Well, somehow another week has passed and it is Friday. Time moves too quickly these days. And, in looking back on this week I think the thing that stands out in my mind (in reviewing the forum conversations and conversations with patients) the most is the struggle for each of you to defend your dietary and treatment practices (choices) to others. I think there is a huge chasm in thinking between Western medicine and alternative medicine--and this chasm extends to dietary practices as well. There is so much to say on this subject, but trying to keep things simple, I hope I may humbly interject some suggestions: 1) don't try to defend your ideas to others. It takes a lot of energy to do this. That energy may be better spent on trying to rest and get yourself better. Also, you do not need, as an adult, to justify your decisions to others. YOu are an intelligent human being having made your own choices. 2) Eating helathily is great idea to improve your health even if you do not have interstitial cystitis or some other kind of chronic ailment. Where does cancer, high blood pressure, weight problems, high cholesterol, allergies etc... come from? The crux of our health is our diet and health care management. It somehow has become common place to regard illness as normal as we age. I am not sure that is true! The health of an elderly person, in my mind, is largely dependent upon how they managed their health as a young person. And, we ARE what we eat! Most of my friends think I am a bit of a nut because of my dietary practices. I never eat processed sugar or drink alcohol, and there are a few other things I don't eat--fungal promoting foods. I value my body and my health so much, eating those things holds zero interest to me! 3) Be a leader, not a follower! As you become healthier and healthier, people will become increasingly interested in why your skin looks so healthy and you have suddenly become more vibrant and youthful. Don't be afraid to be an example. Do not think that your opinion is of less importance than someone else's!!!
People think what we think as a society. And, this is generally that sugar is not a problem, alcohol is not a problem, food that has flourescent colors is normal, soda is something to drink, etc.... Taking all kinds of medications is wrapped up in all of this. These are choices that people make based on what they know and what they think. And, that is completely fine, because, like you, they have a choice. But, remember, so do you!
So based on all of our experiences, we all need to honor each other's experiences and choices even though we may not uphold those choices as our own. Even though we may not agree with them.
But, the great thing about life is that we are all different, and the evolution of our minds and our awareness creates the journey that becomes--our life. So, be true to your mind, your heart, your journey!
Dr.B
Comments
Defending your ideas
I absolutely agree with this blog. I have to admit that initially, I did not understand so much of the diet until I came down with a lot of weird symptoms going through treatment. I had to defend the diet even to myself--and that was because of social pressures. I find now that if I try and explain myself to others, people feel uncomfortable. I think that it is pretty common knowledge that all of the sugary/alcohol foods ARE bad if abused. I think the problem is that line of abuse has been seriously blurred over the last few decades/generations. If you read Atkins/The Zone, you really get a strong sense of how sugar sneaks into our diets in mass quantities. So the person who is saying "it's ok to have some cake now and then" well, I agree, IF and only IF there is no other sugar in your diet. What the common person doesn't realize (and neither did I until I started treating) is sugar is everywhere! If you read labels it is in lunchmeat, cereal, almond milk, soy milk, bread, pastas, fruit, spaghetti sauce, barbecue sauce, etc etc. I am amazed when I read labels how many packaged food items have evaporated cane juice/sugar in them. The health food stores tout healthy foods as having healthy sugars like honey/brown rice syrup/sucanat, but it is still SUGAR. Americans in my opinion have a skewed view of what health is. I was trained that having a bowl of oatmeal with a sliced banana, walnuts, raisins and milk was healthy. For lunch, I would eat a sandwich w/ lunchmeat and fruit. For a snack I would have another piece of fruit/crackers and then dinner would be a salad/pasta/honey glazed chicken. What people don't realize is that menu probably was enough sugar to last me a week. Most normal people would think that was healthy and rationalize a piece of chocolate cake which is enough sugar probably for a month! Now that makes me want to gag b/c of the high sugar content. The problem with people who don't understand what we are doing is that when we shun the "sin" foods, outsiders get very uncomfortable. In my opinion, I think that others feel as though we ICers are making some kind of social statement about ourselves and also about people who eat sugar. As though we are high and mighty that we are able to avoid those foods and others who can't/don't are some how inferior. It is sad, but I have been tempted at times to tell people that I am a diabetic so I can't have sugar/alcohol. I have also been even more tempted to tell people that I am a recovering alcoholic. At least that is more socially acceptable to the masses as an excuse for not drinking. Isn't that sad? Now I just don't say anything at all. In my experience, I found that I was way too worried about what everyone else thought about what I was eating. In truth, people are paying about as much attention to what I am eating as I am to what they are eating.
Thank you!
Thanks so much for posting this, Matia - it's very motivational. Just out of curiosity what are the other fungal promoting foods that you avoid?
Foods
Super aged cheeses, like, bleu cheese, and mushrooms.
Matia - what you wrote is a
Matia - what you wrote is a helpful reminder. People who choose alternative thinking are often criticized by others. This is something I think most of us with IC struggle with. It is hard enough to battle a chronic disease like IC let alone trying to justify one's choice not to go with conventional thinking. It can be, and usually is, a lonely road. Thanks for the pep talk. :-)