Eat it

After a year of feeling and being sick, the light has appeared!

Here is a list of what I'm no longer able to eat:

a=alcohol
b= beef
c = caffeine, citrus, cucumber
d = dairy (every. single. kind.)
e = eggs
g = garlic
j = junk food (if it's in a vending machine, I can't eat it)
n= nightshade vegetables
p= pork
s= sugar (including white bread, white rice, white pasta)

Yowzah. Last year I spent a lot of time in doctors' offices being told, "Just be smart about what you eat," but since I wasn't particularly, I suffered. I have probably financed a new wing of Church & Dwight and spent a good part of the year asleep.

Things didn't start to turn around until I finally saw a holistic nutritionist. I went in with all my "This is stupid - she's not a doctor" armour and walked out with Useful Information.

I went off dairy and life was infinitely better. Not believing it could really be a dairy allergy, I had some cheese. This was a Very Bad Idea. I'll spare you the details.

Another turn came this past February when I visited my amazing friends in Toronto. C took me to a restaurant called Fresh. She said, "You'll be able to eat everything here," and she was right. Moreover, I had a vegan cupcake there and I was okay! Better than okay - I was excited that there may be a workable food plan for me out there. C very sweetly bought me the cookbook from this vegan restaurant...

It all started with one cookbook. Now I have three. They are all vegan. I guess I'm vegan.

I'm not sure I am cool with the label thing. I'd like to say I'm going vegan because I feel for the poor little piggies, and I do, but bacon is freaking awesome. Come on. It IS!!! And ice cream? Well, that's practically therapy in a bowl right there.

But it's okay if I don't have a conscience because my G.I. tract is a pretentious jerk, a member of the radical wing of PETA, and is always asking if she can chain herself up and protest.

My goal is to keep her happy.

And that's how it all vegan.