Feeling super annoyed right now about food and "diets"

[Soror]

So, I've followed a mostly paleo/primal diet for the past 8ish years. The fun has long since worn off. As it has gained in popularity the last few years the articles against it are becoming quite prolific. I've read many of them. I want to believe them. I would love to eat "normally" but here's the thing I really do feel better eating closer to Paleo. No matter how much I've believed that I would feel just fine I don't. Even more annoying is that now people think it is just some fad and I'm eating this way to be cool. No, not hardly. I generally don't even talk about what I eat or don't eat unless asked. I'm not trying to convert the world to paleo or gf. Perhaps I have food intolerances, I don't know.

 

 Is anyone else in a similar place? Following a special diet but rather sick of it, want to be "normal" but their body disagrees.

[wintermom]

Our bodies get used to the current "normal" and need some time to adjust to changes. The survivors of WWII concentration camps couldn't simply begin eating "normally" again after years on a starvation diet.

 

If there are specific changes you want to make, take it slowly, step by step, gradually re-introducing different foods and quantities.

[Soror]

Yes, I've tried the slow approach, it doesn't matter. Then I slowly start to feel crappy instead of quickly. I've read all about how the body just needs time to readapt.  My body just disagrees. Trying to convince myself that I just need to do it differently just doesn't work. I could outline how I've tried introducing various things but it isn't really relevant here.

[thescrappyhomeschooler]

I'm in a similar place with gluten-free.  People think it's a fad.  I was diagnosed with irritable bowel syndrome 20 years ago.  As soon as I stopped eating gluten, then irritable bowels went away.

[Indian summer]

Keep listening to your body and stop listening to the articles that claim it's dangerous. You know you know better.

[Snickerdoodle]

Ice cream.   I would love to eat ice cream.  OH!  An ice cream sandwhich...ugh!    

 

Cheese.    Melted cheese....on a quesadilla ....or pizza...

 

Dairy and I don't mix.   But I dream.   Oh man, I dream....

[Woodland Mist Academy]

It wasn't until I'd seen a few doctors in different states for second opinions that I finally realized I wasn't just following a fad. Yes, there are some people who are gluten-free because it's their latest fad, but that doesn't mean I'm one of them.  I was so afraid to be one of them that I was actually hurting my body. I wish I hadn't been so stubborn for so long.

 

It would be sooooo nice to not worry about trace gluten. Even better to not need to worry about gluten at all. And the costs! Yikes!

 

:grouphug:

 

 

[Soror]

MMM, grilled cheese! Dairy doesn't work for me either. Of course now I know that my parents don't really tolerate dairy either- of course the older generation didn't really think about it, they just limited it or ate it when they were close to home. My ears start hurting and my nose gets all stuffy with dairy. 

[Greta]

I can't tolerate grains or beans. It's not a weight-loss thing or a fad diet. It's simply the way I have to live. I figured this out about three years ago now, so it was (unfortunately in a way) around the same time that gluten-free was becoming popular. I didn't do it because it was popular. I did it because I had been sick for TWO YEARS and was desperately searching for answers. I found my answer. My body can't digest grains and beans. That simple. (I have tried re-introducing them in tiny amounts. Not good. And the gluten-free rage hasn't helped me because the products that have come on the market to address that are still made out of things that I can't eat!)

 

In my day to day life, I am so used to it now that it's not a problem at all. The only time it gets to me is when we get invited to dinner at someone's home. I hate having to explain to them (in advance) what I can't eat. I always offer to bring my own food, because I don't want them to have to change their entire menu for me. I try to be as polite as I possibly can. But it is still very awkward. Don't get me wrong, my friends have always been so nice about it. But I hate having to "impose" on them that way. I generally prefer inviting people to my own home. I can prepare a meal that I can eat, add in a loaf of French bread from the bakery up the street for those who can eat it, and no one really notices that anything is "different" about the meal.

[Woodland Mist Academy]

I can't tolerate grains or beans. It's not a weight-loss thing or a fad diet. It's simply the way I have to live. I figured this out about three years ago now, so it was (unfortunately in a way) around the same time that gluten-free was becoming popular. I didn't do it because it was popular. I did it because I had been sick for TWO YEARS and was desperately searching for answers. I found my answer. My body can't digest grains and beans. That simple. (I have tried re-introducing them in tiny amounts. Not good. And the gluten-free rage hasn't helped me because the products that have come on the market to address that are still made out of things that I can't eat!)

 

In my day to day life, I am so used to it now that it's not a problem at all. The only time it gets to me is when we get invited to dinner at someone's home. I hate having to explain to them (in advance) what I can't eat. I always offer to bring my own food, because I don't want them to have to change their entire menu for me. I try to be as polite as I possibly can. But it is still very awkward. Don't get me wrong, my friends have always been so nice about it. But I hate having to "impose" on them that way. I generally prefer inviting people to my own home. I can prepare a meal that I can eat, add in a loaf of French bread from the bakery up the street for those who can eat it, and no one really notices that anything is "different" about the meal.

 

I can relate! Even if a product is gluten-free I still need to read the labels because of other ingredients I can't eat. If I was going to choose a diet for fun, this wouldn't be it!

 

[mamaraby]

I understand where you're coming from. I don't think the science behind paleo, particularly as a panacea, is particularly strong or convincing. Nor am I convinced that the science supports the claims of the LC folks. I know that there are many people on the boards here who are convinced otherwise. We'll agree to disagree.

 

That being said, dairy is not necessary for anyone. If you tolerate it, great. If not, don't. It's not worth being miserable over. Grains are a fantastic food for many people, but some grains can cause problems for some people. If it bothers you, then it's good to pay attention to that. There are plenty of other ways to get fiber in your diet. :0)

 

There isn't one right way of eating for everyone, just general principles to follow. Fiber and veggetables seem to be two important components as the science on them is really strong. So, if you eat a wide variety of veggies, including the starchy ones, in addition to being reasonable on the meat/fat consumption then you're well within what the science points to as a healthy diet. If your bloodwork continues to be within healthy levels, then I think that's a pretty good sign you're on the right track for you.

[Greta]

If I was going to choose a diet for fun, this wouldn't be it!

 

I hear ya! But at the same time, I have to say that if I had to be intolerant of something, I'm glad it was grains rather than dairy. I love butter, cream, cheese, etc. a great deal more than I love bread and pasta (in fact I was never a big fan of pasta anyway). I'm really glad I got to keep those on the menu. I do think Paleo is probably much harder to live with long-term than my diet. So, OP and others who have to follow more restrictive diets than I do, you have my profound respect and sympathy.

[dbmamaz]

I've been off dairy and gluten and about 15 other foods for 7 years now, and i miss cheese most of all! 

 

I have been a real home-body, but I'm trying to get out and do more activities, but they all involve food.  My UU church is doing a seder tomorrow, and I grew up jewish, and really want to bring my kids, but the amount of work necessary to figure out what we can and can not eat from what they are serving . . . ugg.  I hate it.  

 

lovely fad.

 

Oh, and i was diagnosed as allergic to wheat and milk as a baby but 'outgrew' it . .. yeah, except when I quit them 7 years ago, my life-long stomach problems almost vanished entirely, my random extreme fatigue attacks went away, i no longer woke up with feet feeling like I'd been standing on them all day, and I stopped needing exderin 5 times a week . . . my boys stomach issue cleared up too, when I took them off wheat and dairy, too.  

 

whatever . . . 

[Um_2_4]

I am just now realizing the extent of my dietary problems. My friends think they are being helpful in telling me to "watch the red meat and cheese" but what they don't GET is that I felt #$@%$##@$@ eating fruit/veges/grains.

 

Really just this last 2 weeks I did an experiment (not on purpose, we were out of meat and DH couldn't get to the meat place b/c of work till this past Tuesday, long story). Anyways, I was eating more salads along with nuts and cheeses (still no fruit/grains/legumes because I KNOW those will make me feel DRUGGED, seriously like the feeling you get after waking up from anesthesia). Well, I had tummy problems ALL the time.

 

Then Wed am I had my usual skillet meat/cheese mix with an avocado on top, AND GUESS what? I FELT GREAT ALL DAY! I didn't even realize it till evening that I hadn't had the tummy problems all day, nor was I passed out at 4pm.

 

So now, I don't know what I will do when invited somewhere. Really I used to just eat the salad, some chicken if it was there. Now I have no idea. And most things we are invited to are not just my family and the host's family. They are usually multi-family affairs (but not potlucks). I think to close friends hosting, I might just call and explain and offer to bring a couple roast chickens or something. But otherwise, we'll probably stay home.

 

I wish I could eat whatever I wanted without thinking about it :glare:

And I am not one who thinks this would work for everyone. I can see that DH and DD7 and DS4 definitely need grains/fruit/veges by their body type. These 3 eat whatever and are skinny as rails and if they get sick drop like 5 pounds a day.  I am afraid DS10 is following me. Not sure about DD4 yet.

[Greta]

My friends think they are being helpful in telling me to "watch the red meat and cheese" but what they don't GET is that I felt #$@%$##@$@ eating fruit/veges/grains.

 

Then Wed am I had my usual skillet meat/cheese mix with an avocado on top, AND GUESS what? I FELT GREAT ALL DAY! I didn't even realize it till evening that I hadn't had the tummy problems all day, nor was I passed out at 4pm.

:grouphug: I can relate to this, though your reactions sound even more severe than mine. I mentioned previously that I can't eat grains or beans (do to severe, debilitating digestive problems). But I also can't eat anything starchy or sugary, because I have reactive hypoglycemia. So I basically live on fat. Seriously, my diet is 60-70% fat. I eat meat, even the "bad" kinds like beef and bacon (gasp!), butter, coconut oil, cream, cheese, eggs, mostly the yolks, etc. One of my favorite foods is creme fraiche, which I make myself because we eat a TON of it and I can't afford to buy it pre-made. It has 11 grams of fat for every gram of carbs: my dream food! It's also loaded with probiotics, which really helps my sensitive digestive system, and my not-super-great immune system. My digestive system also cannot handle much fiber, so contrary to popular wisdom (yet again), I limit my intake of high-fiber foods.

 

All of this adds up to a diet that is heavily "animal based" and lighter on the plant foods. But this is what I have to do to be able to function. It's that simple. When I ate the way we are "supposed" to eat, I was sick as a dog all the time. Now I do the opposite of what the experts say, and I feel great!

 

Prior to this, I was constantly sick with colds, sinus infections, stomach viruses -- every germ within a mile of me would make me sick. I haven't had a contagious illness in the last three years.

 

 

ETA: Just dawned on me that everyone reading this might not know what reactive hypoglycemia is. Most people's bodies are able to regulate their blood sugar such that it's kept in a range of about 85 - 100, maybe as much as 120 after a really sugary drink or meal. Not mine. If I eat a "normal" amount of carbs, my blood sugar will shoot up to 160-180, and then crash down into the 50's. The crash part is the nightmare. It leaves me shaking like a leaf, weak, sweating, and unable to think or speak clearly. My husband once found me curled up in the fetal position on the couch, shaking and crying, and barely able to articulate to him that I needed food, fast. It hit so suddenly that I literally could not get myself to the kitchen to get it. It scared me. Badly. And that is why I avoid carbs.

[Pawz4me]

Honestly, I don't know anyone past 40 or so who can eat absolutely anything they want w/o some unpleasant consequences.  So I don't think there's any uniqueness at all in that regard, although of course some people have fewer intolerances than others.  For myself --  I have a low-functioning gallbladder, so have to watch my fat intake closely.  Raw onions are a huge acid reflux trigger.  As I've gotten older I have more and more issues with beans and nuts.  I've never been able to tolerate a lot of milk (although thank goodness I'm okay with cheese). I just use myself as an example here to show that having to avoid certain foods in order to feel optimal is pretty much a fact of life for most everybody I know.  I could point out the things my DH needs to avoid, as well as things friends and family members avoid, but you all get the point.  Most people I know don't like it and certainly think longingly of when they were younger and could eat most anything, but they don't treat it as any big deal.  It just is what it is.  Note here I'm not referring to people who have life threatening allergies or celiac or anything like that.  Of course those ARE a big deal.

[poppy]

Eat what makes you feel good and who cares what other people think?

 

It does grate on my nerves- the people who preach Paleo. I am a vegetarian . I have long lago learned no one likes a preachy vegetarian . I have no idea why some of those same people think preaching Paleo is less irritating.

[Greta]

Honestly, I don't know anyone past 40 or so who can eat absolutely anything they want w/o some unpleasant consequences.

Oh, that's interesting. I haven't had the same observation, but maybe that's just because the topic hasn't come up (I certainly don't bring up my food intolerance issues unless it's absolutely necessary to the situation, or if someone has asked). Most of the people I personally know with food intolerance problems are younger than I am (I'm 40, btw). A lot of people around my age and older talk about how they can no longer eat as much as they used to without gaining weight, but they don't mention any particular foods or food groups that bother them. My grandmother is 98 and she has better digestion than I do! :D But I recognize of course that she is exceptional. (Being alive and living independently at 98 makes her exceptional!)

[Mango]

Yup, food and I don't get along. Truly frustrating. I can't eat too many greens, I can't eat sweets, I can't eat carbs. Those foods send my blood tests up and way out of normal ranges for everything. 

 

I was doing Paleo for a while. Then I started Trim Healthy Mama because it's opened a whole door for the right kind of sweets and carbs that my body will tolerate in small doses. Some of those were on the Paleo diet, but I didn't try them until recently. 

 

Since Feb.  the scale has started moving down again. And I've got more energy than before. And my blood tests are getting so close to being normal again--instead of just improving. :)) 

 

Its all about tweaking until we find what works for us.

 

Individuality is more than just skin deep. 

 

 

[Greta]

In case I have given the wrong impression here, I'd like to clarify that I do NOT generally go around talking about what I eat or don't eat! I'm also not concerned about what other people think about my diet, unless it impacts them in some way (like if they are hosting a meal, then I worry about the inconvenience/offense that I might unintentionally cause), or if they are being preachy to me. Then I tolerate it, but grumble about it to my husband later! :lol: I do have one friend who feels the need to lecture me every time we share a meal together. I haven't been sharing too many meals with her lately.

[DarlaS]

I am not sure about the whole fad thing. It's just as likely that a whole lot of people are just realizing the trouble wheat is causing them or are curious and experimenting to see how they feel without it. 

I stopped eating wheat back in November, so I guess I might be considered a trend-follower by some. Fine by me. I have dropped about 10 lbs., pain in my knees and other joints has pretty much disappeared and I feel much better. I'm not even particularly fastidious so far about all sources of gluten--just the obvious ones. I did try it again recently, and all my various issues came right back. 

[Mom-ninja.]

 

 Is anyone else in a similar place? Following a special diet but rather sick of it, want to be "normal" but their body disagrees.

 

Um, yes. YES! I have to eat gf. People assume I'm gf because it's in vogue.

 

There are times when I am sad that I have to follow a gf diet. There are times when I'm mad. There are times when I feel sorry for myself. There are *many* times that I feel jealous. Sigh.

 

I don't have a choice. I tend to feel annoyed when I hear people lamenting about following a certain diet when it is their personal choice. Try having the freedom of choice taken away from you and see how it feels. It sucks.

 

I would love to be able to eat a freaking REAL pizza and REAL french bread. I would love to eat REAL pastries cause nothing can replace what gluten does for texture. Nothing.

 

I would love to be able to have the option of eating out or ordering take out.

 

So, yeah, I get sick of having to follow a special diet but that doesn't change the fact that I do.

[Greta]

I am not sure about the whole fad thing. It's just as likely that a whole lot of people are just realizing the trouble wheat is causing them or are curious and experimenting to see how they feel without it.

 

You are absolutely right. I do think it's great that the information is getting out there that wheat is problematic.

 

The problem isn't that gluten-free has become popular. The problem is the ignorant people who, because it has recently become popular, dismiss it as a fad, or tell people like us that our problems are all in our heads, just our imaginations. (Walk in my shoes for a week, buddy, and you'd be singing a different tune!)

[Soror]

I just realized that I think I posted a similar thread before. I'm a slow learner. I know I need to get over it but as the number of voices continues to rise that we all just need to be moderate and not cut out whole food groups it makes a person wonder if they are imagining things. Reminiscing about the ease and thriftiness of less restrictive diets, not to mention missing out on yummy foods makes me feel a little wistful.

 

Fwiw I did have bloodwork done this fall and all my numbers were exceptional, even my cholesterol, which "should" be sky high due to my diet was really low, too low if anything. My good cholesterol far exceeded my bad. My blood pressure is low as well. I have at times had an issue with my blood sugar, especially in pregnancy I can tend towards hypoglycemia but everything is good on that front right now. 

 

I have done low carb before and really low carb but I find I feel better at a much more moderate level, carbs from fruit and veggies are great- the more veggies I eat the better (personally). I do well with meat, mostly grassfed, not that it has to be grassfed but I prefer it. I'm strictly gluten free, and have been for nearly 6 yrs. I don't have Celiac tests. I couldn't afford them at the time and by the time I realized how bad it made me feel I just couldn't bear the thought of waiting any longer to go gf, sometimes I wish I had been more ignorant so I would have proof. My son has had genetic and malabsorption tests but not the scope. I hope there are better tests in the future that aren't so prone to false negatives as I would have done them if I the results were more conclusive. So, I know my son has Celiac and gluten-intolerant genes and suffered from malabsorption and had many hallmarks of Celiacs.  I don't feel tempted to cheat on gluten though, I know the statistics for Celiacs not following a gf diet, it's not worth the risk. Dairy does tempt me though, as does yummy gf goodies.

 

I'm curious about the assertion that nearly all older people have to restrict their food in some way. I see that some for people that are significantly older, especially certain things like nuts but as a rule not the same level of restriction. Fwiw I'm only 34 and this has been ongoing for a good while. It seems pregnacy really 

[Woodland Mist Academy]

I just realized that I think I posted a similar thread before. I'm a slow learner. I know I need to get over it but as the number of voices continues to rise that we all just need to be moderate and not cut out whole food groups it makes a person wonder if they are imagining things. Reminiscing about the ease and thriftiness of less restrictive diets, not to mention missing out on yummy foods makes me feel a little wistful.

 

Fwiw I did have bloodwork done this fall and all my numbers were exceptional, even my cholesterol, which "should" be sky high due to my diet was really low, too low if anything. My good cholesterol far exceeded my bad. My blood pressure is low as well. I have at times had an issue with my blood sugar, especially in pregnancy I can tend towards hypoglycemia but everything is good on that front right now. 

 

I have done low carb before and really low carb but I find I feel better at a much more moderate level, carbs from fruit and veggies are great- the more veggies I eat the better (personally). I do well with meat, mostly grassfed, not that it has to be grassfed but I prefer it. I'm strictly gluten free, and have been for nearly 6 yrs. I don't have Celiac tests. I couldn't afford them at the time and by the time I realized how bad it made me feel I just couldn't bear the thought of waiting any longer to go gf, sometimes I wish I had been more ignorant so I would have proof. My son has had genetic and malabsorption tests but not the scope. I hope there are better tests in the future that aren't so prone to false negatives as I would have done them if I the results were more conclusive. So, I know my son has Celiac and gluten-intolerant genes and suffered from malabsorption and had many hallmarks of Celiacs.  I don't feel tempted to cheat on gluten though, I know the statistics for Celiacs not following a gf diet, it's not worth the risk. Dairy does tempt me though, as does yummy gf goodies.

 

I'm curious about the assertion that nearly all older people have to restrict their food in some way. I see that some for people that are significantly older, especially certain things like nuts but as a rule not the same level of restriction. Fwiw I'm only 34 and this has been ongoing for a good while. It seems pregnacy really 

 

I think the comment about not being tempted to cheat is significant. I have friends that swear up and down that they absolutely need to be gf. (Except of course when they cheat--which is almost daily. It drives me bonkers. Clearly they aren't having too unpleasant or scary consequences of partaking of gluten. I've learned the hard way not to trust those people when they tell me something they made is gf.)

 

I also agree about the level of restriction. I know some people who say XYZ doesn't agree with them, so they only eat it once a week or on holidays or if they really want it, etc. That's just not the same level of restriction or consequence as someone who is trying to avoid even trace amounts and would never even entertain the thought of cheating because the consequences are just too terrible.

 

[Woodland Mist Academy]

I don't see eating foods that don't agree with me as cheating, but I admit I do it sometimes.  Sometimes I'll grab a roll for breakfast, for example.  Every.single.time I do I'm sorry I did it.  Today, in fact, I did this.  The number one reason I do this is because I'm hungry and too lazy to make something.  I don't seem to learn.  LOL

 

(I mean sorry in the sense it makes me feel physically lousy.)

 

But that's sort of what I'm saying. It's something different entirely. Do you not think that there would be a point where it would be so very bad you would never be tempted?

 

ETA: There are some foods that "don't agree with me". I still eat them sometimes. Gluten does not fall into that category. It is something else entirely. I think that is part of the frustration some people experience. It's not that it just "doesn't agree with me." There are horrible, terrible consequences. So when someone swears she can't eat gluten, then promptly orders a slice of gluten cake because it's her birthday... :banghead:

[Myeightkiddies]

I did Paleo from last May until February.  The reason was because I was hopeful it would help my RA.  I lost some weight.  The food was delicious (lots of vegetables and some lean meat).  Unfortunately I had to stop.  My cholesterol (the bad) became the highest it had ever been to the point of needing meds.  I'm not sure why exactly.  Now, in order not to take the meds, I'm doing low fat/low cal.

 

 Basically I barely eat a thing.  My typical breakfast is 1/2 cup of cooked oatmeal.  For lunch, a half can of tuna with a teaspoon of mayo and bit of mustard - with a no sugar added pickle slice (sometimes just eat that or have one slice of whole wheat "diet" bread).  Dinner is always just a steamed vegetable with a half breast of chicken (or salmon and sometimes brown rice).  Snacks are sometimes a few raw baby carrots, handful of raisins, or a few no-sugar added frozen berries with two tablespoons of non-fat plain yogurt.  My cholesterol better be great next check because my diet is so bleh that I'd rather not bother eating - if I could.  I'd love to do Paleo again or even LC - oh the things that I could eat. ; )

 

Everyone else I know - of all ages - eats what they want.

 

Plus, I cook dinner for all these folks at home.  Yesterday afternoon I made homemade cinnamon rolls for them.  Tonight I'm grilling marinaded pork chops along with scalloped potatoes and carrots.  I'll probably have tuna on a piece of wheat toast with a few carrots (not there's as I had a bit of brown sugar to them while they cook).  The worse part is feeling excluded from the family, especially during holidays.

[Woodland Mist Academy]

Absolutely. 

 

I can eat bread.  I just can't eat a plain piece of bread for breakfast.  I can have a piece of toast with a lot of butter along with eggs and bacon.  I do ok with that.

 

I'm bummed about cereal though.  I can't eat it.  I am so starved after.  To the point where I feel like if I don't eat something I'll pass out.  And I only buy whole milk.  That combo still doesn't do the trick for me.

 

I am soooo confused! So you can eat cereal, you just need to eat something else with it, correct? If you had a huge meal of whatever foods work for you with a little cereal in the middle, would you be OK?

 

ETA: I'm trying to understand the starving afterward part. I mean, I get maybe it's not giving you everything you need, but is that the same thing as hurting you if you eat any of it?

[DarlaS]

You are absolutely right. I do think it's great that the information is getting out there that wheat is problematic.

 

The problem isn't that gluten-free has become popular. The problem is the ignorant people who, because it has recently become popular, dismiss it as a fad, or tell people like us that our problems are all in our heads, just our imaginations. (Walk in my shoes for a week, buddy, and you'd be singing a different tune!)

 

I have not yet experienced this. Mostly I get people telling me they are thinking of giving it up too for their own reasons. It certainly has not reached fad status around here if the bread aisle is any indication. 

 

Also, I rarely talk much at all anymore about what I eat and have long given up on the idea of getting anyone to understand. Not even with family. It was a long time before my kids even noticed (and we order pizza about weekly! lol!)

 

Maybe I'm surrounded by oblivious people and you're surrounded by nosy ones?  :tongue_smilie:

[Um_2_4]

:grouphug: I can relate to this, though your reactions sound even more severe than mine. I mentioned previously that I can't eat grains or beans (do to severe, debilitating digestive problems). But I also can't eat anything starchy or sugary, because I have reactive hypoglycemia. So I basically live on fat. Seriously, my diet is 60-70% fat. I eat meat, even the "bad" kinds like beef and bacon (gasp!), butter, coconut oil, cream, cheese, eggs, mostly the yolks, etc. One of my favorite foods is creme fraiche, which I make myself because we eat a TON of it and I can't afford to buy it pre-made. It has 11 grams of fat for every gram of carbs: my dream food! It's also loaded with probiotics, which really helps my sensitive digestive system, and my not-super-great immune system. My digestive system also cannot handle much fiber, so contrary to popular wisdom (yet again), I limit my intake of high-fiber foods.

 

All of this adds up to a diet that is heavily "animal based" and lighter on the plant foods. But this is what I have to do to be able to function. It's that simple. When I ate the way we are "supposed" to eat, I was sick as a dog all the time. Now I do the opposite of what the experts say, and I feel great!

 

Prior to this, I was constantly sick with colds, sinus infections, stomach viruses -- every germ within a mile of me would make me sick. I haven't had a contagious illness in the last three years.

 

 

ETA: Just dawned on me that everyone reading this might not know what reactive hypoglycemia is. Most people's bodies are able to regulate their blood sugar such that it's kept in a range of about 85 - 100, maybe as much as 120 after a really sugary drink or meal. Not mine. If I eat a "normal" amount of carbs, my blood sugar will shoot up to 160-180, and then crash down into the 50's. The crash part is the nightmare. It leaves me shaking like a leaf, weak, sweating, and unable to think or speak clearly. My husband once found me curled up in the fetal position on the couch, shaking and crying, and barely able to articulate to him that I needed food, fast. It hit so suddenly that I literally could not get myself to the kitchen to get it. It scared me. Badly. And that is why I avoid carbs.

 

See, I find this interesting as I was diagnosed as hypoglycemic at the age of 5. My parents cut out all refined sugar and tried to focus on protein, etc. Then at the age of 12 our family doctor closed and we went to a new office and after 1 blood test they said that was a silly diagnosis (basically) and I stopped that diet (at 12 I was anxious to stop sticking out like a sore thumb in school/activities and I was already overweight, had been since puberty hit, 9). And I ALWAYS got any colds/flus etc. 

Then after I married, I went to an endocrinologist and he labeled me as hyperinsulinemic.

[justamouse]

*raises hand* I'm Paleo. And even still I need to eat more fat, I just can't figure out how to. Every time I get 'sick of this Paleo' and snack something I know I shouldn't? OMG, the ramifications are NEVER WORTH it. Words come out of my mouth like, "I'd rather die than feel like this," the pain is so awful. I can't even have fruit because of my sugar issues. 

I added diary back for a while and then my dermagraphica came back with such a vengeance that I was almost to the point of taking antihistamines every day.

So, anyway, yes, I ignore them that say it's a fad. They should just pray that they never have to endure such a life change for a fad.  

 

[Woodland Mist Academy]

I don't know.  I have not tried that. 

 

I don't have an allergy.  Nothing like that.  But if I don't get enough fat and protein in any given meal or snack then soon after I feel shaky, dizzy, and like I'm starved.  Sometimes it is so bad that I eat and eat and eat just to shake that feeling.  If I had that feeling while driving, for example, I'd have to pull over or get to a store to eat something quickly.  I can't function. 

 

I never thought to go to a doctor about it.  I figure since I know how to avoid it what will a doctor do for me that I haven't already figured out.  I've been like that since being a little kid.  I used to avoid eating breakfast and lunch for years while in school and I didn't connect the dots until years later.  My mother would serve very carby breakfast and lunch foods and I'd end up feeling awful.  I found I didn't get that feeling if I didn't eat.  I thought maybe I was an odd duck and couldn't eat breakfast and lunch.  Dinner was always meat and veg so I'd wait to eat until dinner. 

 

I understand this--even the needing to pull over while driving part, as I've experienced that as well. I guess I just view this as needing to make sure I get enough of certain kinds of foods, which in my mind is something different entirely than needing to absolutely avoid something.

 

Anyway, thanks for clarifying. :)

[justamouse]

I don't know.  I have not tried that. 

 

I don't have an allergy.  Nothing like that.  But if I don't get enough fat and protein in any given meal or snack then soon after I feel shaky, dizzy, and like I'm starved.  Sometimes it is so bad that I eat and eat and eat just to shake that feeling.  If I had that feeling while driving, for example, I'd have to pull over or get to a store to eat something quickly.  I can't function. 

 

I never thought to go to a doctor about it.  I figure since I know how to avoid it what will a doctor do for me that I haven't already figured out.  I've been like that since being a little kid.  I used to avoid eating breakfast and lunch for years while in school and I didn't connect the dots until years later.  My mother would serve very carby breakfast and lunch foods and I'd end up feeling awful.  I found I didn't get that feeling if I didn't eat.  I thought maybe I was an odd duck and couldn't eat breakfast and lunch.  Dinner was always meat and veg so I'd wait to eat until dinner. 

I was like that since I was a teen, and it just got worse over the years. to me it was like an electrical overflow and I would lose the day. If I let my sugar crash? forget it. I was good for nothing. Then it started happening with no prior symptoms, and while I was driving. It got very scary. 

 

So I went paleo over night, June 28, 2012. I haven't had an episode since. Actually, that's a lie, I did once, when I decided that sourdough was oK for me, and I had tried toast for breakfast. BAM it came back just like that.

[dbmamaz]

I cant eat just carbs in the morning, but just add nuts.  My standard breakfast is a little gluten free corn flakes and corn chex, a big handful of raw sunflower seeds, a sprinkling of toasted pecan pieces, a little dried papaya, and soy milk.  My second most common breakfast is grits cooked in the microwave with some leftover meat (sausage or bacon or ham) and maybe some spinach.  Oh, or grits with creamed spinach (which i made and then freeze in ice cube trays) and then cook in an egg for a minute after its the right texture.  I use bulk grits, not packets.  

[justamouse]

:grouphug: I can relate to this, though your reactions sound even more severe than mine. I mentioned previously that I can't eat grains or beans (do to severe, debilitating digestive problems). But I also can't eat anything starchy or sugary, because I have reactive hypoglycemia. So I basically live on fat. Seriously, my diet is 60-70% fat. I eat meat, even the "bad" kinds like beef and bacon (gasp!), butter, coconut oil, cream, cheese, eggs, mostly the yolks, etc. One of my favorite foods is creme fraiche, which I make myself because we eat a TON of it and I can't afford to buy it pre-made. It has 11 grams of fat for every gram of carbs: my dream food! It's also loaded with probiotics, which really helps my sensitive digestive system, and my not-super-great immune system. My digestive system also cannot handle much fiber, so contrary to popular wisdom (yet again), I limit my intake of high-fiber foods.

 

All of this adds up to a diet that is heavily "animal based" and lighter on the plant foods. But this is what I have to do to be able to function. It's that simple. When I ate the way we are "supposed" to eat, I was sick as a dog all the time. Now I do the opposite of what the experts say, and I feel great!

 

Prior to this, I was constantly sick with colds, sinus infections, stomach viruses -- every germ within a mile of me would make me sick. I haven't had a contagious illness in the last three years.

 

 

ETA: Just dawned on me that everyone reading this might not know what reactive hypoglycemia is. Most people's bodies are able to regulate their blood sugar such that it's kept in a range of about 85 - 100, maybe as much as 120 after a really sugary drink or meal. Not mine. If I eat a "normal" amount of carbs, my blood sugar will shoot up to 160-180, and then crash down into the 50's. The crash part is the nightmare. It leaves me shaking like a leaf, weak, sweating, and unable to think or speak clearly. My husband once found me curled up in the fetal position on the couch, shaking and crying, and barely able to articulate to him that I needed food, fast. It hit so suddenly that I literally could not get myself to the kitchen to get it. It scared me. Badly. And that is why I avoid carbs.

I SO understand! I need more fat, but have to do it without the dairy, any ideas? I can manage pastured butter, and I LOAD my food up with it, and coconut oil, but I still crave more fat, I can just tell I need more. 

 

I wish I could get my hands on some raw milk at a decent price-it's illegal here and the price is astronomical. 

 

In another life I might be a raw milk bootlegger had I not had to homeschool kids. :D

[fraidycat]

I haven't even been doing it that long. Less than a year, but yes I would LOVE to go back to the "old way".

 

Order a pizza, make a grilled cheese sandwich, pour a bowl of cereal. I miss it!

 

I hate feeding my picky children. I hate meal planning. I hate cooking. I hate doing dishes. I hate grocery shopping. I jumped in on "the fad" so I could do all of these things more often, with more dirty dishes, and so I could make everything from scratch - - even the condiments. Unfortunately, that is what my body (and family members bodies) requires. :(

[FaithManor]

My gluten intolerance has become a full blown allergy, and now in addition to the gut pain and other digestive problems, I break out in a rash on my inner arms, and tummy if I accidently ingest some. However, I'm still told by many people that it's all in my head. Never before have I appreciated what parents of children with food allergies have battled so hard. It.is.lousy.

 

I'd give anything to not have this problem because eating would be soooo much easier. But, it is what it is and I now avoid eating with or around anyone but immediate family. We decline ALL dinner invitations to friends' homes, and never attend any event at the church or 4-H in which food is served. This way, I don't end up ad nauseum defending my abstinence from the eats.

 

It does make my natural apathy towards cooking and meal planning worse.

[PrincessMommy]

So, I've followed a mostly paleo/primal diet for the past 8ish years. The fun has long since worn off. As it has gained in popularity the last few years the articles against it are becoming quite prolific. I've read many of them. I want to believe them. I would love to eat "normally" but here's the thing I really do feel better eating closer to Paleo. No matter how much I've believed that I would feel just fine I don't. Even more annoying is that now people think it is just some fad and I'm eating this way to be cool. No, not hardly. I generally don't even talk about what I eat or don't eat unless asked. I'm not trying to convert the world to paleo or gf. Perhaps I have food intolerances, I don't know.

 

 Is anyone else in a similar place? Following a special diet but rather sick of it, want to be "normal" but their body disagrees.

 

raising her hand high:  Me!!   

 

I've been on Atkins or LC for the better part of 12yrs.  I've fallen off the wagon, to be sure, but I feel awful and my mouth explodes with canker sores and my gut goes into fits.  I find Paleo more difficult.  I don't think I have a dairy intolerance  and almond flour is a gut-killer for me too, so I keep with Atkins-like diet.    But darn it, I want my Cheese-Its and I want them now!!  :laugh:

 

I'm going to give WW a try, mainly because I hear they're LC friendly.  But, it's also because I'm so tired of eating LC (esp. the sweet stuff). 

[jewellsmommy]

I know how the op feels. I eat low carb/atkins. I have pcos and insulin resistance. My obgyn prescribed, literally wrote on a prescription pad, the atkins diet. I followed it and lost weight. After I finally got pregnant, He told me to continue low carb through my pregnancy. People gave me a hard time about this, but I did it. My obgyn was sure that I would develop gestational diabetes if I didn't eat low carb. I had to take that stupid glucose test 6 times throughout my pregnancy! But I never developed gb and had a pretty good pregnancy. I went back to normal eating shortly after. I put back on the weight and then some more slowly. I genuinely tried low calorie diets. I would lose 5 lbs at first and then no more. I held the same weight no matter how healthy I ate.

 

I finally decided to go low carb again. I feel better. I have lost weight. I am not having any more hypoglycemic episodes. My irritable bowel is much less problematic. People can tell me there is not enough science behind it, and give me the 'we'll just have to agree to disagree" line all they want. I just roll my eyes. Who are they to 'disagree' with what I feel happening in my own body? Really? I have been living in this body for 34 years! The science on nutrition is constantly shifting, so don't hold up that science to me as the golden standard for anything. It really is varied for so many people-even the 'fiber is good for you' rule- is not universal. The only true universal nutrition guideline, that I can think of, that is 100% true for everyone, is drink water. Nutrition, given the differences in each body, is just so complex. Why can't we just respect people's choices when they are making an effort to eat responsibly to their own needs?  

 

 

ETA: I sure didn't mean to sound snarky! I just so know what it is like to have people in your life who think they know better than everyone else. Vegetarians, Paleo-ians, low carbers, low fatters, whatever...do your own research, make the best choice you can, experiment, fine tune, and try to stick with it. Ignore everyone else (other than your doctor) :D .

[Mom-ninja.]

But that's sort of what I'm saying. It's something different entirely. Do you not think that there would be a point where it would be so very bad you would never be tempted?

 

ETA: There are some foods that "don't agree with me". I still eat them sometimes. Gluten does not fall into that category. It is something else entirely. I think that is part of the frustration some people experience. It's not that it just "doesn't agree with me." There are horrible, terrible consequences. So when someone swears they can't eat gluten, then promptly orders a slice of gluten cake because it's her birthday... :banghead:

 

Exactly. I am never ever tempted to cheat and eat gluten. That's not cheating. That would be like me eating rat poison knowing it can and will lead to a slow and painful death just because I love the taste. Nope. Never tempted. I miss eating certain things, but you'll never catch me sneaking a bite. It would never be worth it. 

 

There is a brand of gf hamburger buns that don't set well with me. Yet, I find myself still eating them on occasion. That's different. It does not do what gluten does to me.

[Mom-ninja.]

Yup, while being consistent with low carb it never happens.  But one stinking piece of toast can do it.

 

It's not a problem unless I go on vacation.  That seems to be the worst freaking time to try and eat low carb.  My mother in law would serve me stuff like a roll with jam and a glass of orange juice.  I mean gee you might as well shoot me, it's quicker.

 

 

I haven't even been doing it that long. Less than a year, but yes I would LOVE to go back to the "old way".

 

Order a pizza, make a grilled cheese sandwich, pour a bowl of cereal. I miss it!

 

I hate feeding my picky children. I hate meal planning. I hate cooking. I hate doing dishes. I hate grocery shopping. I jumped in on "the fad" so I could do all of these things more often, with more dirty dishes, and so I could make everything from scratch - - even the condiments. Unfortunately, that is what my body (and family members bodies) requires. :(

You hate it all too? It's such a pain. I really love the book Saving Dinner the Low Carb Way. I just tweak where I need to so that the meals are gf. It has all the meal planning done along with grocery lists.

 

My gluten intolerance has become a full blown allergy, and now in addition to the gut pain and other digestive problems, I break out in a rash on my inner arms, and tummy if I accidently ingest some. However, I'm still told by many people that it's all in my head. Never before have I appreciated what parents of children with food allergies have battled so hard. It.is.lousy.

 

Just throwing it out there in case you don't know but there is a specific rash that some people with celiac get. Have you looked into that?

 

 

Ignore everyone else (other than your doctor) :D .

and sometimes get a second opinion. I was told all my symptoms were from stress and I needed to meditate. Nothing against meditating but guess what, it ain't going to cure celiac. I ignored that doctor and went to another. Found the correct answer.

[Woodland Mist Academy]

*raises hand* I'm Paleo. And even still I need to eat more fat, I just can't figure out how to. Every time I get 'sick of this Paleo' and snack something I know I shouldn't? OMG, the ramifications are NEVER WORTH it. Words come out of my mouth like, "I'd rather die than feel like this," the pain is so awful. I can't even have fruit because of my sugar issues. 

 

I added diary back for a while and then my dermagraphica came back with such a vengeance that I was almost to the point of taking antihistamines every day.

 

So, anyway, yes, I ignore them that say it's a fad. They should just pray that they never have to endure such a life change for a fad.  

 

I think you probably mean dermatographia. It's different than dermagraphica. :)

[Woodland Mist Academy]

Just throwing it out there in case you don't know but there is a specific rash that some people with celiac get. Have you looked into that?

 

 

 

Dermatitis herpetiformis

 

[Mom-ninja.]

Dermatitis herpetiformis

 

 

I get these lovely little blisters on my face when I eat gluten. :glare:

[Woodland Mist Academy]

One of the many reasons nothing tastes good enough to make sneaking gluten now and then even remotely tempting...

 

(Thankfully I've never had them on my face... :grouphug: )

[jenn-]

I ate really low carb for 6.5 years.  This year my New Year's resolution was to love food again because it had gotten to the point that I had to force myself to eat anything most days.  I cannot handle going without food (shakes/low blood sugar issues), so skipping meals was bad.  Luckily, I don't have any serious issues that have stopped me from adding most foods that I want back in.  I do believe that my dairy intolerance has gotten worse and recently went off dairy (oh how I want to reach into the fridge and break off some cheese), but that is pretty much it.  Granted, I have completely swung the other way now and I am eating a fairly vegetarian diet.  Sushi is my weakness though (one of my reasons to say "to hell with LC) so those little fishies just gonna have to die.

 

I am sorry you are having a hard time with your current eating way of life.  Maybe hunt around for some fresh new recipes to work with.  One benefit of a special diet becoming trendy is new recipes popping up everywhere.

[justamouse]

.

 

Just throwing it out there in case you don't know but there is a specific rash that some people with celiac get. Have you looked into that?

 

 

 

I haven't looked into it, and when I googled it actually DOES sound like *some* of the rashes that I get. :( My frou frou allergist totally blew me off when I told him. 

 

 

I think you probably mean dermatographia. It's different than dermagraphica.  :)

 

 

 

Yes, I did, thank you! 

[scrapbookbuzz]

Soror, I began to follow the Paleo method of eating earlier this year due to health reasons. As I was trying to figure out how to reverse my symptoms (self dx), my research led to Paleo. Having followed it rigidly for a few weeks, then trying to re-introduce myself to other things, I can relate to what you're saying! Gluten is totally out! Every time I eat it (including the other day since my craving overcame my thinking), it results in pain.  And sugar just makes me feel sore all over the next day. So those are out.  Have you tried looking up some different recipes? You can PM me for some. I have a Balsamic Veggie recipe that is to die for! Speaking of veggies, I do NOT eat squash. Yuck. I have tried and tried and tried and tried and tried to like squash, prepped all sorts of different ways, and I just don't like it. That goes for sweet potatoes, too. The one non-paleo think I can eat once in awhile is white potatoes, but not often.

 

I think here in the states (not sure where you are located) we've been programmed to associate eating with fun. Every gathering/party/movie/outing you go to has food and usually it's sugar and gluten-laden. We have to adjust our thinking to eat to live not live to eat. Easier said than done, I know! However, you and I both know we feel better eating well and leaving out the 'junk'. Please send me a PM and that will remind me to send you some Paleo recipes that are really yummy. Might help excite those tastebuds again!

[Greta]

See, I find this interesting as I was diagnosed as hypoglycemic at the age of 5. My parents cut out all refined sugar and tried to focus on protein, etc. Then at the age of 12 our family doctor closed and we went to a new office and after 1 blood test they said that was a silly diagnosis (basically) and I stopped that diet (at 12 I was anxious to stop sticking out like a sore thumb in school/activities and I was already overweight, had been since puberty hit, 9). And I ALWAYS got any colds/flus etc.

Then after I married, I went to an endocrinologist and he labeled me as hyperinsulinemic.

I've never had my insulin levels tested. I went the cheap route and diagnosed myself using a $30 blood glucose monitor!

[Greta]

I have not yet experienced this. Mostly I get people telling me they are thinking of giving it up too for their own reasons. It certainly has not reached fad status around here if the bread aisle is any indication.

 

Also, I rarely talk much at all anymore about what I eat and have long given up on the idea of getting anyone to understand. Not even with family. It was a long time before my kids even noticed (and we order pizza about weekly! lol!)

 

Maybe I'm surrounded by oblivious people and you're surrounded by nosy ones? :tongue_smilie:

My friends and family have been super understanding and supportive and sweet about it. It's only through the wonders of the internet that I've encountered the judgments.