Why I started seriously cooking, a thread.
10 yo sister has near constant non-specific tummy aches. Frequent projectile vomiting after meals. Cystic acne on the chest. Mood swings. Trouble sleeping. Feeling over full with small amounts of food.Too thin. Less energy after meals.

By 19 she’d been accused of being lazy, trying to skip school, bulimia, lying, drugs, etc.
She was also starting to see blood in her vomit and the acne was leaving scars all over her chest & back. Her self esteem was shot & didn’t look healthy.
Culprit: Red Dye number 5

36 yo has issues with joint swelling, stomachaches, headaches, migraines, water retention, and nausea. Has had these issues as an adult since she can remember. She was told it was in her head, autoimmune, her stress & allergies.

She was both my friend and my new roommate.

A month after moving in I was convinced that we could fix it.
I took over the cooking and started keeping track of when she wasn’t feeling well.
But the problems nearly all stopped before I could figure it out. Old patterns returned, so did the migraines and swelling.

I started recreating meals we’d eat out in restaurants or prepackaged ones hoping to figure out the culprit.
The first thing we noticed: MSG is absent in nearly all my cooking products but frequent in all prepackaged meals.
Migraine frequency dropped by over half.

One doctor she’d seen suggested gluten as a culprit. I called bullshit. To convince her, I made potato rolls from scratch with organic flour.
And waited for the smell to suck her in.
She ate a few and waited. No stomachache or headache. No diarrhea.

After a few months we figured it out: Preservatives & dyes.
That was it. PMS symptoms are less severe and never impact her ability to go to work. Migraines are a rarity and her overall energy levels are steady.

You’d be surprised how much you can improve your health w/food.
/End

P.s. Food diaries are your friend. My sister suffered for years and has some perm damage to her stomach and esophagus. Acid isn’t meant to be in your throat. Your body tries to push poison out any way it can. When it can’t, your body starts giving you signs it needs help.

PPS: I have ADHD and an under active thyroid. Part of how I control things is through food.

Breakfast cookies made with oatmeal, molasses, apples, shredded carrots brown sugar and a little dark chocolate gives me hours of steadiness. Blood sugar swings are no good!!