I love the Mediterranean diet because it's simple and I am a simple girl. I love to eat and know where my food is coming from and I like to be able to easily read and understand the ingredients in my food. You see I have a lot of food allergies and I have a lot of mixed feelings about it. However, over time I realized that it has probably saved my life. I had to learn how to eat healthier and smarter. Right around the time my sister graduated from USC I found out I couldn't eat majority of the foods in the supermarket or at restaurants. I cried. Yes, I have cried a lot over this. I cried in the grocery store. I have cried in restaurants. I have cried at my home. Having food allergies makes it almost impossible to participate in a lot of fun social events and for me that is troublesome. I am a party animal. I love to socialize, travel, and eat across America. My dreams of traveling overseas to Europe paused significantly way before the pandemic hit our country.
When I was tested by an allergist I was told that I need to do a permanent elimination diet. I said, "No, I'm going on vacation first, but when I get back I will think about it a bit more." However, while I was in LA. I continued to get severely sick so I decided to completely eliminate gluten completely from my diet first. I have both Celiac and gluten food allergies. Yeah, I'm that special. One of God's special children.
Prior to these discoveries eating gluten and other food allergies slowed me down. When I was younger I was known for sleeping excessively and laying about. I had a rollercoaster weight issue. However, once I got myself on an allergy friendly modified diet of my very own, I had so much more energy. I had energy to move so I haven't stopped moving. I had energy to talk excessively and I do constantly. I was able to breathe and had less respiratory distress issues. My mind moved quicker too. In order words I making up for lost time.
I have done lots of research and meal plan modifications to make it easier for to join in with others. But, overall the most allergy friendly diet for me is the Mediterranean diet, and after all that makes sense since I am a Jesus girl too. When I was a young lady I spent many hours watching the food network and watching stars like Barefoot Contessa, Gordan Ramsey, Paula Deen, Sandra Lee, Giada De Laurentiis, and Racheal Ray. I love the influences of simple gourmet styles of influencers like Julia Child and Martha Stewart. They were so magical to me. I wished I could just touch the screen and be transported to their kitchens. I would force my family to watch them with me. We clocked hundreds of hours of watching the Food Network and HGTV especially during the holiday season. I have loved reading food magazines and cookbooks too and scavenging looking for simple but fun recipes.
I am mostly attracted to simple easy meals that don't require a lot of ingredients, prep, or steps. Even though my other sister went to culinary school and my husband today does the buck of the cooking, I still love to eat very simply. It makes my tummy and my brain feel delightful. I have totally embraced the farm to table concept and strive to live that way despite it been extremely costly due to the difficulty with shipping and transportation issues that our nation was having. Many times during the pandemic my family and I were in extreme panic mode because I need specific products in order for me to be healthy. These products used less unnecessary ingredients.
My favorite stores to shop have been Wegmans (yah...WNY favorites), Trader Joes, Whole Foods, Safeway, Food Lion, and Giant. It is tiresome at times to have to shop at so many places seasonally. Thankful more and more stores now carrying so many gluten free, soy free, and corn free products. The reasons why I love these stores is that I can usually find organic products at low cost, affordable produce, or products that have been made overseas. Other countries have stricter policies when it comes to putting certain addends or unnecessary ingredients into their foods than our own country.
I am very grateful that things are calming down in the food industry and that we live in a wonderful country where finding and accessing food is easier than first world countries. We have a lot to be thankful about each day. And using the mediterrean diet takes the guess work out of trying to eat and live healthier and developing meals for your children to eat at home and at school.
From the desk of Esther Kamoche Robinson
Resources
https://youtu.be/FTociictyyE (Gordan Ramsey Demonstrates Basic Cooking Skills)
wix pic
In Remembrance of
Anthony Bourdain
Interesting Fact:
Disney does an incredible job of accommodating a variety of different dietary needs which makes me feel humbled and I am able to participate in a variety of culinary experiences with my whole family.
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