Food Intolerance Fun

I realize I don't have any true blue allergies, because my symptoms are never life-threatening. There's some great info on the net about allergies vs intolerances. I saw a talk about it about a year ago and basically took away: if you're rushing to the hospital it's an allergy, otherwise it's an intolerance. There's also "food sensitivities" as well, but I get kind of lost along the way. I know for sure I don't have allergies though.

This week has been rough, I ate a few random pieces of food on Tuesday and had some bad reactions. I went for a colonic on Thursday and I was passing a lot of mucus (sorry if that's TMI). I was starting to feel better, but then felt sick again on Friday.. and again on Saturday. I tried to pin down what I ate similarly on those two days and found nothing. The only thing I thought it could be is Romaine Lettuce. First of all... really? Romaine Lettuce? Plus a quick internet search didn't yield any results for such an allergy (although iceberg lettuce seems to be an allergen, I rarely eat the stuff). I recently started a supplement routine so I decided to check some of those labels. BINGO! There was wheat in my iron supplement. I've been only taking that supplement for about a week and I can totally relate feeling sick after having it. I promptly went out to buy a non-wheat version yesterday :)

I've also been using a neti-pot for the first time. It makes sinus irrigation a lot easier, and it cleared out a lot of the mucus I had. I'm definitely going to start using it regularly until my sinuses clear up. I still have a lot of fluid in my ears as well. Overall I'm getting really optimistic. I'm going to see my Naturopath on Wednesday for the results of my allergy test. I've also booked an appointment to see an allergist for next month. I figure I might as well cover all my bases. I might also go for some Quantum Biofeedback since I know someone who does it. My colon hydrotherapist was telling me about a homeopath that does allergy testing as well.

I was/am toying with the idea of doing an elimination diet. I even contacted a few people who have done one. The problem is that the "basic diet" you go on before re-introducing foods seems to have a variety of foods that may already be an issue for me. I was getting really frustrated and was going to go on a "brown rice fast" with a little bit of banana added in for a few weeks, but then I made the discovery about my iron supplement. I think I'm going to continue what I'm doing for now and see if this clears up.

For now I'm avoiding:

For Thyroid

• Strawberries, Peaches, Pears, Apricots, Prunes, Cherries*
• Cabbage, Broccoli, Cauliflower, Brussels Sprouts, Radishes, Rutabagas, Kohlrabi, Turnips, Cassava (Tapioca), Sweet Potato, Yam, Bamboo Shoots, Corn, Lima Beans
• Soybeans
• Peanuts, Pine Nuts, Flax, Walnuts*, Almonds*
• Kale, Bok Choy, Collards, Spinach, Mustard Greens, Turnip Greens, Beet Greens, Watercress
• Millet, Sorghum
• Sweet Potato
• Rapeseed (Canola)

*These are debatable, lots of conflicting info out there

For Gallstones

• Eggs, Milk, Pork Fowl, Red Meat
• Citrus
• Corn, Beans
• Nuts
• Hydrogenated and partially-hydrogenated oils, Margarine, Fried Foods, Saturated fats
• Coffee, regular or decaf, Black Tea, Colas
• Chocolate
• Alcohol, beer, wine, liqueur
• Fruit juice
• Carbonated water, Tap water
• artificial sweeteners, sugar, preservatives, refined and bleached foods (like white flour)
• Gluten containing grains: Oats (for some people), Wheat, Barley, Rye
• Radishes, Turnips, Cabbage, Cauliflower

Possible Intolerance

• Dairy+, Eggs+
• Nightshades: Potatoes, Tomatoes+, Bell Peppers, Sweet and Hot Peppers, Eggplant, Tomatillos, Tamarios, Pepinos, Pimentos, Paprika, Cayenne, and Tabasco
• Citrus: Oranges+ and Grapefruit (lemon is ok for now)
• Melons+
• Strawberries, Peaches, Apricots
• Prunes, Plums, Nectarines
• Grapes, Raisins
• Soy+
• Gluten containing grains: wheat+, spelt, rye, oats, barley
• Caffeinated beverages (coffee, black tea, soda)
• Dried Fruits (for Sulfites)
• MSG and glutamates: parmesan cheese, soy sauce, walnuts, fresh tomato juice, grape juice, peas, mushrooms, broccoli, tomatoes, mushrooms, oysters, corn, potatoes
• Almonds and Walnuts 
• Avocado
• Zucchini and Cucumber

+I've had reactions to these already

And just for fun....
For Adrenal Fatigue

• Potassium-rich foods: bananas, all melons, dried figs, raisins, dates, oranges, grapefruit, grapes
• Refined carbohydrates: pasta, cakes, cookies, crackers
• Refined sugar and sugar substitutes
• Mushrooms
• Yeast and wheat products (breads, crackers, pasta, etc.) that contain gluten
• MSG

I'm not sure I have Adrenal Fatigue, but I've lowered my banana consumption a bit for now.

So what's left?
Recommended Foods

• Sea Vegetables (for thyroid)
• Coconut Oil (Adrenals, Thyroid)
• Beets, Green beans, Okra, Artichokes (Gallstones)
• Dandelion Greens (Gallstones)
• Lemons (Gallstones)
• apples, berries, papaya, pears (Gallstones)
• Garlic, Ginger root, Tumeric (Gallstones)
• Vegetables Juices (Gallstones, Adrenals)
• Squash, Pumpkin, Brown Rice, Carrots
• Mango, pineapple, kiwi
• Celery

Overall I'm still doing lots of smoothies and not much cooking. I still enjoy eating raw, even if it is in smoothie form. I don't have a whole lot of variety to choose from, but I'm sticking with it for now. Maybe in a future post, I'll go over my new supplement routine that I'm doing to heal my stomach.