Introduction

 Hi lovely readers,

This blog has been born from my passion about nutrition and my family’s complicated food requirements. I love sharing my ideas about what is left to eat when so many things have to be cut out, whether by choice or necessity. The best way for you to appreciate the sort of content I will include in this blog is to introduce my family and all our quirky cuisine requirements.

So first off, I’m a pescatarian (a vegetarian who eats fish, sorry fishies) and I am intolerant to dairy.  My husband Adam has IBS (a fancy way of saying he has gut problems with no known cause) and attempts to follow the FODMAPs diet.  We have two kids, Ethan (6) and Orlando (9).  Ethan constantly battles with candida overgrowth (a condition in which yeast levels get out of balance in the gut) which means we have to limit sugar in his diet, as this is the yeasts favourite meal (unfortunately it’s Ethan’s too). He also has intolerances to dairy and soy, a dreadful combination, as one tends to replace the other. Thank goodness he’s grown out of the egg intolerance because that truly was a super-limiting combo!

Our eldest son Orlando has autism (and the gut issues that tend to accompany it), is a suspected coeliac (even a crumb of gluten affects him), reacts badly to sulphites (preservative 220-228) and goes quite mad if he comes anywhere near saccharin (one of those awful artificial sweeteners).  Add to this the fact that he has major issues with food texture and that we restrict his carbohydrate intake (which improves his behaviour and mood), and you’ll see he has a pretty limited, although surprisingly healthy, diet. 

Wow am I glad I studied nutrition.  So what do we eat I hear you ask? Keep reading and I will share with you some of the things I’ve learnt, and keep you updated with my ongoing findings.  I would love for you to join me on my food journey. That way I get to share with you my latest discoveries about nutrition and any new recipe creations I come up with. And as we all know, excitement is always best when it’s shared.

What you won't find in my recipes are gluten, dairy, red meat or sugar. What you will find are plenty of wholefoods, fructose friendly sugar replacements and carb conscious alternatives to the usual 'white' gluten-free options most people eat. Predominantly my recipes will be vegetarian. Some will be vegan, while others might include fish or chicken. Don't worry, I promise to clearly label every recipe so you know if it suits your requirements.

May you be full of beans,

Carla.