Food, Glorious Food

As appetizing as this picture looks, if I should eat it, I would be in the Emergency Room within minutes. I am very allergic to the strawberries, cantaloupe, and the kiwi. Now, on this new FODMOP diet that I am on, the cherries and peaches are off limits.

As a child, I was the queen of the picky eaters. I could not bring myself to eat peas or beans. I was not big on fruit. I could not drink milk without getting queasy, and I never could quite get used to yogurt. I never really liked tuna, and thank goodness the smell of cooking shrimp discouraged me from ever trying it.  I was one to eat cornbread, meat, hard cheese, eggs, tomatoes, starchy vegetables, and peanut butter. 

Over the years, I tried to add the foods that I had not wanted to eat as a child, but they were never quite tolerated and some even caused almost disastrous results as my ER bills will attest.

Ironically, when I was tested for allergies, I came up allergic to most fruits and non-starchy veggies, ocean fish and shellfish, most peas and beans, and coffee. Long time reflux keeps me from citrus fruits and spicy things. 

Ironically, on this FODMOP diet, many of the things I am allergic to are off limits. Many of the things that I would not eat as a child are also on it. I have to wonder if my young self instinctively knew that these foods were not good for me.  Fortunately, I had parents who did not push me too hard to eat the things I did not want. 

My "child self"  was instinctively wise to what my body needed and did not need. As I go through this plan, I am going to try to recapture that instinct for what my body does and does not want and need. 

Wish me luck!