Are food restrictions making you crazy?
When you have a food related disease it can be quite frustrating to be diligent about avoiding a particular food. With food allergies that cause anaphylaxis you may remind yourself ‘I can die if I eat this food so I’ll just say no’. With other food related diseases the symptoms may be long term and make day to day life more challenging until the diagnosis is made and you have a treatment plan.
Leaky gut syndrome is a food related disease. Basically leaky gut means food particles pass through the small intestine into the blood stream. This can be harmful to the body.
Today let me tell you about a teen I recently met…Erica Brahan. She found out she has the disease called ‘leaky gut’ and it was the reason her joints were painful every day. Erica and her doctors learned how this syndrome can be quite deceptive. Symptoms may cause pain, swelling, effect learning, brain fog, disorientation, digestive issues, skin rashes, and more.. and it can be difficult to diagnosis since each person reacts differently.
You now have help…from a teen like you
Erica, 17 and a senior in high school, has made some big sacrifices for her own health. To help others she wrote an E-book called ‘A Teenagers Perspective on Food Restrictions: A Practical Guide to keep from going Crazy’.
She is getting ready for college and has made some conscious choices that work for her. One of those choices is not to date. When I asked her about dating she told me, ‘ I have never dated by choice. One thing I make clear is not hiding my food issues. The guys who have been interested know my food issues.‘ Later I asked her what advice she has for teens with food restrictions who want to date and she said, ‘ be upfront about the issues you have with food and be willing to do different activities.’ I like that answer…to me it means focus on having fun not eating food.
When I asked her to tell me what the biggest challenge she has faced she said, ‘The emotional side of food restrictions. The loneliness that comes with it. No one understands what you are going through.‘ She has found different outlets for fun with her friends that work but her journey has not been easy. She understands what you are going through which is why she published a book; to help teens like you.
I recommend it for all teens who deal with food restrictions. You can get it as an E-book and soon a paperback copy. To order go to: http://edibleattitudes.wordpress.com/
Why such a broad recommendation? Because it doesn’t matter what food related disease you have; they all require food restrictions. Because she can relate to your situation; she’s been there, is still there, and has discovered friendship and success along the way.
And because this book will help you with communicating with those peers who just don’t get it and act like ______ . You fill in the blank.
I am doing things that are true to me. The only thing I have a problem with is being labeled.’ by Johnny Dep
Cheers!