Why oh why?

[gwendally]

There is something I do that is senselessly self-destructive. It is pleasurable while I am doing it, but works against literally every goal I have for my life. The cost to me in real terms is absolutely not worth the benefit

Comments

[andrewducker]

I do the same thing, intermittently, with gluten (bread products taste awesome, even if they do make my stomach swell up) sugar (tastes _amazing_, makes me feel rubbish about half an hour later). I know these things are bad for me, and yet, occcasionally...

[gwendally]

This allergy has been really gradual, and most of the time "makes me feel rubbish" has been the cost, so I traded that for short-term gratification once in a while. But now it "makes me feel rubbish" and "keeps me from being sharp at work" and "keeps me from being on my game when a family member needs me to be there for them

[andrewducker]

Oh Goodness yes - I'd happily trade gluten for corn with you

[gwendally]

You say you'd make the trade not knowing how much of modern "food" is made up of corn products, especially in the United States. I can avoid grits easily enough, but corn starch and corn syrup are used in nearly every manufactured product.

I avoid corn the same way I imagine you avoid gluten: by only eating food made of food; single-ingredient things that had eyes or grew in a garden.

Sauces, baked goods, snack foods, and beverages are all out. I may drink water, alcohol, tea and coffee. Even then I have problems, because I take cream in my coffee and the other day I was confronted only with "non-dairy creamers" made entirely from corn. It was maddening.

Happily, I dislike sweetened foods, so losing sweet tea and soft drinks of all sorts are fine with me.

[exvapi]

I have an allergy to citric acid. Makes my throat and tongue swell to the point I can't talk. so far I can still take a breath, but, for two to four hours after eating some, it sucks to be me.

You would think this would be easy to avoid. Don't drink lemon aid. Not so much. Almost every thing in the baked goods section has some. So does most all Pepi products and caffeine free Coke. Of course seafood does, store prepared fruit, and many of the craft beers.

I read every label, and ask every waiter, and still get blind sided.