I Have a Problem (with Corn)

Can you believe it? I think I have a problem with corn! This is ridiculous. Corn is in everything! It's everywhere! I have been meticulously avoiding corn and corn derivatives for two weeks...all I have to say about this is that it's a good thing I like salads.

So, let me backtrack a few months. I went to the allergist for blood testing to see if there was anything I should avoid besides gluten. I had felt great for months after going gluten free but then randomly started feeling bad again. And up popped a dairy intolerance (in the form of high levels of IgG antibodies to dairy). So I went casein free and after experiencing withdrawal symptoms, I felt pretty good. But I still had random bouts of feeling bad and couldn't pinpoint what the instigator was. So I looked back at the blood test results. Two other foods that registered were cashews and shrimp...both small IgG blips, but they are easy to avoid so I avoided them. No big deal. The other food that registered was corn. Where dairy was high at 10, corn showed up as moderate at 5...whatever that means. The allergist told me to avoid dairy but said corn was not a problem. Phew! I do love tortilla chips, and I decided to listen to the allergist instead of my intuition.

A few months later, the girls and I started having issues with antibiotics and I decided to reduce grains and carbs in our diet. I avoided them more than the girls did because it's easier for me to deprive myself than it is to deprive them, poor kids. After a few weeks of this, plus probiotics, we felt much better. I started adding grains and carbs slowly back into our diet. The girls still have at least one meal a day that is grain and carb free because I think it's probably a good practice to keep. I allow myself just one grain or carb a day (on a good day, though sometimes I cheat). And I noticed that anytime I indulged in some corn chips, the next day I felt bad. Drat.

So I decided to do a little elimination diet. Anytime I slipped and forgot about the presence of corn flour or cornstarch in something, the next day I knew it. I've been vigilant for two weeks now..no corn, cornstarch, dextrose, high fructose corn syrup, corn oil, etc. I've been eating very plainly...meats, fish, fruits, veggies, and any carb or grain that has absolutely no corn in it (well, besides the xanthan gum). For two weeks I've felt good. I will keep doing this until I get home from vacation, and then I will slowly add one small thing at a time back into my diet to see what happens...I will start with Good Seasonings Italian Dressing. But I think I will have to say goodbye forever to my beloved tortilla chips. Sniff.