What is Food Freedom for Me?

 "It was recognizing that a gluten-free life was truly food freedom for me."

That statement hit me like a ton of bricks a couple of weeks ago. When I was going through a weird transition in my life with my health journey and coaching, I decided to open up a brand new Instagram account, especially for me. It was my way of documenting my journey without a lot of people looking in. I didn't not accept followers, but I've kept my account small so that I could keep the main thing the main thing.

Well, one day a couple weeks ago, I said the above statement in my stories. It literally was like the Holy Spirit speaking right to me when I was sharing with the people who do follow. I finally realized that food freedom meant taking out the foods that were actually harmful to MY body, even if they were a "healthy" food.

My body has sensitivities to gluten and dairy (and possibly some more foods that I'm currently unaware of). There are foods made with gluten and made with dairy that are considered "healthy," but my body cannot process them properly. They are inflaming my body, which makes me have horrible side effects, and what I didn't know...they are actually making me sicker.

Back in my Whole30 days, I truly felt that "food freedom" was being able to eat anything I ever wanted without feeling guilt or shame. But that's not food freedom. I've learned, personally, that being able to eat without guilt and shame means you have a great relationship with food. That's what everyone wants, right?

Let's dig a little bit deeper...

The word "freedom" means: the state of not being imprisoned or enslaved; the state of not being subject to or affected by (a particular undesirable thing).

I always like to look at the meaning of words because it can give me a clearer vision of what it truly means. A few years ago, I remember feeling "trapped" inside my body as I was dealing with binge eating. I was obsessed with food. I couldn't stop thinking about food. I was always looking forward to what I was going to eat next. I was hiding food and/or hiding while eating food. I was literally a slave to food at that point in my journey. I had zero control.

When I was eating foods that were making me feel bad (bloating, tummy aches, etc), I was being affected. So that's not freedom either. It has really taken me this long in my journey (many, many years) to realize that taking these foods out (being gluten/dairy free) is actually freedom to me because my body is healthier and happier.

So now when I plan my meals, I recognize that eating this way is actually freeing to me. I once saw it as a huge hinderance (and yes, there are still obstacles to overcome), but I understand the value of it.

I want to continue to be a student of my body. I want to listen to what it's telling me. Symptoms that are "common" aren't "normal. Headaches aren't normal. Cramps aren't normal. Bloating isn't normal. Belly aches aren't normal. They're common, but that's because the body is telling you something. When I started to listen in, it clued me in to what it was saying.

Missed a part?

Part 1
Part 2
Part 3
Part 4
Part 5