I wasn’t sure whether to whinge away here or up in Health and Fitness, but I’m having a problem. I had a checkup about 4 months ago that tested my heart, lungs, liver, blood sugar, cholesterol, BMI, you name it. I guess you could say that I wanted a clean bill of health considering my somewhat checkered past and I wasn’t really feeling well despite cutting out a lot of bad habits over the years. I was suspecting food allergies and I tested for that as well. Anyway, except for being overweight and having slightly high cholesterol I’m in pretty good shape.
My main problem is the food allergies. I am allergic to wheat, dairy (cassien, whey, yogurt, coffee bean, some fruits, sesame, kelp, oyster, 5 spice powder, black pepper, orange, lemon and a few other things not so badly. The symptoms I get if I eat this stuff are not life threatening, but include discomfort, joint pain, bloating, anxiety, depression, shortness of breath, insomnia, skin rash, sweating (more than usual) and worst of all, I crave MORE of the allergens. Right now I want to wash down a fried oyster sandwich with a cup of coffee laden with cream like you wouldn’t believe. And I feel like shit. Salad shmalad. Gimme some ice cream!
Backtracking, when I first learned about my allergens, I hit it hard, did some sample meal plans, totally eliminated ALL things with any products that would bother me from my diet, and immediately felt better. I mean really good. I was feeling lighter, smarter, happier, working better, more social, sleeping well, and best of all, I was working out almost every day and loving it. I lost 4 kilos in about 5 weeks and was recieving compliments from ladies everywhere. I was also eating better, more frequently, more volume, and cooking or preparing almost every meal.
I was eating lots of lean meat, veggies, rice, fish, fruits, soy products, and non processed foods wherever I could. You wouldn’t believe how many store bought foods have milk products, wheat products, kelp, and just general crap that you wouldn’t want to eat if you really knew about it or thought about it. Like I said, I was cooking up to 5 times a day, storing meals, keeping records, tracking calorie, protein and carb intake, and generally making a science experiment about it. I did a bit of research into my diet as well and came up with a lot of stuff. It really worked, and immediately. I’m an excellent cook, by the way.
Somewhere along the line, I was overdoing it at the gym, and I screwed my knee up. I really hate it when my stupid body gets in the way of what I want to do, so I got mad after a few days of not being able to work out, and I got myself a large coffee with milk and a bacon and egg sandwich with cheese. It was the best meal I ever had. I started chipping away. Coffee in the morning, oh yes! Of course! How could I ever give up coffee? Just this once, I’m going to eat pizza again…and here I am again. Haven’t been to the gym in a month.
Part of the problem was being totally sick of cooking. I mean, I live in Taiwan, where everything is soooooo convenient, food is at your doorstep, flavours, textures, smells, everywhere. I’m a travelling English teacher with several jobs and several privates, a bit of a life, some hobbies, I like to relax, etc. It seems like if I eat like I’m supposed to, I have NO time for anything else. And the variety. I mean, for fast home made food, there’s only so much cornbread you can eat, only so many stir fries, oatmeal, steamed veggies, fruits, casseroles, stews, and curries. Don’t get me started on rice. I’m sick of rice. Another problem was being away from the kitchen for too long left me in the uncomfortable position of being hungry in neigborhoods where I wasn’t sure what I could eat. It got to me, the sheer inconvenience of it all. That and having a backpack full of tupperware containers and protein shakes.
So here I am again, feeling like crap, can’t sleep. I know why, and I know what I have to do. I’m starting again tomorrow with the diet plans, and I hope to be a strict as I was before simply because for all the inconvenience, it was worth it. And it is.
What I need help with is :
1)recommendations for Taiwanese foods that can be picked up on the fly that don’t contain all that stuff that I’m trying to avoid. If it’s not too much trouble, that is. I think I’ve tried everything once but I tend to try things only once and then forget about where or what it was. One thing we can say about Taiwan is that there is a lot of variety.
- Got any advice on dealing with food allergies in a sane manner? According to my doctor I should be able to do really decadent things like enjoy a cup of coffee once in a while, or even a sweet something or other, but I really don’t want this kind of slip as a consequence. Anybody go through this?
3)Recommendations for foods that can be bought and put in my freezer, including wheat free bread (sandwiches are convenient) or dough recipes, stores that sell more of these kinds of things, wholesale suppliers, etc? I have a Jason’s near my house, a restaurant supply nearby, and other places, but need more.
What can I say? Food is important. A proper diet is most important. But I’m supposed to eat the food, not the other way around. Thanks in advance for your help.