Jul 30, 2014
Well, I'm going to do a series - every Friday it'll pop up and it will be called Things I Eat and it will start August 1, 2014! This series will, hopefully, show how it is possible to live a full life with a highly restricted diet - along with peppering of my own thoughts toward nutrition and food-choices.
Why? Because I can't eat most of the things that God has provide us. To review - I cannot consume the following foods without horrible consequences*
*consequences are not anaphylactic shock, just a total destruction of my entire digestive tract
Exciting.
My Life
I live in a world where I go to what normal people would considered a nice, relaxing dinner and I'll be in horrific fear they will have some ingredient in my food that will cause a massive issue in my body.
Trust? Sure, I can tell them all the items I can't have but if they are wrong or make a mistake . . .it could be months of pain for me.
What type of pain? My issues include the normal things like diarrhea and constipation. One or both of these can lead to the sexy hemorrhoids which 1/3 people have at any given time and suck.
Then there is the crippling pain stomach pain, acid reflux, crippling lower intestine pain, gallbladder swelling, crippling lower intestine pain, massive bloating, gas, vomiting, inability to operate - oh, and this triggers my adrenals to react to the stress of detail with a toxin substance in my body and fail which led to fatigue, insomnia, mood swings, closing throat, thyroid crashes. . .
What I Eat
The bulk of my diet involves drinking smoothies. I have one as my main meal about five days a week. Maybe people think I do this because I am forcing myself to be healthy. I actually truly enjoy my smoothies and my NutriBullet which offers me the ability to consume a large amount of foods without fear.
I do not eat a lot of packaged food. I do try to find them, but, other than Herr's Potato Chips and packaged nuts, I avoid packaged foods. I don't know what Sodium caseinate is. . .so. . .why take a chance? (It's a milk by-product, by the way)
Because of my restrictions, I have been forced out of the mythical "comfort zone" of food. I eat as many different foods as possible and I am always willing to try something new or to try to alter a recipe.
Alter - eh? Well, I have to alter most if I want to eat them. I take the Alton Brown approach, I figure out the role the ingredient plays in the food and then try to find out if it is needed or how to substitute it.
I am also very, very, very lazy. I think food should taste good, be easy and/or fun to make, be healthy and not cause me medical harm.
Trust
Sure, I totally trust people making food for me. I also trust eating with people - because there is nothing like having a nice meal and having every bite scrutinized by those you are sitting with. Here are some comments:
Coping
I tell a lot of people who try to understand my dietary needs I'm vegan. But, being vegan means cutting out the whole meat thing which I can eat - which is meat. However, saying "vegan" means they will most likely produce a salad of glorious greens and not serve me anything with eggs or dairy.
The problem with the "vegan disguise" is I also can't eat beans and soy. A lot of staples in a meat-less life include heavy amounts of all types of beans and processed soy.
Conclusion
So, me eating is an adventure! And I am going to document it all dramatically with what exactly I do eat. 'Cause I do eat. I do. Really. I eat. I eat good. I eat good food.
A lot.
Sometimes.
I'm normal!!!
Why? Because I can't eat most of the things that God has provide us. To review - I cannot consume the following foods without horrible consequences*
- Dairy - milk, cheese, casein, etc
- Egg - yoke, whites, Egg Beaters
- Beans - hummas, veggie burgers
- Canola - from the rapeseed plant, basically anything fried
- Wheat - whole grain, bread, etc
- Yeast - wine, beer, all condiments, anything fermented
- Soy - tofu, tempeh,textured vegetable protein
*consequences are not anaphylactic shock, just a total destruction of my entire digestive tract
Exciting.
My Life
 |
| I will post a picture of a steak! |
Trust? Sure, I can tell them all the items I can't have but if they are wrong or make a mistake . . .it could be months of pain for me.
What type of pain? My issues include the normal things like diarrhea and constipation. One or both of these can lead to the sexy hemorrhoids which 1/3 people have at any given time and suck.
Then there is the crippling pain stomach pain, acid reflux, crippling lower intestine pain, gallbladder swelling, crippling lower intestine pain, massive bloating, gas, vomiting, inability to operate - oh, and this triggers my adrenals to react to the stress of detail with a toxin substance in my body and fail which led to fatigue, insomnia, mood swings, closing throat, thyroid crashes. . .
What I Eat
I do not eat a lot of packaged food. I do try to find them, but, other than Herr's Potato Chips and packaged nuts, I avoid packaged foods. I don't know what Sodium caseinate is. . .so. . .why take a chance? (It's a milk by-product, by the way)
Because of my restrictions, I have been forced out of the mythical "comfort zone" of food. I eat as many different foods as possible and I am always willing to try something new or to try to alter a recipe.
Alter - eh? Well, I have to alter most if I want to eat them. I take the Alton Brown approach, I figure out the role the ingredient plays in the food and then try to find out if it is needed or how to substitute it.
I am also very, very, very lazy. I think food should taste good, be easy and/or fun to make, be healthy and not cause me medical harm.
Trust
Sure, I totally trust people making food for me. I also trust eating with people - because there is nothing like having a nice meal and having every bite scrutinized by those you are sitting with. Here are some comments:
M: I got this Greek yogurt ranch rather than buttermilk so you can have it.
A: I can't have dairy.
M: It's not dairy.
A: Where do you think yogurt comes from?
D: Wine doesn't have yeast in it.
A: How do you think it ferments?
D: There's no yeast in it.
W: We have hot dogs, hamburgers and you can have a black bean veggie burger.
A: I can't have beans.
W: I thought you liked veggies . . .
J: What is that?!
A: A smoothie. It looks weird because of the blueberry in it.
J: That's disgusting.
Coping
I tell a lot of people who try to understand my dietary needs I'm vegan. But, being vegan means cutting out the whole meat thing which I can eat - which is meat. However, saying "vegan" means they will most likely produce a salad of glorious greens and not serve me anything with eggs or dairy.
The problem with the "vegan disguise" is I also can't eat beans and soy. A lot of staples in a meat-less life include heavy amounts of all types of beans and processed soy.
Conclusion
So, me eating is an adventure! And I am going to document it all dramatically with what exactly I do eat. 'Cause I do eat. I do. Really. I eat. I eat good. I eat good food.
A lot.
Sometimes.
I'm normal!!!
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