My personal history with food
I've always had sensitive, reactive skin, especially in middle school. I broke out easily, and I would get severe, widespread, debilitating itching spells after I'd shower. I saw countless dermatologists. They couldn't help me -- they thought it was dry skin. "Here's a topical ointment," they'd say, and send me on my way.
I remember reading an article in Cosmopolitan that asked the question: Does chocolate make your skin break out? This was a new concept to me, that what I eat could be affecting my skin, and who knows what else! This was in the early days of the Internet, which had become a useful tool for me; I started to come across articles which paired the relationship between food and my symptoms. My mind was blown.
After some intense digging and experimenting, I discovered I was allergic to certain foods that caused these issues. This was my first real understanding of the relationship between my skin and what I was eating. I'd started asking my doctors about the possibility that what I'm eating could be making my skin itch. They'd never mentioned that it could be related to food before. In fact, many doctors over the years thought I was crazy to even consider that there may be a connection. Hmm...
I was also a heavier kid. Throughout my childhood I was told to watch my weight; though it felt like the guidance wasn't there to actually create better habits in those formative years. Through my teens and twenties, I tried every diet in the book - calorie counting, crash diets, removal of food groups, even starvation. Ultimately nothing worked long term because my overall relationship with food was negative and uninformed. Only once I healed that, I was able to take control of my health.
