Y’all. After 3.5 years gluten-free and 2.5 years AIP, I finally completed a Whole30! Ha! OK, it was a modified Whole30…my Paleo-wired brain found a few of the rules weird. But I didn’t bake at all for 30 days, and no honey, maple syrup, etc. Anyone who knows me well enough knows that it is a bit of a challenge! Baking is a form of therapy for me, and it’s not just due to my lifelong sweet tooth. The whole process is therapeutic, especially when you create something beautiful.
I haven’t eaten refined sugar in 2.5 years, but I expected some sort of detox reaction to eliminating unrefined. Nope. Never had crazy cravings either. Not that I’m complaining about this, but it’s kind of strange. I was still eating some fruit, but less than usual (no smoothies?!) OK, so then I should at least expect some improvements on my skin, right? Many patients with skin problems report that sugar (even natural) will aggravate their skin. I’d wake up every day and hope for soothing results…nope, still flaky and itchy. I’ve been suspecting that my psoriasis and seborrheic dermatitis are not tied to food, but this experiment further confirms it.
My skin has not improved with GF, AIP, or Whole30. It has not been aggravated by reintroductions. My psoriasis cleared up when I did my first AdvoCare 10-Day Challenge back in the day, and I did cut out gluten and dairy for it, but I think my results had more to do with detox than anything. My psoriasis has responded well to homeopathic lycopodium and Vitamin E, and my dermatitis has responded well to zinc and switching shampoo.
My skin issues initially flared up when my family moved to the country, and it was abrupt. “Fresh country air,” you say? Think again. My childhood home was adjacent to a cotton/corn field, so the lovely pesticides flowed into my bedroom on a daily basis. We also had well water (and no filter), so the high concentration of minerals + pesticide runoff likely contributed as well. I didn’t connect these dots at all until my naturopath asked me about where I grew up. Bingo! Toxins are holding my skin hostage, and detox is not my forte (thanks, MTHFR).
Although my Whole30 experience (if you can call it that) was lackluster, I don’t want to discourage anyone from doing their own! I think the protocol can be an amazing introduction into the world of whole foods, but I was already drinking the proverbial Kool-Aid! Bought the t-shirt too. Whole foods have transformed my life, and I am grateful. But it reiterated to me that the path to health isn’t always just about food; sometimes you have to dig deeper to find your root cause! The root cause to my skin issues is obvious to me, but the solution? Ha…not so much. I think low-poo/no-poo is my next adventure….
While I continue to be my own “crunchy” health detective (kinda like a Scooby-Doo character?), I’ll find joy in modifying recipes and sharing them!
I’ve adapted my recipe from this one. Obviously not AIP, but I figured with a few modifications, it could be made healthy and delicious! I don’t really taste the coconut, but I am a huge coconut fan. I think the onion and garlic flavors take over!
Probiotic Loaded “Baked Potato” Dip (AIP/Paleo)
Time: 5 minutes; Serves: 8
Ingredients
- 2 C coconut yogurt*
- 10 slices uncured cooked bacon, chopped (I used Applegate)
- 3 green onions, sliced
- 1 Tbsp nutritional yeast (I used this one)**
- 1 tsp smoked garlic (I used Smokehouse Salt Co–local brand) or ½ tsp garlic powder
Instructions
Mix all ingredients into coconut yogurt, reserving some bacon pieces and green onions for garnish. Serve with veggies or chips such as sweet potato or plantain!
*Note: if you don’t have an Instant Pot (what are you waiting on??), you can substitute with any other compliant unsweetened coconut yogurt. I made the recipe in the link, omitting honey and vanilla, so that it resembles more of a sour cream than yogurt. I also use only 1 Tbsp gelatin so that it’s not quite as firm and more mixable.
**If you have a MTHFR gene mutation, make sure that your nooch is non-fortified (free of folic acid)! Sari Foods and Dr. Fuhrman’s are the only brands I’m aware of that are non-fortified.