It all began last year when the {slightly} deranged portion of my brain tackled the Whole 30. In all seriousness, I never would have tried the Whole 30 diet if a doctor hadn’t suggested it. Actually, let me back up a bit; it all began long before then!
Longtime readers likely remember that I’m an asthmatic. I was diagnosed when I was 20, so I’ve been off-and-on meds for almost 13 years. {So, I’m how old…?!} For the majority of the asthmatic population, there is two kinds of asthma: those that are triggered by allergic reactions and those that have exercise-induced breathing issues. According to my doc at the time, mine was neither. I have chronically inflamed lungs that put me at roughly 55% of what a woman of my height/weight should be breathing at. Fun stuff, huh?
Asthma
For the next 10 years, I operated with two inhalers: Albuterol for my rescue inhaler and Pulmicort for my medication. I was required to take Pulmicort twice per day, every day, and it worked. However, at one point, I actually Googled Pulmicort and realized how strong of a steroid it truly is. Yes, it worked but I sure didn’t love the idea of pumping all of that powder into my lungs. However, asthma attacks are scary and I sure didn’t want to experience another one, so drugs were my only option!
But, then– I realized I may have other options! In 2012, I was asked to be part of a campaign with Wellness FX through my affiliation with FitFluential. I had some blood drawn and analyzed, and in the end, the doc told me that while healthy, my internal inflammation was high {duh.} She mentioned that food could be causing this, and in particular mentioned gluten. Sadly, I was tested for gluten intolerance and it came back negative, so gluten was not the cause. However, she planted the seed in my brain: maybe food was a cause of my breathing issues?
Whole 30
Jump forward to April, 2013 and I was in a world of asthma-related hurt. I wasn’t having asthma attacks, but my side effects were driving me nuts. My throat was constantly draining, I was always wheezing and I even developed blisters on the roof of my mouth from swallowing the excess drainage. Not only was all of this annoying, but gross too! I went back into the doc to complain. She said that although I hadn’t tested positive for any food allergies, I could have intolerances that were undetectable with tests. She suggested an elimination diet, so I tackled the Whole 30.
In a nutshell, the Whole 30 is 30 days of no dairy, grains, legumes, alcohol, sugar or soy. In short, I could only eat proteins, fruits, veggies, eggs and nuts. And although it seemed damn near impossible at the beginning, I realized that it wasn’t too difficult to follow the diet. In short? Don’t eat anything that comes from a package!
As the 30 days progressed, I realized my breathing was improving and my asthma symptoms virtually disappeared {more details in the Whole 30 recap post}. The drainage in my throat disappeared and as a result, so did the blisters. I even quit wheezing! Because of the success of this experiment, I decided to gradually add foods back into the mix so I could identify my triggers. But then…it got tricky.
You see, nothing in particular caused my breathing issues! In fact, it almost seemed to be an all-or-nothing approach. If I added anything in, I couldn’t breathe. If I eliminated everything, I was fine. But with no middle ground, I struggled to maintain the diet. You see, I’m non-discriminatory when it comes to my foods and I hate restricting what goes into my mouth. I like to eat! As a result, I gradually weaned away from the Whole 30-style of eating and just kinda…forgot about it.
Until this past summer.
Lo and behold, the same triggers were rearing their ugly heads again and the blisters on the roof of my mouth were becoming downright painful. I was swallowing so hard that my entire roof was raw and eating crunchy foods like popcorn was excruciating. I decided to give the food thing a try one more time; maybe I could figure out which one was my problem this time?
Paleo
Instead of 30 days, I set aside a 60-day window, thinking a longer trial would lead to more conclusive results. I also decided to try a more sustainable approach: the Whole 30 was too darn restrictive for me to ever consider it for my lifestyle. Plus, legumes have never been much of a problem. In the end, I followed a Paleo-esque approach: no dairy, no grains and no sugar of any variety, beginning on July 1 and ending at my sister’s wedding in early September.
Was I perfect during those 60 days? Not at all. I’m a big red wine fan and had a glass or two per week {and all bets were off at my sister’s wedding!} I tend to meet my girlfriends for dinner a few times per month and while I would try to follow the plan as best as possible, I didn’t stress about the details. In short, I did the best that I could with what I had.
And you know what? {I’m sure you do since my story would be pointless otherwise!} All asthma symptoms = gone. Was my asthma totally gone and healed? No, but my breathing improved dramatically and all the wheezing/drainage side effects disappeared. Coughing and clearing my throat before bed is a nightly ritual that completely went away, which Will even noticed.
The catch? Just like before, a single food group couldn’t be credited with my issues. Once again, it seems to be an all-or-nothing situation. Or, there is the potential that maybe a combination of these foods is what causes my problems? I honestly can’t figure it out but have finally accepted that processed food doesn’t cooperate with my lungs. What type of processed? I have no clue!
Skiing at Copper this past week, thanks to Will
What does this mean for me now?
Honestly, it’s frustrating. I see so much internet hype about various types of food restrictions and it seems {to me} that some of these people glamorize the restriction lifestyle under a veil of necessity. And even more terrifying are the few that I’ve seen who seem to disguise eating disorders through a “required” diet of restriction.
Moreover, I hate the stigmas that come along with styles of eating. I avoided telling people that I was following a Paleo diet because so many are ready and willing to jump on your case without understanding the logic behind it. “You’re just eating Paleo because you CrossFit, right?” When I would calmly explain that I managed CrossFit for two years without going Paleo and that this was for some breathing problems, I would get a smug response that indicated they knew better. So instead, I just started saying that I wasn’t eating processed foods. Easier.
I’ve also finally acknowledged that I don’t get to be the Human Trash Can anymore, a loving nickname bestowed upon me by my family. Growing up {or until 6 months ago!} I was the one person in our family who would eat anything. Aside from olives, I’m not a picky eater and will happily consume whatever is put in front of me. Sure, I moderate and all of that other healthy stuff, but I’ve never been one to turn down food. And honestly, it sucks. Watching Will eat ice cream annihilates me because I love the stuff, but it also happens to throw me into a breathing nightmare more than anything else. {And bless his heart, he avoids touching it around me unless I insist.} I had to give up my cherished creamer with my coffee in the morning, and that honestly about destroyed me! Fortunately, I’ve discovered alternatives that I enjoy, but none of them will ever replace my seasonal creamers!
And Greek yogurt?! Oh man, do I miss it!
I’ve basically had to restructure my diet in all categories, which is kinda tough when you don’t really know what you’re trying to avoid. We’ve made an effort to cut out processed food and that seems to be making a difference. Will and I both love cereal and that’s been replaced with eggs and turkey bacon and green juice and sweet potato smoothies for breakfast. As I mentioned, no more coffee creamer for me, but I’ve found that grass-fed butter and MCT oil with a splash of almond milk almost makes me as happy. Almost.
Bread doesn’t play nice and my lungs get really stuffy feeling, so sandwiches are a thing of the past. Fortunately, I can dump anything on a bed of spinach so my sandwiches have become salads with a ridiculous amount of toppings. Crock pots soups are a big hit too because I can pour anything in the one-button wonder and make it taste good! I’ve also discovered some roundabout concoctions that Will and I really love! For example, we found this pizza casserole dish on PaleOMG’s site and while it doesn’t replace pizza in my heart, it’s really good. We make it a few times per month!
And my running fuel?
Recycled running photos from this review
Oh man, this has been a chore! When you think about the traditional running fuels, they are all heavily processed items…that wreck me. And trust me: you NOTICE breathing issues when you’re 8 miles into a run and a “light snack” closes your lungs! I’ve been training for the 50k using trial and error on my long runs to see what works for me and what doesn’t. Based on my minimal crewing experience. I know that the majority of foods at ultra aide stations WON’T work {i.e potato chips, nutella, cheese sandwiches} so I’m trying to figure out my own preferences so I can have plenty on hand in February. I’ve been testing a handful of different items over the past few weeks, so I’m hoping to run a food roundup soon – stay tuned!
In the End…
It’s not like I’ll die if I eat something wrong. My lungs won’t close off and I won’t suffocate; I’ll just be uncomfortable and hacky and gaggy for awhile. Not a crisis. In a way, that’s been nice because I can enjoy snacks when I want them as long as I’m aware of what is going to happen afterwards. Will wanted fro-yo last night and I immediately knew I would eat some too. It was delicious and yummy and worth every single cough and throat clearing in the following hours! Our annual Christmas cookie party is coming up and you better believe I’ll make some delightful sugar cookies…and just pay for it later!
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