How to tame your (pain) dragon ….

This little chap looks a sweetie but I am aware even now he has his dark side. It doesn’t take much to turn him into a huge and fire breathing monster.

He can lull me into a false sense of security and many times  in the past I have thought, “ it won’t do me any harm to try a little of this or that food……”

I know now that if I go off my low histamine anti inflammatory vegan diet and my simple lifestyle, and return to my old ways of eating and drinking, then my symptoms start to return with a vengeance.

Here is how it used to work.…..

Imagine for the moment that I am sitting in a coffee bar in London remembering how I used to sit there and what I used to eat. I feel good because I have been eating my low histamine anti inflammatory diet for some time I decide suddenly that I want to be “normal”. In short, I rebel and eat something from my past. In fact, before I know I eat several somethings from my past. I try a bread roll or I try a chocolate bar. That bread and cheese looks good… So I am ok right? It wasn’t much.. I didn’t try  alcohol. I should be ok. …Suddenly I start to feel my chest tightening and my breathing becoming laboured…Why so quick? After all I used to eat this stuff all the time. Oh well I can handle it!….

That night…. Welcome to burning joint pain!  Fingers so stiff I cannot type properly and toes hurting so much it is painful to walk. It doesn’t stop there if I am unlucky! My stomach is suddenly bloated. The inside of my mouth is sore and swollen, my teeth ache, my ear lobes are sore. I have several itchy places on my skin and my eyes are red rimmed. Suddenly unable to keep awake I fall into a dead sleep and then two hours later I am hyper. Hallucinations!… who is that weird grey figure?? My pulse is raised and I can feel my heart beating very fast. My throat feels as though it is full of gravel and my chest is wheezy. Just what are these blotches forming on my arms? Before I know it, I am in the middle of a panic attack and I feel disoriented. I fight to regain control .Where did that come from? My brain is fogged and I don’t know what to do. My knees do not want to bend anymore…..

Hello, Dragon!

I well remember sometimes used to forget your existence. I did’t quite believe you were always there. I hoped there might be some mistake..

Sleeping inside me, you are my internal stalker, keeping me on the track.  I know you now and I am treading lightly so as not to wake you.

Shhhh!

My anti-inflammatory high raw food diet keeps you asleep. I get no pain or other symptoms from you when I remember that. I will remember always! You keep me on the path to regaining my health.

Sweet raw food dreams, Little Dragon!

Note to self: – Everyday I  wake up grateful that my diet keeps my pain at bay. The absence of pain still amazes me! Thank you, anti inflammatory diet!

If you want to read more about the Immune System and an anti inflammatory diet you should check out Dr Fuhrman’s excellent book “Super Immunity”. There is a link to it here.