Practicing Gratitude... and why I eat what I eat

And, what did I have for breakfast today?

It didn't look as good as this, but my pic vanished.

A skillet saute with a couple of carrots, a turnip, an onion, and a bag of frozen spinach to which I added a tiny bit of leftover pork - juice, congealed fat and all - and some Celtic sea salt. And guess what I'm having for lunch? (Give up? ... More of the same.)

For what we receive may we be truly thankful.

I've been eating a restricted diet for a while now, first giving up dairy (except for homemade, full-fat, organic yogurt) 4½ years ago. A month later, I went gluten-free. Each time, I felt better initially, but it didn't last. So about 6 months after that I started following the GAPS diet to try to "heal my gut." No grains, and I learned to eat a lot of things I'd never eaten before (like collards & turnip greens.) I think it helped, but since I didn't realize then about my allergies, it didn't help as much as I was hoping. 

In November, I finally got tested and of the 88 items tested I had an IgG response to 26 of them. Argh! I don't mind being allergic to bananas, but I miss eggs. I miss the seasoning that I now have to do without. 

In January, my sister mentioned the Autoimmune Protocol (AIP) and I looked into it. It seems legit and since 18 or 19 of the things I'm allergic to are on the AIP "avoid" list, I figured it might be good to try it.

Oh, the first days were hard! Did I mention that I'm allergic to grapes? No raisins, no juice blends, no wine.

Bless us, oh Lord, and these Thy gifts which we are about to receive from Thy bounty…

One day, Kay* came home to find me really railing. "I am so lucky to live somewhere where I can find stores with lots of veggies to eat. I am so lucky to have such a variety of foods to choose from." I'm trying to convince myself here... "Lots of people have to eat the same thing every day. My bowl has at least 5 different things in it."

I really do believe this stuff. I am fortunate to be able to afford a chest freezer and to buy pastured or grass-fed bulk meats to put into it. I am among the privileged few on the planet who can eat a health-specific diet. I know it.

And I am thankful, truly, but sometimes I just want to eat “normal” foods, like pizza. I want to go to a restaurant and have lots of tasty choices. “I’ll have the burger, please, no cheese, no roll. No fries or chips. Salad? Thanks! No, no dressing.” Sigh.

Lord, make us truly thankful for these and all other blessings…

So, yes, I’ve been having a little trouble appreciating the details of my healing regimen. But, if you notice me complaining, please call me on it. Really! Like me, anybody who's reading this likely has an abundance we don’t even realize. I, for one, need to practice celebrating what I have. (But, I truly hope the chocolate allergy goes away.)

Give me a thankful heart, O God.

*To protect the privacy of those I include, I adapt names (except for Markus who said I could use his name.)