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Yes, yes, yes, I know. Another long journal entry. Read it anyway. I have something I need to get off my chest...
Ugh! I love summer and I hate summer. I really do enjoy summer, most of the time, at least. Who doesn't love the sunshine, the birds chirping, the woodland creatures frolicking in the grass? I certainly do! I love the produce that's locally available. I ADORE my CSA delivery! It's a bounty of local organic produce delivered to my doorstep every week from a wonderful organic farm! But this time of year also brings in a bounty of *dun, dun, dun!!!*... nightshades - a member of the Solanaceae family, also known as tomatoes, peppers, potatoes and eggplants (among a ton of others delicious relatives!). These plants, for most people dealing with an inflammatory autoimmune disease such as Yours Truly, mean bad news.
I inherited (thanks, Mom!) a sensitivity to nightshades. They cause all sorts of havoc on my body, from arthritis to hives to migraines to insomnia to... well, you name it, and nightshades cause it. Up until VERY recently in human history (1800), a lot of cultures considered these nightshades poisonous, and for good reason! They contain a various assortment of compounds which are quite toxic to some populations (and some non-edible nightshades are downright lethal!). Unfortunately, it's a rather common problem for people of Anglo-Saxon (English) and Asian descent, and I'm about as British as they come, kids.
Why am I telling you all of this, my good readers? Well, this is just my way of pouting about the large sacks of delicious, still-warm-from-the-sun peppers and tomatoes from my neighbor's garden, (a delightful 93-year old lady named Sheila), that she left on my doorstep this morning. Of which I, sadly, can not partake, and the Sig-O gets to enjoy them without me. (*insert sad pouty face here*) Normally, I am not bothered by my lovely little inherited nightshade sensitivity, but today, it irks me.
It was really difficult to change how I eat so drastically. It didn't happen overnight. It wasn't without its freak-out moments. It wasn't without tears and anger and denial and resentment. I do recall throwing a bowl of food across the kitchen in a fit of rage because I couldn't just eat "what normal people eat". I felt like I would be forever missing out on a fantastic world of culinary delights and I'd be stuck with my bowl of brussel sprouts. It took a long time to realize that the only thing I would be missing out on would be an unbelievably amazing quality of life if I kept eating those foods. I realized I'm not "missing out" at all! In fact, THIS is living! And those who think healthy eating means "missing out" on foods which just excite the pleasure centers of the brain like a drug, addict you to foods which can prematurely and painfully end your life, and don't promote healing and wellness... well THEY'RE the ones who are missing out!
I've finally come to grips with which foods heal and nourish my body and which foods don't promote my health and well being. It hasn't been an easy road, and it took a bag of peppers and tomatoes on my doorstep this morning from a kind old lady to remind me of how far I've come. Thanks, Sheila. :)
Be kind to yourself, Folks. You deserve it. Now, go make this day extraordinary! :D
Diet Calendar Entries for 03 September 2014:
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1295 kcal
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Fat: 34.55g | Prot: 51.89g | Carb: 204.10g.
Lunch: Eden Foods Organic Black Beans (No Salt Added), Wegmans Frozen Dark Sweet Cherries, Kale. Dinner: Eden Foods Organic Black Beans (No Salt Added), Cooked Beets (from Fresh), Avocados, Clementines, Onions, Bragg Organic Apple Cider Vinegar, Full Circle Organic Spicy Brown Mustard, Dole Shredded Carrots, Minced Garlic, Nature's Promise Organic Walnuts, Nature's Place Organic Honey, Sweeet2th's Lentil, Mushroom and Zucchini Soup. Snacks/Other: Trader Joe's Organic Valencia Oranges, Starbucks Caffe Latte with Soy (Grande), Woodstock Farms Black Mission Figs. more...
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1932 kcal
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Activities & Exercise:
Stretching (yoga) - 30 minutes, Standing - 1 hour, Walking (brisk) - 4/mph - 1 hour, Resting - 12 hours and 30 minutes, Sleeping - 9 hours. more...
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 Comments
What an amazing message. Thank you for writing your long entry today. Sincerely. I am just beginning my long journey into changing the way I eat and really believing that eating whole foods is the best foods. I completely relate to everything that you said, and the emotions that run with making drastic changes in your life. Cheers!
04 Sep 14 by member: jenalena
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Thanks! It hasn't been easy making healthy decisions. There are a lot of emotions that come up when you deal with a chronic illness like I had, and don't have the liberty of "slipping up" without some painful repercussions. It's taken me over two years to get to where I have no desire to "cheat" and now I do the right thing because it feels so much better than eating whatever garbage everyone else eats.
04 Sep 14 by member: Sweeet2th
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Wow! It would be a big adjustment to me and most of my family to give up some of those foods. Though I would be a hero to my step-daughter if she never had to eat another pepper or tomato! But thank you for sharing. I love that you have such a good attitude about your health instead of lamenting the things you can no longer have! Good for you!
04 Sep 14 by member: NikkiJP
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There are a lot of other foods I don't eat besides nightshades. Those are just the tip of the iceberg! No wheat/gluten (thanks to my Mom's Celiac Disease), no GMO's (so no non-organic corn/soy or ANY of their by-products, which are in pretty much everything that's processed), and no processed oils (corn, soybean, canola, etc.) - only whole-food fats like seeds, nuts and avocados with maybe a teaspoon of organic olive oil once a week, and no animal products except a touch of organic honey once in a while to balance a salad dressing. I also try to keep my overall body's toxic burden as low as I can, so I chose organic whenever humanly (and financially) possible and have a good relationship with a local organic farm nearby who provides the majority of my produce. It isn't easy being me, but I wouldn't trade the way I feel now for anything!
04 Sep 14 by member: Sweeet2th
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long entries are my favorite. i would miss nightshades almost as much as gluten. good for you to know that they will make you sick, and to provide motivation to stay away from them entirely. i am trying to make changes too, but i don't have as drastic a reason. so this week i ordered from the grocery store all organic berries and fruits and pasture raised grass fed beef. i think my husband snuck some other stuff onto the order, but what can you do?
05 Sep 14 by member: Gnewfry
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I too dread the night shades. I try to be gluten free, dairy free, corn free, soy free. But that doesn't leave much. Lol. I can completely relate to you!
05 Sep 14 by member: Melodyann
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I enjoyed reading your journal entry, but feel very sad, as what you can't eat are things I love, and could not exist without most, so to have lost as much weight as you have and plan to do, is so inspiring, I have it easy but thought 170 was a good goal, now you tempt me to lower that goal, wishing you great success you seem to be a fantastic girl
05 Sep 14 by member: kaysilke
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