Do you or someone you love have food sensitivities or dietary preferences that make shopping for meal prep ingredients and snacks challenging and demotivating? I’m here to help you find the products you need with minimal, real food ingredients as well as provide delicious recipes that fit your lifestyle and keep you and your loved ones enjoying food on this journey!
My Journey
Hi! My name is Allyson, and I help people with food sensitivities or dietary preferences find joy in food again. It can be tempting to cast aside a prescribed or preferred eating plan when it seems impossible to find ingredients or products that do not contain (fill-in-your-blank). This is where I come in. My journey began with a diagnosis of acute colitis in 2018 after the birth of our first son. I visited a gastroenterologist with a host of symptoms I didn’t know how to address on my own. Ultimately, I was put in touch with EnteroLab and then a dietitian with expertise in the Mediator Release Test (MRT) which detects food sensitivities as well as the reaction level of white blood cells to certain foods. My results left me with minimal foods that had to be eaten in single ingredient form (no additives, preservatives, oils, or natural flavors). I chronicled my journey on Instagram (@mrtforyouandme) in hopes of keeping myself motivated by sharing my progress with others.
A Trip to Mayo and Beyond
Fast forward to a major flare-up of symptoms during and after my second pregnancy, and I ultimately wound up going to the Mayo Clinic in Minneapolis, MN to meet with three different doctors in hopes of figuring out what was going on inside my body. After a battery of testing over the course of a week, the team came together and determined I have ulcerative pancolitis. I left Mayo grateful for a confirmed diagnosis but unsure of what to do next. I wound up on a 6-week liquid diet under the guidance of a functional dietitian. She then led me through the food reintroduction process, beginning with congee (1/4 cup at a time per day). Over the course of time, I’ve been able to add in more foods with trial and error. I make everything at home, and I know every ingredient that works for my body. It’s overwhelming (and discouraging) at times to know I can’t just go out and “grab a bite to eat” at a restaurant, but at the end of the day I know what works for my body and keeps my symptoms relatively in check.
Finding Joy
Along the way, I’ve found joy in helping people find the products they need to make their food their way (it’s not easy in today’s instant food world) and find on-the-go snacks without preservatives, gums, or natural flavors. I also find great pleasure in developing recipes for food sensitivities and have created many recipes specifically suited for dietary needs based on MRT results and lifestyle preferences. My goal is to help you find what you need to support your life journey with food!