Hello there! So glad you made it here!

Little Merkado is a food blog. Here you will find a collection of delicious recipes made with better-for-you, nutrient-dense ingredients – all intended to heal the body.

In 2015, I was diagnosed with atopic dermatitis. Due to poor diet and work related stress, my atopic dermatitis became difficult to manage. I was then placed on topical and oral steroids. It didn’t take long for me to start feeling the debilitating effects of oral prednisone, mentally and physically. Shortly after, I made the decision to find a way to cut out all medications.

Looking to nutrient-dense foods for healing, I tried many different diets and they all helped, but at different stages of my recovery.

It turned out to be a long three-year journey to phase it out my medications completely. What followed was topical steroid withdrawal or TSW. My body became highly reactive. I developed allergic reactions to foods that I was never allergic to. As a result, I experienced symptoms of orthorexia and strong anxieties centered around food. Some days I wouldn’t eat just out of fear.

Over time, my body learned to re-heal itself. I started experimenting in the kitchen to see how I would react. I would recreate the taste of my favorite dishes using alternative (and healthier!) ingredients. I also found that I had a desire to create new recipes along the way. I learned which foods my body adapted to or triggered an inflammatory response. I also discovered which foods supported my body in healing faster with results I could actually see!

Coming from a restrictive diet, I wanted to create food choice abundance with delicious recipes using highly nourishing ingredients. All with the objective of healing the body without sacrificing on taste.