One day a few years ago, I woke up and realized I didn’t feel good. I actually couldn’t  remember the last time I’d felt good in the greater sense of the word: healthy, joyful, full of energy. And I couldn’t remember the last time I had woken up and not been in pain.

I had been using my financial situation as a justification for not taking better care of myself, when in reality, I was prioritizing the wrong things. I hadn’t stopped to notice how much real food I was actually eating and, unfortunately, it wasn’t a whole bunch. I had been trading nutrition for convenience for almost a decade because I traveled for a living and didn’t always have access to a full kitchen. I knew that needed to change.

Eventually, I decided to focus on making more nutritious meals, but I still felt awful. I ended up at an urgent care facility with pain in my abdomen. I was diagnosed with irritable bowel syndrome and told to eat fewer processed foods. Of course, I already knew that it couldn’t be that simple; I had made that change months ago and still felt sore, tired, irritable and depressed.

I tried the elimination diet, which works as a test to determine if you have sensitivity to certain foods by eliminating them for a certain period of time. After experimenting for months, I finally discovered that I am extremely sensitive to gluten, alcohol and sorbitol, a chemical found in fresh corn, and I'm moderately sensitive to peanuts, pork and most dairy products.

After reading that list, it may seem like I’ve had to give up a great deal and must be miserable. But I must say this experience has been all positive. Not only has it renewed my love for cooking and baking; it has changed my relationship with food as I prepare new recipes that promote my personal wellbeing.

Blueberry Walnut Cookies

Sift together flour, coconut flour, baking powder and salt; set aside. Whisk together sugars and coconut oil. Add egg and mix. Add extracts and mix. Slowly mix in dry ingredients until well-blended. Stir in oats, blueberries and walnuts. Using a tablespoon or small ice cream scoop, portion out cookies on a greased cookie sheet. Bake at 350 degrees for 15 to 20 minutes or until golden brown.

Apricot Coconut Sweet Treats

Heat almond butter, coconut oil, sugar and honey over medium heat until sugar has melted. Add salt and oats, heating for one minute and stirring until oats are soft. Stir in apricots and remove from heat. Form into balls either by hand or with tablespoon. Roll in shredded coconut and place on foil or parchment to set. Store in the refrigerator.

Strawberry Fields

Line a baking sheet with aluminum foil. Mix lemon and lime zest and sugar with fingertips in a small bowl; set aside. Follow the package instructions for melting white chocolate melting wafers. Dip strawberries in chocolate by holding the leaves or use a toothpick. Then dip the end of the strawberries in the citrus sugar before the chocolate sets. Place on foil to set completely.

Gluten-free Cucumber Sandwiches, Two Ways

Place sliced cucumbers on serving trays or plates. Roll goat cheese into bite sized balls and place them on half the cucumber slices. Take cherry tomato halves and put them on top of the goat cheese, pressing down gently. Fill a piping bag and tip with hummus and pipe onto the remaining cucumbers. If you don’t have a piping bag, use a Ziplock bag with the corner snipped off or spread the hummus with a knife. Place roasted red bell pepper pieces on remaining slices.

Pickled-Deviled Eggs

Heat juice from 3 cans of beets. Add beets from one can to juice. Add sugar, water and cider vinegar. Heat until simmering. Pour over peeled hard boiled eggs in a glass container. Refrigerate for 1 week.

Slice eggs in half and remove the yolk. With electric mixer, combine egg yolks with deviled egg filling ingredients shown above. Pipe yolk mixture into egg halves and enjoy.

NCM