Hi all,
Firstly, this post is on food intolerance, not allergy but it just seemed to be the most appropriate place to post.
I thought I'd post on here because once again I find myself going round and round in circles on t'internet researching my ailments (yeah, I know you're not supposed to but come on, who doesn't?!) and I just feel mind boggled. Some of these symptoms have been hanging around me for years, on and off. Others for as long as I can remember. But one thing's for sure, they are currently rife and really affecting my daily life. I'm just SO FED UP of having one thing or another wrong with me all the time. And they always seem to be weird things that people (and me) have never even heard of (Iritis, anybody? How about Gustatory Rhinitis then? Or dry eye? I'll stop there). I don't like telling people any more because I just can't be bothered with explaining my 'new disease'. So I'm kind of at rock bottom at the moment.
I think the reason I'm so fed up is not only because it's been a lifetime battle with various symptoms but because one of those symptoms is chronic tiredness. I've been to the doctor numerous times complaining of this but they do blood tests and nothing out of the ordinary comes back. Not that I thought it would, having lost my faith in doctors a long time ago - as far as I'm concerned holistic and natural is always best. The only drugs I do take now are antidepressants, which I had to start taking a little while ago because I was just so fed up. I have refused to take them for ten years but it just got to the point where I didn't have the energy to fight it any more (or put everyone else through it either).
SO. The purpose of this ramble is to highlight the need to start feeling better in as short a time as possible! I want to do an elimination diet of sorts. As I said, I have had a multitude of ailments over the years. Auto-immune diseases seem to like me. I am chronically tired and chronically depressed and chronically stressed - and I dare say the three are intrinsically linked. I had severe asthma and eczema as a kid but grew out of them. The most recent thing is an eczema-like rash that, for the past 2-3 years has appeared for a couple of months and then gone again, with no obvious reason why. The most recent attack started about 2 months ago and has just escalated since then, covering half of one leg and large areas of the other leg and arms chest etc. - it's spreading rapidly.
I think all of these ailments are probably co-dependent and most likely down to food intolerance(s) but oh, where to start?! I tried one before and failed miserably because it was so damn hard/boring (and ironically, was the thing that triggered the Gustatory Rhinitis). This time I'm determined but I just want to do it ONCE, I don't have the energy to try 100 different diets right now. I want to start with the one most likely to get results. I'm thinking it's a toss-up between a classic 'elimination diet' like this one:
Or the FAILSAFE diet like this one:
There's also this 'few food' diet:
Does anyone have any experience with either or with some other diet or even just on this subject please? Apologies for the essay/rant but I really am just at the end of my tether with this now 🙁
If you suspect it's something you're eating, why not stop eating the thing for a couple of weeks and see how you get on.
I would also question whether it's stress-related or not.
I have absolutely no idea what it could be. Food diary turns up no patterns. Must be a delayed reaction to something or other, so I think an elimination is the only sure-fire way to figure it out. But they're all different! Some say all fruit and veg is OK, whilst others have a long list of ones you shouldn't eat. Same with most other foods. I just don't know which one is the best starting point...
I have started taking steps to minimise stress also.
I have absolutely no idea what it could be. Food diary turns up no patterns. Must be a delayed reaction to something or other, so I think an elimination is the only sure-fire way to figure it out. But they're all different! Some say all fruit and veg is OK, whilst others have a long list of ones you shouldn't eat. Same with most other foods. I just don't know which one is the best starting point...
I have started taking steps to minimise stress also.
Why are you so determined that it is food?
I figured it's the most logical place to start (you are what you eat n all). It's been going on for years and I've since travelled from the UK to Australia, the other side of the world, which rules out a lot of environmental factors. I know stress can play a big part but I don't think I'm that stressed that it can be the sole reason.
It is all well and good dismissing stress, but please consider that our general state of health and well being is a direct reflection of our underlying state of consciousness. Stress is just the manifestation of inner unrest and disharmony within consciousness, it is very tiring and draining to battle self all of the time, it does not promote good health, happiness or anything else.
Rather than focusing on food, which you could dismiss through a fast for a couple of weeks, which would eliminate everything but water, focus upon the things which create unrest within your thoughts. Anything that you are having to drive down, battle or keep a lid on needs addressing and sorting out.
If you have unrest because of an inner divisional conflict (that is when two or more conflicting thought patterns or beliefs arise within our aspects of consciousness at the same time) then one of them will feel right, where as the other will probably be something that you believe to be right, though it will be in opposition to your authentic self, hence the conflict. Embrace what feels right, what makes you happy and let go of the other side of the conflict, it is only serving to give you disharmony.
Disharmony leads to soul loss. Soul loss leads to disharmony. Both lead to ill health.
'The best doctors are Dr Diet, Dr Quiet and Dr Meryman' I have no doubt payng attention to your diet makes sense......but don't ignore the need for relaxation and enjoyment. Work life balance is important/
Hello everyone, thanks for all of your replies! 2 days ago, I finally caved and went to the Pharmacy. They gave me some eczema cream, which has helped a lot and also some steroids (which I haven't used yet and won't unless I really need to). I'm quite disappointed that the tea tree oil I was applying had seemingly no effect, though, as I have always praised it as a cure for most (general health) ailments. So my faith in natural medicines has been shaken a little, which is a shame.
I totally agree about the stress side of things. I have been chronically stressed for about 15yrs now, despite going through phases of meditating daily. It's one of those things that was always put on the shelf to tackle later (because who has time to sit down and meditate/relax when they are rushing round like a headless chicken anyway?!) but it seems to have eventually made me ill (or at least contributed).
I have decided on an elimination diet and will start this in a couple of weeks when I get back to the UK. I will also pair this with some stress relief methods and pick up the meditation again to hopefully find some triggers and/or some relief somewhere along the line..
Thank you all for your input on this 🙂