All Natural

I've always been very sensitive to certain things, mostly cosmetics and medications.  It's not unusual for my face (especially my brow area) to randomly swell and flake.  My skin is incredibly sensitive and I'm starting to wonder if my diet might be playing a part in that.

Image:Suat Eman 

A few years ago, a very dear friend of mine discovered that she was gluten-intolerant.  She had suffered from debilitating stomach cramps for years, but things got better when she changed her diet.  Not long ago, my boyfriend discovered that he is sensitive to soy and that it might be contributing to his own health issues.  The more I hear, the more I read (and I'm a public health student.  I read the real science), the more I find myself thinking that a lot of our health issues as individuals and as a country have more to do with our diets that we are willing to admit.  And I'm not talking obesity and diabetes.  The link between food and being fat is obvious.  I'm talking more subtle things, like kids with behavior problems that may be triggered by artificial flavoring, like studies showing links between trans fat and Alzheimer's disease. These are real health concerns.


And then there is our complete reliance on  soy and corn products.  Soy and corn are in pretty much everything you eat.  If it's not fresh produce or diary, chances are it contains soy or corn.  The other day I went on a mission to buy a salad dressing that had no soy in it.  I picked up a bottle of "Oil and Vinegar".  Soy.  I picked up "French".  Soy.  I picked up five more bottles and finally gave up because they all had soy.  It makes no sense, especially given the large amounts of research showing that many of us are highly soy sensitive and that it can cause everything from high blood pressure to thyroid conditions.


So I'm making a change.  I don't know if my skin will get better.  I don't know if anything will get better, but I do know that no one ever died from eating more fruits and vegetables and that cutting out processed food can't be bad for me.  So I'm trying.  One day at a time, I cutting more and more processed food from my diet.  I'm slowly making the switch to as close to an all-natural diet that a girl living hundreds of miles from the nearest farm can switch to.


Wish me luck because I'm really really gonna miss cookies.