Tales From the Fainting Couch

[albireo]

Does anyone know what Rebekah Sanders Cortner has? She's mentioned having chronic pain and revamping her life from being "broken" (her words). Not assuming it's woo, just haven't seen her mention any specifics.

[Briefly]

23 hours ago, Lisafer said:

@Hane I'm laughing about the oil-free no-salt tortilla chips, and at the same time feeling sad for the poor vegan children who only got a pitiful cookie at church. 

I understand some people eat a certain way for health or ethical reasons, and that's fine of course, but for myself I have found that any attempt to eat less gluten/carbs/meat/whatever rapidly spirals into unhealthy food control. I tend to be on the skinny side, though, so at this point eating whatever I want works out ok! 

But yeah, Mexican food with no salt? No oil? Blasphemy! And Ew! 

Those children are the kind who could easily grow up to develop an eating disorder, over eating or under eating.  Unhealthy obessions with food on the part of their mother could cause some serious problems as they get older.  Not to mention physical health issues both now and later.

Mexican food with no salt? No oil?  That is wrong! wrong! wrong!  I don't eat much salt, but some things just need it.

[PennySycamore]

@Hane,  I loathe the term "clean eating" too!  I may be from a state that takes the nicknames of her citizens "sandlappers" from some people eating clay, but  I'm hoping that whatever I eat is pretty free from dirt.

I came to the conclusion long ago that since some quack came up with some new reason (not taking megadoses of vitamins, yeast, vaccines, etc)  why people felt lousy there must be a fairly high degree of psychosomatic illness in at least of of these cases.

Last night on the season 10 finale of RuPaul's Drag Race, I'm pretty sure I saw a fainting couch.  I can't recall offhand which queen was on it though.

[anniebgood]

On 6/28/2018 at 7:09 AM, Lisafer said:

@elsiedindin man, doughnuts sound good now! Yeast infection in the brain? I'll take my chances! 

I was just thinking of calling the spousal unit and asking him to swing by Randy's or Krispy Kreme and bring home some doughnuts. I'm craving them big time....

[formergothardite]

I guess this would be the time to admit I'm a low fat, high carb, sugar free, oil free vegan.  I like Mexican food without added salt and oil. I don't stick to the diet 100% but I do feel better when I do. I honestly don't feel like I'm depriving myself, though no one will ever convince me marinated carrots taste like hot dogs and dates taste the same as brownies. If people don't want to fix food for me to eat when they invite me over for meals, that is fine, but just don't get offended when I bring my own. I promise not to force you to watch Food, Inc. 

 

[Lisafer]

8 minutes ago, formergothardite said:

I guess this would be the time to admit I'm a low fat, high carb, sugar free, oil free vegan.  I like Mexican food without added salt and oil. I don't stick to the diet 100% but I do feel better when I do. I honestly don't feel like I'm depriving myself, though no one will ever convince me marinated carrots taste like hot dogs and dates taste the same as brownies. If people don't want to fix food for me to eat when they invite me over for meals, that is fine, but just don't get offended when I bring my own. I promise not to force you to watch Food, Inc. 

 

But I imagine you would not surprise everyone with an oil-and-salt-free vegan luncheon at the church Cinco de Mayo party! You could not be so cruel 

[EowynW]

33 minutes ago, formergothardite said:

I guess this would be the time to admit I'm a low fat, high carb, sugar free, oil free vegan.  I like Mexican food without added salt and oil. I don't stick to the diet 100% but I do feel better when I do. I honestly don't feel like I'm depriving myself, though no one will ever convince me marinated carrots taste like hot dogs and dates taste the same as brownies. If people don't want to fix food for me to eat when they invite me over for meals, that is fine, but just don't get offended when I bring my own. I promise not to force you to watch Food, Inc. 

 

I have to stay gluten & sugar free and I get so tired of people being annoyed when I bring my own food. My inlaws are terrible about cooking anything healthy and often I'll bring a bit of dessert and a side for me so I'm not just sitting there watching people eat. 

[formergothardite]

14 minutes ago, Lisafer said:

But I imagine you would not surprise everyone with an oil-and-salt-free vegan luncheon at the church Cinco de Mayo party! You could not be so cruel 

I'll provide salt shakers! I'll make these chips which I like. My husband only slightly complains about the lack of salt. 

http://www.planteatersmanifesto.com/baked-tortilla-chips/

 

[purjolok84]

"Friend" is maybe a generous term at this point. Some people's control issues manifest in weird ways. A doughnut is apparently worse than just sugar because it's got flour and yeast as well. She thinks the sugar and flour will feed the yeast and give you a yeast infection (aka thrush). OMG the stupid. There are over a thousand different fungal species classified as "yeasts" and the one we use to make bread and beer etc is not remotely like Candida albicans which causes infections. She has some theory about the yeast multiplying and getting to your brain and causing depression/anxiety. I figure if you have a fungal infection in your brain you might need a ventilator before you need a Prozac, but probably I'm just in league with Big Medicine. The things people will believe!

People get so scared by simple things - I understand allergies and food intolerances. I understand the need for moderation in food intake and that for some people, eating less sugar or less fat in their daily diet does make them feel better.

But being so controlling about what you eat that the idea of eating a doughnut is terrifying? Yeast and flour and sugar are just food staples. Food shouldn't be the enemy but there's always a 'bad' food and a 'good' food and depending on what diet you're on, what celebrity you're following or what time period you're living in, it constantly changes.

I can't help but feel bad for your friend, as stressful as she sounds. Hopefully this is not a permanent thing for her and she achieves a better idea of what she wants to eat. Where I work sometimes I joke that I'm as much of a psychologist/dietitian as a retail assistant, as I get people (mostly older females but sometimes men too) make jokes or be completely serious about how they shouldn't be buying chocolate because of dietary or weight issues. I feel like I spend much more time sympathising with them than I do selling chocolate; I've tried advising them on how beneficial chocolate actually is, but it doesn't go over as well. It's kind of scary.

[Terrie]

10 hours ago, EowynW said:

I have to stay gluten & sugar free and I get so tired of people being annoyed when I bring my own food. My inlaws are terrible about cooking anything healthy and often I'll bring a bit of dessert and a side for me so I'm not just sitting there watching people eat. 

I would much rather someone on a highly restricted diet bring their own food, because I love cooking, but I cannot promise a lack of contamination if I try to cook for them. 

[smittykins]

13 hours ago, anniebgood said:

I was just thinking of calling the spousal unit and asking him to swing by Randy's or Krispy Kreme and bring home some doughnuts. I'm craving them big time....

It reminds me of those banner ads you used to see all the time saying “NEVER EAT THESE 5 FOODS.”  My instinct would always be to stock up on said 5 foods on my next grocery run. 

[Black Aliss]

On 6/27/2018 at 10:24 PM, purjolok84 said:

Personally I'm inclined to think that in general, the body needs more fat and protein over sugar, but everybody has different needs. For example if I want sugar I cope with it better in the morning, and I prefer whole foods to a product where I can't identify half of the ingredients (and not for lack of trying!)
 

Exactly. People's bodies handle calories differently.  If I have sugar at breakfast I'm hungry an hour later, and my blood sugar will  yo-yo for several hours afterwards, whereas if I have a high-protein and fat breakfast I'm good for at least 5 hours. Mr Black, however, can eat cereal with a banana, slug back a giant glass of juice, and go for the same number of hours on that carbo-sugar load.

14 hours ago, EowynW said:

I have to stay gluten & sugar free and I get so tired of people being annoyed when I bring my own food. My inlaws are terrible about cooking anything healthy and often I'll bring a bit of dessert and a side for me so I'm not just sitting there watching people eat. 

I would not be annoyed  about someone bringing their own food even though I make it a rule to learn about my guests' dietary restrictions and plan my menu accordingly. However, it wouldn't help someone with severe* celiac disease to bring their own food because there's bound to be a bit of flour dust in the air in my house unless I were to undertake a Passover-level of house cleaning beforehand.

*Thinking about people like "glutenfreegirl" who gets ill if she kisses her husband after he has eaten something with gluten. I've never actually met someone with celiac that bad so I don't know if my house is toxic for them.

[Black Aliss]

On 6/28/2018 at 6:54 AM, Terrie said:

Personally, I find that aspartame tastes like licking the inside of an aspirin bottle. Who cares if it's bad for you or not? It tastes like chemicals.

Plus, when I want a soda (maybe 4-6 times a year) it's because I want sugar. Cane sugar, not corn syrup.

[Rachel333]

(Reposting from the Jinjer thread, as I was confused about which thread I was in!) 

I don't think it's fair to call all "clean eating" (I agree that's not a great term) orthorexia. I don't think it's bad if someone wants to avoid certain foods, the problem is when it gets to the point where they can't break their diet without serious distress. It bothers me though when people act like all food restriction is disordered, as that's unfair both to people who are doing it in a healthy manner and when you're lumping everyone into the disorder category it can minimize the problems of people who actually do have disordered eating patterns or eating disorders (and again, I also think it's important to distinguish between disordered eating and full blown eating disorders). 

[Red Hair, Black Dress]

@EowynW Try Wood Lock Oil for Mr EW's back ("Wood Lock Medicated Oil - Wong To Yick - Huo Luo Oil - Topical Analgesic (Pain Reliever").  It contains Camphor 10% ,Menthol 16%, Methyl Salicylate 50% and Lavender oil.  Personally I think it smells like turpentine and makes the bed sheets smell the same.  The up side is it doesn't stain.

I swear by it for my aching back.  Massaging it in and then using a heating pad or just lying flat on your back amps up the heat. You only need a few drops for relief, a drop rubbed on the temples works for tension headaches.

If you have access to a Chinese/ Asian market you can get it. I'm sure it's also available on the internet, I've seen it on eBay. Something else to try is extra strength Tiger Balm, also available at Chinese/Asian markets.  Wood Lock works the best for me though

 

 

[EowynW]

4 hours ago, Black Aliss said:

Exactly. People's bodies handle calories differently.  If I have sugar at breakfast I'm hungry an hour later, and my blood sugar will  yo-yo for several hours afterwards, whereas if I have a high-protein and fat breakfast I'm good for at least 5 hours. Mr Black, however, can eat cereal with a banana, slug back a giant glass of juice, and go for the same number of hours on that carbo-sugar load.

I would not be annoyed  about someone bringing their own food even though I make it a rule to learn about my guests' dietary restrictions and plan my menu accordingly. However, it wouldn't help someone with severe* celiac disease to bring their own food because there's bound to be a bit of flour dust in the air in my house unless I were to undertake a Passover-level of house cleaning beforehand.

*Thinking about people like "glutenfreegirl" who gets ill if she kisses her husband after he has eaten something with gluten. I've never actually met someone with celiac that bad so I don't know if my house is toxic for them.

I am not celiac so I don't have to worry much about cross contamination. I am gluten sensitive and cannot eat it per drs orders (and it really is helping me tremendously to stay off of it) but one bite won't kill me. My inlaws can't even do stuff like a meat and salad. It's all bread, carbs, sugar, high starch, fake butter, etc. It wouldn't be bad if we didn't live ten minutes down the road. But a meal like that weekly makes me feel ill for a couple of days and puffs my scale up for days,  and I eventually had to put a food boundary up.    

My SIL IS celiac and it is very hard for her. Only my mom & I have safe kitchens for her. And she has to be super careful. Even her makeup has to be gluten free. 

[Hane]

I have a cousin by marriage who has celiac disease, but doesn’t make a big deal out of it, so I always make sure I bake something GF for family gatherings.  

[Soulhuntress]

10 hours ago, Terrie said:

I would much rather someone on a highly restricted diet bring their own food, because I love cooking, but I cannot promise a lack of contamination if I try to cook for them. 

Exactly.  I do not mind if you cannot eat the food.  And if you bring your own.  But if you are a a jerk then it becomes a different conversation.  @EowynW my inlaws cook like that too.  We are trying the "hey why don't we do a meal" with them and it sometimes works..... We love grilling but our grill is not vegan (we do have plenty of space if someone wants to bring their own mini grill (seriously understand it for someone with dietary or religious restrictions).   

[feministxtian]

Someone had the nerve to tell my husband that the diet coke he was drinking "would kill him". Look, if you ain't seen a Latina who grew up in the southern US get pissed...well...this "well meaning" idiot got told off in a HUGE way. Showed her the insulin pump on my hub's belt and told them to fuck off and die.

Yelled at someone in another thread equating sweet tea with diabetes too. 

We try to eat lower carb, but, now that I've gone back to work...well...until I get adjusted to the new life, I make no guarantees. Beyond that, since hub has really no food restrictions, if it's edible, we'll eat it. 

Oh, I rarely add salt to anything except rice, although lately I've used a dash of lime juice instead. The medical professionals are bewildered by an overweight 50-something with low blood pressure. 

[Rachel333]

There's definitely a lot of research finding that sugary drinks are really bad for you, increasing the risk of developing quite a few different health conditions, including Type II Diabetes (which definitely isn't as simple as outright "sugary drinks cause diabetes). That said, it's incredibly rude to assume you know better about someone's health needs than they do, or to tell them what they should or should not consume.

Interestingly, there have also been lots of studies looking for dangers of diet soda, but they haven't really found anything solid, and with the results that have been found it's unclear if it's really a causal relationship. At any rate, they're definitely not worse for you than sugared sodas, which is why I find it kind of bizarre when people think it's healthier to drink sugared soda. If you want to drink sugared soda go for it! It's just that there's no evidence that it's better for you than diet soda.

[FiddleDD]

My cousin has two children with milk and egg allergies and her in laws never have anything the kids can eat, even at the holidays! Nothing like a screaming toddler that doesn’t understand why he can’t eat the birthday cake and a bunch of adults that never even THOUGHT about having an alternative. 

I find it so baffling because my family never makes things they can’t eat if the kids will be here. It just doesn’t seem that hard, and they are little kids who don’t understand yet. When they are older we can just make sure there are a few alternatives for them but until then we make the delicious milk/egg free cake recipe from WW2 and everyone is happy. 

[louisa05]

I think the fakers are causing problems for people who have real food allergies and justifiable restrictions. My cousin's wife claims to have celiac disease and claims that her children do. They were diagnosed via an email conversation with a friend who is a chiropractor. And to make it worse, the stupid woman doesn't seem to know what gluten is. They eat wheat and multigrain bread and she drinks beer. Her 15 year old daughter eats whatever she wants now and the mother's explanation is that she "outgrew" celiac. We suspect that she figured out that they've been feeding her gluten the whole time and she's fine. 

Another cousin makes up food allergies all the time for her daughter. The last time I heard the list it included gluten, sugar, dairy, eggs and "all GMOs". At a cook out yesterday at my mom's, the kid ate a hot dog in a bun, Cheetos, potato salad with eggs and a ridiculous amount of marshmallows. Based on her mother's going on about her food allergies, she should have keeled over and died on the spot, but she seemed okay to us. 

When people do that crap, it makes the people around them grow skeptical of the validity of intolerances and allergies and, I think, less likely to go out of their way to accommodate it. We are guilty of completely ignoring it with these relatives and I think, at this point. it would be hard to convince the much older people like my mother and aunt that there is validity to anyone's avoiding gluten. 

[FiddleDD]

58 minutes ago, louisa05 said:

I think the fakers are causing problems for people who have real food allergies and justifiable restrictions.  

...

When people do that crap, it makes the people around them grow skeptical of the validity of intolerances and allergies and, I think, less likely to go out of their way to accommodate it. We are guilty of completely ignoring it with these relatives and I think, at this point. it would be hard to convince the much older people like my mother and aunt that there is validity to anyone's avoiding gluten. 

One hundred percent agreed. I once saw a friend who had cut out gluten to lose weight make such a scene in a restaurant I was cringing. I DO know people with doctor diagnosed celiac’s and I worry that waitstaff that have experienced the “fakers” won’t believe them when they ask for gluten free. And the person I know the best with celiacs was SEVERELY ill for years before her diagnosis. Not like the sensitivity people who get a headache or something. It makes me so mad. 

And then we have grocery stores labeling their bananas as gluten free. *facepalm*

As far as I’m concerned people can eat whatever weird diet they want, just don’t talk to me about it because I don’t care. Double for dieters. I don’t care WHY you are saying no to dessert so don’t give me a five minute lecture on how you had a bite of a brownie three days ago and that was your sugar for the month. Really, no is fine. No need to elaborate. 

[Black Aliss]

A friend of mine with a nut allergy told me that when he was in grammar school he had learned to ask what was in foods that might contain nuts. So he asked the lunch lady if there were nuts in the chocolate brownies, because he was allergic to nuts. She replied that there weren't, so he ate the brownie. As the paramedics were bringing him around from his anaphylaxis, someone asked the lunch lady why she had said there weren't nuts in the brownies. Her response was that they were chopped up so find she didn't think there would be a problem.

WRT non-celiac gluten sensitivities: Gluten gets blamed for causing bloating, cramps ,and diarrhea and, while many non-celiac people are actually sensitive to gluten, the majority of GS folks are actually reacting to the indigestible sugars present in wheat, barley, and rye. (google FODMAP if you're curious). Most gluten-free products are low in these polysaccharides, so people do feel better when they cut out gluten, but they would usually do better to cut out the "*ol" sugars (xylitol, sorbitol), stick to sourdough bread, and in general just go easy on all the foods that can trigger irritable bowel symptoms.

[TheOneAndOnly]

1 hour ago, FiddleDD said:

And then we have grocery stores labeling their bananas as gluten free. *facepalm*

I once saw a GLUTEN FREE! label on a bottle of water. My response? I should hope so!