Food Faith Fitness has been an entirely gluten free blog for 6 years, and it’s time to shake things up a little bit!
This post has been a long time coming and I figured its finally time to write it.
If you follow me on Instagram, you’ll know that I’ve gone through a lot of changes with food lately. If you’ve been around the blog awhile, I’ve been pretty open and honest that I had overcome an eating disorder, but still really struggled with the obsession with healthy food, calorie counting and over exercising.
Until 6 months ago.
I finally decided enough was enough and I quit the gym, and started eating more in order to gain weight but, really, to gain my health as I was at a low and unhealthy weight where my body wasn’t functioning properly. I had lost my period for MANY years, and that’s a huge sign something is wrong.
It’s been the best (and hardest and scariest) decision I’ve ever done. Sure, I’ve gained weight. But I’ve gained my life. I’ve healed my relationship with food and my body and exercise. I’m still not lifting weights right now and haven’t in 6 months. I’m just doing gentle walking and yoga. I am excited to return to weights, but I want to make sure my body is truly happy before doing so and that I’m cycling regularly (I’m cycling now, just not regularly yet.)
I’m going to do a much larger post on this topic, Intuitive Eating and hypothalamic amenorrhea (the term for losing your period) BUT, what I want to write about today is my perspective shift on gluten specifically.
To be totally honest, I’ve never been one to not eat gluten. I never ate a lot of it as I do naturally crave foods that don’t have it, but it’s never been off limits – I have always eaten whole wheat bread, for example. But, gluten KIND OF bothers Mr. FFF’s stomach (nowhere near as much as dairy though) and since gluten free is popular right now, I just kind of thought “ok, I’ll be a gluten free food blog.” FFF is my job and it was (and still is) important to make things that I think will be “popular” and get visits to my website.
BUT, what is now more important to me is practicing what I (and many people) call “food freedom.” And to me, that means enjoying ALL foods, regardless of their dietary specifics. That means I typically still eat whole and “real” (I don’t love that term) food, but there is always room for treats and listening to what my body is craving.
All that being said, I am no longer going to ONLY do gluten free recipes, or ALL special diet recipes. Yes, everything will still be what I consider “healthy” (in air quotes because food is just food, not healthy or unhealthy) and MANY will still be gluten free because that is mostly naturally the food I crave, and the recipes I make for you are now what I am actually eating in my day-to-day life. Yes, there will still be a TON of dairy free recipes since Mr. FFF can’t have it, but not all recipes will be. Yes, I’ll still do some special diet recipes. There won’t be a TON of change. But there will be some just be “everyday healthy” recipes that focus on better-for-you choices but not following a super specific diet, and they might have a gluten-containing ingredient. I might make almond flour muffins. But, I also might make whole wheat muffins. I’ll try to have subs for people who truly can’t have gluten, but I can’t promise that will always be the case.
I want FFF to represent my authentic self, which I don’t think it TRULY has in the past. I also want it to be a place that doesn’t contribute to the overwhelming message that we have to follow a certain diet to be “good.” I want you to know that you can eat what you want, what makes you feel good and what satisfies you!
I understand many of you might stop reading the blog because you ONLY want gluten free recipes and that’s okay. You have to do YOU. But, I have to do me and that means slightly switching the perspective of Food Faith Fitness.
Would love to hear your thoughts in the comments!
Xo Taylor
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Christine Bonnivier says
So thankful for your honesty and health! Many blessings Taylor!! xo!!
Taylor Kiser says
Thanks Christine! <3
Emily Swanson says
LOVE how you’re shaking things up Taylor; this resonates with me so much, and you’ve been an incredible blessing in this area to me and THOUSANDS of ladies.
Taylor Kiser says
Thank you SO much! <3
Kristina S. says
Thank you for spot lighting exercise bulimia as it is a real problem facing many men and women. I look forward to old and new recipes.
Taylor Kiser says
You’re welcome 🙂
Diane says
Dear Taylor
Good for you on making this decision! I could go on about why but that’s not the point. Too much judgement in this world so yes as you say « Food Freedom »! You do YOU! ?
Taylor Kiser says
Thank you so much Diane!! <3
Cassie Thuvan Tran says
Taylor, I started following you around 2015-2016 and adored your recipes, whether they were 100% healthy to the core or they looked like cookie dough that could not possibly be healthy at all. Your creativity really shone through everything you published! Thank you so much for being completely honest in this post–I dealt with restrictive eating for a long time in high school and started slowly making more balanced choices in university. I still need to work on exercising as it is hard for me to embrace rest days. Today was a rest day and I had two slices of vegan chocolate cake. Yep, totally could have chosen to avoid it because it’s high calorie but that would have been way too mentally barring for me! Now I am inspired by you <3
Taylor Kiser says
YAY for chocolate cake on rest days! I took 9 months of rest days and I lived 🙂 you can do it! Thank you Cassie!
James Mitroka says
Great idea to consider not restricting gluten-containing food outright. You otherwise rule out many healthy foods such as whole-grain wheat and barly. There are much mor important considerations inhaving a healthy diet.
Taylor Kiser says
100% agree!!!