Sick (literally) of Processed Foods page

[oszy13]

Hello,

I'm new to this forum but I have been following MDA for about 3 months now and a paleo diet for over a year and a half. During the Christmas season I broke it because of a new girlfriend and spending the holidays with her and her family, I didn't want to come across as stickler with regards to food. What a big mistake, and yes I should have just stuck to my guns.

Anyway a lot of issues I had, especially with my skin, returned and this made me realise that I was definitely healthier on the paleo diet. For the last month I have been fairly strict with what I have been eating with the exception of sweet potatoes and goats milk both of which don't seem to have any negative effect on my body. I know it's not "true paleo" but I am very active and have a high metabolism so they extra calories help me from feeling drained by the end of the day.

Anyway onto my question. I recently had a break in my eating habits due to time constraints were on two separate occasions I was forced to get a ready made meal for dinner. Both contained ingredients I would normally cheat with (potatoes, tomatoes and milk) perhaps once every few weeks. But this time they made me so sick I had to wake up in the middle of the night as my body demanded them out one way or the other. The choice wasn't really mine at all.

I was just wondering if any members have had experiences like this that after a long spell of eating clean, and in sticking to the plan in the most dogmatic of fashions, fell sick after cheating on microwaveable junk?

I'm not sure if it is normal to be this sensitive to food that I used to have no qualms with chowing down on. Or am I just an odd ball? Any insight would be greatly appreciated.

Regards,
Oszy

[Mama~Mare]

I haven't experienced such drastic reactions, but I know when I've eaten something disagreeable. I feel "heavy" the next day and my digestions feels stalled. My mind feels cloudy and I'm just not right

Honestly I almost wish eating "off the wagon" would give me an elimination "blow out" ..............

[teach2183]

Is it possible there were hidden ingredients in the prepared dish?

[magnolia1973]

Sweet potatoes are both paleo and primal. As are tomatoes.

If the combo of potatoes and tomatoes made you sick, you might have some nightshade sensitivity. If I overdo nightshades, I can get vicious heartburn. Like I can eat absolute junk and not feel it, but I had something with red pepper and tomatoes and was off the hook sick. Seed oils will also make me feel like someone shot acid into my body. I feel toxic and gross.

Also, when I first started primal/paleo, I did have huge reactions to bad foods. Now my body responds less. Like I ate crap on vacation with no issue. (burgers and fries, booze). But after a couple of days, my body was like "give me some &*%(&^%&^ green veggies now". I think I detox better now.

[jfreaksho]

You don't really specify what a "ready-made meal" is, but I'd bet that your issues are more likely related to something that you didn't know was in it- wheat, MSG, seed oils, etc- all of this can make you physically ill after you quit it for a while.

[fifer]

"forced to get a ready made meal for dinner" - I know it is sometimes socially unacceptable to refuse and perhaps that is what you meant by "forced", but it is easy to forget that this kind of situation can be easily dealt with by not eating anything. Even if you are feeling hungry! You won't die. It might even be good for you.

[Fantazmic]

SULPHITES for sure and certain...they are the preservative of choice in everything....and are all the 200 numbers....along with MSG...gastrointestinal upset is one of the main symptoms...and when you have a break from chemicals your body's defences go down because you dont have to be on high alert........so....the reaction....everybody out !!

[oszy13]

Thanks for the all the responses and sorry for getting back to you so late. I was able to fish out the labels from the trash and nothing quite stands out as an ingredient I would be adversely affected by. Between the gluten, milk, tomatoes and potatoes that I usually don't consume when I do I typically don't react so badly. Maybe it's because it was a brew of stuff I don't normally eat that my stomach went haywire!!

Still getting used to being back on forums so I'll make an attempt to reply more quickly. I'm definitely going to have to keep an eye on this. It just seems every time I shift away from the paleo diet I tend to have some adverse reaction to one degree or another.

Cheers.

[Fantazmic]

Hi Oszy

Just to let you know....depending upon where you live some countries the labelling laws are very lax...and with sulphites they dont have t mention them at all if the content is less than 10 part per million...some countries dont require the labelling of preservatives at all !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!