Last month, I did the Real Food Challenge. Doing this, along with an Elimination diet, I have made huge progress on figuring out how to eat so that my digestion allows me to have some sort of life. Let me update you a bit on this.
I have blogged in detail about not having a rectum, what use the rectum serves for people, how my body works with out a rectum, the problems, challenges, etc. I have been trying to find a way to eat and live so that I do not have to put back in an ostomy. People live very well with ostomies. If I had to, I would have one again. But I had some pretty serious issues that are unique to me with the ostomies. Because of the cancer, surgeries and radiation, my intestines that I have left do not work normally. So with the ostomies, (I have had both kinds,) I was easily dehydrated, easily had blockages, and because I have very sensitive skin, I would regularly have painful wounds. So, figuring out my food issues is extremely important to me. But even if I eat perfectly, I will always have "issues" because of the lack of rectum.
But I am getting to a point where I think there is a good possibility that I will avoid getting an ostomy. Yes! This is what I have figured out so far. I am very gluten intolerant, also have allergies to nuts (maybe some are OK, but have not figured it out yet), can eat fish, but only a little chicken and beef. I can eat eggs, dairy (small amount), almost all fruits and vegetables. Grains without gluten.
What surprises me, is how sensitive my system is to processed food. Foods with preservatives, hormones, dyes, etc. Through research, I have a theory on this. It takes a lot to digest these ingredients. Lots of time, lots of healthy intestinal tissue. I have neither. Because some of my small intestines have been removed, the remaining is radiation damaged, a good part of my large intestines are gone, no rectum, my intestinal tract is much shorter and food goes through me much faster than the average person. And what digestive tract I have left is so sensitive that it can not handle any junk, and very little hard to digest meat. So if I have processed foods or too much meat, my body rebels.
This means I need to eat clean, pure foods as much as possible. So I have been developing a little routine to help keep clean foods available. Once a week, I buy a package with two boneless, skinless, hormone free, free ranged, fresh chicken breast. Because LL and I eat so little meat. These two chicken breasts are plenty for us all week. I use the meat as an ingredient, not as an entree. I poach them in water and what ever old vegetables I need to use.
This gives me two breast for meat and also a couple cups of clean broth to use in my stir-frys and other dishes.
When cooking rice and roasting vegetables for a meal, I make enough extra for my lunches for the week.
Above is roasted vegetables and rice. Rice? Yes, organic black rice.
Very flavorful, and packed with nutrients and anti-oxidents.
Try it sometime.
When baking a potato for dinner, I bake a couple extra to make hashbrowns for breakfast.
When making fish for dinner, I will make one extra for my lunch the next day.
I eat on a small 6 inch plate now to keep my portions small.
If I eat too much food at once, this also triggers "issues".
I will make deviled eggs for a quick snack of protein.
And I am learning to have just a small piece of fruit to quelch my sweet craving. (this is not quite working yet, but my taste buds are changing).
I must admit, I still get in the mood for something fast and junky. I just don't have that luxury to give in to that craving. I would pay for days.
