Almost daily someone comments on what I eat. "Oh, you can eat that?" or "Wow, I am surprised you are eating such and such." This chatter comes from perceptions people have about good foods and bad foods. I know I make my own share of assumptions on a variety of topics but right now I find these well meaning remarks mildly frustrating.

Thus far I have paid lots of money for tests and counsel on what my individual body needs to function well. We are all uniquely created and except for some fairly obvious rules like don't eat bacon cheeseburgers three times a day for a month, every system is different. I am learning to listen to my body and respond accordingly.

I had my consult last week with my new doctor after all the results were in from my testing. Some unusual things showed up on my radar screen. I mentioned a few before but I will give the entire list here today. First the good news; no weird bacteria, candida or parasites are growing within me. More good news; all my food sensitivities were mild to moderate. Nothing showed up as a high irritant. For these things, I am thankful. It may mean that I will be able to work most of the off limit foods back into my diet eventually.

Here is what I currently avoid: Buttermilk, Casein, American Cheese, Cottage Cheese, Mozzarella Cheese, Parmesan Cheese, Swiss Cheese, Whey, Yogurt, Gluten, Wheat, Baker's Yeast, Brewer's Yeast, White Mushroom, Cinnamon, Apple

There. Not too bad, right? Along with this is a particular consideration of sugar and vinegars. Those are found almost everywhere and I need to severely limit both.

Many kindly ask if I am feeling any better? The answer is yes and no. I have good days and bad days. Today was a very bad day. On days like this I wonder if its all worth it. I find myself thinking that if I just eat the right thing my symptoms will all go away. That's not really how this works.

Eating good food and avoiding the irritants will give me a leg up fighting this disease. It won't make it go away all together. Only surgery or a miraculous healing would do that. The idea is to fortify my system so that I can fight the Colitis from the best possible position.

Slowly but surely I gain knowledge and confidence in this journey towards health.

Eating Gluten and Dairy-free,

Caroline

p.s. I am feeling more comfortable shopping at Whole Foods. No longer feel like a poser!

This entry was posted on Monday, September 26, 2011 at 6:36 PM. You can skip to the end and leave a response.