My appointment yesterday with Naturopath  Ananda Kramer was fascinating.  My blood work concluded that my primary food sensitivity is to potato.  I have a “combination”  sensitivity is to fruit and sugar.  I can eat them separately but when I do, I need to eat them 6 hours apart.

Easy enough, right?  Simply cut out white potato, sweet potato and yams and don’t eat sugar within 6 hours of eating fruit, or vise versa.  Not so fast.  No potato includes potato starch and dextrose, a potato sugar derivative.    It is found in canned foods, bacon, lunch meats, ham, most white flours, baking yeast,  baking powder, baking soda and iodized salt.   Yes, salt.  It’s in everything.  There are brands that test negative, but not many.

Fruit is an ingredient that is also in most foods in some way, shape or form.  Citric acid, ascorbic acid, sorbitol, polysorbate-80, and fruit oils such as coconut,  and palm.  So ketchup, relishes, pickles and picante sauces are out because they have tomatoes or cider vinegar (fruit) and sugar.    See what I mean?  Seems a bit daunting.

Thank goodness I can have wheat and dairy.  I really thought I’d have issue with one or both of these!  I will come up with acceptable recipes made of whole wheat flour or spelt.  Very do-able.

I decided to cut out sugar completely.  I have always wanted to do this because of all that I’ve read about how sugar causes major inflammation in the body.   The very good news is that I CAN have natural sweeteners such as agave, pure maple sugar or syrup barley malt, rice syrup and honey.   Artificial sweeteners are not acceptable which is completely fine as I never use them anyway.

I think it’s really unfortunate how difficult it is to find “pure” foods.  Manufacturers add additives to prolong shelf life.

What have we done to food???  God bless all Moms who have children with dangerous food allergies.  I can’t imagine how hard that would be!

The notion that you should eat lean meats and load up on plenty of fresh fruits and vegetables is not a new one.

I am going to do plenty of experimentation with baking.  I’m not a huge bread person but I would really miss it if I didn’t have it.  I am going to make my own sourdough to use in lieu of commercial yeast.  I’ll keep you posted.

Have a wonderful weekend!

Angie