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In a message dated 6/30/00 10:08:01 AM Central Daylight Time,
bonniepainter@... writes:

<< Could you give me some kind of idea what mainly changed in your diet. You
sound like me, although I've never had "problems" digesting these things, I
have had bouts of depression since my kids were born and your old favorites
sound like mine...

>>
Hi Bonnie, For as long as I can remember, I have been a chocolate lover. As
I grew up, I became Pepsi's #1 fan. :) I also have always been the type of
person who gets nervous easily, and as I grew up became more phobic about
things. I would worry about things excessively, and fear things needlessly.
Pregnancy made things enhanced the first time around... I had a sense of
depression throughout the pregnancy, which lifted almost immediately at
delivery. The next time around, the digestion trouble started in conjunction
with eating corn, or with corn as an ingredient, and sometimes dairy. The
gas was painful. When I was a teen, the allergy symptoms started, which
seemed like seasonal allergies-- hayfever, itchy red eyes, sneezing. In my
20's I began getting headaches which made me feel sick. I left work a few
times feeling so bad-- I'd go home, get sick, and go to bed-- to wake up
later feeling fine. The headaches got so much worse during pregnancy the
first time around, so when I got pregnant again, the doc had me go on a diet
to eliminate foods that triggered migraines. It was here I began noticing
that what I ate affected how I felt. After my second pregnancy, what seemed
like post partum symptoms kept getting worse, as the months went by. I began
having more anxiety and worry, and by the time the baby was 7 mos I had had
enough. I was having a terrible time digesting some foods, but was unsure
exactly what was setting it all off. I once thought I was having
appendicitis, b/c of the pain; then it felt like my gall bladder was acting
up, then it seemed like I might have an ulcer. I was also having a lot of
trouble sleeping at night, so I was feeling a lot of fatigue, which fueled
more worrying. As it turns out, white flour products such as white bread,
and other refined foods are a part of the problem. Eating fruits that have a
high natural level of sugar are also a problem for me, as are starchy
carbohydrates, such as potatoes and corn. I have cut out all refined sugars,
white flour products, potatoes and corn from my diet at this time. I do
still eat dairy products, but use lactose supplements, which has made a
tremendous difference. I eat whole wheat flour or oat flour bread products,
like pancakes and tortillas. I use a low glycemic sweetener called "Sweet
Balance" in my cooking, as it is proven not to affect blood sugar levels.
In addition, I take a multi-vitamin (my Prenatal, as my baby is still
nursing), and a B-complex and calcium supplement. The goal is to keep the
blood sugar level in check, so I eat a snack usually every couple of hours,
and before bed I eat yogurt or have a homemade yogurt shake. The b-complex
helps to stabilize the nervous system, which is hit the hardest when blood
sugar levels are out of balance, and the calcium supp. and snack before bed
is to help keep the level in check during the night, which will help me sleep
better, and helps prevent muscle cramps, which occur when blood sugar levels
drop off. I would be happy to talk further with you if you would like to.
:) Take care. ~Karen