Ben, Shira and I are off to Skytop Lodge in the Poconos in Pennsylvania for the next 6 days. You cannot believe how excited I am to be going to Dr Fuhrman's Health Getaway. Initially, I totally discounted the getaway as I was convinced it was going to be populated by sycophantic, guru worshipers and I run a million miles from such people. However, I discovered a few weeks ago that we'd be able to eat three meals a day that are gluten, dairy and soy free, plus they are phytonutrient rich and vegan. This means that the meals will be safe for my family to eat and will be the types of foods we enjoy. Suddenly the getaway became much more interesting to me because I realized that I would get a break from cooking for 6 days.Those of you who do not live with food allergies do not understand how difficult it is to eat out. I can't order in when I've had a rough day, I still have to cook for our family. I haven't had a break from the kitchen for over 4 years.It's a joke when we normally go on vacation. I have to spend hours on the internet and telephone before we leave finding out which restaurants can serve us safe food. Once I've found out about the safe food, I have to find out if we can get vegan food. There are many restaurants that can serve a safe piece of fish or beef, but substantially fewer that can serve safe vegetables.Then I start packing the large 5 day cooler boxes with safe food.Even if I do find safe restaurants, we all start feeling mildly ill after a few restaurant meals. I doubt we feel ill from the allergens, I think it is because we're not used to eating the standard American diet (SAD). The salt, fat, processed foods and sugar does not sit well with us. This all means that I'm back to cooking all our meals.Starting tonight, I have a break from cooking for 6 days. We'll spend six days eating gloriously fresh fruits and vegetables, prepared just the way we like them. It will be heavenly. The only thing that would make it better would be if Marc could join us.The poor guy has a brutal week ahead of him at work.One of the first things Marc teased me about when we met was my fruit and vegetable habit. Every time there is an E. Coli outbreak with fresh produce, he reminds me that if I would only eat processed foods I would be safe. ("An apple? That's not safe! You don't know what's in that thing. There's no list of ingredients!")He once tried to convince me that Twinkies were the perfect food, that with fresh produce you never know what you are eating, while with a Twinkie, you can read all the ingredients on the box.I find it amusing how well we get on, yet how different we are in our attitude to food. However, the mighty may be falling, he's eaten my way for the last week. I'm not holding my breathe over his diet while I am away though.
Sunday, July 13, 2008
Vacation here we come
Ben, Shira and I are off to Skytop Lodge in the Poconos in Pennsylvania for the next 6 days. You cannot believe how excited I am to be going to Dr Fuhrman's Health Getaway. Initially, I totally discounted the getaway as I was convinced it was going to be populated by sycophantic, guru worshipers and I run a million miles from such people. However, I discovered a few weeks ago that we'd be able to eat three meals a day that are gluten, dairy and soy free, plus they are phytonutrient rich and vegan. This means that the meals will be safe for my family to eat and will be the types of foods we enjoy. Suddenly the getaway became much more interesting to me because I realized that I would get a break from cooking for 6 days.Those of you who do not live with food allergies do not understand how difficult it is to eat out. I can't order in when I've had a rough day, I still have to cook for our family. I haven't had a break from the kitchen for over 4 years.It's a joke when we normally go on vacation. I have to spend hours on the internet and telephone before we leave finding out which restaurants can serve us safe food. Once I've found out about the safe food, I have to find out if we can get vegan food. There are many restaurants that can serve a safe piece of fish or beef, but substantially fewer that can serve safe vegetables.Then I start packing the large 5 day cooler boxes with safe food.Even if I do find safe restaurants, we all start feeling mildly ill after a few restaurant meals. I doubt we feel ill from the allergens, I think it is because we're not used to eating the standard American diet (SAD). The salt, fat, processed foods and sugar does not sit well with us. This all means that I'm back to cooking all our meals.Starting tonight, I have a break from cooking for 6 days. We'll spend six days eating gloriously fresh fruits and vegetables, prepared just the way we like them. It will be heavenly. The only thing that would make it better would be if Marc could join us.The poor guy has a brutal week ahead of him at work.One of the first things Marc teased me about when we met was my fruit and vegetable habit. Every time there is an E. Coli outbreak with fresh produce, he reminds me that if I would only eat processed foods I would be safe. ("An apple? That's not safe! You don't know what's in that thing. There's no list of ingredients!")He once tried to convince me that Twinkies were the perfect food, that with fresh produce you never know what you are eating, while with a Twinkie, you can read all the ingredients on the box.I find it amusing how well we get on, yet how different we are in our attitude to food. However, the mighty may be falling, he's eaten my way for the last week. I'm not holding my breathe over his diet while I am away though.
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3 comments:
Have a great vacation.
I can't believe you have to go through that when you travel. It sounds grueling. I know what it is like to live with a couple of food allergies but not a lot and also we're not vegan.
Is the veganism a choice for you?
Good luck on your trip! I hope you have fun, and learn some cool stuff to share with us. :-)
Christine
I was a vegetarian for most of my life, then a few years ago I discovered I was allergic to dairy. 2 years ago when my BP went through the roof I discovered Joel Fuhrman's book, "Eat to Live" in which he claimed to be able to help anyone control their BP through diet. I tried his plan because the medications were not working and voila, within 6 weeks, my BP was normal. His plan is not vegan, but he requests that you eat a phytonutrient rich diet and limit animal products to no more than 5-10 percent. At that time I was only eating eggs once in a while. A year later I was formally diagnosed with autoimmune arthritis and I refused to go on drugs, so off to Dr F it was again. The research overwhelmingly indicates that animal products make autoimmune diseases worse and I went full vegan then. I tried an egg a few months ago and I appear not to be able to tolerate them, so yes, vegan is a choice, but it is a choice that was thrust on me. I'd eat dairy if I could.
I am having such a good time here at Skytop. I've not had to worry about food once. I know that all the food will be safe in terms of dairy as he is vehemently against dairy, the only gluten sits on a tray in the form of Ezekiel bread (or as in the case of yesterday lunch, pita bread) and soy is labeled if it is in any of the other dishes.
The kids have finally become confident enough to dish up their own food, so now I don't even have to fill their plates. They are reading the labels and dishing up for themselves. They are even sitting with other children so I get to have adult conversation at meals and don't have to worry about a thing. I almost feel like a "normal" person. LOL
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