Saturday, January 05, 2008

Up North

Today I am going to drive 200 miles to my friend Linda. I have pick of the bitches in her Lhasa Apso litter. 4 girls. I think I know which one I shall take as I 'saw' it already whilst I was meditating. I also 'saw' the boy she is keeping and described him correctly for colour.

On Thursday I was prescribed a new drug, an anti spasmodic for my gut. I took it Thursday evening and Friday morning. By Friday evening I was feeling worse and especially last last night. I am not sure this drug agrees with me. It has peppermint oil in it. I am not going to take it today and I will see what happens.

My gut has gradually got better. Much less pain and discomfort and bloating. I am more or less left with the bloating/aerated feeling more than anything. Strangely, I have not experienced any trouble with my bathroom habits which have remained perfectly normal apart from missing a day or two.

My mother died as a result of IBS. She had become constipated and her bowel ruptured and she died of septicaemia.

I was anorexic in my teens until my early 20's. I took many laxatives daily, sometimes as many as 30, plus vomiting. I guess I am not surprised I have problems now.
I also grew another inch and half once I started to eat properly again.

I think the reason I take my present health problems so well is that I feel very lucky I am not much worse and that I survived in the first place.

The only part of my condition I get resentful about is the food issues. I can get quite p'd off at not being able to eat like others, which is silly because, again, others have far worse problems-like peanut allergy or diabetes or such things. Me? I just can't eat grain with out having problems and I can't eat sugar/starch without also having problems. The grain stuff will cause me gut problems and sugar/starch will cause me to have blood sugar level spikes and lows which will cause me great hunger, weight gain, depression and volatile moods swings.

Fortunately for me, I love food so I do eat a good and varied diet. I live off about 1 kg(2.2lbs) of veggies a day, mainly green plus fish, chicken or pork. Occasionally lamb or beef.Mostly fish. Not bad for someone who was a veggy for years! Which is one reason I was so fat and ill all the time-I was allergic to most of what I was eating and didn't know it.

Yet when we travel or visit, this is when the difficulties arise. Finding the right food for me or having to tell hosts I can only eat flesh and veggies. No bread, no cake, no biscuits, no fun stuff!

One thing I do eat is 70% to 85% dark chocolate. REAL chocolate. Made on mainland Europe not the crap that passes for chocolate here in UK which is full of vegetable fat, usually hydrogenated. It annoys they are allowed to call it chocolate when it isn't.(Same with Ice Cream-which often is anything but ....) Anyway, I eat it occasionally and a square or two is very satisfying. My friend in Denmark, Karen, says it is a necessary food group! I have never felt the urge to eat the whole bar or box.

I am keeping up with my swimming and have now lost 36 lbs (16kg) since August. This is is a total so far of 120lbs (55kgs). And I am not dieting! I eat 3 meals a day and they are not tiny. I am not hungry and if I feel hungry, I eat.

However, as good as all this is, I still resent not being able to eat junk!

(Oh and the only fruit I can tolerate, in small doses, are strawberries, raspberries, blackberries - they don't cause a blood sugar spike and they don't cause me acid or gut problems)

I had to buy a new pair of swimming togs yesterday. It dawned on me that the pair I was wearing all this time were just too big now hence the having to keep pulling them up to free my legs. The new pair are clingy, like Superman's(!!!!) and my legs are free to move properly in the water. (You might be surprised to see how many people swim and do not use their legs-their legs just dangle...weird)

7 comments:

LizzieK8 said...

You've accomplished much with your health! Good for you!

Unknown said...

Colin,
Your blog on grains and weight loss was interesting. I've been experimenting with a gluten-free diet - four times over that last 3 years. In each case I lost weight without dieting, in fact, I ate more total calories. This surprised me as I was doing it to see if it would help my health.

I don't have the typical symptoms of celiac disease, though. But I do have an autoimmune disease which on the celiac website associates with celiac disease. I guess my question, if it's not too intrusive, is are you allergic to gluten? Or all grains in general?

Celiacs cannot eat wheat, rye, barley, and most oats; malt is also a no-no, as is most food starch. Gluten is hidden in many foods.

Your weight loss is what triggered this post. Since celiac people are typically malnourished and skinny, your experience is more like mine. And your improving health offers me hope.

This week, I am getting a blood test for gluten intolerance. Wish me luck.

Finally, I want to try out your Andersson Heel technique. Sounds easy. Sure looks neat.

Unknown said...

Colin,
Your blog on grains and weight loss was interesting. I've been experimenting with a gluten-free diet - four times over that last 3 years. In each case I lost weight without dieting, in fact, I ate more total calories. This surprised me as I was doing it to see if it would help my health.

I don't have the typical symptoms of celiac disease, though. But I do have an autoimmune disease which on the celiac website associates with celiac disease. I guess my question, if it's not too intrusive, is are you allergic to gluten? Or all grains in general?

Celiacs cannot eat wheat, rye, barley, and most oats; malt is also a no-no, as is most food starch. Gluten is hidden in many foods.

Your weight loss is what triggered this post. Since celiac people are typically malnourished and skinny, your experience is more like mine. And your improving health offers me hope.

This week, I am getting a blood test for gluten intolerance. Wish me luck.

Finally, I want to try out your Andersson Heel technique. Sounds easy. Sure looks neat.

Anonymous said...

Superman swimming pants, huh? Woohoo!

FuguesStateKnits said...

Hey Colin - I suppose you're probably checking that glycemic index thingie? Apparently that's a big factor in determining what carbs are "good" and what are "bad." Of course you have the other issues with your tummy, but I wonder if you've looked into that? I was surprised at some of the fruits a carboholic like myself can do.
Your mileage may vary as they say, LOL!
Happy New Year,
Joan

Sheila said...

You really have accomplished a lot with your exercise and diet. I think your swimming has been good for your mobility and general health. Keep up the good work in 2008.

Maggie said...

Hi Colin, nice socks, cute pups and great posts..also good posts on Jeanie's sock group...
I have food allergies, some digestive issues, not as severe as you but to get off and stay off maint drugs for my allergies and asthma I made a lot of life changes, including eating ones..But my first comments to the great Dr. who helped me do this was I would starve to death...5 years later I have not starved to death, am healthier and have a far better chance to live longer and enjoy it...keep up the hard work, both with diet, emotional issues and the dogs and knitting, hugs, Maggie in IL