I posted this on Instagram back at the end of April but never really shared it here. Truth be told, I was trying to get my recipe archives on the website so that I could fully step away from IG, but it’s taken a bit longer than expected. And by a bit, I mean A LOT.

The decision to step away from posting recipes and the FAILSAFE diet in general wasn’t something that I did spur of the moment. It was months in the making and a suspicion that my problem didn’t really lie in a sensitivity to food chemicals.

Or, maybe it did and the avoidance of those chemicals is what gave my body the space to heal. I’m not sure I’ll ever really know. I just know I wasn’t feeling great on the super strict version of the diet and was ready to explore other avenues for feeling better.  

Here’s from my original post on the @myfailsafelife Instagram account:

A few reasons for the break:

1. I have been way uninspired with FAILSAFE food. I feel like there are only so many different ways to use the same few ingredients and have been cooking from my own archives for a while now. 

2. I’ve actually been liberalizing my diet and am not strict failsafe anymore. I’m not sure if my time on the diet helped to give my body enough of a break to repair/heal what was going on or if food chemicals weren’t my issue at all. 

3. I started to react and feel bad from foods in the low column while doing okay with foods from moderate and high lists. I also noticed that sugar makes me extremely miserable — making my stomach hurt and my back and scalp itch like crazy. 

4. I’m currently exploring a low carb diet to see if carbs and sugar (AKA insulin resistance) are the real culprit. It’s also where the B5 supplement comes into play — it’s main function is to help the body break down fats and carbs. I thought it was pretty cool that another benefit related to salicylate toxicity. 

Eight months later, I’m still off of the FAILSAFE diet and doing well. I have been in and out of low-carb eating and generally feel the best when I am eating mostly protein, veggies, and berries (strawberries and blueberries seem to be the best).

Having said that, I’m really tired of strict diets and feeling like I have to restrict my foods in such a severe way in order to feel “good”. I’m trying really hard to be gentle with myself and focus on things other than food — like getting enough sleep, moving my body in ways that feel good, and spending more time outside.

Like everything else, it’s a work in progress and I’m excited to see what’s in store for me in 2023.

If you’d like to continue following my journey, or want to see what I’m up to now, feel free to check out madewithlev.com. I post recipes, craft projects, and other fun stuff I make with my kids.

Here’s to wishing you health and healing wherever you are in your journey.

X+O,
Emily