Food Sensitivity - Changes To What You Eat

[Connie]

Hi everybody,

I keep reading about some of us that are experiencing food sensitivities. I just want to share a couple of books that talk about all the foods that are bad for you.

The first book is Anticancer by David Servan-Schreiber, MD, PhD. When he was diagnosed with brain cancer, he begin looking into what we eat and what the foods are actually doing to our bodies. A link to his website is below:

http://www.anticancerbook.com/

He also has a blog with discussion as a sidebar.

The other book is "Eat to Live" by Joel Fuhrman, MD.

I am starting to read "Eat to Live" now.

Just some information I found concerning food sensitivities.

Hope for All

[hilbiligrl]

I haven't read this book yet, but I saw about it on the dysautonomia forum and plan on reading it asap. I have repeatedly said for years that I personally thought that everything we consume has lots of chemicals in it therefore, lots of poisons in our body that God never intended. Sodas, cakes, cookies, packaged food, processed food, etc.... consumed everyday is consuming lots of chemicals and toxins over and over. I can see how this accumulates in the body and how it can cause free radicals, which then can lead to cancer cells and then the multiplying of these cancer cells. I have always thought that this is the main cause of cancer and how it starts. I too have always wanted to go on a as perfectly possible as possible of a clean diet. My probs are finding the money to buy health foods, gluten free foods, organic foods. My mother has severe gluten sensitivities and buys organic etc.... however, despite her rationing each month and budgeting, after all the health food is bought and no 'poison' foods, she and dad alwasy have a week or over a week at the end of the month where they are out of money and out of food, so they skim to get by. Why must it be so expensive to eat so clean????? Does anyone have any good pointers on keeping the cost down? I am very bad about eating processed foods and drinking sodas and eating sugar and desire so much to change my lifestyle to pure clean foods, but it is so hard to do... even i didnt realize how hard it is, as we've tried to change our eating habits many times.

Sorry, im rambling on and on......

Thanks so much for sharing, I really appreciate this post

hilbiligrl

[firewatcher]

My son has a severe allergy to milk and all its forms, so we have been "eating clean" for the past 8 years. It is difficult, everything is from scratch, and all meals are home-cooked. We just don't have "eat-out" options, so we don't. Very little of our food comes in a box, and you'll find that you just skip the entire center of most grocery stores. It can be done and once done, you will not crave or even want to be around most other "foods." Get a few good cookbooks or go online and get started, one dish at a time. I am currently making my son a cookbook of all the meals I make, so that he will have it later; it includes all the substitutions that are necessary to make dairy-free cooking work.

This year, I am also going to try to have a small garden. That really cuts down on the food expenses.

[hilbiligrl]

firewatcher~

thank you for your post.... it is indeed very encouraging. I flat out suck when it comes to proper eating. I have such a craving for breads and sweets, that i give in alot. However, my hubby and I went on the 'body for life' diet a few years back (mostly because i was so sick and so weak all the time and i thought it would help, this was before i was diagnosed..... and my hubby has heart failure too, and he needed to lose some poundage as well)...... we stuck with a clean diet for a good year, as well as done mild excercising on the treadmill and my bowflex. We ate 5 small clean meals a day, but one day a week we allowed ourself to have a soda, sweets, pizza, whatever, but not go nuts on that day either. Over all, i felt somewhat better as far as strength. I did feel clean inside as opposed to not feeling clean inside for many years and now for the most part. But i seemed to never get better though, i remember telling hubby one day that i still felt so tired, weak and drained all the time and i was still having episodes and weeks of down time.

I am noticing though more food allergies as i go along and noticing what im calling 'stomach attacks'.... as if my stomach is like a deep fryer and all that popping and cracking and gurgling is going on in my stomach 24.7.... ugh, its just aweful plus the bloating..... im thinking it may be sugars and breads or gluten.

My hubby and i have had a long talk about going on the anticancer diet and we have both agreed we are going to start this and be strong about it and stick with it... as he is feeling crummy here lately and gaining more weight himself. I did feel better on a clean diet, and i crave it again, cuz i hate this unclean, 'my body is packed full of chemical' type feeling all the time. I can even taste the chemicals in water and processed foods, literally. My problem is, right now, i can't even stand up more than 2-3 mins to cook and cooking has been out of the question for quiet some time now. So, we are trying to figure out meals, snacks, that can be quickly prepared... any ideas?

I feel like once we stick with the clean diet, that i will improve some, hopefully enough to start cooking and cleaning again, as i can't stand to lay around so much... its horrible!

Do you implement any kind of desserts or sweets? If so, do you use trivia, splenda or something like that maybe?

thanks again

hilbiligrl

[firewatcher]

I prepare the non-cooking parts while sitting at the kitchen table and then cook them quickly while sitting on a stool. Oven-baked items are great too (like roasted veggies or all-in-one dishes.) I have been cooking large quantities of salted rice on the weekends and then keep it in the fridge to "nuke" as needed. We eat a LOT of rice, and fortunately you CAN eat a lot of rice for very few calories. You can dress it up with raisins and cinnamon for breakfast or Italian salad dressing and veggies for dinner. We tend to eat the "fast cook" pastas like angel-hair instead of the 15-18 minute penne. Sauces can be made in large batches and frozen in smaller meal-size containers. Once my system "cleaned out," I rarely crave sweets like I did; but if I do, I go for real sugar, fruit or honey; I've never been able to tolerate artificial sweeteners in anything...they bring on migraines. I'll get a couple thick slices of ham or turkey from the really good section of the store deli (Boars's Head) and just reheat that for the meat portion of our main meal. We use a lot of frozen veggies too (no sauce.) I have to limit my meat intake due to unknown kidney issues (possible renal insufficiency/ CKD) so I eat mostly grains (oats, corn and rice,) fruits and vegetables. I'll make cookies for the boys, but once I've had one, I just don't want more. My gallbladder never functioned like it was supposed to, so I learned to curb the fattening foods from an early age...they just weren't worth the pain! My Oriental Medicine doc told me that I was to eliminate all sweet, cold and raw (except fruit)foods and drinks, and that has made a huge difference in my bowels. I was always one for salads, but I'll forgo them for the blessing of regularity. Drinking hot or room temperature liquids has also made a big difference in "transit time," cold liquids just get stuck in my throat and then I'm cold for hours! Snacks are usually salted nuts or fruit, olives work well--they are very filling.

The hard part is not allowing the "bad stuff" into your house. Once you clean out your kitchen, just don't buy it. It is hard and it is not really a diet, but a lifestyle and you have to stick with it! Get your kids (if you have them) involved in cooking too, it is a necessary life skill anyway and will take some of the burden off you!

Hope this helps!

[suziebear]

Wow - I found your posts really interesting. My daughter who is 14 months old is severly allergic to milk as well. Though I am a HOPELESS cook and even struggle with recpie ideas. It would be fantastic if you are compiling them for your son if you would share them with us as well.

I am thinking alot of food intolerances are wrapped up with my POTS so I would really appreciate any food ideas you have.

[firewatcher]

Wow - I found your posts really interesting. My daughter who is 14 months old is severly allergic to milk as well. Though I am a HOPELESS cook and even struggle with recpie ideas. It would be fantastic if you are compiling them for your son if you would share them with us as well.

I am thinking alot of food intolerances are wrapped up with my POTS so I would really appreciate any food ideas you have.

Hi I PM-ed you about milk-free cooking.

[hilbiligrl]

firewatcher ~

thank you very much for your reply and the pointers. My husband, who is much older than i am, has heart failure (for 6 years now and doing ok for now, knock on wood and thank the lord) but his doc is onto him about his weight.... soo, we've both been discussing completely going clean eating again as it is a must for the both of us.

I dont understand about the salads, why can't you eat those? We are gonna add almonds and dried fruits to our snack list, among other things that we have ideas for. I don't know who will miss the snack cakes more, my kids, my hubby or me? lol......

thanks again

hilbiligrl

[firewatcher]

Beware the almonds and dried fruit, they are extremely high in potassium and will cause you to flush the sodium from your system...good for hypertension, not good for POTS.

About the salads, I am going to an Oriental Medicine doc and he believes that diet is just as powerful as medication. For me, salads and raw vegetables are not broken down properly and they clog my system. They need to be cooked or steamed to break down the plant cell walls so that I can digest them. I didn't really believe it till I tried it; I don't have the constipation issues now that I used to have. Fruits don't have to be cooked, but it helps.