Prioritizing dietary restrictions
One of the frustrating things about having so many health problems is that it's hard to find things that are good for me to eat. I don't have as many restrictions due to diabetes as most people think I do, since I've got an insulin pump; I can indulge in sweets occasionally. I do try to pay attention to sugar content and glycemic index, and eat whole grains and lots veggies whevenever possible (i.e., when I have the energy to shop for and prepare them). Diabetics are also supposed to eat a low-fat diet, since having diabetes makes them more likely to get heart disease, whose risk can be reduced by eating less fat. I also try to avoid artificial sweeteners, particularly aspartame and sucralose, since they can cause cancer (this is somewhat controversial, but I don't want to take a chance, especially since I already have a family history of cancer). These guidelines by themselves are not too bad; this is healthy eating for anyone, with or without disease. However...
I also have hypothyroidism, so I'm supposed to limit soy and cruciferous vegetables like broccoli, cauliflower, and cabbage; for adrenal fatigue, I'm supposed to avoid anything that I crave (I still don't completely understand this even after reading about it); and I just found out that I'm supposed to avoid the following high-adinine foods since the viruses I have feed off of adinine, which is an amino acid: nuts, wheat, oats, rice, oranges, peas, mushrooms, grape juice, chocolate, and anything with vinegar in it, among other things. Not sure how I'm going to do this...I eat most of these ALL the time.
In addition, I've also just been tested, at my request, for yeast overgrowth in my blood, which I'm pretty sure I have (official results not back yet), and will have to severely limit all fruits, grains, milk and milk products for several weeks until the yeast level goes down. Normally, you are not supposed to have these at all when you are trying to get rid of yeast, but since I am insulin-dependent, I get low blood sugar sometimes, and well, you have to consume sugar to fix that.
I have also been tested for food allergies (results still out for another two weeks), and then I just found out from a friend that I should also be tested for food intolerances, which are different from allergies. My cousin, who also has chronic fatigue, was diagnosed with a gluten allergy last year, so it's entirely possible that I have that, too. She's having a hard enough time trying to figure out what she can eat with just that one limitation.
I'm really looking forward to getting the results back on my vitamin and mineral blood levels, although I have no idea how I'm going to coordinate supplementing the foods I need more of with avoiding the foods that will make me worse, because it seems like each food has multiple nutrients in it, and some are good for me, and some are bad for me. It's no wonder that I'm tired all the time...taking care of myself and figuring out how to better take care of myself is a full-time job.
I also have hypothyroidism, so I'm supposed to limit soy and cruciferous vegetables like broccoli, cauliflower, and cabbage; for adrenal fatigue, I'm supposed to avoid anything that I crave (I still don't completely understand this even after reading about it); and I just found out that I'm supposed to avoid the following high-adinine foods since the viruses I have feed off of adinine, which is an amino acid: nuts, wheat, oats, rice, oranges, peas, mushrooms, grape juice, chocolate, and anything with vinegar in it, among other things. Not sure how I'm going to do this...I eat most of these ALL the time.
In addition, I've also just been tested, at my request, for yeast overgrowth in my blood, which I'm pretty sure I have (official results not back yet), and will have to severely limit all fruits, grains, milk and milk products for several weeks until the yeast level goes down. Normally, you are not supposed to have these at all when you are trying to get rid of yeast, but since I am insulin-dependent, I get low blood sugar sometimes, and well, you have to consume sugar to fix that.
I have also been tested for food allergies (results still out for another two weeks), and then I just found out from a friend that I should also be tested for food intolerances, which are different from allergies. My cousin, who also has chronic fatigue, was diagnosed with a gluten allergy last year, so it's entirely possible that I have that, too. She's having a hard enough time trying to figure out what she can eat with just that one limitation.
I'm really looking forward to getting the results back on my vitamin and mineral blood levels, although I have no idea how I'm going to coordinate supplementing the foods I need more of with avoiding the foods that will make me worse, because it seems like each food has multiple nutrients in it, and some are good for me, and some are bad for me. It's no wonder that I'm tired all the time...taking care of myself and figuring out how to better take care of myself is a full-time job.

1 Comments:
Wow. I can see how you look at that list and think, "What isn't on here?" But the only good news about a gluten intolerance is that it doesn't add anything new, since wheat is already off limits from your adinine (or whatever that is) thing. The problem is sticking to it and learning what actually has wheat in it...like yesterday, for example, I was on the McDonald's website trying to see if there was ANYTHING I could eat and I found out, to my dismay, that McDonald's french fries are cooked with a "beef flavoriing" which, of course, contains wheat. I don't know why I say "of course" it just seems like any kind of flavoring has to have wheat in it. I just was sure it was nothing more than potatoes and grease! But I was wrong.
I'm definitely praying for you. I know this is so hard. My only encouragement is that IF you could possibly figure out a diet without the things your body finds toxic, you probably would feel remarkably better. It's a long road of learning and sacrifice but I think it's worth it in the end. I know it's no fun though. Much love.
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