Dana Monsees

My Recipes & Articles

• The BEST Roasted Carrots on September 27, 2021
• Is Your Type-A Lifestyle Putting You on Track for Chronic Fatigue Syndrome? on May 7, 2021
• Spicy Buffalo & Bacon Roasted Cauliflower on January 16, 2017
• Shrimp, Bacon, & Avocado Stuffed Chesapeake Omelet on August 14, 2016
• 6 Lies the Media Told Me About Being Healthy on April 25, 2016
• Lemongrass Turkey & Roasted Sweet Potato Salad on November 20, 2015
• DIY Egg-Free Mayonnaise: 3 Ways! (AIP, vegan) on May 9, 2015
• Tropical No-Bun Turkey Burgers with Pineapple-Ginger Relish (Low-FODMAP) on May 2, 2015
• Turmeric-Spiced Chicken Drumsticks on March 27, 2015
• Curry Cauliflower “Rice” (AIP-friendly) on March 24, 2015
• Whole Roasted Cauliflower with Mint-Basil Chimichurri on February 9, 2015
• Sunny Sweet Potato and Pancetta Hash on February 8, 2015
• Chipotle Guacamole on January 28, 2015

My Story

Throwback: 2010. I’m a young little sophomore in college, eating whatever I please, exercising like a fiend, and totally overworking myself physically and mentally in school, varsity swimming, and probably one too many nights of killing my liver. You see where this is going. Cue the onslaught of inexplicable, horrible symptoms: nausea so bad I could barely choke down any food, which continued for months on end; splitting headaches; horrible stomach cramps.

I saw multiple doctors and specialists, none of whom could figure out what was wrong. I followed their conventional treatment protocol: get tested for a bunch of random things, then take prescription meds. I only got sicker (in the short and long-term). Fed up, exhausted, and still sick, I dove headfirst into my own health and nutrition research.  I started playing around with taking certain foods out of my diet to see what might make me feel better. At this point, I had nothing to lose – how could I feel any sicker?

Four years, multiple tests, and many diagnoses later and with the help of a naturopath, I finally realized I could help heal myself by eating REAL food, instead of the processed junk that makes people sick. But ain’t nobody got time to eat plain chicken breast and spinach day after day! I wanted to prove to myself that eating real food didn’t have to be tasteless, difficult or complicated, and that I didn’t have to feel deprived despite the (long) list of foods I had to avoid for my health. I started my own food blog to document the delicious recipes I’m making on my healing journey.

To learn more about Dana’s journey, visit her website at www.realfoodwithdana.com.