Beyond Diet: Curing Illness and the End of Suffering

Two and a half years ago I was hit by a major illness that changed my life forever, in the best possible way.

I suddenly became very allergic to everything. I also became so sensitive to gluten that if I so much as kissed my boyfriend after he drank a beer, I would go into a "gluten coma" where I would space out, collapse onto the nearest chair/bed/sofa and slur my words, unable to carry on a conversation. I could not digest fruit, meat or grains at all. On top of that I had stomach pain and bloating so bad that some days I could hardly get out of bed. I lost tons of weight, my skin was yellow, my teeth were decaying, and I was utterly exhausted and miserable.

A gastroenterologist diagnosed me with IBS and told me I would be dealing with this the rest of my life. I was prescribed muscle relaxers to relieve my symptoms, but I never filled the prescription because I KNEW that if I kept searching I would find the answer. I saw countless doctors, specialists, healers, alternative healthcare practitioners, naturopaths... all of them genuinely wanted to help and their treatments were necessary steps in my journey, but ultimately none of them could tell me what was REALLY wrong with me. My search turned into an obsession.

Two and a half years later I have my answer, and I can finally say that I'm "all better". I am no longer gluten intolerant, whatsoever. My only remaining allergies are mild egg and soy allergies that I can ignore if I want to (I may get an itchy throat). No more stomach pain or bloating. I can eat anything I want without pain and discomfort. My tooth decay healed and I am back to a healthy weight. Here are a few crucial things I learned on my healing journey that I would like to share with you all:

Flourless peanut butter cookies

These peanut butter cookies are everything you would expect a peanut butter cookie to be: chewy, sweet, and so delicious that you'll probably eat half the batter before it even makes it into the oven. Don't expect the finished cookies to last long either! ;)

Now here's the bonus: aside from containing sugar they aren't bad for you, and the sugar we will be using is rapadura, otherwise known as panela, which is unrefined cane sugar. Awesome!!! And they are flour-free so they're SUPER easy to make and you don't have to worry about soaking, dehydrating, and grinding grains or nuts into flour!

Be careful, these cookies are dangerous. They're so easy to make and so delicious that you might find yourself eating nothing but peanut butter cookies and peanut butter cookie batter for two days straight. I am living proof of this.

Pesto, 3 ways!

Pesto is a quick and delicious way to add flavour to any meal! There are countless ways to make it. All you need is some kind of nut, some kind of herb, a vegetable oil, unrefined sea salt or rock salt, and maybe some citrus juice and/or roasted garlic for flavour. Sometimes I like to mix in some leafy greens (such as kale, mustard greens, or dandelion greens) with whatever herb I'm using to save money (herbs are expensive!!) and add some extra nutrients and a touch of bitterness. Feel free to experiment, and if you come up with a new delicious creation, be sure to let me know!!

Bone broth

Using bones to make broth is one of the eleven principles that the fabulous Dr. Weston Price discovered during his worldly travels studying the traditional diets of "primitive" people. It is an extremely cost-effective way of loading up on nutrients and healthy fats (especially if you're using bones and/or carcasses that you'd otherwise throw out), and makes soups, stews and kitchari taste amazing!!

Fresh Ginger Tea

My name is Jessica, and I'm a gingerholic.

Since I discovered fresh ginger tea, it's been the only tea I ever make. I have it every day, sometimes so much that it replaces all the water I drink! I am hopelessly, fabulously addicted to it and I've managed to get many of my friends and family addicted too! It's spicy and sweet at the same time, with a fresh, bright, energizing flavor.

Ginger is one of my favorite foods, which is lucky for me because it's renowned for its health benefits and has been used in Chinese medicine for thousands of years to treat many different ailments. Here are some of the things ginger is most famous for: