My Story


Hope. I'm writing this to offer you hope. Hope of healing. Hope of normalcy. Of getting your life back.
Maybe you've been diagnosed with Celiac, or perhaps you have GI issues. Maybe you feel crummy and you have an inkling that it may be linked to diet. Perhaps you just want to eat healthier and lose a few pounds? Or maybe you have a picky eater in your life or kids that you want to eat more veggies? Well friends, you've come to the right place. Here, you'll find a collection of recipes that I'm hoping will bring you joy, excitement, and a zest for food again. Believe me, I've been there when food was a source of pain and fear. I didn't know where to turn.

I have Ulcerative Colitis, and for ten months, I was in a horrible flare. I was living in NYC pursuing my acting career, in a show, and I started flaring. I had to move back home to Cincinnati for treatment. But nothing worked. We tried nearly every medicine....from mega drugs to holistic approaches, naturopathic remedies, natural medicines, even faith healing! Drops, pills, powders and potions, I tried them all and nothing could kick my flare back into remission. The next step was surgery. So I decided that if I was going to heal, I had to do it myself through the food I was eating.

My flare was intense. Ulcerative Colitis is an autoimmune disease, which basically means that my body attacks itself. It also means, that during especially bad flares, it can spread outside of the intestines, in what are called extra-intestinal symptoms. Well, my Ulcerative Colitis got so bad that I was part of the small percentage that experiences extra-intestinal symptoms. For about 2 months, I had what’s called erythema nodosum. Google that crap. Basically, you get nodules, in my case the size of oranges and grapefruits, on your knees and shins. Mine also spread to my forearms too. I couldn’t walk. I couldn’t bend my knees, not to mention the hideous unsightliness of the condition. Another extra-intestinal symptom was that the ulcers in my intestines also spread to my mouth. For several weeks, the sides of my tongue were covered in ulcers. Excruciating. I couldn’t eat. Period. Another aspect of UC is that it’s an inflammatory disease. For weeks, I would go to bed with fevers spiking at 104 degrees. A fever is your body’s way of fighting inflammation, and boy was I inflamed. For a while, all I knew were cold compresses followed by debilitating, tooth-chattering chills. And then waking up in the middle of the night with night sweats.


I’m not telling you these things for pity or for you to say, “aw, I’m so sorry.” No. I’m simply illustrating to you how dark my days were for a while. That from that pit of hell, I was able to come out on top swinging. It was a long process. And I didn’t cheat on the diet once. But I did it. God saw me through. And I’m writing this now from my apartment in NYC with my health and spark back. This will be you one day too, my friend.



So where does glutenfreehappytummy fit into the equation? Well, during all of this, I started documenting my healing journey and the recipes I was creating, and it took off! Throughout my journey, I researched and tried several different diets, all gluten free. I tried the Makers Diet, the Body Ecology Diet. And finally, my saving grace: the Specific Carb Diet. A lot of people shy away from these thereputic and healing diets because they can be restrictive, and it’s hard to actually adopt them into your life. Well, I’d like to think that I bring these diets to life in fun and exciting recipes! In this book, I will clearly label each recipe with the appropriate diet(s) as well as any substitutions that can be made.

Finally, it goes without saying, I'm not a doctor, and I'm definitely not pretending to be. My brother is. And seeing the ten years of grueling schooling that he put in, I don't really aspire to be either. What I'm sharing with you in these pages are just what worked for me. Every person’s body is different and reacts differently to different types of treatment. And the other thing that's super frustrating about GI issues is that everyone's disease is different. There is a lot written about the benefits of these diets, and in particular a substantial amount of evidence that the Specific Carb Diet works for UC, and it did for me. But you will have to find out for yourself. I am just trying to make it easier to follow faithfully. 

But over all, I want to offer you hope. That there is a light at the end of the tunnel. I went through some seriously dark days. Days when I didn't know if I would ever be able to live my life again. I was a vibrant twentysomething living out her dreams in NYC, when my world came to a screeching halt. For the next ten months, I would literally spend it on the couch, wondering if this hell would ever pass. I had to completely surrender my life, and have faith that God would get me through this trial, and you know what? He did. I made it to the other side. And you will too. There is hope, my friend. You will get your life back in abundance. And I want you to know that I'm praying for you. Yes you. As I craft my recipes and create this book, I'm thinking about all the people that may pick up this book, and the suffering they're going through. Trust me, I've been there. You feel hopeless and confused. Scared and desperate. Will I ever eat anything other than steamed vegetables again? Will the pain ever end? Will I ever be able to eat anything normal again now that I can't have gluten? What will birthdays be like from now on?

Take charge of your condition. There is a life just waiting to be lived. You may be in a dark place right now, but it will get better. Let the doctors do what they can do, and in the mean time, do everything that you can do to get better too. Try these recipes. I truly attribute my healing to the Specific Carb Diet. It's the way I eat today to stay in remission. Give it a month or so and see how your body reacts. You will be amazed.

But most of all, don't lose hope. You have a life that is waiting for you and it will be glorious. I'm praying for your healing journey. Now lets bring on the Happy Tummy approved recipes and start LIVING!

19 comments:

  1. Wow. What an incredibly inspiring story. Thank you for sharing.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Thank you so much. That means a lot. Thanks for stopping by. Have a great day!

      Delete
  2. Hi Caralyn,
    Would you like a sample of The Vegg-Vegan Egg Yolk. It looks, smells,tastes and has the texture of real egg yolk, but with no cholesterol, no fat, or any un healthy ingredients. Contains fortified nutrtional yeast, seaweed derivative called sodium alginate, an indian salt called kala namak and beta carotene. GMO free.
    I'll send you a sample along with The Vegg Cookbook so you can try it with egg-free french toast, hollandiase sauce, lemon curd ans scores of other egg-free recipes.
    If you would like to try it just email me (rocky@thevegg.com) with a shipping address and I'll send it right out.
    Thanks,
    Rocky

    ReplyDelete
  3. Good for you for coming out of all the darkness so strong! I love reading people's stories about why they no longer eat gluten! Looking forward to exploring your blog more!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Thank you so much Brittany! Yes, it was quite the journey. Thanks for your thoughtful comment:) have a wonderful day! glad you stopped by!

      Delete
  4. Hello!
    I've been on the SCD for about a month now and had to do intro twice because I ate bananas that I guess were too starchy? No bananas for me! Lol The diet is helping me so far, and I haven't felt this good in a while (celiac and gf diet or paleo didn't help).

    My question for you is, after finishing the SCD of 1 year after your last symptom, do you find that you can eat non SCD items without a flare up? Like chia seeds, flax, or maybe even a sweet treat once in a while (CHOCOLATE)?

    Thanks :)

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Hello! Thank you for your comment! Gosh, I'm sorry about your struggles with the diet. I'm glad you're feeling good though!....bananas are tricky. Actually, I tend to have difficulties with all fruit in general...the sugar in them doesn't agree with me. As a result, I stay away from it. Honey too :(

      To be completely honest with you, I don't "cheat" on the diet at all. I think about how sick I was, and how far I've come, and that makes me not want a piece of chocolate or Reeces PB Cup :P. What I've found is that I can really make delicious treats that are within the diet. Some of my raw cookies using dates and nuts are really satisfying for a sweet treat. My blueberry muffin bites and apple pie bites are absolutely amazing. I always have a batch in the fridge and just pop one in my mouth if I'm craving something sweet. Also, I use stevia a lot, which is an all natural sugar substitute that is sugar free and is actually an herb. It is technically not on the SCD, but it agrees with me, and is my key to sanity! lol

      But then that's just me. If you've been symptom free, then it is totally up to you if you want to try a little bit of dark chocolate or flax. I don't, but then that's just me and my body.

      I hope that helps. Thank you so much for stopping by! Have a great great day!

      Delete
  5. Wow, you are amazing! I am not sure I can be that dedicated. I am curious though as to why you do not include the nutritional information? I would like to clean up my eating habits but have found that GF is often very high in calories and fat. I am having trouble with my weight. I am sixty five and about twenty pounds overweight. I fluctuate about five either way but cannot seem to get below the twenty over. Consequently I watch my calories and fat. Any thoughts on how I can overcome this?

    Thank you for sharing your life with us...

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. gosh, thank you so much! I don't post the nutritional info because, I never really think about it, to be honest. I don't really think about calories or anything like that because I like to think that if you eat whole food, unprocessed, and organic, you will be feeding your body the wholesome nutrition it needs! I eat when I'm hungry/stop when I'm full, and as a result, go through a lot of food! I agree, a lot of GF food is high in calories and fat...but that's because it's processed and overcompensates the lack of gluten with sugar/fat/empty carbs. My diet is actually not just gluten free -- it's grain free: it's called the Specific Carb Diet. It's very close to Paleo -- except I'm vegan. Eating this way is actually a great way to maintain or even lose weight! I hope that helps! Thanks for stopping by and for your nice comment!

      Delete
  6. I just recently started the Body Ecology Diet to help fight off systemic Candidia, including GI issues. I was excited to find your blog and the plethora of BED recipes! Would you mind explaining why you think the SCD diet worked better for you than the BED? Thanks so much!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Hi Sarah,
      Thank you so much for your comment! I'm glad you found my site! Best of luck with the BED!
      Absolutely. First of all, the BED worked wonders for candida. I was on it for 3 months, and it did the trick. However, for UC, the SCD really was my saving grace, because it goes after the molecular structure of food.The SCD eliminates all grains and complex carbs, because the theory is that people with UC or Crohn's stomachs aren't able to break down complex carbs. The SCD has kept me in remission for the last 2 years and I feel great. (The BED includes quinoa, millet, amaranth, and buckwheat, as well as red potatoes -- all grains and complex carbs-- which is why i believe i didn't get better while following the BED.) I hope that helps. I would definitely give the SCD a try if you are still having issues. It is definitely a lifestyle change, but the results are amazing.

      Delete
  7. I am on the BED and your recipes are amazing! Question: have you ever tried Lakanto - the other sugar BED allows on the diet?
    Thanks, Margaret

    ReplyDelete
  8. Thank you so much Margaret! I'm so glad you're enjoying my recipes! I haven't tried Lakanto...I know stevia agrees with me, so I figure, why rock the boat? :D thanks for your comment! have a great night!

    ReplyDelete
  9. I like the My Story section. I wanted to express myself about my depression and dental health because it started in 2008 when my father had a heart condition and hit a tree. Someday I will get over it all

    ReplyDelete
  10. Wow your story is really amazing... It's fascinating that your diet was what influenced your condition when traditional medicine didn't help! While I don't follow the Specific Carb Diet personally, it inspires me to know that what we put into our bodies can make such a big difference!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. thank you so much. yeah it is really amazing how the food we eat can heal us! thank you so much for stopping by. i appreciate your thoughtful comment :) have a great weekend!

      Delete
  11. It's so great when people bounce back when being unfortunate to have something like this hitting them.
    If anything, it's good to share your story in case there are others out there who are lucky enough to stumble upon your blog and relate, and to recover :) I'm not in any bad state now physically, but can still appreciate your lovely blog, and delicious recipes - thank you :D And keep doing what you do :) x

    ReplyDelete
  12. thank you so much Jules. I really appreciate your kind words. :) I always hope that someone out there might run across this little blog and find a ray of sunshine when they need it most. i hope you have a wonderful weekend. thank you for stopping by!!

    ReplyDelete
  13. You are definitely an inspiration! Add me on your email list: laila.uljas (@) gmail.com

    ReplyDelete

Thanks for the comments! They make my day!