Sara, re potato chips

[Polly]

Hi Sara!

I get such a kick hearing about your addiction to potato chips! I had the same problem. I am a salty-snack fan, plus they are just so convenient and comforting. And all of the time I was eating them I was unaware that I react to white potatoes. So I never had consistently perfect BMs until MRT showed me the way. LOL! Also, I guess they pretty much turn into pure sugar in the body, so I'm sure they weren't helping my a1c values.

I still miss them. The sweetpotato/beet chips are OK but taste sweet rather than salty, so they just don't cut it for folks like us. The best substitute, I have found, are olives. They are salty, filling, and well-tolerated. Also they don't lead to those blood sugar swings. I know they have a bad rap for lots of calories, but I have found I can eat as many as I want without ever gaining a pound. I treat myself to a large selection from the olive bar and also have some little ones in jars in the pantry. Can you believe I sometimes take them to the movies to snack on? Oh, we are SUCH weird people, aren't we???

Love,

Polly

[sarkin]

I love olives! (Not so crunchy, though...)

I was the PP's first 'test subject' for the new Enterolab test panel, for "11 additional antigenic foods." It is not as conclusive and powerful a tool as their other tests, and I think given the cost it's worth it to do MRT instead of this additional panel... but I did learn that white potato was my least reactive food of the 11. I will be interested to see how that compares to MRT, when the new version of the test becomes available, later this fall.

I've never had significant blood-sugar problems, but eating grain free has made my general energy level so much more stable. (Even with the occasional potato-chip overdoing.) I actually prefer sweet potatoes in other preparations, but agree the chips are somehow not as satisfying. Were your a1c values worse, and are they now better, or were you just acknowledging in retrospect that living on potato chips wasn't perhaps the healthiest choice? Hmmm, that may be the sole remaining point of agreement I have with the "standard" nutritional recommendations! "Rule #1: if you're even trying to calculate what percentage of your caloric intake is coming from potato chips... step away from the potato chips!"

Yesterday friends had pickled asparagus tips on their olive tray - they were great! Less 'fat' than olives... but I am kind of a fan of fat, these days.

I do know what you mean, but I'm not sure we're the weird ones. I look at the way most people are with food, and that doesn't look so "normal" to me any more... Personally, of course, I still have enough *other* quirks to qualify

A friend has found Danielle's coconut snacks for me - I was completely enamored of those, and then our local store stopped carrying them. Their pineapple snacks are also tasty - but sweet; the pumpkin slices are pretty good. But the coconut - wow! They are - I kid you not - better than potato chips!

Love,
Sara

[nancyl]

I am a lover of potato chips also and can tolerate them pretty well. Last week while at the health food store I picked up a small bag of kettle chips cooked in avacado oil. They were pretty yummy.l

Nancy

[sarkin]

Nancy,

The avocado-oil ones are the best! YUM...

[Lesley]

Where are you finding them cooked in avocado oil? I can only find them cooked in canola, which is the only oil I can eat so far.

[sarkin]

Lesley,

I can't honestly remember the brand - will check tomorrow. Our nearby grocery store doesn't carry anything from that brand that I can eat (sigh), but I'll recognize the brand name. (It's possible that there's an east-coast/west-coast difference in availability, too.)

They are pretty pricy - so if canola is working for you... it may not be worth driving all over town.

I'm off the potato chips for the moment. They agree with me fine, but while my husband is away, I have a chance to not eat something that's not especially good for me, but that he is especially good at finding in Sara-friendly form. (You know Coney Island has that hot-dog eating contest... I think if there were a contest for "not eating" things, Team PP would make the Olympic Team.)

We also found avocado oil for cooking, which we liked. I think it was reputed to be better for cooking at higher temperatures than olive oil. It was a lot more expensive than canola oil, though - so maybe if that's working for you, you don't need to go out of your way to find it... but good to keep in mind.

[Lesley]

Sara,
These potato chips are cooked in sunflower oil. My mistake. I am eating meat, potatoes and the crisps.
Who knows whether they work for me?

I am really, really suffering tonight. The C has me in it's grip, and the GERD is running wild. It's worse pain than I had with my gall bladder (which I think was MC and NOT because of gallstones). EVERYTHING is hurting, including saliva. The GERD gets worse as C gets worse. Make sense.

And my shoulder is aching in sympathy.

[sarkin]

Wishing you relief, Lesley. I truly hope you turn this corner soon.

[Lesley]

None today. At least none for the GERD. I managed to break the hold of the C, but no Norman. And there is sill a way to go with the BM.

I hope relief comes soon BEFORE I break down and take a prilosec or something beyond sucking a Tums when I am desperate.

There is pain on the right side middle of my rib cage back and front as well as the heartburn. I had this once, and thought it was my heart. Actually went to the ER in an AMBULANCE. Wasn't heart, and now I know it's this damn MC.
I need a new digestive tract!

[tex]

There is pain on the right side middle of my rib cage back and front as well as the heartburn.

That could be associated with the heartburn, (or just plain gas). Do you still have your gallbladder?

Tex