Dinner today made my choice of what to write about very easy. Keeping a food diary. To say that dinner did not agree with me would be an understatement. The funny thing is, I have had this meal many times without any problems, which is what makes food diaries so tricky.
My day was a very good one. I have an account where I do some investing on my own and had a very, very good day today. I also booked a trip to Tampa to spend some time with my buddy Frank, who works for the Yankees and spends the month of March in Tampa working spring training (have I mentioned I love sports?). I also had a great workout at the gym in the morning. The boys were picked up by their dad after 4 p.m. and Emily and I were deciding what to have for dinner, when I got a craving for a potato and egg sandwich. That is something I would typically make at home, but, instead, I ordered from the local pizzeria. Geez, you would think you can't get any simpler meal to digest, but it sent me to the bathroom the rest of the day and night. It will never be ordered again from that place.
That's where food diaries become tricky. They are not as simple as jotting down a food that disagrees with me and making sure not to eat it again. I need to be specific as to where it was ordered from. When I make it for myself, I use cooking spray. The pizzeria probably used a ton of butter. I have had exact same meals from 2 different restaurants where I am fine with one and bad with the other. Then there is the case of being in the middle of a flare up, where anything I eat bothers me. It all makes for a very complicated food diary. With Crohn's there is definitely the need to differentiate between a bad reaction to food (like tonight) and a reaction when I'm flared up. Here is what today's entry looks like in my diary:
Date Food Restaurant Cond. Before Eating Reaction
1-20-2012 Potato & Egg Sub Romeo's Healthy Severe Diarrhea
I will typically remember when I react badly to certain meals. Just in case I'm not sure, this makes it easy to verify. I believe that everyone should keep a food diary, however, it is imperative for anyone with Crohn's or any other IBD. It is a big part of what keeps me healthy.
My day was a very good one. I have an account where I do some investing on my own and had a very, very good day today. I also booked a trip to Tampa to spend some time with my buddy Frank, who works for the Yankees and spends the month of March in Tampa working spring training (have I mentioned I love sports?). I also had a great workout at the gym in the morning. The boys were picked up by their dad after 4 p.m. and Emily and I were deciding what to have for dinner, when I got a craving for a potato and egg sandwich. That is something I would typically make at home, but, instead, I ordered from the local pizzeria. Geez, you would think you can't get any simpler meal to digest, but it sent me to the bathroom the rest of the day and night. It will never be ordered again from that place.
That's where food diaries become tricky. They are not as simple as jotting down a food that disagrees with me and making sure not to eat it again. I need to be specific as to where it was ordered from. When I make it for myself, I use cooking spray. The pizzeria probably used a ton of butter. I have had exact same meals from 2 different restaurants where I am fine with one and bad with the other. Then there is the case of being in the middle of a flare up, where anything I eat bothers me. It all makes for a very complicated food diary. With Crohn's there is definitely the need to differentiate between a bad reaction to food (like tonight) and a reaction when I'm flared up. Here is what today's entry looks like in my diary:
Date Food Restaurant Cond. Before Eating Reaction
1-20-2012 Potato & Egg Sub Romeo's Healthy Severe Diarrhea
I will typically remember when I react badly to certain meals. Just in case I'm not sure, this makes it easy to verify. I believe that everyone should keep a food diary, however, it is imperative for anyone with Crohn's or any other IBD. It is a big part of what keeps me healthy.
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