[KnowNothingJon]

How many of you have had your relationship with food change since neuropathy? My change was massive, in that almost two years ago I tried out eating vegan for a month... going on 23.

I look at it though, and I feel there is an autonomic component at play, though perhaps it is just not feeling well? I just don't gravitate toward food other than, "doh, I need to eat!" or occassional hunger.

I really do not get hungry too often in the course of the day. Essentially I snack small meals most days and eat a dinner with my family.

When my neuropathy was bad in my ankles, prior to vegandom, I think I ate to endorphin at times. I certainly did for knee pain in the past. I can trace my diabetes kicking up and in lineage if I wanted to.

I was curious how others do with meals and food in general. I used to be pretty enthusiastic about food. Now one in ten meals is really one I get happy over.

A newer coworker always marvels when she sees me eating, as if it is a wonder of the world, hah.

[Healthgirl]

This is how my relationship to food changed.

I am a holistic health coach. I absolutely love healthy food, teaching others how to cook and live a healthy lifestyle.
I grew up eating healthy and still do. Cooking, preparing food and packing in the most nutrition in a day is/was fun and energizing. For the past 20 years I have studied nutrition and holistic health. It is a lifestyle and passion.
I was full of energy and felt invincible.
Then...
autonomic problems and full body neuropathic pain struck me.
ME! The healthy one. The happy one. The one who eats a rainbow of whole foods all the time and actually loves it.

S0.......
Now I eat chips when ever the heck I feel like it. I eat chocolate. I drink coffee with a heaping amount of cream and honey every day.
I wasn't uptight before. I let myself have treats, but now its happening much more often. YUM

[zkrp01]

Originally Posted by KnowNothingJon

How many of you have had your relationship with food change since neuropathy? My change was massive, in that almost two years ago I tried out eating vegan for a month... going on 23.

I look at it though, and I feel there is an autonomic component at play, though perhaps it is just not feeling well? I just don't gravitate toward food other than, "doh, I need to eat!" or occassional hunger.

I really do not get hungry too often in the course of the day. Essentially I snack small meals most days and eat a dinner with my family.

When my neuropathy was bad in my ankles, prior to vegandom, I think I ate to endorphin at times. I certainly did for knee pain in the past. I can trace my diabetes kicking up and in lineage if I wanted to.

I was curious how others do with meals and food in general. I used to be pretty enthusiastic about food. Now one in ten meals is really one I get happy over.

A newer coworker always marvels when she sees me eating, as if it is a wonder of the world, hah.

What an insightful glimpse into the life of someone that I am totally green with envy and jealous about. My struggle with food is that too much of my life revolves around it like the Earth does the Sum. I am making better choices and trying to exercise my will power but I haven't moved the planets like you have. Congrats, Ken in Texas.

[Ragtop262]

When my neurological symptoms first started, I though for sure I had a fatal condition. That was around Christmas time, and my response was to eat every christmas cookie and candy in site - while I still could.

Of course that only made things worse. Once the symptoms evolved and I figured out what was really going on (no thanks to my doctors), I really cleaned up my diet, lost weight and felt somewhat better.

Once I started to feel better, I started to pig out and felt worse again. Since then its kind of been lather-rinse-repeat. I have a pretty good handle on what's good and bad for me, but I generally don't have the willpower to stick to the good diet unless I'm in significant pain. I do have a self imposed weight limit that I do not cross, but I could be doing much better.

(I hope all the people I've preached to about cleaning up their diet can forgive me for not always following my own advice.........)

[pinkynose]

I have always been into nutrition because of sports and consider myself a healthy eater with the big exception of sweets. I have tried over the years to keep my PH alkaline and would work to balance out and moderate my love of sweets. My sugar or triglycerides levels never tested high so I would indulge myself at times. I figured I don't drink or eat empty carbs which turn into sugar so I can eats dessert sometimes.

That was then, and this is now... With SFN sugar has become the number 1 food enemy for me. All I have to do is eat a chocolate cupcake and the burning will intensify in my leg. It doesn't happen every time but it does happen most times and I NEVER know. I now know that sugar irritates nerves which is personally really irritating me on so many levels!

Coffee, which I love 2nd to sweets also triggers my burning so I only drink about 6oz a day. I have learned that if i drink kefir 1st thing in the morning before I have my coffee i can get away with it. I don't dare push it past that because it's not worth the burn! What ad says "Feel the Burn?"

[icelander]

Originally Posted by pinkynose

I have always been into nutrition because of sports and consider myself a healthy eater with the big exception of sweets. I have tried over the years to keep my PH alkaline and would work to balance out and moderate my love of sweets. My sugar or triglycerides levels never tested high so I would indulge myself at times. I figured I don't drink or eat empty carbs which turn into sugar so I can eats dessert sometimes.

That was then, and this is now... With SFN sugar has become the number 1 food enemy for me. All I have to do is eat a chocolate cupcake and the burning will intensify in my leg. It doesn't happen every time but it does happen most times and I NEVER know. I now know that sugar irritates nerves which is personally really irritating me on so many levels!

Coffee, which I love 2nd to sweets also triggers my burning so I only drink about 6oz a day. I have learned that if i drink kefir 1st thing in the morning before I have my coffee i can get away with it. I don't dare push it past that because it's not worth the burn! What ad says "Feel the Burn?"

Have you tried Stevia and Xylitol? They allow me the sugar taste with no rise in blood sugars. In fact I make an ice cream with both of them along with fermented protein pwd and other healthful goodies that even have my non ill friends begging for the recipe . If anyone wants it please PM me.

[Ragtop262]

Originally Posted by pinkynose

Coffee, which I love 2nd to sweets also triggers my burning so I only drink about 6oz a day. I have learned that if i drink kefir 1st thing in the morning before I have my coffee i can get away with it. I don't dare push it past that because it's not worth the burn! What ad says "Feel the Burn?"

Oh yes - coffee. I have mostly switched to decaf, but about a month ago I was having breakfast with my wife and son. I had a long drive ahead, so decided on a cup of regular. We got lost in conversation and never noticed that our food took almost an hour to arrive. I also never noticed that the waitress was apparently topping off my cup on a frequent basis.

Needless to say, I was wide awake on the way home. (But also driving barefoot with cold air blowing on my feet to keep the burn down a little.)

[janieg]

I've completely overhauled my diet as well. I'd still like to do more, but the primary thing I've done is cut way back on all carbs. I thought I was eating healthy before with all my whole grains, beans, rice etc..., but I was wearing out my pancreas with all that carb "goodness." It was a horribly difficult change at first, but I've adjusted.

If any good has become of my SFN, I've hopefully taken myself off the path to diabetes. The latest stats on the disease in the U.S. are sobering.

Prediabetes

- 37% of U.S. adults aged 20 years or older have prediabetes
- Only 11.1% of Americans with prediabetes have been told they have it

Diabetes

- 29.1 million Americans, 9.3% of the population, have diabetes
- 8.1 million Americans have undiagnosed diabetes (27.8% of diabetes is undiagnosed)

http://professional.diabetes.org/adm...cts_3-2015.pdf

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