MSG

We have finally figured out that I have an intolerance to MSG (monosodium glutimate.) I wouldn't call it severe, but it definitly showed up in different symptoms. Nausea, headaches and migraines, itching on my legs and chest, phlem buildup and asthmatic attacks. When I had my first asthmatic type reaction, it finally woke us up to trying to figure out what could be causing it all. Someone mentioned to me that it could be msg, so we started researching it and all of my symptoms were listed there, plain as day. We thought we would go msg free for awhile and see if it helped. It has been a little over a week now and I have had no symptoms since, so it has been great. I feel so much better, feel healthier already and our meals have changed for the better.

It hasn't been easy to find food. I pretty much had to completley change the way I think about food. It was so discouraging at first and kind of depressing to see all the food we love so much full of msg, or other ingredients that they list to hide msg. It is going to be much more inconvenient and probably quite a bit more expensive for a lot of things, but I know we can do it. After only a week, we have decided that it won't be as hard to find food we love that we first thought. We have already introduced a variety of things, so it won't be the same stuff all the time. Oh yeah, and I had to throw away SO many of my seasonings and worchestire sauce too. I cook with that ALL the time. I can't wait to have some more money though, because I have found that Mrs. Dash has a LOT of different seasonings that are completley msg free...just pure spices and herbs. AND I have found a fantabulous homeade tomato sauce recipe that I am anxious to try, once we have more money...tomatos are expensive! I have never really bought them before! ha! I may have to encourage Daniel to plant a garden again this next summer. I want to learn how to can and put stuff up. I'll have to get my mom to teach me how.

Some things that I love dearly that I have to give up: Juan Pablos, tortillas, 99% of chips, chicken nuggets, corn dogs, buttery popcorn, pretty much every fast food...and the list goes on and on. I HAVE found that I can eat at Braum's if I don't eat many fries and I can eat at Subway if I eat carefully. Those of you who know me well, know how much I love to eat out. In fact, that could be a whole other blog post. I have decided to really cut down on eating out, as it has become an addiction for me. Don't laugh...I am serious. I can't do it alone, I am TOO weak, but I am praying continually for God to help me defeat it. It may be a daily struggle for the rest of my life. By the way, random thought, read Max Lucado's Facing Your Giants. I am in the middle of it and it has already changed my thinking. I THINK what I was getting at, but got away from, was that this whole msg thing is going to pretty much eliminate my going out to eat, which is so hard for me...it's an emotional thing, more than anything.

For some reason, at the same time I have given up msg, my coffee cravings have picked up. I have really enjoyed my coffee this past week...I hope THAT doesn't become an addiction too! :-)

I am lucky to have my wonderful, sweet and loving husband to help me get through this. He has studied up on it just as much, if not more, than I have. He is going msg free too, as are our kids for the most part. I am not going to forbid them to have msg, because there are so many things they love that I just couldn't bring myself to not let them have. But cutting down, for sure.

It really is a terrible chemical. I wish more people were educated about it. I can't believe I am just now learning about the harmful effects of it. In fact, msg is probably a HUGE reason why fast food has become an unhealthy addiction for me. Sadly, if it weren't for the side effects and symptoms that I have, even knowing about it, I probably wouldn't have cared.

Well, I need to finish loading the dishwasher, boo. Later.