So here is the funny thing that happened on Thursday.
A coffee and a muffin treat for me!
Last week at work I got an incentive for doing something good. It was $10 for a coffee and a muffin. I hadn't realised they meant it literally until they asked for the receipt today. While I absolutely appreciate the kindness from my wonderful superiors I just don't usually buy coffee and muffins so just hadn't yet. But then yesterday they needed the receipt for petty cash... So I went and bought a coffee and a piece of cake which I could not eat. I gave the coffee to a colleague in the lunchroom and popped the cake into the fridge. I'm sure it'll still be good on Saturday and will be very welcome after this challenge has finished.
But lets get back on track.
I have eaten rice every day of this challenge. And I will be eating it tomorrow too. And there's a reason for that. Like many folk with similar health issues I try to follow a low FODMAP diet to lessen the inflammation which causes me pain. The thing with FODMAPS is that everyone's issues are different - usually only 2 - 3 groups of those six are an issue for most. I used to have major problems with gluten. Since having kids this has improved slightly, but I still try not to have it too much. I have issues with lactose and some foods high in fructose. The worst reactions I've had have been to things high in sulphites - particularly those used in sausages and salami. So while I'm not allergic to any of this eating it can still cause me quite a bit of pain.
Rice is a cheap, safe bet. Gluten free bread and pasta was far to expensive to even consider. If I were doing this challenge for longer I'd try to add in some other gluten free grains like sorghum or buckwheat - but at over double the price of white rice it's still a tough call. One of the reasons our dairy intake has been so low is that I can't drink milk. It makes me ill. I had less than 1/4 of a cup per day over this challenge, and that was pretty much the max I can tolerate*. I couldn't afford my usual almond milk. There is no way anyone can have their dietary requirements met with so few funds, and folk with health issues are also unable to manage their health needs.
If you are a beneficiary you can apply for a disability allowance to help cover costs incurred for those with ongoing health issues. You can use this to buy specialty foods. When I worked at The Gluten Free Grocer I did WINZ quotes for families with Coeliac disease often. Coeliac disease is an autoimmune disorder which affects about 1 in 70 Kiwis - this rate is higher here than in most parts of the world. The consumption of gluten negatively impacts on their autoimmune system, meaning that eating it lowers their bodies ability to keep itself safe. Between 10 - 30% of cancer patients also have an autoimmune disorder. These have a huge impact on someone's quality of life and longevity. Still, WINZ often rejected applications. And if you were someone like me, where it was recommended by a Dr but not considered 'necessary', that rejection would be all the more likely. When you are living on not enough, even an extra $10 a week makes a huge difference. I always encouraged people to try.
So what did we eat on day 4?
We ate not a lot. The protein filled night of day 3 did its job and I wasn't crazy hungry. Murray also had a busy work day and just ran out of time for lunch. So we didn't eat a lot, how was our nutrition?
Well, not great. Even though the egg fried rice was full of veges, they would have only equated to one serving in the lunch version. And daal, whilst delicious, healthy and filling contains just one serving of veg per serve. Our protein was borderline - definitely a full serving in split peas, and maybe a half serving in the egg fried rice. Fibre was still basic and we still cannot afford to eat any more fruit. So it's probably a 1.5/5 day nutritionally. So even though we both felt ok, eating like we did today is not going to serve us long term.
Our daal and naan dinner - very delicious and affordable but not a lot of substance
So tomorrow I will write about the last day and also interview Murray to see what his thoughts were. I know he found it tough - he hasn't had to eat on this restricted a diet in decades. I'll also cost out how much more would be needed to meet nutritional needs for adults with our current economic conditions.
* I can eat some other dairy that is lower in lactose with no problems - like hard cheeses and yoghurt, but with so little funds this was just not an affordable option.
A coffee and a muffin treat for me!
Last week at work I got an incentive for doing something good. It was $10 for a coffee and a muffin. I hadn't realised they meant it literally until they asked for the receipt today. While I absolutely appreciate the kindness from my wonderful superiors I just don't usually buy coffee and muffins so just hadn't yet. But then yesterday they needed the receipt for petty cash... So I went and bought a coffee and a piece of cake which I could not eat. I gave the coffee to a colleague in the lunchroom and popped the cake into the fridge. I'm sure it'll still be good on Saturday and will be very welcome after this challenge has finished.But lets get back on track.
I have eaten rice every day of this challenge. And I will be eating it tomorrow too. And there's a reason for that. Like many folk with similar health issues I try to follow a low FODMAP diet to lessen the inflammation which causes me pain. The thing with FODMAPS is that everyone's issues are different - usually only 2 - 3 groups of those six are an issue for most. I used to have major problems with gluten. Since having kids this has improved slightly, but I still try not to have it too much. I have issues with lactose and some foods high in fructose. The worst reactions I've had have been to things high in sulphites - particularly those used in sausages and salami. So while I'm not allergic to any of this eating it can still cause me quite a bit of pain.
Coeliac symptoms in adults
Rice is a cheap, safe bet. Gluten free bread and pasta was far to expensive to even consider. If I were doing this challenge for longer I'd try to add in some other gluten free grains like sorghum or buckwheat - but at over double the price of white rice it's still a tough call. One of the reasons our dairy intake has been so low is that I can't drink milk. It makes me ill. I had less than 1/4 of a cup per day over this challenge, and that was pretty much the max I can tolerate*. I couldn't afford my usual almond milk. There is no way anyone can have their dietary requirements met with so few funds, and folk with health issues are also unable to manage their health needs.
So what did we eat on day 4?
We ate not a lot. The protein filled night of day 3 did its job and I wasn't crazy hungry. Murray also had a busy work day and just ran out of time for lunch. So we didn't eat a lot, how was our nutrition?
Well, not great. Even though the egg fried rice was full of veges, they would have only equated to one serving in the lunch version. And daal, whilst delicious, healthy and filling contains just one serving of veg per serve. Our protein was borderline - definitely a full serving in split peas, and maybe a half serving in the egg fried rice. Fibre was still basic and we still cannot afford to eat any more fruit. So it's probably a 1.5/5 day nutritionally. So even though we both felt ok, eating like we did today is not going to serve us long term.
Our daal and naan dinner - very delicious and affordable but not a lot of substance
So tomorrow I will write about the last day and also interview Murray to see what his thoughts were. I know he found it tough - he hasn't had to eat on this restricted a diet in decades. I'll also cost out how much more would be needed to meet nutritional needs for adults with our current economic conditions.
* I can eat some other dairy that is lower in lactose with no problems - like hard cheeses and yoghurt, but with so little funds this was just not an affordable option.
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