So, What CAN You Eat?

When I tell people what my dietary limitations are, their faces usually gloss over and I inevitably get the question, "So, what CAN you eat?"  I am going to answer what I can eat, but first I am going to explain why I can't eat what I can't eat.

I usually just tell people that I don't eat wheat or dairy.  But there is more to it than that, it just takes more explaining and usually people just don't understand.  I have what is called Fructose Malabsorption Disorder.  Essentially, my body doesn't break down fructose the way it should, which causes a lot of intestinal distress.  I can eat foods that have fructose, but the food has to have more glucose than fructose to work for me.  In other words, foods that are high in fructose levels (most fruits, honey, high fructose corn syrup) I need to avoid. 

Sucrose is table sugar it is 1/2 fructose and 1/2 glucose.  I can eat sucrose because there is a good balance of fructose to glucose.  I am glad because I have an aversion to artificial sugars.  I have tried many of the different artificial sugars out there and I just don't like the taste/ aftertaste.  Since almost all carbonated soda is either made with artificial sugar or high fructose corn syrup, I don't drink carbonated soda.  I drink a lot of water.  I don't really miss the soda drinks.  

Another food that has a fructose chain in it is wheat, so that is why I can't eat wheat.  It isn't because of the gluten, but because of the fructose.  Thankfully, I don't have to worry excessively about cross-contamination of gluten in my food, so I can eat things that someone with Celiac disease couldn't eat (like oats and wheat-free items that aren't gluten free).

For more information about Fructose Malabsorption Disorder, check out this website: http://avthompson.wordpress.com/what-is-fructose-malabsorption-disorder/ 
or this one that is a bit more serious: http://sites.google.com/site/fructmal/whatis

Okay, so wheat and most fruits are out, and then I discovered that I don't tolerate milk.  I can have some dairy products in limited portions (like if I have a few tablespoons of the Cafe Rio house dressing, I am okay) but I have to be selective as to when to have dairy and still have to limit how often I have it if I want to have a happy intestinal track!

I am also sensitive (possibly allergic) to bananas and walnuts.  They burn/slightly swell  my tongue when I eat them, so I avoid them.  I can eat other tree nuts without problems.  I discovered that bananas and walnuts fall into the same category as latex in the allergy world, but I haven't had a problem with latex.


So, what can I eat?

• All meats (as long as they are not coated with a wheat base- such as the coating on chicken nuggets)
• All vegetables (potatoes in all forms-chips, tater tots etc., corn in all forms- corn starch, corn tortillas, etc., broccoli, lettuce, etc)
• Some fruit in small quantities (lemon, strawberries, blueberries)
• Eggs
• Rice

This list seems small, but it includes a lot of foods.   Basically I eat a lot of whole foods.  I don't eat much that is packaged.  I have to make a lot of my own salad dressings, gravies and sauces, but a lot of times they taste a lot better than some of the store bought items. 

A few typical meals for me:

Breakfast:

• fried eggs and ham
• omelet with spinach, sausage and salsa
• cereal with rice milk- Kix, Chex, 
• hash browns, scrambled eggs, bacon
• eggs Benedict (fried egg and ham on a wheat free English muffin or waffle covered in a mock hollandaise sauce )

Lunch:

• Cobb salad
• peanut butter and Jelly sandwich (on a wheat free pancake)
• grilled chicken with rice and vegetables
• beef tamales with rice, beans, salsa and guacamole
• left-overs from dinner

Dinner:

• Stir fry (with wheat free soy sauce)
•  lemon pepper chicken with rice
• taco salad
• tacos with corn tortillas (hard or soft), beans (refried and black) seasoned ground beef and salsa
• chicken noodle soup (use rice based noodles, or wild rice)
• chicken (the rotisserie from Costco is wheat free!) with broccoli and potatoes (love it with tater tots!)
• breakfast for dinner- wheat free pancakes, hash browns, scrambled eggs etc.
• pizza- wheat free crust with sauce, sausage or pepperoni, spinach, avocado, and pepperoncini

As you can see, I don't go hungry, it is just that eating out is difficult.  At other people's homes, at social events (church, baby showers, family events, school, or city programs), or at a restaurant that I have limited choices.  A lot of restaurants are able to accommodate my needs, but my choices are limited.  Most burger places will replace the bun with a lettuce wrap, most salads are okay to eat, breakfast foods are pretty safe. 

Sometimes I get really frustrated with my dietary limitations.  I feel left out a lot because I can't eat 99% of what is offered at a function.  However, that frustration is nothing compared to the frustration I had before discovering what was causing my headaches, intestinal distress and overall ill health.  I have to plan ahead when going places to make sure that I have food available to me that I can eat.   I have to exhibit a lot of self control when I go out, but it is getting easier to not eat the foods that use to tempt me because I don't feel good when I eat them.  When I am able to see and feel the benefits of only eating foods that my body can tolerate, refusing the 'bad' food isn't difficult.