Table of ContentsMakeover Your Favorite MealsThink About Food DifferentlyGet to Know PinterestAllow MistakesBe CreativeMy journey with food has been anything but easy. A chronic follower for years, I had what could be considered a “bad relationship” with food. It was kind of a love-hate relationship. What I wanted, I couldn't have and if I did, I usually experienced guilt or weight gain. When I finally gave up dieting and entered the world of natural health and healthy eating, I was thrilled to be able to have a good relationship with food again. Say no to plagiarism. Get a custom essay on “Why violent video games shouldn't be banned”?Get the original essayThen I discovered I had food sensitivities.Enter old feelings about food. I once again felt deprived and controlled by my diet. I couldn't always have what I wanted and was frustrated by the limitations that dictated who I could eat with, where to go, and even what I could cook. It took a while, but I soon learned to see my food sensitivities as inspiration rather than deprivation. The challenge of creating amazing and mouth-watering dishes with different ingredients opened my eyes to new culinary options that I hadn't considered before. The closed door on a handful of ingredients opened a world of opportunities for me to expand my culinary pleasures. Now, as I work with clients who are discovering their own food sensitivities, I see them have the same disappointed reactions as before. Sometimes they are angry, frustrated, and even sad because of the emotional connection we all have with food and the social environments around it. With guidance and encouragement, they too can find inspiration and pleasure in the new structure of their diet. If you have food sensitivities, don't be discouraged! Here are 5 steps that can help you take food sensitivities from deprivation to inspiration. Transform Your Favorite MealsSometimes when we first discover food sensitivities, it's easy to assume that our favorite meals containing these foods are no longer an option. While this is true in some cases, more often than not there are ways to take the meal by adjusting a few ingredients. With food sensitivities increasing, there are many online resources for food substitution, so you can replace cow's dairy with coconut milk, or wheat flour with teff flour, and even eggs with bananas or flax seeds. Think about food differentlyCulturally speaking, we have certain expectations. on the composition of our meals. In the United States, breakfast often includes a combination of eggs, gluten, and/or dairy. I can't eat any of this, so breakfast has suddenly become a bit difficult. But who says breakfast HAS to be “breakfast” foods? In other countries, none of these ingredients are used in breakfast. In India, breakfast may be a pancake made from lentils. In Japan, it's often fish and miso soup. Simply adjusting our expectations can allow us to think outside the box and find new options. Instead of having a traditional American breakfast, I might have a bowl of quinoa with organic chicken sausage and roasted vegetables. Adding spices like cinnamon and nutmeg or,.