Frustrated because I can't eat Fruit due to Intersticial Cystitis
I have this thing called Intersticial Cystitis which means I can't eat fruit (among other things) - the fruit would put my bladder into a spasm and create a lot of pain for me. I hate not being able to include fruit into my diet. I would LOVE to make a smoothie, I would love to snack on a juicy apple.
That's it, all I gotta say - just mad every time I think about it
I have a daughter who has a condition which greatly limits most fruits and tons of veggies and dairy products from her diet.
It is difficult. There is no doubt she's got MORE of a challenge than most adhering to a healthy diet and keeping to a calorie budget.
But she does it. I always make sure that I have LOTS of food that she CAN eat in our home. I try my best to help her keep focused on what she CAN eat as opposed to what she can't.
I know for me, the year I was losing, I barely ate fruit! I was so afraid of eating sugar - any kind of sugar - that I greatly limited it. It was a once in a while indulgence for me. One I would have when I was at parties and the such.
Even now, I definitely do eat fruit. But not THAT much of it. I'm a volume girl and for me, I'd rather eat double to triple the amount of veggies for the same calories than I can for fruit.
For each and every obstacle that is thrown your way, there IS a solution.
Nope, there is no cure for it and most vitamins are bad for it too. It's just a freaky thing. There are things I can try to do to keep the bladder calm, like taking pills to reduce the amount of acid. Like I love tomatoes, but can't eat them. I've had it for 20 years now. And the older I get the more angry I get about it. Esp. now that I have so much weight to lose and hear about all the diets w/ great fruit suggestions. I even emailed Dr. Oz to see what he would suggest, no reply yet. Sorry to have the pity party on myself. Just really mad because I want to lose weight so badly.
I don't drink coke or coffee in the morning either. Or any other time of day.
As far as being tired - I used to be tired all the time - until I cleaned up my diet. You will be amazed what adhering to a good and healthy diet and getting down to a healthy weight will do for your energy level.
I really think you have to get past the "poor me", "why me?" stage. We are all given different hands in life and must make the most of the cards we've been dealt. There are people who aren't fortunate enough to be able to control their conditions merely with food and the absence of it.
There is no where that it says one MUST eat fruit in order to be a healthy weight. I think I mentioned that in my post above that I didn't even eat fruit during the losing portion of my journey and now I eat it on a limited basis. My snacks consist of veggies - NOT fruits.
I have a nephew who can not eat one bite of protein. Not a bite. Talk about a limited diet! I know of twin sisters, they're 12 years old with celiacs who can't eat any wheat and a whole slew of other items. Could you imagine telling a twelve year old - no cake, no cookies, no pizza - ever??? But they adapt. And so can you .
There are many, many people with limited foods to eat.
I again urge you to focus on what you CAN eat. Because there's lots and lots. Don't look to other diets. MAKE your own. Customize it to suit YOUR needs. Those are the best ones. You make it specifically for you. I LOVE the foods that I eat. LOVE it. Give your tastes a chance to develop. Be creative. Don't dread this. Start looking for the joy in this.
Last edited by rockinrobin; 03-23-2010 at 01:45 PM.
Reason: typo
I have IC too--luckily I'm not personally diet sensitive. Have you done an elimination diet to determine exactly what things bother you and what things don't? It's different for every IC patient. Check out the foods list from the IC Network: http://www.ic-network.com/diet/2009icdietlist.pdf . There are plenty of fruits on the "okay" list--have you tried any of those while on an elimination diet? It's important that you not eat ANY potential trigger foods for a while before trying something new, to make sure you know what's bothering you.
Possible TMI, but for anyone who wants more information--in the interstitial cystitis patient, there is a problem with the lining of the bladder. Urine is very caustic, and in a normal patient the lining of the bladder is equipped to deal with that. In someone with IC, the urine actually burns the inside of the bladder and can cause ulcers, etc., resulting in pain and frequent urination (because the bladder is irritated, even a small amount of urine can make an IC patient feels like she needs to void). IC is NOT the same as a bladder infection (although due to the nature of the disease people with IC do tend to get infections more often). IC patients are not incontinent unless they have other issues also. The medications you see on TV for overactive bladder will not help us, because it's a different issue. Cranberry juice and other common bladder remedies tend to be acidic, and anything that acidifies the urine is bad because it causes the urine to burn the bladder more.
Last edited by stella1609; 03-23-2010 at 09:06 AM.
You have my commiseration. While I don't have IC, I do have an incredible amount of food allergies the majority of which are fruit.
The only fruit I can safely eat with no reaction is apples/pears and one or two types of citrus.
My food allergies didn't start developing until my late teens/early 20's so it's always crummy when you know how delicious strawberries, bananas, raspberries, pomegranates, etc are.
But, I like not being covered from hives or dying from anaphylaxis.
So I understand. It sucks being surrounded by fruit and not being able to partake.
I don't drink coke or coffee in the morning either. Or any other time of day.
...
I again urge you to focus on what you CAN eat. Because there's lots and lots. Don't like to other diets. MAKE your own. Customize it to suit YOUR needs. Those are the best ones. You make it specifically for you. I LOVE the foods that I eat. LOVE it. Give your tastes a chance to develop. Be creative. Don't dread this. Start looking for the joy in this.
I second this. rockinrobin knows her stuff.
You'll be amazed at what you start to enjoy when you stop worrying about what you can't have, and focus on what you CAN have, though I do suggest you follow another poster's idea and try out an elimination diet, to see if there are any fruits that don't cause you pain. Your condition seems to have a lot of variations from person to person, and with a little searching, I didn't find anything that said all fruit was banned - maybe there's hope!
You can have veggies - that may not sound very exciting, but it is! Roasted potatoes and parsnips, squash soup, big salads with chunky sliced veggies and maybe some nuts for added flavour. You can have meat - pork tenderloin, barbecued steak, sliced turkey breast... You can have eggs - boiled or poached or scrambled... You can have carbs - whole grain pasta with a light creamy sauce, rice in stir fries, oatmeal, etc. The list of what you can have is much, much longer than the foods that cause you pain. I adore fruit, and I sympathize, I do - I would be incredibly sad if I suddenly had to give it up, but I hope I'd find other things that were enjoyable to eat, and I hope you do too!
As for getting started in the morning, a few weeks ago I might have agreed with the coffee, but I stopped having it. And after the caffeine withdrawl headaches subsided, I felt awesome. I drink water all day (I bet that sounds preachy, but I'm shocked at myself - I used to not drink water at all) and I don't miss the coffee. Sometimes I miss having a hot drink to hold, and then I make herbal tea, which I normally just...hold. And don't drink.
Sorry this is so long-winded. I know you just wanted to vent, and get some support. I hope you feel supported and I hope you realize that while being fruit-free may start out as a struggle for you, it's also an opportunity to look into other foods you might not have considered before.
And seriously - consider trying the elimination diet (Google if you need more info, or ask around here).
Rockrobin - The reason I feel that I need the morning boost is due to medicine I take for my IC that makes me feel very tired. It's not the weight. I don't doubt that I'll have more energy when I lose weight - but I take something to help me sleep - something IC Friendly - otherwise I'll get up 15x a night to pee, as it is I get up about 5x....and I have small kids so I'm up early with them. That's why I'm tired - I did not intend to start a pity party for myself. I just miss fruit - I really really really miss fruit. Every where I read, I see fabulous diets and snack ideas that include FRUIT. A banana with breakfast or berries on cereal or a yogurt parfait, fruits are a healthy snack. I realize veggies are too - and that's fine. I just miss fruit, it's been years since I've enjoyed fruit without ramifications and I miss it. I let it out after 20 years of not having it. Again, I didn't intend to pity myself. Just saying that I miss fruit - that's all.
ETA - friends 15 years younger than me tell me that I have amazing energy because I "go go go" and play play play -- all day with my kids.
Last edited by 2Bthinagain; 03-25-2010 at 08:02 AM.
Frustrated because I can't eat Fruit due to Intersticial Cystitis
