I can eat nothing mammalian. If an animal suckles its young, its products are off limits to me.
Things I cannot eat are:
*beef, pork, and lamb. Of course, that includes wild game. I had already eliminated beef and felt so much better. IBS disappeared.
*Dairy products. cheese, cottage cheese, yogurt or sour cream. No milk. I am going to miss goat and sheep cheese and cream cheese. Of course, it all comes from mammals.
*Citrus fruit. It is good that it is not Cutie season.
*Anything fermented. No pickles. No vinegar.
*Wheat. Did you know there is wheat in chocolate chip cookies? I thought maybe the chocolate would counteract the wheat. No? I will just eat chocolate chips!
I found a frozen loaf of bread at Publix for $9.99 that had no wheat. I swallowed hard and paid the price--$10.98 with tax. No, I won't be baking bread. I could only get half the loaf in the freezer. The rest went in freezer bags in the refrigerator, two pieces in a bag. The slices are very small and dry, not tasty or appealing in any way. At this price, I will only eat two slices each day, if that much.
Already, I am a label-reader, but now, I read for more than calories, fat, soy.
Citrus disappeared in March. Milk went two weeks ago. Cheese went yesterday. Plus, I threw out the yogurt and cottage cheese. I sent bread and buns home with exbf yesterday.
Even though I lost five pounds in ten days, I don't like this life. But, if it keeps me from dying from lesions in my esophagus, I suppose I will suck it up, put on my big girl panties and try not to whine much.
Your turn
Do you have foods you cannot eat on doctor's orders?
No, I can eat anything but I try to eat healthy foods! My cousin has lost 25 pounds since Mother's Day eating no sugar or flour. I can't give up whole food groups but I'm trying to limit these also. It looks to me that you can eat greens, poultry, eggs, fish and vegetables. I make a lot of soups, even in this hot weather and I like beans. Good luck! Maybe you can find some new recipes.
ReplyDeleteNAN,
DeleteI do eat the things I can eat! I just mourn the things I lost. Remember, I DID lose whole food groups.
Nan,
DeleteYou, too, may find all of a sudden that you should not eat things that you currently CAN eat.
From Tom's wife: I eat a whole food plant based diabetic diet with little added fat. The only wheat I eat is one 100% wrap daily. I could easily do without it and just use a large kale or lettuce leaf for my daily lunch wrap.
ReplyDeleteI made the change 18 mo ago and am very happy. My mindset changed immediately because I did this so I would not die from a stroke/heart attack. I'd had carotid surgery because it was 80-90% blocked, just waiting for a stroke. Before that I had eliminated all 'meat' but 1 serving of fish and 3 of chicken per week, not hard to give up. Dairy had been just 1 cup of non-fat Greek yoghurt with 1 Tbsp unsweetened cocoa powder at night - my version of chocolate pudding. Honestly, don't miss those things. Of course I had given up all sweeteners and any high carb foods. Still cannot eat white potatoes, any form of rice or pasta, hulled barley, corn, most fruits but berries, loquats and a small amount of citrus every 3rd day or so when it is in season (picked from our trees). I can eat small amounts, about 1/4-1/3 cup beans or lentils. There are other foods I don't eat but that's because I don't like them - pickles, olives, sauerkraut, peas.
It's very hard to find affordable non-wheat baked goods - bread, crackers, etc. If you can, it might make more sense to just give them up.
Also, in the last 5.5 years, since I was diagnosed with diabetes, I have lost and kept off 115 lbs so far. I'm almost at 50% of my former weight. Has required diligence, total lifestyle change and a good gram/oz scale and measuring spoons and cups.
Wish you well in your quest for good health - it's really all we have in order to have a good life.
Tom's wife,
DeleteThanks for the knowledge. I do eat white and sweet potatoes. Before, it was not often, but now I eat a small potato about twice each day.
I won't be purchasing more than two of these loaves each month if I can gag this first one down. There was a $3.99 loaf, but it seemed to be made of lots of soy.
It turned out the foods I did not like I was allergic to! Mama said I refused to let meat pass through my lips as an infant and preschooler. And, I hate peas and sauerkraut, both allergens. Plus, one olive will last me for hours, and I don't like pickles unless disguised heavily in tuna salad or such. I need that kind of weight loss. Good for you. Yes, I will do this to live.
Tom, thanks so much for getting your wife in this conversation.
That sounds so difficult, but not impossible. I know you can do it Linda! Stay strong. I am sure you will feel much better, so that will make it that much easier.
ReplyDeletetana50,
DeleteStrong is the operative word here! The IBS went away with the loss of beef. Now, I feel okay, I think. The allergist's nurse keeps asking me if I feel better. I am not sure how well I will feel...so that is puzzling.
I'm sorry, Linda, that's so tough! I have few restrictions and they're a pain but yours is on the level of a friend's diet who is: no meat, no dairy, no soy, no gluten. It's very hard to accommodate all of it, I know it makes grocery shopping and cooking such a chore for her!
ReplyDeleteRevanche,
DeleteThankfully, I don't have to cook for anyone else! Yes, I keep thinking I need milk when I am at the store. This is the first week of eliminating everything he said, so it is sad and really a chore when there is no dairy in the refrigerator. Thanks.
Oh, I didn’t know all this. This is medical diet, not an ethical one—where the mammals are concerned? I haven’t eaten meat in decades, but if I had to forego wheat, it would be sad day. You can make crackers with other grains, you know. I make crackers a lot in winter, but I hate to bake anything in summer.
ReplyDeleteSnowbrush,
DeleteI have no ethics where eating meat is concerned...lol. Just kidding. I got hens because it made me ill thinking how chickens were treated as they gave me eggs. This winter, I may bake something without wheat.
DO you have Barretts?
ReplyDeleteCTMOM>
DeleteYes
If you don't mind me asking: are you on RX protein pump inhibitors? I had Gerd, MD put me on PPI's for a year. Took me off, Barretts started, now on PPI's for life. No meat/dairy restrictions either. At last endoscopy, the Barrets healed/is gone.
DeleteCTMOM,
DeleteI am taking ppi also. However, the day after I had to give up all the food, I just quit taking it and have no had one problem with reflux. I didn't think Barretts could be healed. hmmm
Eggplant! I am allergic to eggplant and I love it.
ReplyDeleteYou really might need to eat only vegan chocolate chips to make sure there is no dairy in them at all
Anne,
DeleteWell, I hate eggplant and do wonder if I am allergic to it. I didn't know there were vegan chocolate chips. Yes, I just now looked and there is only lactic acid in the chocolate chips I eat. Thanks for mentioning that. Now, the search is on for those.
Sigh. I am not surprised you are not happy. Meat gives me difficulties, coffee and oranges. Which was hard at first, but I have got over it.
ReplyDeleteEC,
DeleteThanks. Thankfully, I don't drink coffee...lol. I am not sure I can ever get over having to give up all this. Have you ever had allergy tests?
I have. And of the ten most common allergens here I wasn't allergic to cat or dog hair. The rest? Yes. Food intolerance developed later.
DeleteEC,
DeleteI do have food intolerances along with the allergies. Dog and cat hair drive my allergies crazy.
Wow, not much left is there? I don't have food allergies that iknow of. But beef leaves me feeling like I have the flu because it is so hard to digest atleast for me. So a little ground beef is all I eat.
ReplyDeletecarol,
DeleteThat's what I thought--not much left. I had joked around for 30 or so years that I was allergic to beef. However, I thought no one could surely be allergic to beef. Boy, was I wrong.
I'm sorry, that's a lot of news to get all at once. I imagine you will come up with some new favorites and 'experiments' soon - you seem to be pretty creative with food. I hope you see the benefits immediately.
ReplyDeleteTina,
DeleteIt did hit me like a truck when I heard it. I had something to do before I started it. When I did start it and finally eliminated all the offenders, it was like another truck. I stay hungry all the time. I will be experimenting a lot. Thanks.
I'm so sorry you have to go through this. I know it's hard. Your list is longer than mine but with allergies to certain foods and severe life threatening reactions I too have to really cut a lot out of my diet. It's hard but you can do it. I will keep you in my prayers. I know you already have made great strides in this area. It can really be disheartening to have to do further cutting out in your diet. Take care.
ReplyDeleteCrystal,
DeleteFor some reason I could not reply to your post. I suppose my laptop was just too tired to respond to my needs.
My biggest fear is that someone will lie about ingredients, and then after I eat it say, "See, you had no reaction." I don't want to be "that" person who walks around not able to eat anything and acting all pitiful. Although, I do almost cry when I think of something to eat and then realize I cannot eat it. I wonder how much more weight I have lost. Thanks.
cigars
ReplyDeleteUrspo,
DeleteCigars were easy for me...lol.
Linda,
ReplyDeleteIf I was suddenly not able to eat all of those things I would be pretty upset, too!
About a year ago a tried the whole 30 diet (no grains, no sugar, no alcohol, no dairy, no legumes) so apart from the meat part it was a bit similar.
I have read enough of your blog to see that you have been very hungry. One of the keys to feeling good with whole 30 is eating lots of good quality fats, they recommended half an avocado or a handful of coconut at every meal (can you eat coconut?)
I know avocado is expensive, maybe it is useful to know about though.
i will be following your progress and wishing you well, lets hope it helps so much that you forget about the foods you loved!
Avocados are 3/$1. I wonder if I can dehydrate or freeze. I may be allergic to coconut, so I eat little of it. Believe me, I could eat a handful of coconut at every meal! I am going to see how much money I have in my change and see how many avocadoes I can buy! I knew it was a healthy fat and love avocados. Thanks for reminding me.
DeleteWhat does whole 30 mean?
Nuts are another source of good fats, I didnt suggest them because I thought you were allergic but you haven't mentioned it. The whole 30 diet allows ghee which is butter with the milk solids removed. I wonder if you could handle that?
DeleteWhole 30 is just whole foods for 30 days
kylie,
DeleteI am allergic to cashews, brazil nuts, and filberts. I do eat 10 pistachios each day. In the fall, I will get pecans to eat. I will ask about the ghee. Thanks. Now, I understand the title.