My Job Is Killing My Stomach

[jasonD2]

i've posted on this several times, so I apologize for sounding like a broken record.

Ive been working in sales for the past 7 months and really love my job. The problem is whenever I'm on the road or with colleagues/clients I have very little say on where and what I eat. I have multiple food allergies and really need to be on a simple diet, but its impossible for this job since I do so much travel. When I have 1-2 weeks of working from home my stomach goes back to normal, but as soon as I start eating at restaurants and have little to no control over the ingredients my colon shuts down and I start getting constipated with brick hard stools. I do the best I can to avoid dairy, gluten, soy and eggs which are the primary offenders, but there are also a lot of other things that give me problems as well. I freeze and bring some food for myself when im on trips, but when i travel with colleagues they all want to eat at regular mainstream places and the amount of stress this causes me is insane. I always make a strong effort to pick restaurants, but they dont always listen to me

This past week I had a trade show in my own town so i got to choose all my "safe" restaurants, but this still gave me problems because im sensitive to so many different ingredients.

the ideal meal for me would be steamed chicken and rice & vegetables at a chinese place, but no one is going to wanna do this at every single meal. And when I'm able to have someone prepare me a gluten free meal, all the other ingredients/seasonings will give me problems...its like i have to eat bland boring food everywhere I go or else I will have trouble. This is no way to live, i'm sorry! Last Tuesday i took my colleagues to a great restaurant which has a menu that is 90% gluten-free -- we had some good wine and it was so much fun and I felt almost normal, but then the next day...no BM..bloating and constipated.

im so frustrated..I feel like i have the power to heal myself, but cant. if i give up this job/career I will have nothing and will be miserable/suicidal..ive been there and im not going back. i could use some advice. thanks for reading

[RiceGuy]

What I think I'd do is prepare all my meals in advance, and freeze them for travel time. There are also electric coolers that you can plug into the dashboard in the car, if you need stuff to keep longer than it would with ice alone. For short trips, I'd probably heat something up and put it in a thermos or whatever to keep warm. And of course there are plenty of meals that don't need to be heated.

If you stay at a hotel with a microwave, then you could heat stuff that way, or get one of those 12V microwave ovens for the car.

[ShayFL]

Jason....have you found a good counselor yet? The times in my life when I have been in similar shoes, I found help. You dont have to do it alone. There is great comfort in having someone listen to you and offer you alternative ideas.

We can only do so much in here and since after all this time and many posts you still have not found what you need in us, now would be a good time to find a professional who can really help you.

[frec]

Jason--I am SO glad I don't travel for a living. When I do travel I always lose weight because of exactly the same problems you have. Bare chicken breast and steamed vegetables--I just get so tired of them! What I find I need for my morale and sanity is a treat either before or after. Go out with your friends, eat the chicken and vegetables to stay healthy, and smile because you've got good stuff in your motel room. Afterwards go eat some of the supplies you packed. Make sure those supplies are not chicken or vegetables. Bring your favorite stuff--desserts or gluten-free bread or nuts or chocolate or a jar of peanut butter....

When I was in England for two weeks I started coming home after dinner to our B and B and dipping dark chocolate into a jar of rather horrible English peanut butter. It cheered me up and gave me some fat in my diet which I really needed at that point.

Are you taking probiotics? They help healing and they help me with constipation. And, yeah, the counseling helps too.

[AliB]

Jason, I know I have probably said this before but you really need to concentrate on getting your gut to heal. I can understand where you are coming from but I think you need more help with this than we can give you.

Have you consulted any alternative therapists about your issues? If your gut issues are not corrected by removing gluten then it is possible that you are struggling with gut dysbiosis and bacterial or parasitic activity.

You need to try and eat safe food, like unadorned chicken, ham, fish with salad where you can.

Have you enquired on the 'Doctors' section to see if anyone can recommend a good practitioner in your area? Preferably someone who has some knowledge and understanding of Celiac, Gut Dysbiosis, etc., and who is prepared to send you for the proper testing and investigation.

Have you had any biopsies done or investigation to see where the problem lies?

Taking plenty of probiotics will undoubtedly help too. The bloating and discomfort is caused by bacteria - they feed on undigested carbohydrates. Because our guts do not work very efficiently they get plenty of those and that just compounds the problem. The more we feed them the more they grow and the worse we get. The toxins they produce can cause continuous inflammation.

The best way is to eat basic foods - nothing processed or 'mucked about' with. That is why I recommended the Specific Carbohydrate Diet. It cuts out the rubbish and most of the carbs.

The thing is, if you don't get a handle on it now, it will only get worse and you will end up with nothing! You have to be up front with your compatriots. Tell them you would love to eat what they are having but your guts won't let you.

Could you just have fruit for lunch? Perhaps eat your main meal when you get home?

Do you have dairy? Although for years before gluten-free I had IBS, mine was the opposite, but since going gluten-free and although I tend to avoid most carbs, whenever I have Dairy it binds me up.

I have started having a smoothie for breakfast. I chuck in the blender a peeled banana, a washed and cored, but not peeled apple and/or pear, some grapes, a handful of washed salad leaves, a couple slices of cucumber and a couple dollops of plain live yogurt along with a cup of water. I whizz it for a couple minutes, pour it out and enjoy. It is quick, filling, easy on the digestion and very tasty. Because it is full of 'live' food I am getting lots of enzymes too, which also aids the digestion. You can make a smoothie with whatever you fancy but it is good to add some veg to it.

My pain seems to come from my stomach mostly and the last few nights I have taken three probiotic capsules a couple minutes before laying down. As my pain comes from the front of my stomach I have been laying on my front to try and get the bacteria to target the sore area as I am sure it is due to rogue bacteria - even something like Helicobacter. It does seem to be helping so I am sure they do work and it is worth investing in some good ones.

Hospitals over here are now starting to use Probiotics to treat and prevent infections rather than antibiotics, which cause more damage than they cure. I am convinced most of my gut issues are due to having been given antibiotics through my life, and especially when a child and I am sure it is the same for many others.

Sorry I can't be more helpful. I can understand your frustration.

[AliB]

  frec said:

Jason--I am SO glad I don't travel for a living. When I do travel I always lose weight because of exactly the same problems you have. Bare chicken breast and steamed vegetables--I just get so tired of them! What I find I need for my morale and sanity is a treat either before or after. Go out with your friends, eat the chicken and vegetables to stay healthy, and smile because you've got good stuff in your motel room. Afterwards go eat some of the supplies you packed. Make sure those supplies are not chicken or vegetables. Bring your favorite stuff--desserts or gluten-free bread or nuts or chocolate or a jar of peanut butter....

When I was in England for two weeks I started coming home after dinner to our B and B and dipping dark chocolate into a jar of rather horrible English peanut butter. It cheered me up and gave me some fat in my diet which I really needed at that point.

Are you taking probiotics? They help healing and they help me with constipation. And, yeah, the counseling helps too.

So what was so horrible about our English peanut butter??? Less sugar? Less salt? I am intruiged!