Hi, welcome to our first posting.  We've created this blog because we're both passionate about our health and well-being and it's been an important part of our lifestyle choices over the years. 

In this posting, I'm (Nic) going to talk about me and why I feel that our choices are so important and why I've made it a priority in my life.

I come from New Zealand and had a pretty standard upbringing. My family is very sports oriented which I think saved my health for many years. The reason I say this is that although Mum endeavoured to provide us with healthy meals, I had an immensely unhealthy craving for sugar. I'd tip half a can of sweetened condensed milk into my tea and then drink the other half of the tin whilst stirring it in; have about five dessert-spoons of sugar on my weetbix and lots of chocolate and ice cream besides! My dad caught me with the condensed milk (I had sneaked it, you see) and made me have a cup of unsweetened tea for a week until I could stand it without sugar. That and health issues in my twenties forced me to look at what I was eating and I think it saved my health today.

In my mid-twenties, I started having stomach pains about 30 minutes after eating. The doctor couldn't find anything wrong and it wasn't until I had touch-testing when I found out I was having a reaction to wheat, dairy and avocados! I took them out of my diet and I immediately felt a lot better. I also lost a tonne of weight to the point my friends were really worried (even though I was eating a lot!).

The hardest part about my new diet was that I couldn't just go into the store and get a pie, or sandwich. I had to cook everything. I got some excellent books on cooking for food allergies and learned a lot. It really changed my attitude. Although I can now eat wheat and dairy again, I still watch out and listen to my body. It tells me a lot.

So, that's a bit about me. We'd love to hear from you too. Your stories or questions are all welcome.