It’s not possible to stress how badly I have cooked my whole life. It started when I was a kid trying to cook. It really only went downhill from there. It was defeating. I have panic attacks when someone decides to have a potluck. Office potlucks terrify me. I don’t even like to eat them because I can’t dare to contribute to them. Food and cooking has been a nightmare my whole life. Most of my life I haven’t even enjoyed eating. I’ve only eaten to survive. Could this be a root cause of my fibromyalgia?
I had a doctor once who acknowledged that my body doesn’t metabolize food properly. She used to tell me it was like my carburetor was broken. And genetic testing has proven her right. If I metabolize food the way I metabolize medications, then I would need more than most people to get the proper amount of nutrition for some foods, less than most people for other foods, and there would be about 25% of foods that I could eat a normal amount. And of course, 25% that I shouldn’t eat at all (I have those identified as sugar and processed foods, no peanuts either). I’m not allergic to foods, but I’m intolerant, and my body rebels by ignoring what I eat or over compensating.
So I’m eating differently now. I’m not weighing my food or measuring it or counting calories. I don’t care about my weight. I care about mobility and functionality, which I’ve lost steadily over a few years and rapidly in the last few months locked away in my house. Instead, I’m eating as much as I want three times a day, but primarily vegetables rich in nutrients. I’m not depriving myself of anything because I’ve completely stopped craving everything. It’s like a miracle, but it’s very new, so I wouldn’t put it past myself to completely mess up tomorrow. However, today, I’m golden.
Anyway, since it’s new, I’m going to try to record some of the foods I’ve been throwing together. I get bored with recipes, and they’re way too nit-picky. I’m going to do this instead.
Cantaloupe and bananas with granola and plain Greek yogurt
Tempeh, baby bok choy, almonds, crumbled cauliflower, onions & garlic, dash of apple cider vinegar and Braggs
Granola – based on a recipe from Thug Kitchen – Eat Like You Give a Fuck. Oats, almonds, dried cranberries, flax, organic maple syrup, and cinnamon
Sweet stir fry – tempeh, pineapple, carrots, orange and yellow peppers, sugar snap peas, red onion, cabbage slaw, touch of ginger
Brown rice with stir fried broccoli, carrots, and parsnip. A little dry…
Soup – baby bok choy, carrots, broccoli, tricolor quinoa w/ meatballs, chicken stock
Tempeh with brussel sprounts, baby bok choy, carrots, crushed tomatoes with onions and garlic, splash of apple cider vinegar and Braggs
Pineapple and pepper pizza with crumpled tempeh, crushed tomatoes, and Italian seasoning
Leftover pizza sauce turned into spaghetti
Sweet potatoes, zucchini, almonds, onions & garlic
Tempeh with edamame and wild rice – probably before I learned to cook onions. Would add white onion and garlic, a dash of Braggs, and cook in sesame oil instead of olive oil
Tempeh with baby bok choy, sugar snap peas, almonds, with parsnip fries on the side
Seared tuna steak with light ginger and salt and pepper. Scrambled egg rolls
Grape tomatoes, cucumbers, baby carrots, touch of Miracle Whip, and a sprinkle of feta cheese
Edamame, brussel sprouts, shaved almonds, with white onion over tricolor quinoa
Tempeh with onion, baby bok choy, apple cidar vinegar and Bragg’s. Parsnips and scorched zucchini and summer squash.
Tempeh, broccoli, baby bok choy, onion & garlic, with Braggs. Farro on the side, asparagus on the side, baked with Braggs (so salty and a little squishy)
Farro with walnuts and dried cranberries, with a touch of organic maple syrup mixed in
Tricolor quinoa w/red onion & garlic, crumbled cauliflower, and baby bok choy, all stir fried together
Fibromy What? 