Wellness Hysteria

There seems to be so much hysteria and finger pointing about various “wellness” groups and diets over the last month or so.

First it was the sad death of Jess Ainscough …..who had a huge following before she lost her fight with cancer, despite her strong beliefs in Gerson Therapy…a therapy that claims to boost the body’s own immune system.

Then the apparent fraud of Belle Gibson, who through a tangled web of lies and stories also amassed a big following via her apparently healing diet suggestions.

And now Paleo is in the spotlight, with the cookbook of Pete Evans being howled down due to his suggestions as to what to feed young babies.

Why does common sense go out of the window when it comes to our health…and on the other side of the coin, why do people automatically assume that something that is a little different from the norm is quackery?

Granted, there are plenty of diets and “wellness” crusades out there which are totally crazy…but not everything.

Frankly, it is all getting a bit much, especially for someone like me that has to be very careful about what I eat, and have to cut out various food groups.

I heard on the radio someone saying that you can’t be healthy by cutting out food groups…well in my world, I have no choice.

Here is my take on how I stay as healthy as I can….

I am very dairy intolerant…like very, very sensitive….think gastro within 20 mins of eating…so dairy/lactose is definitely out.

I am also not very good with gluten, so wheat is also a no-no.

I suffered from Hashimoto’s for a few years, ending in a diagnosis of thyroid cancer and the removal of my thyroid…yes, I have the scar to prove it.

I have spent many years feeling bloody awful and never quite finding a solution.

My husband survived and recovered from a liver transplant, and wanted to do everything he could to keep his new found health.

We have spent quite a bit of time researching, and have realised that diet plays a very big part in how well our bodies function.

Just like a car….a well oiled and cared for engine will work beautifully….if it is left to fill up with crud, it will eventually seize up.

So this is what we have done….

The first to go in this house was sugar…I am quite happy to put forward that sugar is evil and very addictive.

And it is found in many low fat foods…it ain’t the fat that is the problem, it’s the sugar!

Go on…check the labels…you may be surprised.

We also removed wheat from our diet…only the occasional piece of sourdough bread for me now.

We eat more often, but eat less….there is none of that awful “I am so hungry” feeling!

Lastly, we embraced elements of Paleo…yep, we follow a Paleo diet…we eat meat, we eat lots of vegetables and salads…a good Aussie meal…

And all of the above has meant I look better, and feel almost human again.

I lost the extra weight I was carrying and well, my husband is the healthiest he has ever been.

These changes have worked really well for the both of us yet we still get smart comments from others about how we are so fussy, and how crazy we are for not eating all the yummy cakes etc.

But you know what…we don’t feel like we are missing out on anything, especially now that we have found places such as Raw Trader and Street Organics who make raw, vegan treats that taste so much better then their dairy and sugar filled cousins AND you don’t get that sickly feeling after eating.

And the truth of the matter is I can’t eat much of what others eat anyway, because for my body, it is poison.

So I guess what I am saying in my usual rambling way, is don’t automatically judge something by it’s cover, so to speak…BUT do your research…don’t just follow blindly because a bright, shiny celebrity says to.

If something sounds too good to be true…ie claiming to cure all ills…then it highly likely is.

And if someone is eating a different diet from you, it may not be through choice, but because of necessity…never assume and certainly never judge.

Take your health into your own hands, and take control…you are the one that puts food into your mouth!

Be the healthiest you can, and your body will thank you!

Have you found an eating plan that works well for you? Do you suffer from intolerances/allergies and find it hard to get people to understand they are very real?