ABOUT US
Our Journey
Becky and Kendi are sister in laws who have become besties! Since discovering about whole food plant based eating (WFPB) nearly two years ago, our lives have completely changed...for the better! We want to share the things that have worked for us and our families. We have found that diet has a HUGE impact on our overall health and well-being. Join our community and share the things that have worked for you! We live by the mantra that WFPB eating is not a destination but a journey. We know that as each of us incorporates more plants into our diet the overall impact upon our affect health and world will be positive!!
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Becky
In my early twenties, as a college student, living on my own for the first time, I discovered my stomach wasn't happy after I ate....I'm talking gas, bloating, and pain! (Sorry--TMI Warning right up front!) But there was homework to do, and there were boys to date, and friends to call (we didn't text because cell phones weren't really a thing yet), so I felt pain and discomfort after almost every meal and went on with life. I reasoned that maybe everyone felt this way after they ate...everyone has gas...it's a normal part of life, right?? Like I said, I was young!
One of those boys I was busy dating became my husband, and soon we had 5 cute little children running around, including twins! The discomfort really did just become a nuisance that I lived with. In my early forties, I decided it might be time to figure out why I felt so uncomfortable after meals. Everything I read said that gas was a normal part of life and if I wanted to reduce it, I should eliminate some of the fruits and veggies from my diet. That didn't sound like anything I wanted to do. Although I had not taken the time to investigate the root of my gas issues previously, I did try to eat healthy, including plenty of fruits and veggies. I couldn't see how cutting out healthy foods could solve my problem.
My research led me to plant based eating. It was an interesting concept to me at the time, but how could I change my diet so radically???
Just as I discovered plant based eating, my sister in law and best friend, Kendi, came to visit . She revealed that she had been eating a plant based diet for 4 months and had experienced great success, including weight loss, great skin coloring, and she felt fantastic! I was sold! I immediately tried to adopt this way of eating with my family! It's amazing the power to be found in a good support system! On my own, change was insurmountable! With a friend, nothing was impossible! My meals changed immediately!
Needless to say, my family was NOT looking for a new way of eating, nor were they excited about my new way of eating! It was very difficult at first and I found myself making two meals every night...one for my meat and dairy eating family, and one for me. But gradually, they softened and became a little more tolerant of my dairy free, meatless meals. It took 9 months, but I lost 20 pounds and began to feel lots of energy. I was not as vigilant as I could have been, but I did my best to prepare healthy, plant based meals for my family that actually tasted good! Some nights were better than others! Some nights were a total flop and I beat my family to the garbage can to throw out the failed attempt at dinner!
Strangely, my gas and bloating and pain did not leave. Beans were the worst culprit, but they had a reputation for causing gas! I didn't think anything of it! After 18 months on a mostly plant based diet, I went in to the doctor to get routine blood work required by my employer. The doctor casually asked if there was any other blood work I'd like done. I mentioned my change in diet and that my digestion issues had not gone away. She suggested we order the blood work for Celiac Disease. I had mildly considered gluten could be my problem, but I thought that was so rare that I had ruled it out. Since the doctor was drawing blood already, I was happy to have them check. Shock of shockers, the blood work came back Highly Likely! My numbers were way beyond the normal range. I immediately cut gluten out of my diet and immediately the gas and bloating disappeared! It was amazing! I spoke with two doctors who both told me that the gold standard of diagnosis for Celiac would be a positive endoscopy. But they both also told me if I felt better without gluten that I didn't need the test. I could safely assume that, at the least, I am gluten intolerant, and the remedy for Celiac and gluten intolerance are the same--cut out gluten! I was content with that suggestion because my insurance would not pay the $2,000-4,000 for the endoscopy.
The next thing I did was get two of my daughters tested who also displayed similar symptoms. Interestingly, one came back positive for Celiac and the other did not. However, both came back positive for allergies to wheat, corn, rye, barley, eggs, fish, nuts! OYE! Thus the blog title--my intolerant family! We are learning to cook now without gluten, corn, eggs, etc...and to keep it plant based, and flavorful as well! As a side note, once I cut out gluten, beans were no longer a problem for me! It was likely the things I was eating with the beans (flour tortillas?) that caused the problem, not the beans themselves.
It has been fun to figure out new recipes we can eat and I have realized we are likely not the only family with this challenge! Thus, a blog was born! I plan to document our journey and discoveries for others who are in the same boat that we are! All Aboard!!
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Kendi
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