The number 1 priority for my food is that it is healing to the body. After cutting out gluten, dairy, and most corn and soy products from my diet 8 years ago I developed a love for cooking that I never had before. I explored food blog after blog, most of which were health related. Soon my explorations led to an interest in not only cooking meals that avoided ingredients from my allergy list, but c
ooking meals that have predominantly positive health benefits. This meant cooking dishes that included healthy fats, colorful vegetables, and ingredients with fewer refined carbs. My knowledge about basic healthy foods come from reading health blogs, 1st and 2nd hand experience, and listening to and reading medical podcasts peer-reviewed by well-known doctors. Who wants to eat “healthy” food that makes you crave unhealthy foods even more because it simply tastes bad (AKA the typical American labeled “health food”)? I have learned to be creative in finding ingredient substitutions when I make popular American dishes such as pizza, cheesecake, hamburgers, or tacos; but mind you, they are not substitutions that compromise the tastiness of the final product causing those unwanted cravings. Most of my favorite dishes to cook though are from other countries around the world – from Indian curries and Thai curries, to Vietnamese spring rolls and Japanese sushi to Italian soups and Brazilian stews… And if you are someone who loves baked goods but can’t eat your wonderful fluffy breads and muffins again, not to worry. I have experimented with baked recipes of every variety and have tasted many wonderful creations (after many trial and errors) that even my non-gluten free friends are jealous of. I even have experience in making them egg free and grain free. So after eating my food you won’t miss the restaurants nearly as much as you used to. My food, as well as tasting good, uses ingredients that are proven to strengthen the body, help weight loss, reduce blood sugar, and keep the mind more focused. The ingredients I use, in fact, are just real food. In my mind, processed foods are like poison to the body and grains such as gluten and corn aren’t good for anyone since the chemical make-up of these starches have been altered so much compared to even just 100 years ago. I have always longed to share my cooking and baking skills with others, so if you have a strict dietary regime and/or food allergy list that includes the elimination of gluten and dairy, or, if you just want to eat healthier, then I’m the one to ask for help. I can adapt to almost any allergy needs, as long as you don’t insist I use gluten and dairy in what I prepare. But it is very likely that even if you do stop eating those foods on a regular basis, you won’t miss them much. I will make it like you never stopped eating your favorite foods!
