Back in March, I was doing my best to be a part of the COVID-19 solution and remain positive. We gave away toilet paper and juice, we offered online
Spanish in the Kitchen classes, we tended our garden, and we planted seeds. We stockpiled food
(no, not TP!) and prepared for the worst with the rest of the country.
But the collective panic started to get to me. Though I had been maintaining a very clean diet, I started to eat a little bit more for comfort. One day I drank goat milk.
That was a big mistake. The next day I started feeling terrible. When I tuned in to my gut, I realized my body, mind, and spirit were all screaming at me. They were asking me to reset. So I listened.
This is what I did:1. I started actively addressing stress through EFT (Emotional Freedom Technique, aka "Tapping"), a modality that uses meridian points in your body to calm your nervous system. I downloaded an app called
"The Tapping Solution."I've been practicing their Gut Healing Meditation consistently and even started a personal 30-day tapping challenge. I'm only on day 10 and I feel lighter, happier, and more playful than I have in years. By day 4, I had released an ocean of tears and emotions I'd pent up for years.
2. I started an Elemental Diet. I eliminated all food triggers and give my gut a break. For one week, I ate like a baby. I had warm veggie broths and shakes containing:
- Avocado
- Plantains
- Banana
- Papaya
- Coconut water
- Celery Apple Juice
- Marine collagen
- Coconut yogurt
- Seaweed
- Himalayan salt
- Cabbage & Okra broth (recipe below)
3. I switched to a high-dose probiotic. The stress definitely took a toll on the "good gut bacteria" I worked so diligently to build up over years. I started taking Probiomax daily. I started eating coconut yogurt and adding small quantities of homemade kraut juice to meals.
4. I started tracking my symptoms with an app called
"mySymptoms Food Diary" It allows me to track food, symptoms, stress, exercise, energy, and even my mood. It correlates everything to give a better scope of what can be causing symptoms. It's a very helpful app for tracking any illness or autoimmune condition.
With these 4 steps I was able to completely stop this flare. My labs came back with all normal levels! And the best part is... I'm no longer having symptoms!
I'm not eating any animal products (except fish), beans, nightshades (tomato/pepper), or alliums like onion/garlic. But I've successfully reintroduced
plantain waffles, one of my favorite and most cherished foods.
Even if your gut is great, try the cabbage & okra broth... it's so amazingly soothing! Even our toddler loves it!
