Giving Up Processed Foods

[GLC1968]

I'm just sayin', based on my own experience and what I learned from my allergist in an exhaustive (and exhausting!) initiation when I was first diagnosed.

Fatigue is probably the #1 symptom of allergies in general and food allergies in particular.

Leave open the possibility that it isn't necessarily (or exclusively) the synthetic ingredients that are causing your symptoms, but "natural" ingredients in both processed and unprocessed foods. It's very, very difficult to find a processed food that doesn't contain both wheat and corn products. Also soy - I knew there was at least one very common allergen I was leaving out. Reading the ingredient list doesn't always tell you, unless you know what you're looking for.

I'm not saying it's a bad idea to have your thyroid checked, but if your thyroid panel was normal in the fall and you were symptomatic then, then something else is likely to be the culprit.

This. I also had fatigue symptoms, migraines (since I was 22 when I first went on the pill, actually) and brain fog, digestive distress and a few other minor problems. None of these things were enough to see a doctor about (except the migraines), and most of them I attributed to being either 'normal' or just due to aging or something (like the brain fog). My thyroid tested fine twice, so I know there were no issues there.

The migraines reduced to only once every couple of months once I got off all forms of hormonal birth control.

They went away completely once I had been paleo for about 4 - 5 weeks. All the other symptoms are gone now too. I thought I felt damn healthy for having lost weight and gotten back in shape, but I had no idea how much BETTER I could feel once I eliminated so many other things from my diet.

I have experimented with adding a few different things back in here and there and discovered that I do have sensitivities to certain grains. I haven't tried eating legumes yet...that'll be my test in January.

There is an online guide to doing a complete elimination for 30 days. It's called Whole 30 and the website is here: Whole30 It's based on the paleo diet, but it goes further to be very, very strict for the first 30 days. I haven't done it, but I've heard very good things from some of the people I work with, most of which are not paleo, by the way.

[Dannielle]

my month long personal challenge was a "Whole30" I ate paleo for 2 years...until recently when I tweaked things again and feel even better (which I didn't think was possible...I felt awesome with a paleo way of eating!)

[Aggie_Ama]

At the urging of my husband (after I nearly got car sick for the third day in a row) I went to the doctor today. He is getting a full metabolic panel and blood cell counts. Apparently my last blood work was in 2009. My gynecologist only checked my cholesterol this fall. My doctor thinks there is possibly something causing the overwhelming fatigue. Luckily today I did not have an awful headache for the first time in three days.

I know many of my friends I ride and race with have gone to a lower processed food diet and every one of them has told me it was a noticeable difference in energy level, performance and just overall how they feel. I am not saying they don't touch sodas or anything like that but they do focus much more on fresh products and their experience has been positive.

[Catrin]

Aggie, do keep us posted with what you find out. Hopefully it is no more than some vitamin deficiency.

Over the last two years I've gone further and further in weeding out processed foods. I dropped all soda years ago, long before I lost my weight, thankfully I lost the taste for it. The closest to processed food I eat these days are non-fat dairy products, and I do consume quite a bit as one of my two primary protein and main calcium sources. The occasional times I use more processed foods I've noted that I don't feel so good afterwards and also feel bloated. All of those chemicals, I am sure...