruits and vegetables from our garden and ate meat from our local farmer where the cows were grass fed.

I thrived on this diet, not realizing that I had allergies to chemicals, food preservatives and gluten. My health problems began when I went to college and started eating processed food and going to fast food restaurants.

In my 20’s, I went to an allergist and found out that I was allergic to gluten, food preservatives and household chemicals. While challenging, I was able to return to the diet of my childhood, minus the gluten and found chemical free cleaners.

To stay healthy and live an active and productive life, I studied nutrition and eliminated chemicals and preservatives from my life.  I set up a pattern of  healthy living and developed the habit of following my plan.

The key I missed was how to maintain my pattern of healthy living when I married and watching the food industry to know when foods that were once gluten free had changed.  As I stopped following my healthy living program, my health deteriorated .

My intolerance to gluten grew over the years and created new challenges when I continued eating foods that were once gluten free and now had gluten.  I have found that if food packaging does not say gluten free, it is most likely not gluten free.