Okay, so I've been flirting with low carb for the last month-- doing research, reading books and what not -- and kept falling over this website. I *think* I've finally commited to Schwarzbein and then I found you guys today -- how fab! Good info, good attitudes -- what more could a gal want?

So here's the whiney part -- I have all these "health issues", some of which have plagued me for years, and I'm never sure which are legit concerns, which I'm just using for excuses, and which are sheer hyperchondria.

The longest running concern is a veg allergy -- believe or not (and most people don't) I'm actually allergic to most vegetables, all melon, and a few other assorted fruits and nuts. I can eat mushrooms, water chestnuts, bamboo shoots, cauliflower, cooked tomatoes, olives, and moderate amounts of avocados. You'll notice how few of these are true veg.

It's not a heinous allergy -- my gums, lips and the inside of my mouth itch and swell -- and I can *occasionally* get away with small time cheating. But the allergist (I was skin tested) said there's nothing for it but avoidance. Which leads to one of my big questions: can Schwarzbein work with relatively low veg? Because I can't eat cauliflower and mushrooms three meals a day!

I'm also nursing my 5 mos old, and she (which is to say, it's probably me first) doesn't do well with peanuts, egg whites, dairy, cauliflower, etc. Right now I'm kind of forcing it -- trying to find nuts we can tolerate, still eating *some* cheese and sour cream -- but both of us are on and off gassy & crabby. So food variety is even more limited.

Finally, I'm trying to figure out what to do about the whole adrenal/insulin/hormone testing thing. I did the online test (great links!) and it reads mostly moderate damage, but I felt very unsure on most of my answers. Besides, I have a 5 mos old and a 3 year old -- of course I'm tired, cranky and confused! (But I've also been this way for as long as I can remember, and oddly enough I also have the extra long second toe, extremely loose joints and always get sick whenever I go on some fun trip.)

I don't know -- maybe it's the tired and cranky, or maybe I just can't believe that any of these programs are actually going to help me. But *something* has got to change, for me and dh. I can not continue to gain 10 lbs a year until I explode.

I also need to figure out what is up with my hormones -- I nursed my son until he was 18 mos old and everytime I lost a feeding, my hormones went nuts. When I actually stopped nursing I had the *worst* p.m.s., depression, anxiety and weight gain until I got pregnant again 6 mos later. (Then I was just constantly sick.) My hormones feel marginal now. Not horrible, but not good. I'm tired all the time, my joints ache and I'm chronically irritable.

Anyway, thanks for listening -- sorry it's so long, but I've always been a hopeless blatherer. Any advice would be great, including any good docs or dietitians in the Seattle area.

Again, thanks tons and I'm really looking forward to such a great forum.

Cyn

Hi Cyn!

I am a nursing mom as well. Welcome to the group. My nursling is 22mos old so of course is not dependent on me anymore as a primary source of nutrition (although some days I wonder!) I started on the Zone diet, which is similar but lower in fat, when dd was 6 wks old. She has had no problem with lower carb intake.

I don't know what to tell you on the veggies, but in general for ideas look in journals, and start a journal yourself. Welcome to the group!

Jen

welcome

Hello, Cyn, and welcome!

I don't know Schwarzbein (not even sure how to spell it correctly) and in addition, I can't help much with the particular issues you have. But am posting to say that I think you "blather" rather well, and that I hope you figure out how to work lc into your limited food choices. It does sound hard....

If you really want to chat with a fellow blatherer, drop by my journal anytime. I'll have to do some thinking about what you might be able to do in the way of eating lc.

All best,
Kay

Hi Cyn:

Welcome to the SP forum!

Wow, that's terrible that you have veggie allergies. You might take a look on pg 276 in SPII where she lists tons of different veggies. You may find a whole bunch of veggies that you've never tried/or may not be allergic to in that list. We tend to eat the same veggies all the time, but there are so many out there to choose from. It's not convenient finding unusual veggies, but it's definately the healthiest route if you can do it.

Your other option may be to purchase something like phyto greens and supplement your lack of veggie intake.

It's interesting b/c I've read quite a bit lately how adrenal fatigue is implicated in allergies. Maybe following the SPII program will help heal some of your allergies. It's always a hope, anyway.

Wanda

Well, I've got to admit I'm pretty chicken about trying new veg. I always fought my folks on eating it as a kid ( and my dad's Navy! ), so it wasn't until I was old enough to force myself to eat them that I started breaking out left and right. At first it was just a few, but after a few years I even had to give up carrots -- which I love.

My allergist said I probably just "knew" something was wrong as a child -- which was sort of confirmed by testing allergic to every known melon, something I'd never been able to bring myself to eat.

Anyway, the last time I got "adventurous" and ate something with fresh cilantro on top, my lip swelled to about four times it's normal size -- much to the amusement of my friends.

I've had had mixed luck with sweet squashes (like butternut) and borderline things like avocadoes. Which is to say, they seem to be okay in small quantities most of the time, I just have to be a little careful.

There's actually some interesting work, mostly being done in Europe right now that seems to connect veg and fruit allergies with (I hope I have this right) common tree and grass allergens that have similiar enzyme strings. Anyway, the whole thing was unheard of when I was a kid, but now it seems to be a growing problem.

Of course since I've had luck with colorless veg (cauliflower, bamboo shoots, water chestnuts, mushrooms) I should probably try things like jicama - ideas on colorless veg and ways to prepare them are welcome! I do take a "veg replacement" kind of multi, but I'm still wondering how well SB will work with so much less fiber.

Anyway, thanks for the big hello -- I got a little sleep last night (as the baby spent the night kicking her father) so I'm feeling a little more optomistic this morning.

Cyn

Oh -- one other thing -- I just have the first SB book -- is it worth it to get the second one?

Hi Cyn:


In your situation, definately yes.

Wow, what a horrible thing. I guess it's not really worth trying other veggies, having to take the chance. I guess your doctor can't test for the lesser known veggies before trying them?

If you go to www.subfoods.com , it's a cook's thesaurus site and will show you pictures and describe all the unusual veggies. Maybe you can find a good variety of white veggies on that site using Dr. S's list as a resource, although admittedly, white veggies (except for cauliflower) aren't as high in nutrients anyway.

I think your situation is a good question for Dr. S. If you e-mail them a one or two sentence message, they may reply. I would guess you'd have to be careful overeating the veggies you can eat b/c of the possibility that you could become allergic to them as well. If you go to her home page, there is an e-mail link at the bottom of the page.

So how about fruits? Are you able to eat them?

As for cauliflower recipes, I used to mash them up like potatoes and add butter and cream to them. DH loves them done this way. You could also make up a cauliflower salad, done like potato salad.

Here's another cauliflower recipe: http://forum.lowcarber.org/showthre...7329#post827329

If you do a search under Low Carb Kitchen using "Cauliflower", you should get a few ideas.


I think it would still work b/c you'll get fiber from whole grains and fruit. You might need to supplement as well with psyllium. The LC tortillas are a great source of fiber (9 grams for the small, 15 grams for the large), but check the ingredients for pea flour. I don't think they use it, but some LC products do.

Lots of luck.

Aren't adrenals implicated quite a lot in allergies? (If you haven't read up on that already, could be worthwhile to, and gear your diet mostly to healing adrenals.)

Hi there and welcome!

As most folks here know, I too (and dh!), suffer from food sensitivities, formerly SEVERE allergies.

My best advice: get on some good allergy vitamins (I like Twinlab Allergy Multi, cheapest at www.vitacost.com), a good sublingual B Complex (tolerated the best), Allergy C (powdered, available at vitacost.com also, I think - work up to taking a teaspoon after each meal), and a good EFA supplement - including Evening Primrose Oil, should find this at your local health food store refrigerated section. Try this RELIGIOUSLY for a while and I promise you will see some positive changes. The evening primrose alone will seriously help/eliminate PMS type stuff if you take enough (you have to experiment).

Allergies are an over-reaction by your body's immune system so these measures help to lessen the severity (I'm sure you know this!).

These are things you can do NOW. Also, sugar and other highly processed stuff should be eliminated a.s.a.p. Do this for 6 weeks before anything else. Sounds like a lot without even mentioning veggies, right? I promise that I have been helped tremendously by these steps.

Sorry for your troubles but I'll be glad to have someone around who can empathize!

Jinx

Thanks so much for the vitamins and supplement tips! I think I'll finish off my current batch of Rainbow Light Pre-Natals (since I'm nursing) as well as the Alive! veg replacements ones I'm trying out before I try the Allergy Multi. The Evening Primrose Oil, I'm going to have to truck it over the co-op to try out. I poked around on-line a little and it looks okay for nursing -- though again, if anyone knows otherwise, please let me know.

I've been trying to do better with the processed food -- fortunately we have both Trader Joe's and a really good co-op close and I've been *trying* to go increasingly whole food/organic for the past couple of years. Of course since I've been looking around at general LC stuff for the last month or so, I've got too much Splenda stuff around the house. I really prefer the Stevia, but I'm having a hard time really giving up the sweets -- especially since I already feel so limited by the lack of carbs, lack of veg, and lack of various other thing my baby doesn't tolerate -- I'm such a whiner. But it's really nice to talk to someone else with full spectrum allergies -- skin rashes, asthma, hay fever, etc. And it would be *really* nice to not have to resort to allergy meds while nursing.

I think I'm going to have to start a journal and confess my food sins to the masses.

Thanks again for the recipes and vitamin suggestions! The cauliflower one sounds great.

Cyn

Hi Cyn:

Don't even think it! You're going through more than what most people go through. It's a process. You'll get there.

Wanda