What I CAN Eat

a.k.a. my "No-Food Diet," as one of my friends refers to it
I formed this highly-restrictive diet through trial and error after first following the advice of the somewhat controversial author of the book You Don't Have to Live with Cystitis. After a few months of careful eating, and after working closely with my healthcare team (to be written about as I continue to update this site), I have been able to add a few additional foods, as per the I.C. Network's Diet found HERE (when I add foods to my list -- I've only added three to it in nine months -- I start with the IC Network's list of "friendly" foods).

Whenever possible, I also eat organic and local. We're members of our local Buffalo Club at Yankee Farmers Market in Warner, NH, where I purchase much of our meats and honey, and where I can buy farm-fresh milk and eggs. Besides knowing what foods you can eat, you also need to know what's gone into the foods you eat. For example, I can eat grass-fed beef, but give me corn-fed beef and I'll be in pain within the half hour. Once I eat an item I shouldn't, it can take two days to two weeks for the painful and inconvenient symptoms to dissipate. 

So here's the list of what I can eat:
NOTE: Please keep in mind that this is my own personal list after trial and [occasional painful] error; this is not a medical prescription, nor a professional nutritionist's recommendation.

Think Positive

When I first started this journey, I found information listing what I could NOT eat. It was all rather daunting & depressing. My nutrition counselor suggested I list what I COULD eat. Not only is the list easier to manage, but I get a thrill now when I can add a new food to it.
Concord Hospital's Pelvic Medicine Group helped me through my rehabilitation (link above).

Fruit

  • blueberries
  • pears
  • cantaloupe (in small amounts)

Dairy-ish

  • almond milk
  • butter (no-salt)
  • cheese: American, cottage, cream, & goat's
  • cow's milk 
  • goat cheese
  • rice, coconut & flaxseed milks

Seafood

  • white fish
  • lobster
  • mussels
  • salmon
  • scallops
  • shrimp

Snacks

  • carob (which is NOT a satisfying replacement for chocolate *sigh*)
  • gluten-free crackers & chips
  • ice cream, vanilla & only of very high quality (& few ingredients)
  • organic lollipops
  • popcorn (in small amounts & only occasionally)

Sweeteners

  • honey (in moderation)
  • maple syrup
  • organic sugars

Drinks

  • chamomile tea
  • gluten-free beer
  • home-made broth
  • low-acid coffee*
  • juices made from the okay-to-eat fruit & vege list
  • milk
  • water
  • three wines: beaujolais, riesling, & sauvignon blanc
* Early-on when my symptoms were constant & severe, I needed to cold-brew my low-acid roast. I used the Toddy Cold Brew Maker for about two months before I could percolate my low-acid coffee each day.

Meat

While I don't like to emphasize what I CAN'T eat, in this category it's easier: no pork. Also, no corn-fed or antibiotic-given beef or poultry.
  • free-range, anti-biotic-free poultry
  • grass-fed beef, buffalo & lamb
  • wild game 

Other Proteins

  • almonds
  • cashews
  • beans: green, white, garbonzo, & peas
  • eggs

Herbs & Seasonings

  • basil
  • cinnamon (when added to baked goods)
  • fennel
  • garlic powder
  • oregano
  • sea salt
  • vanilla extract
  • coconut & olive oils

Carbs

  • baked flax seed
  • gluten-free items*
  • oatmeal
*Almost any gluten-free carb is okay, except highly processed foods or anything with *sigh* chocolate or containing any foods that aren't on the okay-to-eat list. I tend to bake my own gluten-free foods, starting with the fabulous home-made All-Purpose Gluten-Free Flour recipe found in Cooking for Isaiah by Silvana Nardone. (Note: since posting this in September & since learning of the arsenic in rice, I have developed my own gluten-free all purpose flour. But I thank Nardone for the courage to try things on my own.)

My New Comfort Foods

Now that chocolate is off my list (eating it is like swallowing knives), my new go-to comfort foods when my symptoms flare or when I just need something soothing to eat are:
  • carrots
  • vanilla shake
  • pear
  • oatmeal in milk with blueberries

Vegetables

  • artichokes
  • avocado
  • broccoli
  • carrots
  • cauliflower
  • celery
  • corn (sparingly)
  • cucumber
  • cooked garlic
  • green beans
  • lettuce (light green)
  • cooked onions
  • peas
  • potatoes, white
  • sweet potatoes
  • yellow & red peppers
  • yellow squash

Seeds

  • chia
  • flax
  • pumpkin/squash

Things to Avoid in General

  • additives
  • acidics
  • alcohol
  • artificial Sweetners
  • seltzer & other bubbly drinks
  • sauces, condiments & salad dressings
  • soy
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I invite you to visit my Professional Website.

Gluten-free beer? Really? But is it good?

It's delicious! Well, some labels are. My favorite: Green's Tripel Blonde Ale, a product of Belgium, which my local pharmacy gets for me by the case (& gives me a discount since they don't have to shelve it!). Ah, another reason to want to visit Belgium one day....

But what about the bubbles in gluten-free beer? Don't they bother you?

I'll admit: I was nervous to take my first sip. I waited six months to try it. Good thing. And though I think I could almost manage seltzer water soon [maybe], I think I'll enjoy my bubbles the gluten-free beer way for now. And when I say enjoy: I mean it. And when I say for now: I mean now. As I type this. Cheers! 

UPDATE: As of January 2013 I can drink some of the less bubbly seltzer waters, especially the ones from Italy. Though I prefer Henniker water from the tap, when I have a sore throat I like to indulge in the bubbly water since it is so soothing.