I think I've figured it out. I know I've thought that about 10 times before, but I really think I have this time.I think my digestive issues are Irritable Bowel Syndrome.
The things I've had trouble with, those that have given me the most pain, are on the IBS list of things to avoid (dairy, gluten, alcohol, caffeine, beans). I've had minor problems with some of the other things on the list like apples and overripe bananas. One of the first things that ever made me sick was ketchup, which I've been eating a lot lately.
Why didn't I think of it before?
Oats.
Oats made me believe it must be Non-Celiac Gluten Sensitivity. They share a similar protein.
Recently, I've been having a ton of trouble with garlic. That points to IBS, especially with the other things except oats.
So, I started doing some searching online and it turns out a lot of IBS folks have trouble with oats too. Why they're on the recommended food list, is strange to me in that case, but I'm going to switch to garlic oil and avoid onions to see if that resolves my remaining major issues. Apparently infused oils give all the flavour and none of the evil.
I'll have to make my own pasta sauce and certain fruits & vegetables. Oh look, here's a recipe for pasta sauce that isn't some weird beet concoction. Italian is one of my favourite food groups, so that's pretty important.
I also learned there is research being done into autoimmune conditions and heavy metal toxicity. It is convincing enough for me to try zeolite. It's like a clay that helps remove heavy metals from the body and comes from volcanoes. I'm not generally one for the detox thing. The liver usually does a great job of clearing the bad out on its own. Heavy metals are different though. They're hard to clear from the body through the natural processes. Since I react badly to a lot of pharmaceuticals anyway, I figure it's worth a try for $30. I also still have some old metal fillings from the 80s and 90s. My case is so mild, my doctor isn't totally sure I have an autoimmune condition yet, so maybe I can prevent it from getting worse and get rid of it altogether. It's definitely worth a try.
I'm cleaning up other areas of my life too. I bought the e-book of The Joy of Less by Francine Jay. I never liked the idea of the Kon Mari method. It feels too hokey to hug the crap I want out of my life. Just pitch it already. Anyway, I read what's available for free on Amazon look inside and felt like it was the book for me. It's supposed to even help me clean up my digital files too. Speaking of my digital life, I've unfollowed a ton of things and left many groups on Facebook because I wasn't seeing most of the content I enjoy. My feed is getting better.
Sometimes less is truly more.
Guid cheerio the nou,
R~