Her 101 Food Things

My experience with food allergies and food intolerance issues began long before I was aware of the fact that my body chemistry didn't allow for the consumption of, well, let's just say, most of the canned or processed items readily available on the shelf at the local market.

Random symptoms would pop up time and again.  Over the years, I've been treated for severe anemia, vitamin deficiencies, skin rashes, irritable bowel syndrome, incontinence issues politely speaking, migraines, eczema, stomach acid issues, GIRD, and sore joints.  I've been tested for cancer, Chron's disease and more.

I was involved in a car accident in 2006 and the practitioner asked me how long I had lived with food allergies.  I told her I didn't have any allergies except to nickel.  She sent me off for tests, and the results showed an amazing array of issues.  The accident recovery was minor compared to adjusting to the introduction of the You Can Not Eat This Without Getting Sick list of foods.  

My food restrictions include garlic, gluten, soy, dairy, eggs, ginger, walnuts, and pecans.  For my best health, it is a necessity to strictly avoid these ingredients in my diet.  

I don't know about you, but I am not keen about drawing extra attention to my self when traveling or dining out. Eating Out with food intolerance or allergies requires diligence and extra attention. 

The server, the chef, and the people who are gracious enough to have us over for dinner must make an extra effort to prepare and plate food that I can eat, or I will get sick. 

As my daughter often says, Get over it or get sick over it.  Well said, grasshopper.  She also says I'm putting my health in some one else's hands when dining out.  She was born a wise soul who also lives with multiple food allergies.  She teaches me to stay aware.

The great thing about being a newlywed is that both Paul and I are open minded to one another's quirks and idiosyncrasies.  However, I was still reluctant to introduce to Paul the amount of stuff I wanted to pack along on a journey across the states.  

I started light for our first trip. His eyes were still bigger than saucers when he realized all of the stuff that I staged for loading into the Subaru Outback for our trip out West.

We began our one month trek from the Atlantic Ocean to Utah and back with two medium sized hard coolers, three lunch sized soft coolers, and two paper grocery bags full of stuff.  Essential travel food.  Did you know that bacon qualifies as essential? 

We'd agreed to eat one hot meal out a day on the way out.  I assumed that it would be fairly easy to find either a sushi place or a place that would serve an unadulterated steak and baked potato to eat our lunch or dinner.   

There are many stretches along the homogenized highways of America where the only foods available are served in franchised restaurants.  The food is fully prepared off site.  Most food is preseasoned, gluten filled, soy-extended, garlic infused, fried in soybean oil or some other unfriendly blend of deep fat that is filled with cross contaminants.   

Even with the advent of Google search, it was harder than I expected to find safe restaurants.  My criteria for safe means the chef has the option to prepare something off to the side in it's own pan or tray in the broiler or oven. My standard order was normally a plain baked potato and a steak with no seasoning added. Just over half the time I'd call the meal a success. Two out of five meals on the way out west, I got sick.  Those aren't great odds. It was quite a relief when we stopped to stay with family and friends to make use of a kitchen to prepare a meal I could safely enjoy.   

I didn't want to risk getting sick on the way journey back east, so we spent a day in my Mom's kitchen preparing food to freeze for the trip. Two days into the trip we stayed with other dear friends who offered use of a huge kitchen.  We prepared the food that would sustain us for the last half of the trip east.

In my mind, while traveling, I try to put my self into what I call chuck wagon mode.  Bring it with you, fix it yourself, and keep moving on.  I'd rather spend time shopping for and cooking the food I can eat, than spend time recovering from reactions to foods that don't agree with me.  

I feel utterly blessed to be married to a man who has the patience to live this alternative food lifestyle.  It's even better when he smiles and enjoys the home cooked meal.  

So who does the dishes?  Who pours the next glass of wine..... 

  

On Food - His list is shorter

Paul is reading aloud an article online that details the food banned in other countries, food that is still available for consumption in the United States.  And I sigh.  I am reminded of all of the food I can not eat and wonder who makes these decisions to allow us to buy and eat until proven toxic?

When Paul and I first began our correspondence with one another, I had no idea that we'd eventually log over 6000 minutes of phone conversation before we ever met.  Part of our discussions included an introduction to my list of safe foods and how I try and manage food issues while dining out.  We talked a great deal about our plans to travel together stateside and overseas.

As newlyweds, we put about 7000 miles behind us traveling by Subaru from Virginia to Maine, New Mexico, Arizona, and Utah.   Not a bad start.  We've been traveling just over half of the time we've been married.


It's just as easy as it sounds.  Load up the car, travel across America, and stop at a restaurant to eat.  The server will take the list of foods we can't eat back to the chef, the chef will take all possible care to prepare and plate the food, and we'll have a symptom free journey.

Sort of.

Paul has a few food intolerances of his own.   He was gracious enough to agree to eating, in general, from the same list of foods that I can eat.   When we dine out, I encourage him to live a little.   It's simpler for him when he orders from the menu, as he can state 'hold the bell peppers' and enjoy what is served.

The trouble is, the menu isn't always clear.  For example, Paul ordered Teriyaki Steak and Seafood with vegetables.  The presentation of the food was beautiful, and the mixed vegetables were broccoli, with vibrant red, yellow, and green peppers.  It looked, and smelled, delicious.

Bell peppers of any color, paprika, and most curries don't agree with Paul.  Fortunately, he can move the offending items to the side without any cross contamination.   I love bell peppers.  The soy sauce is on my restricted list, so there they sat on the side of his plate, daring me to take just one bite.  I didn't.  I wanted to.

Downsizing! Here we Go!

Ah, downsizing.  I don't think a day went by these last ten years, when I hadn't yearned for a lot less stuff and more time to be away from the house to enjoy what's "out there."

During those ten years, there were teenagers who grew up and moved out, then an empty nest, followed by the challenges of breast cancer surgery recovery.

Now there is post op pain that lingers far longer than I would have ever imagined, which limits my physical activity.  Thus the yard rake, the motorcycle, the power tools, and many more items need new owners.

On leaving the house:

The joys of home ownership are many; there is a great deal of freedom in changing the paint or the landscaping or the plants in the garden as the seasons change.

There is a certain pride in selecting the architectural shingles for the install of a new roof, or admiring the new sliding glass doors I framed in on each side of the sun room.  These are the things I will miss.

On pursuing this crazy concept:

My dream of being out from under the privileges and responsibilities of a Big House (2400 sq ft plus 2-story shed and big yard) chatters like a constant niggling that likely stems from a desire to get on with the enjoyment of life with less stuff.

 How to spend less time anchored to yet another house project, repair, upgrade, and any other major undertaking on those few precious days off of work?

Enter Paul Richard, who is a brave and adventurous soul.  We fell in love before we met, and now we are embarking on this downsizing adventure as a husband and wife team.

What better motivation to get this done!  Will the knowledge that we can soon be on the road to one of many travel destinations spur us on?

It is with a mixture of relief and some anxiety that this process gets underway.   So what is the best approach to downsizing?  Fast and furious?  Pass belongings of worth on to family and friends?  Put things in storage?  Sell the big ticket items as is or fix'em up first?

Slow and steady, I remind myself.

Tomorrow we will take photographs to document Phase One of our downsizing for the things in Virginia.

Insane thought of the day

I am hopeful that Phase Two, which will be for downsizing the things in New Mexico, will also be on the calendar for 2015.