The Do Not Eat List

I, like most Lymies, have quite a long list of foods I can not/should not eat. I created this list after several visits with a naturopath, allergy testing, and listening closely to my body. Here is what is on my do not eat list which I have hanging on my fridge just in case I can't remember.



Cow Milk
Lactose
Anise Seed
Aspartame
Maple Sugar
Gluten
Carob
Casein, Cowmilk
Chili Powder
Corn
Cocoa
Equal
Ham
Whole Wheat
Wheat Bran
Pinto Beans
Mushrooms
Cane Sugar
Corn Sugar
Cheddar Cheese
Barley Malt
Pork
Sacchrin
Beet Sugar
MSG
Rye
Date Sugar
Superheated Vegetable Fat
Sweet and Low
Whole Wheat
Barley
Navy Beans
American Cheese
Coca-Cola
Honey
Hops
Horseradish
Liver
Peanut
Tea
Pineapple
Kidney Beans
Chocolate
Soy
Almonds
Mango


Lucky for me many of these foods weren't in my diet to begin with. Many of these foods I can handle in small quantities infrequently, but others make me sick almost instantly. What do I mean when I say they make me sick? Well it depends on the food. For example, significant ammounts of sugar makes me itchy and not able to sleep especially in chocolate. Chocolate also makes me break out. I was so in denial of this for forever, but when I quit my skin clears up a lot. Milk makes me flemy right away. Wheat makes me bloated, tired, stuffy headed and in pain. I also think it makes me sneeze. MSG causes such bad migraines I nearly always throw up. Lovely isn't it? Mango causes sores in my mouth that scab over. Almonds cause canker sores. Most beans cause major stomach upset and digestive issues. I could go on and on.

I've learned over the last 3 years what bothers me and what doesn't. How much of each thing I can handle with out major side effects. However, the most important things I have learned have come from really being strict about this diet.

At first I was freaking out and wondering what the hell I was going to be eating. I used to be vegetarian and survived somehow on mostly sugar, carbs, dairy, and soy. I also felt like crap. What was I going to eat? It took me a while and but I figured it out. I had to stop thinking about what I couldn't eat and start focusing on WHAT I COULD EAT. Along the way I tried a lot of foods that I used to think I didn't like and found out that if made properly they're not so bad. Some are even good, like asparagus and quinoia. Yum.


Most importantly I learned that nothing tastes as good as feeling great. Once I stopped eating all these foods I started feeling a lot better and most of my sinus issues went away along with a lot of other symptoms including pain, insomnia, itching, extreme fatigue, and digestion issues. What I had thought was seasonal allergies was really food allergies. Crazy! Stop eating wheat and dairy and BAM I can breathe again. Awesome!

I can't even begin to tell you how much better I feel when I really stick to this diet. It makes a big difference. I had no idea just how much of an impact what we feed ourselves has on our daily lives. I get it now.

I still eat some of these things in moderation or on special occasions or if there really is nothing free of these ingredients, like at a party for example. But in general I try pretty hard to stay away from them and the payoff is worth it.

It's not always easy, but the longer I've been doing it the easier it has become. At first I would have the hardest time passing up the tempting warm fresh baked cookies from the Pacific Cookie Co. downtown or frozen yogurt with my husband, or the box of See's candy at Christmas. Okay, I did eat a piece at Christmas this year, but I refrained from eating all of my most favorite ones like I would have years ago. I of course suffered a few days later when I woke up with red splotches on my face. Damn acne, damn See's candy tasting so good. However, now when I see things like a loaf of bread, pizza, muffins, and creamy cheese I don't see yummy foods that I want and can't have. Instead I see tonixs, pain, ruin and an invitation to the feeling like crap party. I don't even want to eat those things any more. Al least most of the time I don't. Occasionally I'll crave something that I'm not supposed to have and now I am able to see that it's either a component of that food that my body wants like the calcium in the cheese or the carbs in the pasta or it's one of the many infections living in my body trying to get what it wants to eat. I am now better able to see that it's not me who wants the sugar it's the candida and bacteria in me that do and I'm not about to feed them!

What I have learned is that life is much better when I avoid these foods and stick to a diet of lean meats and lots of veggies. I have gotten in the habit of taking food with me nearly every time I leave the house, especially if I'm traveling. If I don't I'll end up eating whatever is easiest and paying for it in the long run.

Sometimes I'll hear other Lymies complaining that they don't feel good. I'll ask about their diet and most of the time they say they know they should stop eating things but haven't done it yet. I don't understand that. We don't have control over many things in our lives, but we do have total and complete control over what we put into our bodies. How could you consciously choose to continue feeling really crappy? I don't get it.

I think part of the reason for a lot of lymies or people on specific diet in general is that they're stuck in the phase of not knowing what to eat if they take all of these things out. People tend to focus n what they can't eat instead of what they CAN enjoy eating. Over the last 2 and a half years of being on this diet I've figured out some really great things to eat. In fact I'd say that my diet is the healthiest and most diverse it's ever been, even compared to when I thought I was being healthy as a vegetarian.

I've made it my intention to help out my fellow Lymies and friends in general by sharing some of my kitchen tips, tricks and recipes for eating well when you have a long DO NOT EAT list like me.

Please stay tuned for more blog posts about what you can eat and be prepared for some yummy treats. I hope you find out that nothing tastes as great as feeling good!