Salicylate sensitivity and intolerance

Keeping a food diary became part of my way of life for over a year. I made it easy by just writing directly into a standard diary each day with one column for how I felt and a column each for breakfast, lunch and dinner.

 

I'm sharing a sample of what I wrote following a visit to a nutritionist. I was at the peak of not feeling well.

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As you can see on this page the entries are all safe food choices, but this wasn't always the case.  The odd long black or small flute of champagne, finding pepper added to food when out, honey used to cure ham, coconut unexpectedly in a biscuit or piece of cake, olive oil used for a dressing or to cook with or lemon slices popped into a jug of water, were just some of the small things alone or sometimes combined over a little time that brought back salicylate symptoms.  I could see the effect of these foods in my notes. 

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As the months passed, I continued to pay careful attention to what I was eating.  I kept to low and moderate salicylate foods at home and as far as I could when out. Sometimes this meant taking my own food to evenings with friends and always ordering carefully at restaurants. I couldn't have wine but drank a little vodka with sparkling water when socialising.

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By the time I stopped keeping my food diary, apart from a few hiccups, the food recorded was in the main very similar but the health column had changed dramatically and now had very few 'unwell' entries. 

 

The very gradual improvement to my health showed clearly in my recordings.