Tuesday, September 1, 2009

finally, an abundance of answers!

the results of my ALCAT blood test for food intolerance are finally in my hands. i had a two hour meeting with my new natropath doctor yesterday and learned so much. in addition to the list of 86 foods i show a reaction too, i also learned my body is not breaking down and processing proteins very well.

today is the beginning of a new approach to eating and digesting.

i'm now taking a supplement to increase the stomach acids to break down those proteins. for the next months, i will strictly avoid the foods on my list that show reactions. i am sure this will take new creative cooking efforts, as many of the foods i depend on are those that i am actually intolerant to!

of the 86 forbidden foods, 23 are staples in my diet: banana, cucumber, fennel, garlic, ginger, lime, soybean, spinach, tomato, basil, blueberry, celery, chicken, cinnamon, coconut, corn, egg white, fig, flax seed, lemon, mushroom, nutmeg, salmon, vanilla.

oh, and all gluten, all dairy. *deep sigh*

no more homemade yogurt, which is what i am mourning as i write this post at breakfast time. however, i now recall that every time i have gone off dairy (and i don't eat much, just homemade yogurt, sheep's milk romano and some goat cheese) i have lost weight. with so many health issues to address, i know it is worth it to make these changes. i need to finally, after 4 years, heal my chronic inflammation problems in my arms and heel. i don't ever want to re-visit the vertigo and arthritis pain in my back from the last few months. and then there is the general intestinal distress i've dealt with for, let's see...oh, about 25 years.

and cancer. i certainly don't ever want to see his face again. cancer is directly tied to inflammation in the body. anything i can do to bring down inflammation will benefit every cell i have.

i was pretty deflated yesterday after meeting the doctor, but this morning i am feeling up to the task of overhauling my food plan.

some good news in my results include favorite staple foods that i have no adverse reaction to at all: chocolate, cabbage, sardines, quinoa, olive, almonds, sesame, lentils, onion, swiss chard...and since chicken is out, i will turn to the approved meats...turkey, lamb, beef, plus a large variety of fish and seafood is ok. I don't eat much meat and when i do it's always organic, pasture-raised. which is expensive and that factor naturally limits my intake.

the loss i feel most keenly is coconut, lemons, egg white & dairy. but i will survive and i am sure, start eating other foods that are just as yummy. after a month, i can re-introduce a food from the mild reactive list, like coconut, and see how i do. so there is hope that some of my favorites might come back in rotation in a few months. i am guessing the dairy is gone for good, however.

i will have to find someone to eat my beautiful tomatoes on the plants i have been lovingly growing for months on my little patio...i guess i will just have to enjoy them visually!

i also learned from the results of my colonoscopy & endoscopy that i don't have any gluten damage in my intestines, which means my year off gluten has healed the system. i'm very happy to know my body's natural healing process is working.

i start my graduate program fall classes next week, so life is about to get pretty busy. but i will be updating the blog with my progress on this new eating protocol, so stay tuned for what i hope will be all good news!

6 comments:

Unknown said...

wow! You just come on over anytime for some sardines and chocolate -- these are things I seem to always have in my house. And save the sardine tins -- they make great little altered tin altar projects! Congratulations on finding out so much, and much admiration for your courage in looking so directly at this.

Unknown said...

BLUEBERRIES TOO? Dang!

Anonymous said...

Wow .... you have a challenging time ahead ..... but I am glad you have some answers. What you lose in food options I'm sure you'll gain many times over in terms of improved health and vitality. Good luck!

salmonpoetry said...

Hi Tay,
Glad to see that summer has been good to you, with the start of grad school and some answers to your health quandaries, despite the ban on some of your favorite foods. At least you could start a choco-centric diet if you want!
Take care, I might get around to updating my blog again since I am on maternity leave for the next 3 months!
Best wishes, Lisa

Katherine said...

Daunting but doable...you just have to get creative (which can be liberating & frustrating all at the same time some times) I thought I had it back being gluten, dairy & peanut free. There are some good alternative food sites on the that are good to visit for recipes (someone's already done the hard work of figuring them out). I find Living Withough Magazine helpful at times too.

Gotta love that you can still have chocolate...beware milk chocolate tho!!!

Best wishes on your journey.
Katherine

Tay said...

Thanks for all your supportive comments, friends!

I am adjusting, the restrictions are forcing me to be very creative and make new dishes. Every recipe has to be adapted and nothing comes from a package.

I found an excellent dark chocolate with no soy, as almost all have soy lethicin. I am canning fruit & pickling watermelon rind...making meatballs for the freezer and trying out cooking with turkey.

I wasn't a lazy cook before, but wow. This is labor intensive so far. I am hoping to put up foods now before school gets crazy and keep making soup for the freezer.

Stay tuned...