The Information Age is truly a wondrous era. Last night I was doing some more research, visiting various sites with info about hemochromatosis, trying to determine what might be the best changes to make in my diet...all from my iPhone while watching Pierce Brosnan in "The November Man" (not a bad film, actually...). If there is one thing I am certain of with this disease, it is that confusion and contradiction surrounds it. Of easily half a dozen sites I checked out, one half contradicted the other with respect to their dietary recommendations, and multiple contradicted what my gastroenterologist told me directly.
Red meat is a no-brainer here. It sucks, hardcore, for me to have to give it up, being a life-long affirmed carnivore. I used to go into restaurants and, if ordering a steak (typically a nice, juicy rib eye), my standard response to my server was, "As rare as you can legally get it!" when asked how I liked my steak done. I am slowly weaning myself, with this most recent Thanksgiving being one of my "last hurrahs", of sorts, preparing a prime rib instead of the traditional turkey (this had been planned well before my diagnosis and I could not bring myself to change the menu...). Beer was something of a shocker, and equally a bummer as I not only enjoy drinking beer but also brewing it when I am able. Breads, pastas...ok. I had actually been working at curtailing my consumption of those (although having difficulty with pasta...) already. The few veggies I actually enjoy? Yeah...on the list of iron-rich foods. Funny how my gastroenterologist said pork and poultry were good...but several sites disagree.
There are various blogs, as well, started for the same reasons I have started mine...each seeming to disagree with what is best to eat and what isn't. Shocker.
I think the key here, as I begin all of this, is moderation. I am not always that great with moderation, as many who know me well can attest. My liver biopsy is looming closer and closer, something I am still not thrilled about, but the results of which will probably have a greater influence on my dietary changes than anything else. My first phlebotomy treatment is already scheduled and I am actually curious as to how that will help bring my ferritin levels down. Some comments I have seen from others with my condition on other sites actually detail how they do not really change that much with respect to their diets (other than cutting down on the red meat...dammit...) as the treatments have proven to be quite effective at lowering their levels regardless. In the meantime, I have found something of a consensus noting that black tea or milk at meal times helps as well, so I am exploring that.
The need to seriously cut certain foods out of my diet sucks. I would rather focus on what I can actually eat, rather than what I can't. Its going to take some focus and commitment to change, but then you can't get something for nothing, now can you?
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