Laura Fuentes - The Best Grain-Free Family Meals on the Planet

I went through a period when I gave up eating meat altogether in favor of only soy-derived proteins. My digestive system didnt like that either. I felt sluggish, often bloated after meals, and, to be honest, I wasnt that excited about eating food. And then, I had emergency gallbladder surgery at the young age of twenty-four. Complications left me feeling lucky to have woken up from the surgery at all. Immediately, I removed all fried foods from my diet, added lean animal proteins back in, and limited processed ingredients.

I felt fine but not great. In addition, I suffered from terrible seasonal allergies that got progressively worse over time and with each pregnancy. During my third pregnancy, I would wake up in the middle of the night, barely able to breathe and not able to take any additional medication. Soon after delivery, my newborn Gabriel seemed irritable each time I nursed. I had two other kids who were gassy and colicky, but this little dude seemed unhappier than the first two. Doing a little research, I learned that gluten and dairy proteins passed down in breast milk are often culprits of digestive issues in infants.

Within a few days, I eliminated all gluten and dairy from my diet and Gabriel seemed to respond really well. Coincidentally, I lost nearly all the pregnancy weight in about eight weeks, not eight months as with the first two kids (something shocking to me since Gabriel was my third C-section). I noticed a significant improvement after a couple of months so I decided to continue with the modified diet restrictions a little longer. However, I found myself making multiple meals for my family and I fell off the wagon often. Drastic dietary changes are never easy and being unprepared was my downfall. I was also bored with food because I ate the same things all the time.

After nearly a year, when I weaned Gabriel from breast-feeding, I returned to eating normally. With three kids and a new business, I didnt have time to be a short-order cook (and neither do you, Im sure!). Unfortunately for me, however, my allergy and digestive symptoms returned. Ill continue about my own journey in the next couple of pages. However, I feel its important to share a little about the other two people who have been instrumental in the creation of this book: my two sons Gabriel and Alex.