Food, For Thought

    I love good food. I love variety, spicy, cheesy, creamy, gooey, toasty, meaty, crispy, healthy, naughty. I just love good food. The tragedy? Food has become a nefarious enemy. I keep trying, desperately trying, to pinpoint exactly which foods are wreaking havoc with my system. Just when I think I have the evil-doers identified I am proven wrong, gut wrenchingly wrong, literally. I have eliminated dairy and wheat as viable culprits, since they are the felons most often attributed to gastrointestinal distress, and for a while that seemed to be the ticket. Now, I am beginning to suspect that it is not a particular food or food group, but nearly all food that lies at the heart, or gut, of the issue. This would lead me to deduce that no matter what I eat, I am setting myself up for a nauseating, unhappy aftermath. I am nearly to the point of putting myself on a fast of water, and a few raw foods that don't seem to be currently an issue with my rebellious body. That would actually limit me to almonds, bananas, oranges, berries, maybe some leafy greens. That is it. I guess that would make smoothies still a viable option. But g'dammit, with the holidays upon us, the very last thing I want to do is suffer through Thanksgiving dinner nibbling on almonds and sipping a smoothie whilst before me lay a spread of delightful, fragrant, heartwarming foods. I refuse to knuckle under to the terrorists that are holding my stomach hostage. I will not negotiate. At least not til after Thanksgiving.
    The biggest dilemma for me, besides the often painful side effects of eating, is the difficulty of getting enough food to stoke my system. Enough food, and the right foods. I workout quite a bit, and need to eat accordingly if I plan on maintaining speed, strength and stamina, not to mention my desire to improve and build my skills. An engine needs good fuel, and enough fuel, or it will leave you stranded at an inopportune moment. I can't let that happen. So I will keep experimenting, eliminating, juggling, depriving. But it is getting old, and so very not fun. I want to be able to eat anything, anytime, not tiptoe around food like it is the cranky neighbor waiting to chase me off the lawn with a shotgun. Food should be, if not friend, at least an ally. Food should be my support staff, not the office mole waiting to sabotage my best efforts. G'dammit, I just want to be able to eat.