This is my story of healing through food and all the bumps along the way.
I had always considered myself a healthy eater. Raise hands if you can relate? What I didn’t realize is what I thought was healthy, really wasn’t at all. I only learned this after developing an autoimmune condition (a rare type of psoriasis), being told there was no cure or known cause, and the drugs being prescribed might cause even worse side-effects (hello liver damage). For some reason I just knew I needed take my health into my own hands and figure out what the heck was causing this.
I jumped in like a crazy person and read everything I could, went back to school (the amazing Academy of Culinary Nutrition) and began cooking and healing myself by developing quick and healthy meal plans. I’ve spent the last 25+ years in the health insurance industry, so I know the effects of chronic disease certainly from a cost perspective. What I’ve learned is that so many of these conditions are caused by what we eat–the Standard American Diet (SAD- perfect acronym). So..if certain food can cause these health issues, certainly it can reverse them too, right??
The Long Trial
I think I saw 7 doctors at last count, but not one could really tell me what was wrong. There were a lot of guesses and “let’s try this cream or this steroid”. I was treated for everything from athlete’s foot (as my condition is isolated to only my left heel), to herpes. This included what seemed to be every topical cream in existence, injections of cortisone and high doses of prednisone. Good times–weight gain, extreme anxiety, and insomnia. I’d rather keep the psoriasis! Through Dr. Google, I eventually figured it out myself.
The dermatologist I ended up seeing concurred, but said there was no cure, no known root cause, and the next step (after 4 months of UVB light treatment) was drug therapy. Psoriasis is an autoimmune disease and the drug prescribed was something that would essentially turn off my body’s immune response. Oh and by the way, I’d need to have my liver checked monthly, as possible damage was one of the (many) potential side-effects. This type of Psoriasis is extremely painful, to the point that I could barely have a sock or shoe touch it, but the treatment options sounded worse. My gut told me (pun intended), there had to be a better way and that eating good, healthy, real food was my answer.
How I Got Better
I began eliminating inflammatory foods including sugar, alcohol, gluten (all grains initially), dairy, legumes and nightshades. I added tons of vegetables, nuts and seeds, fruits (in moderation), grass fed meats, wild caught fish, eggs, and good fats. I read every label and have eliminated all processed foods, buy non- GMO and organic whenever possible (essentially a Paleo type meal plan or autoimmune protocol). I also limited dining out for a while so I could control what I was eating. As a longtime foodie, this was a bummer, but exhilarating as well as my creative cooking juices took on the challenge. My lifelong passion for cooking and eating was strangely reignited, but in a new direction. I felt kind of amazing.
In my research, everything indicated this specific type of psoriasis to be very resistant. They weren’t kidding. However, I have stuck with it for the past three years, adding back in some gluten free grains, some grass fed butter here and there, legumes, and ok, I do like my wine. 7 years later, my condition is essentially gone, but I know if I go slightly off the rails, it can rear it’s ugly head again. As with everything, it’s about progress not perfection (my mantra), and I do the best I can each day.
In a strange way, the P has been a blessing. It has caused me to refocus my priorities and ultimately led me to my “next chapter” in culinary nutrition. In December 2017, I received my Culinary Nutrition Expert accreditation with honors, and I cannot wait to share what I have learned with others who struggle with health issues, whether Autoimmune, sleeping issues, tummy troubles, or maybe you just want to lose a few pounds, a nice side benefit of clean eating. I know the best is yet to come:-)
Bio:
Shauna Gilbert has 25 years of experience working with Corporate clients in developing employee benefit packages. She has a passion for recipe creation, making healthy versions of classic recipes we know and love. Shauna is a 2017 graduate of the Academy of Culinary Nutrition. For more, please visit www.wholebitegoodhealthyfood.com or follow along on Instagram at @whole_bite.