Professional health coach sharing a life story with food allergies
Hi, my name is Dusana, and I would like to share my personal journey with food allergies with you. I am an outdoor enthusiast, who loves to travel, eat good food and meet new people. As a Psychologist, counselor and coach myself I have always been interested in people’s lives and troubles helping them to find solutions and confidence in their own strengths and their lives.
The game-changing moment came many years ago when I got diagnosed with several food allergies.
Finding out that I was allergic to a variety of foods sent me on a fascinating journey.
In the end, I have become an expert on managing food allergies, while continuing to travel and living a good, healthy life.
Going through this challenge tough me many things 
and I have evolved into a new self. I have found peace and grace in the way I live and nourish myself. I have found gratitude in being different and growing through the process of learning to take care of my own needs and valuing my health high enough to ask many questions when ordering my food. TRUST ME, YOU CAN DO THE SAME.
In order to share my story, let’s go back a number of years. At that time I was an ordinary person, eating regular foods and enjoying life. I explored the world through travels, work opportunities and out of curiosity. I loved to see new cultures and new cuisine. But, that was just about to change…… When I got my initial diagnosis of being celiac (gluten free), lactose intolerant (no milk or cheese), allergic to soy, peanuts and couple other things I felt that I have hit rock bottom. It sounded like a death sentence to me. I almost believed that I was going to starve myself or die of an allergic reaction to the food I wasn’t supposed to eat. How does a person, who loved so-called “regular foods” such as cakes (cheesecake was my favorite!), pizza and pasta with mouthwatering cheese sauce, get by without it? I didn’t know the answer, I WAS LOST AND DESPERATE.
I didn’t know about health coaches who specialize in food allergy coaching. I WISH I DID! It would have saved me a lot’s of trouble when I struggled with finding information, learning to read labels and being stuck eating the same disgusting foods, day after day. Not having many food choices was upsetting and it took all the joy of eating. Also, not knowing about cross-contamination of foods left me with lessons about not being able to eat with others or share good times with them. I WAS DESPERATE FOR CHANGE.
As you can imagine, I have been through times of ISOLATION because let’s be honest, how do you enjoy going out with friends or colleagues, when you can’t touch any of the foods served? Romantic dinners or even buttered popcorn at the movie were out of the question too. I have tried to go back to “normal” way of life and do simple things, such as having a coffee with a friend or going out for a wing and beer night at the pub. Quickly I have discovered that those outings were not simple or enjoyable for me. If you are like me, you might find yourself struggling to find the sense of being normal again and trying to reach to others to re-establish your life. However, I had a period of time, when I had closed my doors and stayed in, feeling sorry for myself and looking for strengths to keep going.
But I have to say that I have learned something. It has been a steep learning curve, from not being able to cater for myself to gather any information and knowledge there was about food allergies and how to manage life with food allergies. I got into my own healthy cooking and finally developing allergy free recipes that TASTED GREAT!
I found the way to cater to myself when staying home more often. I started with trying new things that were safe for me to eat. I had tossed away anything that wasn’t safe for me to eat and literally cleaned out my kitchen. I have stocked on foods that I could eat. Another benefit was that I was looking healthy again. My energy also increased, and life was almost feeling “normal.” I could manage my foods, as long as I didn’t have to leave my home. As long as there was no invitation to the dinner or lunch; I was OK. I have also spent hours and hours searching for advice, recipes, and connection with others in similar situation. How to enjoy your life and get through those moments of isolation and self-pity is going to be shared on my blog. It all started with me wanting my life back, wanting to travel and enjoy every day.
This wish for a healthy life with well-managed food allergies also affected my professional journey. As a Nurse, who furthered her education by getting a Master Degree in Psychology I got myself heavily involved in health coaching and developing individual plans for clients living with food allergies. My passion for coaching people who wanted an active, healthy life was born. It was simple – I realized that we all deserve the good life – despite food allergies!
Has it been like this from the start? No way! Contrary to my struggles and difficulties, you can approach your situation differently and make the best decision to hire a health coach specializing in food allergy management. Get an outstanding quality of services through knowledge and expertise in the area of health coaching. Make the first contact with me to start building your confidence based on a safe and comfortable plan for handling food allergies that work for you, your family and your lifestyle.
