Thursday, July 24, 2014

What is an Intolerance?

Being the extremely healthy eater I was, I recently began to be very confused why I always felt bloated, gassy, and had trouble loosing weight, even with all the exercise I was doing on a daily basis.  I decided to see a Dietitian to get a few questions answered.  By discussing my daily eating and exercise habits, she knew something was wrong.  From here, I took part in an "elimination" diet, which basically removed any food that are common intolerances to the human body.  My results were shocking!!!

Before I go on, I'm sure some of you are wondering what exactly an intolerance is.  Many people confuse intolerances with allergies.  Food allergies occur when a food triggers the body's immune system, which instantly produces antibodies and side effects.  With allergies comes swelling, inability to breathe, throat closure, redness, hives or even swelling.  An intolerance is the body's digestive system being unable to digest certain foods properly, creating bacteria inside the stomach.  Reactions are much slower, and tend to be more severe in the long run.  Intolerances cause stomach cramps, fatigue, bloating, sinus & digestive problems, or gassiness.

Oatmeal and egg whites were my staple breakfast.  They also are two of the best and most healthy food sources to eat for breakfast... besides for me! Through my elimination diet, I learned that I have a gluten intolerance.  Therefore, the oatmeal I was eating, every single morning, created a reaction within my stomach, adding unwanted bacteria each time I consumed it.  I also learned that I have an intolerance to all milk products. Those whey or casein protein shakes, even my daily egg whites or occasional beef, I was intolerant too. Just like the oatmeal I was eating, these foods continued loading my stomach up with unwanted bacteria.  Other things I learned I cannot eat are peanuts, yes that includes peanut butter :(, citrus fruits, honey, alcohol, butter/margarine, corn, or soy products.  Because of all the bacteria in my stomach from consuming all these "healthy" foods on a daily basis, my body was unable to burn fat or function correctly, due to the bacteria.

By eliminating all of the foods from my diet I learned I was intolerant too, I noticed such a difference in my body.  Not only was I less fatigued, gassy and did not experience the stomach pains I used too, but I was finally seeing a change in my figure; less bloated and my body was finally burning fat like it should have been.

Though avoiding these foods is not easy, it has been well worth it.  The one thing I really miss is my protein shakes.  I've noticed by not having any whey shakes, it was hard to keep my macros straight (keeping my protein as high as I need).  But, thankfully one of my sponsors, About Time Protein, has an all Vegan protein powder.  This Powder is gluten free, non GMO, soy free and dairy free!  I love that with this product, I can finally enjoy my protein shakes like I used to, making it even easier to stick to my diet.  If anyone is interested in any About Time products, go to tryabouttime.com and use the code BBrewer for 25% off your purchases!




One thing I love to make for breakfast is pancakes.  Yes, normal pancakes are NOT good for you.  But the way I make them, they are not only extremely healthy, but they taste so good! They taste like I am cheating and eating a very unhealthy desert! Try my pancakes out one day and let me know how much you love them! 

Protein Pancakes Recipe:
1 scoop Chocolate VE About time Protein
1 medium banana
1 tbsp ground flaxseed
1 tbsp chia seeds
1 tbsp fiber smart (fiber supplement)
1/4 cup organic gluten free oatmeal
1/4 cup crushed walnuts

Mash the banana and stir in the remaining ingredients.  Once stirred, add enough water to mixture to create a thick pancake batter, don't make too watery! Then cook the pancakes and enjoy!

Makes about 3 medium pancakes!
About 450 calories 
48 g carbs
19 g fat
30 g protein
18 g fiber







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