Health is not the absence of food

Sometimes it seems we're all free.

Gluten-free, dairy-free, sugar-free, egg-free, nut-free, soy-free, legume-free. Onions and garlic cause bloating, tomatoes and citrus cause heartburn, cheese makes you constipated but milk causes diarrhea...often it seems our diets and how we feel is not about what is providing us nutrition bur rather what we need to avoid.

While there are times where foods are not able to be part of a diet - true allergies and celiac disease are great examples - having less and less food in the diet is the exact opposite of what I think health should be.

Foods causing us symptoms is often a clue that something is wrong in physically - not that the food itself is the problem (keeping in mind that when I say food, I do not mean Doritos and fast food burgers - if they cause issues, don't be surprised).

Sometimes we need to remove foods for a period of time - to prove a point and help us figure out a direction. But don't confuse that, in most cases, as the long term solution.

Food is family and friends.

Food is comfort and enjoyment.

Food is part of us culturally.

And food is love - don’t lose that part of the human experience.