Food Allergies and the Paleo Diet

We found out recently that good family friends of ours found out that their daughter is mildly allergic to wheat, corn, and sesame. Although they were relieved to find out what had been causing their 8 year olds stomach issues they were nervous about the transition and how it would affect their life. Immediately after finding out I began googling information because I really wanted to help them out. The husband and wife had recently began a quest for a healthier lifestyle and had already made great changes in the way they eat but it was a bit overwhelming for them to think about everything their daugter could not eat. I found an article that talked about gluten intolerance specifically and the article suggested that rather than focusing on what you CAN'T eat it would be best to focus on what you CAN eat. I thought this was genious!! So often we focus on the negative things and I believe it makes it even harder to cope with the changes. If we are able to focus on the positive aspects of just about anything we are likely to go through life much happier. Now, you read that she is allergic to 3 things and that doesn't sound that bad but once you begin to research the allergies it is amazing what those three products are in. Everything from the obvious bread and pasta, to candy, to soy sauce, to ice cream...the list can go on. BUT, there are also a TON of fods that you can eat that are actually a lot healthier for you...lean meat, fruits, veggies, legumes, quinoa, beans, eggs, many dairy products and of course there are numerous gluten free conveniece foods that have made their way in to our grocery stores. I know this family will do fabulous with the new challenges they face and I am excited to share some ideas with them to make it a little easier.

After searching the internet about her food allergies it started to make me think about the food that we are eating and how it can affect our bodies. I have been on a quest to eat healthier for over a year now and as a family we have made a TON of changes but I also want my kids to be kids and eat the treats that everyone else does at times as well. It may not be the best for them but in moderation it can be a good balance and keep everyone happy. I have wanted to go completely clean for a while now but to be honest I have struggled. Because of this, I am giving myself a new challenge and hoping that it will push me past the current plateau I am experiencing. Starting February 24th I will be participating in a 30 day Paleo challenge group and I cannot wait. It will be challenging but I am really looking forward to it. My family will eat most of the same food I am eating but they will not be following the Paleo lifestyle because they will still have dairy, quinoa, and a few treats here and there.

Here is an article that explains the differene between eating clean and eating a Paleo diet.
http://healthyeating.sfgate.com/paleo-diet-vs-eating-clean-9561.html