Where have you been?

Since I wrote that last post, a whole lot of things have happened.  Who would think?

So, it turned out that I had ulcers.  For real.  Not the "you're giving me ulcers, shut up," kind of thing, but real live ulcers.  And damned if the doctor didn't cure me.  Nexium is my friend.  So I started taking Nexium and quit taking my daily overdose of Advil & Alka Seltzer, and my ulcers are healed.  Which is good, except that I have gained a little weight back.  Bummer.

But, the real bummer came a little later.  It seems that my gall bladder, which was removed in November, didn't cause my unusual blood tests.  After a lot of testing and wondering and panicking, it turns out that I have an auto-immune disease called Primary Biliary Cirrhosis.  Serious bummer.  I will know more later after a biopsy, but right now, it looks like I've got a while to be my old whiny self until I really get sick.

Now, what does this have to do with food? 

Since PBC is an inflamation of the bile ducts, and since some people think inflamation is a problem with lots of diseases, I've decided to try an anti-inflamatory diet.  Sort of.  Those things are brutal.

First:  lots of fruits and vegetables.  That's not a problem, since I love fruits and vegetables.  Some people (I hear) are sensitive to plants in the nightshade family, like tomatoes, eggplants, and potatoes, but I don't think I am.  At least, I'm going to act like I'm not and continue to eat those veggies. 

Second:  not so much meat.  A little chicken, some fish, a little dairy.  Now, this is where I diverge.  I love dairy.  I eat Chobani Greek yogurt every single day.  Maybe twice a day.  And I use the plain yogurt instead of mayonnaise (which I'd like to keep eating as much as possible, but that seems to be on every one's no-no list.)  While I can give up red meat fairly easily, I will not give up cheese, yogurt, and skim milk.  I hope that won't be a problem.

Third: other types of protein are good.  Tofu, beans and rice, quinoa.  OK, I'll be working with that.

Something I read suggested that too much protein might be bad for me right now.  I will talk to my doctor about that.  I think I'll go visit a dietitian.  My insurance won't pay for that, of course.  It's a cheap way to avoid future medical expenses, but no, they won't cover it.  Oh well.

Fourth:  not so much processed food.  That is something I've been working on for awhile.  Unless it's Greek food, the ingredients shouldn't be Greek.  Or Latin.  Or whatever those chemicals are named in.  So, no Twinkies.  This is not a problem.  Snickers... that's another story.

Today, I am eating blueberry yogurt, a rainbow of fruit (strawberries, peach, pineapple, grapes, and blueberries), and a burrito made with guacamole, hamburger (I know, red meat), cheese, spices, and salsa on a whole wheat tortilla.  I am drinking watered-down blueberry/pomegranate juice.  I'll probably eat birthday cake for dinner, but I'm working on that weak link there.

And so I begin my journey into interesting food that is good for me.  I'll try to be interesting as well.