So i got a LOT of response about a tweet regarding diet. 

I want to respond to all of your questions, but that is a lot of twittering. 

So, I will start with this….

Almost 4 years ago, a friend of mine found out she was allergic to wheat. 

Her stomach was so sensitive, it got a point where she would just eat bread (thinking it was plain) so she wouldn’t get a stomach ache..(which, in reality, actually made it worse). 

A lot of my friends and I, to support our friend and her new dietary limits, jumped on the gluten free train.

I recall, almost immediately feeling better, lighter, not so full or sluggish.

Over the past couple years, I have explored so many diets…raw, vegan, no gluten, no dairy, one or the other, or all of the above. I was vegan for almost a year, and never felt better. But then, one of my best friends got pregnant and was told she was had an iron deficiency, it was enough to wonder if I had one too. 

I am definitely not for the inhumane treatment of animals, but sometimes my body craves meat. I blame that for the amount of blood I bleed every month, which i feel like has increased ever since I stopped taking birth control 5 years ago. 

For the past year, I have had a feeling that dairy or gluten was not good for me, but I never had a doctor confirm it, until last month. I got a full physical, which was required to clear me for surgery (for my voice), and it was then that I found out, that dairy and gluten does not serve me. In fact, it affects my adrenal glands, causing inflammation and congestion. 

I always had a feeling dairy and gluten where not in my favor, however, I’ve never had a crazy serious reaction to it, at least not enough to stop eating it all together. Plus, the way I dream about cheese and a fresh baguette, you might as well think I was raised in France. 

But, ever since my doctor told me to avoid wheat and dairy, I feel amazing. 

Generally speaking, I hate processed foods. Anything found in the middle of a supermarket, I stay away from. My basket is always filled with fresh produce and the occasional boxed drinks of coconut water, or boxes of quinoa. 

Its interesting though, because now that I have been told to lay off the dairy & wheat items, I have been trying to find replacements..gluten free english muffins, pasta, vegan cheese, pizza dough, etc…when in reality, i never ate much of this stuff to begin with. I guarantee that the replacements are filled with the same calories, plus more processing. You would think Vegan/Gluten free options would be a more clean/pure option than the original item you are replacing, but in reality….Most of the vegan/gluten free/low fat/nonfat options are worse for you, than just eating the original form of the food.

That is something I’ve always followed. Even when I was vegan, I never liked to eat the substitutes. Its probably worse for you, and more ingredients, than the regular item. Dairy free cheese, while I love it, often uses more ingredients than just plain cheese. Same with many meat replacements. 

I’ve always felt its important, if you are going to eat something, whatever it is, eat it in as close to its natural state as you can eat it. If you eat butter, eat real butter. If you eat bacon, eat real bacon. Now that Ive started eating meat again, I usually try to go for grass fed, organic, no hormone, locally raised meat. If I cant find that, I dont eat it. I go for fresh produce. 

 These days its easy to find options at your local health food stores. And if your store doesn’t carry it? There is no better time than now, to talk to the store manager and request it! 

That said…I had grilled sugar spice BBQ salmon for dinner, with rice instead of mashed potatoes (because they were made with butter) and fresh local vegetables. A couple glasses of wine…and some insides of the friend banana my friend ordered (to avoid the panko breaded outside). 

Either way, take it meal by meal, day by day. Listen to your body, it knows what it wants. Some people, cutting out wheat could be your key. Others dairy. Others meat. It really all depends on you, but if you listen closely to how you feel after your meals, you will quickly find out. 

Your body is a temple, it deserves to be worshipped. 

Loving you, and your hotness, in all its magic- 

Tristan