Food As Friend…Food As Foe

How’s Your Relationship?

I’m in a bad relationship. 

Unfortunately, it’s with food. Food, which used to be my friend, now seems to be my chief nemesis and saboteur. 

The Disease Connection

As it turns out, food seems to be related to almost every disease on the planet. There are a million books on Amazon testifying, in some fashion, that you’d better be careful what you put in your mouth or, in so many words, you’re a goner.

If you’ve managed to live past fifty, you probably already have several “conditions”. I used to think, as a kid, that people died of only one malady. Apparently not. By the time you kick the bucket, you may have several issues, and buckets of pills.

I learned this fact at my last colonoscopy. The nurse looked at the short list of my medications, and, looking back at me, exclaimed, “Is this all?” I think she was disappointed. 

I read a fascinating article about how diseases are now thought to be connected to your microbiome…your gut. In other words, you’ve got 5 feet of potential disease triggers right below your belly button. Who knew?

Two Dread Diseases

The article connected the microbiome to Macular Degeneration and Alzheimer’s, two conditions in the top ten of the most dreaded diseases.

 He’s published an entire book on the subject.

So, of course I ordered it. I have enough medical trivia at this point to open my own practice, or so I tell myself. 

What Do You Avoid?

At this point in my life, I have a long list of foods I avoid. I even made a chart for my migraines.  If you’d like a copy of my “Migraine Trigger Chart”, I’d be glad to share.

Foods don’t affect just one organ, either. One bad food is like a spray gun, aimed to hit my brain and stomach with one pump of the trigger. But, one gastroenterologist gave me some good news. He told me I could eat anything I want.

Sounded suspicious to me.

I remember the poem written by the elderly woman who lamented that if she could do it over she’d “eat more ice cream and fewer beans”.

Does she have a private practice? 

If so, sign me up.

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