Other Types Of Natural Chemicals In Food

[bartfull]

The latest thing I have reacted to is nettle tea. I assumed it must be high in sals, but then I read where it is used to COUNTERACT high sals foods.

I DO react to a lot of high sals foods, but not all. I can eat a great big sweet potato with broccoli every day and have no reaction. That should be a no-no.

So I looked up amines and oxalates. Nope. A lot of the foods high in these chemicals don't bother me while some of the one's that are low do.

So is there something I'm missing? Is there another chemical in foods that I might be reacting to?

Here is what I can eat:

meat

dairy

eggs

white rice

broccoli

cauliflower

summer squash

carrots

sweet potatoes

white potatoes

bananas

avocadoes

sea salt

coffee

cornstarch

sunflower oil

safflower oil

What I know I can't eat:

corn meal

blueberries

grapes

corn oil

chocolate

apples

leafy greens

brown rice

every vitamin supplement I have ever tried

Things I like but haven't tried yet:

citrus

tomatoes

eggplant

bacon

camomile tea

There are probably others I've tried that didn't work but I can't think of them right now. And I know there are others I would like to try, but those on the list are the ones I would MOST like to eat. And even more important to me would be finding a vitamin and mineral supplement I could tolerate. Sweet potatoes have a lot of nutrition, but a person can get mighty sick of eating them every single day!

Thanks for any help or suggestions.

[GottaSki]

Sweet potatoes have a lot of nutrition, but a person can get mighty sick of eating them every single day!

My intolerances tend to be to high lectin foods. I can and do eat sweet potatoes, but I don't really care for them - they also leave me feeling "heavy" so I limit them to once a week or so.

I make many, many batches of butternut squash fries. They are a pain to cut up - into very thin fry shapes, but oh so worth it. I cut up the whole squash and use 1/4 at a time tossed with oil, salt and pepper. Bake at 350 - between 20-40 minutes depending on thickness of fry. Store the unused fries in ziplocks in the frig at the ready for a quick treat or side dish.

I also bake one half of a spaghetti squash to keep the "noodles" ready in the frig to toss with something for a quick meal.

I was never a squash fan, but now have them coming out my ears and I haven't tired of them - yet

[bartfull]

According to what I have read, white potatoes are high in lectins and they don't bother me. I haven't tried any winter squash yet because I don't like them. It's tough because I never really liked vegetables much. Broccoli, cauliflowers, eggplant, and summer squash are the only ones I ever liked besides corn (which I will never eat again.)

I forgot, I can also eat walnuts and cashews, but not almonds. That was one of the reasons I suspected sals. I can eat pistashios too, but have to limit them to 10 a week, so what's the point?

[GottaSki]

was just checking the sal content of squash - didn't want to recommend something you shouldn't be eating - and found this blurb on the page of sal content I was looking at:

"Essential Sugars and Plant Lectins

Dietary lectins are associated with some intolerance reactions to food. Lectins are not considered a part of the food chemical intolerance syndrome, though they can cause similar negative reactions in vulnerable people. The effects of lectins are dose-related, and lectins can produce illness in any individual."

Only found one reference to butternut squash - it called it "moderate" for sals - sweet potato was also listed as "moderate" on the same page:

Open Original Shared Link

I didn't know pumpkin was high in salicylates - I learned my something new for the day

edit: was typing this when you posted you think you are ok with lectins

[ciamarie]

Possibly sulfites?

Open Original Shared Link

And here:

Open Original Shared Link (note where it mentions dried herbs and spices.)

[shadowicewolf]

According to what I have read, white potatoes are high in lectins and they don't bother me. I haven't tried any winter squash yet because I don't like them. It's tough because I never really liked vegetables much. Broccoli, cauliflowers, eggplant, and summer squash are the only ones I ever liked besides corn (which I will never eat again.)

I forgot, I can also eat walnuts and cashews, but not almonds. That was one of the reasons I suspected sals. I can eat pistashios too, but have to limit them to 10 a week, so what's the point?

Two words: acorn... squash... it has a similar texture to a sweet potato (though more squashy) and can be doctored the same.

I'm burnt out on sweet potatos sadly

[GFinDC]

Alkaloids in nightshades are a possible problem.

[Juliebove]

Maybe there is no connection? I test as intolerant to a variety of things. And yet there are other things that I can't eat or can't eat much of because they bother me for other reasons. Chocolate sets off my GERD. Too much garlic gives me stomach pains. I can't seem to have mashed potatoes now. They make me sick to my stomach. But I can eat baked or fried. That makes no sense. Most fruit gives me horrid stomach pains but apples and pears do not. And then there are the things I simply can't digest. Like broccoli and large amounts of salad. I do love salad. I can have a small bowl a couple of times a week but any more than that is pushing it. Steamed beets? No good. Canned beets? Fine. I don't try to analyze it any more. If I react badly to it, I just don't eat it.

[dilettantesteph]

Have you tried different sources of the same thing? That might be helpful to see if you are reacting to the item itself, or something used in it's growth, harvesting or processing. I found that to be the case for me. I was fine with things from some sources but not others. That lead me to be able to find safe sources of some things that I can eat, rather than having to cut everything out.

Good luck.

[bartfull]

I should have mentioned that most of these foods that I can't tolerate don't cause much in the way of digestive symptoms. They cause psoriasis flares. I STILL don't know if each time I get a psoriasis flare I am also damaging my gut.

I hate this! I need my hands!

[shadowicewolf]

I should have mentioned that most of these foods that I can't tolerate don't cause much in the way of digestive symptoms. They cause psoriasis flares. I STILL don't know if each time I get a psoriasis flare I am also damaging my gut.

I hate this! I need my hands!

enviormental perhaps? I know when a new weather front comes in, my knee aches like mad.

[Juliebove]

I should have mentioned that most of these foods that I can't tolerate don't cause much in the way of digestive symptoms. They cause psoriasis flares. I STILL don't know if each time I get a psoriasis flare I am also damaging my gut.

I hate this! I need my hands!

Ah, interesting! I haven't a clue what is causing my psoriasis. I just started the nettle tea. Too soon to tell if it is helping.

[bartfull]

I am sure it's not environmental Shadow, because when I am strictly on my original 11 safe foods the psoriasis clears up completely. It's only when I branch out and try something new that I get in trouble. And the insomnia always comes with it. And my feet swell. And I get grumpy. And my jaw swells and hurts so bad I sometimes whimper. Kinda like right now, "*#%*@*, whine".