By Guest Contributor {Emilie Sampson}

Almost six years ago, I gave birth to this perfect little monkey named Parker. He was my third baby and I had breastfed the other two with little to no issues. From day 1 Parker spit up. And not the typical small amount of baby spit up…like disgusting man-barf from this tiny, perfect bald baby. The doctor did MANY tests and no matter what medicines we tried…Parker still spit up. A friend of mine suggested that it could be something in my breast milk, so I decided to try cutting food out of my diet. I tried dairy first and it was an IMMEDIATE change. He stopped spitting up completely! As long as I did not consume the SMALLEST amounts of dairy (not even cream in my coffee), everything was golden….until Parker started eating solid food. As we began to add food to his diet (still eliminating all dairy), Parker began to get sick. He was losing weight by the week, and the doctors were concerned. We saw specialists and had a MULTITUDE of tests done, and eventually one gave us the answer. Parker had Celiac Disease. Celiac disease is a condition that damages the lining of the small intestine and prevents it from absorbing parts of food that are important for staying healthy. The damage is due to a reaction to eating gluten, which is found in wheat, barley, and rye. Switching to a gluten free (as well as dairy free) diet was a huge adjustment, but we saw the benefits immediately! After months of losing weight, as soon as we took Parker off all gluten, he gained 10 oz in one week!!



As I entered this world of food allergies, I had to learn how to read labels and how to find out what is REALLY in the food we eat! And the more people I opened up to about this, the more people I found that also deal with food allergies and food intolerance.



How many of us deal with daily ailments that could possibly be attributed to the food that we consume? Chronic headaches, stomachaches, rashes, irritability, insomnia, trouble focusing can all be signs of food allergies! Now, I am no medical professional (Seriously, guys…I’m not a doctor. Take their word for it, not mine), but I often wonder how many things we choose to medicate for that could be cured by a simple change in our diet.

One of the things I love most about our little EMM blog is that you get to hear so many different perspectives from different mama's. Sometimes they make you think or laugh and sometimes they give you a sweet punch in the face and inspire you....  I'm so excited, I think we really do have something for everyone this month wether you're a food nazi and exercise fanatic, don't run unless someone is chasing you with a knife... or somewhere in between... this is going to be a great month on EMM!



Needless to say in the area of health, diet (as in the food we eat... not the swear word we're not saying this month) and exercise Gena and I agree on the basics. With autism taking up a permanent residence in my home, my pantry has been free of gluten, casein, dyes and most sugars. After facing some minor heath issues with my hubby a few years we ousted hydrogenated oils too... and that's about where the similarity train between Gena and I stops:) hehe



I happen to fall somewhere in between the "Gena food nazi's" of the world (those are her words:)) and  a complete fast food junkie. I LIKE FOOD... I just do... no wait I LOVE FOOD. I love getting together with  family and friends and enjoying cheese, butter, bread and wine... I love going to my mom's house for dinner and savoring every bite of her A-M-A-Z-I-N-G (and at times possibly a little orgasmic... ya I said it) cooking... I don't want to be on a diet!!! I don't want to give up the things I love so I can possibly fit into a size 8 pair of jeans or weigh 10 lbs less on the scales. It's just not that important to me...



{What is Important to ME???} 

Not feeling like crap! I work out... enough... I eat decent 80% of the time... BUT, when I have a rough day... I binge... when I realize my checkbook is not in the condition I thought it was in... I binge... When I feel stressed or overwhelmed... you got it... I binge... when the weekend hits... it's an all out food orgy for like 72 hours...  I have "food hang overs" that rival hang over hang overs... It's not pretty not pretty at ALL!



This month... my commitment isn't to stop eating fast food or salt or butter or bread for the rest of my life... (quick, someone go resuscitate Gena:)) I won't apolgize for eating the food I love... IN MODERATION. But I am committing to working out with my "trashy boot camp" sisters and I am committing to STOP the bingeing. I am committing to stop trying to fill the voids in my life... the hurt, the pain, the frustration... with food. When I tell myself that it doesn't taste good or I'm full... dah dah dah... I'm going to stop eating. Some of you may be sitting there thinking,  it's not rocket science lady... but other's of you who know the struggle of emotional eating get what I'm saying... I will no longer darken the drive thru of McDonald's and Taco Bell because I need something to "calm me down". 





Food has been my drug of choice for too long. I want to stop abusing it AND my body. I want to start enjoying it again. And more than anything I want my kids to see a mom who is strong and healthy and even on occasion... balanced:) I want my boys to have a healthy body image and a healthy relationship with food... yes even us mom's of boys have to worry about the example we set in this department!



I know the power I let have food have in my life is bordering on the psychotic side and honestly... I'm just sick of it. I'm sick of feeling sick... I'm sick of having zero energy and being grouchy... FOOD Can't fix me... FOOD can't fill the voids I should be turning to God to fill... hopefully this month I can make my actions match my words.