Health-Wise Wednesdays

Topic: Fruits

This week I didn't have any weight loss (unless you want to call 0.2 lbs. a loss). This doesn't upset me in the least; I was weighing 144 lbs. when I decided enough was enough, and I'm now down to 138. I was 141 when I began measuring my nutritional intake, which is much more important to me. I'd much rather be a healthy 138 lbs than a skinny, unhealthy 125 lbs.

Today's topic is fruits. Let me start by saying I don't eat much fruit. Not because I don't like fruit. I think fruits are delicious, nutritious, and a much better alternative than any junk food snack on the market. Yep, I like fruits just fine. The problem is, fruits don't like me.

My first fruit allergy made its appearance when I was 5 years old. I woke up covered in hives and itchy all over. My mother thought it might be measles - not a good thing, since my brother and sister (twins) were just months old. So mom rushed me to the doctor, and found out it was an allergic reaction to something. But what? The only thing different I'd eaten was strawberry shortcake. Bingo! Turns out it's not uncommon to be allergic to strawberries. It's a real bummer too. Think of all the desserts that contain strawberries, yogurts, cereals, smoothies. Oh well, I accepted the fact and stopped eating strawberries.

As I got older I realized other things gave me unpleasant reactions as well. Eating oranges produced some excruciating migraine headaches. Even half a glass of orange juice would send me into a dark room for hours. The same was true of watermelon, mangoes, tangerines, passionfruit, tamarind, anything that was high in citric acid. I got scared of eating any citrus fruits because the pain, both in my head and in my stomach, was unbearable. Oh well, I accepted the fact and stopped eating citrus fruits.

Then one day I was eating a blueberry Nutrigrain bar. I'd eaten other berries before without any issues. Within a half hour my hands started to itch. I looked down and found both my hands red, filled with rash and swelling up. I hurriedly took a couple of Benadryl and wondered what was going on? I checked everything I'd eaten, thinking maybe I'd had strawberries without realizing it; what else was I to think? The swelling went down and my hands got back to normal. I had another Nutrigrain bar a couple days later, and the same thing happened. That's when it hit me: it was the blueberries. I found I couldn't have any berries after that, except cranberries, but even those began giving me terrible stomach pains and I gave them up. It was at that point I decided fruits and I just don't get along, and I just about stopped eating them altogether.

This, obviously, was a drastic measure, one I had to re-evaluate when I made the choice to begin eating healthier. Fruits, as my mom would say, are God's candy. They also provide lots of vitamins and are a necessary source of fiber, something most Americans don't get enough of. But what could I eat that wouldn't give me migraines or turn me into a red balloon? Thankfully, God loves variety, and He provides plenty to choose from.

I began by looking for bland fruits. By bland I mean just that - fruits that don't have strong flavor or high acid content. I immediately remembered one of the first fruits we give our babies: bananas. Not only are bananas a good source of potassium, but they've also been found to reduce the risk of colorectal and breast cancer. Best part, no allergic reaction. Yay bananas!

I also tried eating acidic fruits in smaller quantities. Pineapples, for instance, are one of my favorite fruits, but because it has a high content of malic acid I can only have a small amount. More than 1 cup of fresh pineapple is out of the question, but if I eat a small amount with food it doesn't affect me. The same is true of grapes. Though grapes are actually berries, I haven't had the same reaction to them as with other berries, and in small amounts I can tolerate them.

Hmm, three fruits. Not much of a selection. Problem is, so many fruits are acidic and that's what I want to stay away from. Yes, I could take pills to reduce the acid in my stomach, but popping pills is something I'd prefer to avoid. As I was shopping, I looked for other snack foods I could have that were healthy, and found another source of fruits: the dried variety. Raisins, prunes, all delicious, all nutritious, great sources of fiber and don't irritate my stomach like their undried counterparts.

Fear was driving me away from enjoying some tasty treats that are also good for me. The lesson I learned: Don't give up too quickly. There's always alternatives out there. And when there's so much choose from, finding the right fruit can be a fun and appetizing experience!