About the creator
Hi, I'm Sarah Verlinde-Azofeifa, your host for the Low-Sal-Life website! I love building websites and I am salicylate sensitive, so building out this site out was a no-brainer.
I spent many, many years (decades, really) battling food sensitivities and I was never able to put my finger on what was causing my problems until 2018. I have tried most of the elimination diets: gluten-free, dairy-free, meat-free, egg-free, nut-free, grain-free, whole 30, FODMAPS, and plenty of the random cleanses and detoxes. Only on gluten-free did I find reprieve from migraines, only to find out 12 years later it was the folic acid in grain products that was my migraine-trigger. On all the elimination diets, I always felt worse - usually because I'd end up eating more fruits and veggies, and at that time, I didn't realize they were making me sick. Who is sensitive to fruits, veggies, and "healthy fats"??!!!
Turns out, I was sensitive to salicylates, a chemical produced naturally by almost all plants, or produced synthetically for cleaners, perfumes, and medicines. Over and over, protein allergy tests showed up negative because in order to have an allergy, there should be a protein. In this case, I had completely overlooked the idea that the body can freak out when exposed to a chemical. And in my case, it still creates a histamine reaction, what most would consider an allergic reaction - this included anaphylaxis.
For some people, they can be sensitive to salicylates only when they eat them. For others, like myself, I am affected if I eat it, absorb it through my skin, or inhale it. Inhaling salicylates creates the worst reaction for me.
I am not affiliated with any health organization, research study, or company. I created this site as a resource for those who are in a similar situation as I am. I am not a doctor or health professional. I do have a Bachelor's Degree in General Biology, and my normal research emphasis is in native plants of the Pacific Northwest. Yes, the irony of working with plants and being allergic to them is not lost on me. This website is in no way affiliated with my day job at the University of Washington, who pays me for research administrative work, and not for my biology skills or knowledge about salicylates. If you think you may be sensitive to salicylates, you should talk to your doctor about it, which is what I did.
Thanks so much for visiting and/or supporting the work on this site. Please feel free to send me a comment below if you'd like to connect with me. I also spend most of my social media time on Instagram @low-sal-life. And if you want to know more about me and all my major products - snoop on me at sarahverlinde.com.
Monetization - Fund the mission!
This website takes a LOT of time to manage. On a daily basis, we can expect that the science we base our understanding on will expand and change how we manage our bodies, the foods that we purchase can undergo unexpected manufacturing changes, and the way our governments and providers handle food labeling and disability laws will also change. While I'd love to say that just putting up useful information online for people in a similar situation as me is a good enough reward, I have to find compensation for my time invested and for the cost to manage the website services. Therefore, I try to monetize in small ways without compromising my integrity or the integrity of the information but also make it worth my while.
Buy me a (decaf) coffee: Contributions can be made directly through the "buy me a coffee" website. All contributions (minus a 5% fee for processing) go directly to me. Thank you so much for you support! How to contribute.
Affiliates: Throughout the site, Amazon products that can be purchased and found online may contain affiliate links. As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases. This means if you click on the link and purchase the product, I may get a small commission for the referral. Thank you for clicking! Other companies, like Etsy or individual vendors, are not affiliated and those are just there for your information.
Sponsors: I do not accept sponsor contracts and keep my videos and pages free of endorsements. I do not receive products for review, and all products I review are paid with my own money or from channel revenue.
Website Ads: I keep this site free of ads for you! While I could totally add another layer of revenue by including ads, I cringe at the idea that Google Ads would tempt my visitors with burgers or home-grocery delivery subscriptions with lots of "healthy fruits and veg" that they can find health with. I think it's rude when I get a perfume or air freshener ad when I'm trying to stay focused on my mission of getting healthy. I also don't want people to think I'm endorsing those products because they're on my site.
YouTube Ads: I do plan to monetize at the 1000 subscriber mark on YouTube allowing them to display ads. While this may seem contrary to the above statement on ads, YouTube is unlikely to promote my channel unless they have a chance to advertise to people. I will only use the ad at the beginning of the channel, and keep the rest of the video free from ads so you can focus on great content without interruptions!
Contact Sarah
I'm about 2-3-months behind on emails - but I do answer all them. Thank you for understanding! Please email me at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. or message me through Instagram @low_sal_life.
If you emailed me prior to mid-March and never got a reply, it's possible it was lost in my spam folder. I've been finding a lot of emails in there and trying to catch them.