Eating for health

A close-up of the Paul's Himalayan Musk which will soon go over now, as we wake to another day of rain.  I shan't complain though, as it means pollen levels are low.  Thank de Lord for that!  

I am gradually coming off the steroids now (4 days left) and hopefully I will be able to get to grips with my low-histamine diet.  I had forgotten how easy it is to make a BIG blooper over what I can eat and what I should avoid at all costs.  The steroid-munchies are not helpful - in desperation I swear you would be tempted by wallpaper paste!  

Yesterday we were manning the shop where we have a unit, and I packed what I thought was a sensible lunch - wholemeal pitta breads with Chilli Hummus, an apple, bananas for both of us, cheese and oatcakes for Himself, fruit squash, Earl Grey teabags.  The only trouble is, pitta bread and hummus isn't that filling when you have been awake since 2 a.m. and although I had had a cooked breakfast (hah! Fishfingers), by 10 a.m. I could have eaten a scabby horse between two mattresses.  I ate a rather large banana, and then later decided that I would have a bag of crisps and went across to the garage to buy one, then thought better of it and bought nuts - Peanuts to be precise. More nutritional value. . . I nibbled away at those the rest of the day and ate an entire (small) packet.  Then I realized - peanuts are histamine-rich, and Bananas release histamines . . .

We were late back - I wanted a quick tea.  Fish and chips.  No, change of mind due to calories in battered fish - smoked haddock instead.  I LOVE smoked haddock and better still, love it in Kedgeree.  We ate our meal and then I noticed how tight my trousers felt - the peanuts had me SO bloated.  Then I checked my list of what I could/should be eating - and smoked fish was a no-no as high in histamine.  It had quite an impact on my asthma too.  Lesson learned.  Now I have about 10 days at home where I can train myself up properly again and eat well and I desperately need to just REST.  

We actually have a gardener coming on Friday to cut the paddock which is going to now be kept under control and become a garden again.  I am also going to get him to dig and weed my veg plot as neither K or I can manage it for health reasons (K still suffering from a frozen shoulder).  Then I can mulch it heavily over the winter and cover it with sheeting to stop it reverting to grass, which is its main aim in life.  I am so ashamed of it.

I am 3/4 of the way through The Crow Girl which I found in a charity shop.   I have to say, although the content is thought-provoking (incest/paedophilia- something I would normally shy away from reading about) that part is dealt with unsensationally, and it is actually the psychology which is so interesting - multiple personality disorders and the like.

A selection from the donated books counter (charity donations) at Tesco's).

£2 well spent in The Works.  I really MUST make my Elderflower handcream today - picked the blossom yesterday.

This is a nice healthy meal (tomatoes high in histamine but balanced out by the red onions, cauliflower, butternut squash and sweet potatoes.  The latter two veg are NOT my favourites, but are Good For Me so I am forcing them down.  I did a huge vat of it the other day when I was "resting" and have 3 double portions in the freezer.

Right, enough wittering on about health issues.  I'll shut up now I've got it sorted in my head.  Onwards and upwards.