Recovery Diet

[michelleL]

I've traveled several times now, with all very good intentions of adhering to my gluten-free/soy-free diet, being careful of where and what I eat, communicating with restaurant staff, etc. etc. etc., as well as dealing with family - which is actually tougher to deal with than restaurants..., and still, it is inevitable, I get glutened or soyed. Upon return, back home, my health suffers badly for it.

I'm thinking, that when I go traveling and then return home, I should go on some kind of diet that'll be easier on my digestive system and help me recover easier. Has anyone had thoughts about this, as well? I'm wondering how long the diet should last and what foods are easier on the digestive system. Obviously, nothing with gluten, or soy. (Can I just say, this is like being a baby again and eating baby food before taking on "grown-up" foods....) My digestion is not what it is supposed to be, after travelling and being unintentionally glutened/soyed. Does anybody know what foods are easy to digest?

[mommyagain]

For me it's plain white or brown rice, plain baked potatos, plain chicken or turkey, and plain steamed veggies. By plain, I mean no seasonings, marinades, or sauces (all potential gluten sources). I also eat a lot of apples, bananas, and grapes, although fruit causes problems for some people. Raw veggies make me gassy and bloated, so salads (which work well for many people) aren't good for me.

I've often thought of finding a good gluten-free seasoning mix that I can take with me and put on all of the above (except the fruit) to provide some flavor. If you're eating in a restaurant, make sure you tell the server to have the meat wrapped in foil and then cooked.

With family, good luck. Probably the best you can do is make your own food whenever possible. That can be extremely difficult when dealing with strong personalities and/or a contaminated kitchen. But, you need to do what is best for you, not what makes them happy. Maybe you can try to explain how sick you were before you went gluten and soy-free and how sick you get when you get it by accident. Hopefully they would rather have you healthy than not, so they will try to be accomodating.

[mommyagain]

I just re-read your post and realized that you are asking for a diet to follow during recovery AFTER you've been glutened or soyed. I was thinking that you were looking for what you should eat while you're travelling. I would still focus on prevention when possible, but the diet I listed in my previous post would probably also be good for recovery. Also add LOTS of water to your "recovery diet". A lot of people have found that higher than normal consumption of water can help to shorten the symptoms of being glutened.

[michelleL]

sounds like a good simple diet - thanks!