So, What Do You Eat?

I have eliminated white flour, potatoes, and white rice from my diet. It's not that I don't like baguettes, french fries, and rice, it's because they don't like me, or rather, they cause symptoms I'd rather not experience.

When I make baked goods, or need to replace white flour in a recipe, I generally reach for Quinoa flour. Sometimes I’ll add oat or buckwheat flours, too.

For store-bought breads I stick to sprouted varieties. For rice or potatoes, I substitute Quinoa, Wheat Berries, brown rice, (I eat Basmati rice even though it's white because it is a slow sugar uptake into the bloodstream). 

I avoid dairy, too. I go for the goat when it comes to cheeses, sheep or goat for yogurt, and soy for milk. LaLoo makes amazing ice cream from goat's milk. My favorite is Rumplemint - yum! I love French toast, and by using sprouted bread and soy milk, I can have it. Pancakes, too, by using Quinoa and other flours, and soy milk.

There are some things that I love, but I can't eat because it sends me into a sugar shock, not fun, watermelon, for example. There are some things I eat and it seems like I shouldn't, maple syrup, for example. Maybe because I pair it with food items that are high in fiber and I only use a little bit. It's okay to have things like pasta or rice noodles on occasion, and I enjoy red wine on occasion, too. I simply avoid foods that have a high glycemic index because they either triggers various neuropathies or induces a sugar shock, brain fog, sweating, muscle weakness, or sleepiness. Not so much fun, but totally workable and easy to interact with water, exercise, sleep, or some combination thereof, depending.

To help me figure out what I can or can't have, or discover after the fact why I'm having a reaction, I check out an online GI database.

Related Post:  (non) Dairy Queen, Grains in Focus

Related Links

• Online Glycemic Index Database
• Glycemic Index and Diabetes

All That Glitters

For years I've had an allergy to metal. I know there are many who are similarly afflicted. Hang tight, here's where the story becomes interesting.

A few weeks ago, a close friend gifted me with a lovely gold bracelet from Greece. It's unusual, beautiful, meaningful. While I was fumbling with the clasp, I gave a mental shrug, thinking I will wear it until the rash develops. After a few hours, I noticed... nothing. No itching, swelling, or reddening of my skin. After a day, I noticed the same nothing. I wrote it off thinking I haven't worn metal in a couple of years; maybe it will take longer before symptoms appear. At the end of the week, I was convinced that I had in my possession a magical bracelet. There could be no other explanation. Clearly, my friend has mystical powers! I wore the bracelet, made of metal - which I am allergic to - for over two weeks without removing it, and I remained symptom-free.

I decided to push my luck, and I gave earrings a try. Usually, I'll feel discomfort immediately. Nope, I felt neither irritation nor pain. I wore earrings with metal finding for over a week, and my ears stayed infection-free.

What the heck!?!

I decided that there must be a connection between allergies and illness. Specifically, I believe there is a relationship between PCOS and allergies. For me, now that I'm eating a high protein, low sugar (and very low glucose-rich foods), it seems like my body can now handle wearing metals.

Does this mean I get to go earring shopping?

Yes, yes it does.

Related Links

• How to Buy the Right Jewelry When You Have a Metal Allergy
• Infections may trigger metal allergies