YOU ARE WHAT EATS YOU

Yeah, yeah, yeah; I know. I lived through the 1960s. That's when people were picking up on Victor Lindlahr's book, written in 1942, entitled You Are What You Eat: how to win and keep health with diet.

But what happens if the thing you're biting bites you back? Aye there's the . . . pain.

It happens more often than you think. I'm not talking just about very obvious food allergies, everything from hives to Coeliac (or Celiac) disease. I'm talking about relative low-level sensitivities. In themselves, they may not pose a major problem. Put them together and you've got "Trouble in River City," as "Professor" Harold Hill put it in Meredith Willson's The Music Man.

"Trouble in River City" I can do without, thank you very much.

My doctor and I have been working on a number of things which may be troubling me.

One is gluten — the stuff in wheat (red, white, and durum), barley, rye, triticale, and the like. A person with Celiac disease can't handle those kinds of food — bread, pasta, candies, cakes, pies and soy sauce; some salad dressings, luncheon meats, and soups. Some of us can "handle" those things, even if they are doing minimal damage to our intestines, and leave us feeling sluggish. I've seen studies which suggest that as much as 70% of the population may have problems with gluten, but don't know it. So removing some gluten from my life may make it easier for my whole body to work better.

Another common problem is food which causes problems for people with arthritis. These are in the nightshade family — everything from tomatoes to potatoes.

The point is that doctors (as in MDs) — at least some doctors — are beginning to look more closely at integrative medicine. It's not just giving you pills for this particular problem; it's looking at the much bigger picture of who you are as a person, and "connecting the dots" in your life. Instead of getting pills, maybe you need to take something out of your life. Maybe you need to get more exercise (like walk the dog, in my case).

That's why I "team up" with my doctor to build a healthier me. Yes it takes more than the average 5-10 minute visit, but it's a great investment in my long-term health.

So I eat more rice and less bread and pasta (though I really like pasta). I eat more fish and less meat. I eat a lot more vegetables, particularly greens, and more fruits. I eat fewer potatoes and more yams (or sweet potatoes).

Not a bad plan, overall.

What kinds of experiences have you had with food?