TPM Tidbit: Dangit! It’s the chocolate! (My face palm moment)
October 5, 2012 in Sarah's Personal AI Struggles, TPM Tidbits
I love chocolate. Sometimes, I feel like I need chocolate. Very dark chocolate is one of the ways I satisfy sweet cravings without actually consuming many carbs. Chocolate is my Go To stress food. Yes, these aren’t great habits. But it’s better than what I used to do.
So, even when I started the autoimmune protocol in January, I ate some chocolate (so many people report tolerating chocolate). In April, I learned how ridiculously high in phytic acid it is, and cut it out completely. This is also when I saw dramatic improvements in my lichen planus, but I never linked it to cutting out chocolate.
But then, the stressful summer hit (refrigerator leaks, mold growing in the floor, replacing kitchen floor, sick cats, family dynamics, finding out we need a whole new HVAC, finding out my husband’s car is on its last legs, the stress of the kindergarten transition…). I once again turned to chocolate as my buddy, my confidant, my friend through thick and thin. I wanted to tolerate it so badly that I ignored the warning signs that my lichen planus was no longer healing (although not getting worse). And then I had tomatoes. I think that was kinda like adding gasoline to an already roaring fire.
Last Saturday, I posted a post about my frustration with my current lichen planus flare. I received dozens of wonderful comments, many with suggestions on what I might be able to change to address it. One e-mail I received, pointed me to this paper showing that high Vitamin-A consumption can exaggerate a gluten reaction. Seriously?! Well, I am consuming a ton of Vitamin A, so this got me thinking. And I consuming gluten? Or a food that cross-reacts with gluten? I was already aware that coffee cross-reacts with gluten, so I just needed to see if any other foods I was consuming were also gluten cross-reactors. On this list was chocolate (which I consume frequently), yeast (and I’ve been drinking kombucha, eating homemade sauerkraut and eating a little yeast-based paleo bread), and tapioca (which I’ve been using in baking a lot lately). A light bulb turned on in my head. And then the cursing began.
The difference in my lesions in just 5 days is astounding. Many of the smaller lesions higher up my shins are gone. I actually took before pictures this time, so in a week or two I will post them with after photos to show you the difference. I am really ticked off that I can’t eat chocolate, but I am happy to have found my missing link.
I’m glad that you find your missing link! I am a bit confused by “cross reacts with gluten” Does it mean that it exacerbates the problem if consumed with any gluten? Or does it exhibit the same potential reactions? Thanks!
I think it’s a problem for me, too.
I was at a chiro once for a terrible stiff neck and shoulder, and his receptionist asked if I ate chocolate recently. I had. I cut back, and had been doing better. Yesterday, I decided to snack on some dark chocolate and woke up with pain and a stiff neck this morning, sigh. I’ve had the cross reactivity test, and I’ve been letting those slide lately, too (tapioca and yeast, specifically.) At least we know what’s causing it.
Yeast. Tapioca. Okay.
But chocolate is going to require a period of mourning. You have my deepest sympathies.
(((Hugs))) I realized I can’t eat chocolate too because it makes my nursling very fussy and gassy. She’s so miserable when I eat it. So it’s off limits. It’s been tough so I sympathize.
Good for you!! Sometimes I have people in my life that think that I am over-thinking or obsessing about minutiae but being my own health detective has gotten me soooo far that I am going to continue to get to the bottom of whatever health problems linger. There ARE answers. Thank you for reaffirming that for me!
Thank you for sharing your process of figuring this out. So helpful. And I agree. Chocolate must be mourned. Damn.
I’m with Karen. Isn’t it crazy how the smallest things can make the biggest difference. Not just in food, but in so many areas of life!
Sorry to hear about the chocolate, I think it gives me head aches but hopefully in time I be able to eat some from time to time.
I did read the article you mentioned, about the Vit. A and can I just say a naughty word !!! -bleep-!!! my poor kiddo has cut so much out of her diet while trying to heal and now to find out she shouldn’t eat sweet potatoes or dark leafy greens, ugh!
We also cut out fermented foods this week after she had a really bad flare up of psoriasis and from reading your post concerning the experience you had. She also had some soy aminios in a great paleo stir fry I made and I think that really got things stirred up.
Well, thanks again for sharing all the helpful, encouraging, and truthful posts. Your blog has been my goto for so much help and encouragement . Hope you continue to make healing progress!
Ruth
I am still trying to figure out if there is a difference between plant and animal sources of vitamin A. I have only cut out the animal sources in my diet (basically just liver and cod liver oil).
good to know that there may be a difference. For now I’ll leave the liver and the veggies where they are. Please share if you find anything out.
thanks again
I’ve been avoiding cow milk so I was so proud of myself for “only” indulging in the dairy free enjoy life chocolate chunks. Bad move. My psoriasis flare from a few weeks ago suddenly got worse and hmmmm I wonder why? Couldn’t be the almost empty bag of chocolate chunks could it? And Tammy, thanks for posting – you made me realize the bag of chocolate chunks likely did not help my super sore neck (like so sore I wake up super early just to NOT lay on the dang thing in pain anymore sore neck.)
Thanks for sharing ladies! God bless.
I think chocolate is a problem for me too… but I’m still somewhat in denial. Haha. This is inspiring me to cut it out for awhile, though.
Dang! I started making my gluten free child homemade chocolate bars with organic cocoa and coconut oil…and was so excited to be able to give her something fun..and sweet…and “safe”. …I made it two days in a row…and she has now been sick for a week…….didn’t put that together till reading this….thank you.
I can’t eat any chocolate either. I have lupus and struggle with brain fog (I usually do well combatting it). But when I eat chocolate, thinking it will give me a boost, it increases the brain fog. I think it interferes with my sleep pattern, but I’m not sure. It’s so bad, that even when chocolate sounds good, I don’t do it. Nothing is worth that brain in molasses feeling. Good for you for isolating a bad actor. Hooray!
You know, I realized that I react to store bought chocolate but I’m OK when I make my chocolate fudge (honey, coconut oil and chocolate) or chocolate pudding (again, honey). I think I react to the sugar and chocolate combo or maybe it’s just the sugar in the chocolate bars. It’s fantastic that you are figuring out what your body needs!
“and then the cursing began” LOL love it!
Glad you are feeling better! So sorry for your loss
some foods just require a person to say that, and Chocolate is one of them! I seem to have a threshold for coffee and chocolate… I can eat a certain amount and be OK, but if I go over, I suffer (the truth is I shouldn’t eat either ever)
I am starting to wonder about chocolate myself. trying hard to blame the soy lecithin that was in some dark chocolate I had today. will try some dairy/soy/etc free and see if that still cause me bloating issues. will mourn if that is the case.
I did the same thing (blame the soy). I still think soy is a problem for me, but not as big as the chocolate itself.
i had a big chunk of extra dark chocolate melting in my mouth, another in hand when i sat down to see what paleomom had to say today! ahhh chocolate might be my secret nemesis too. i didn’t know it was rediculously full of phytic acid. (sigh) i really ramped up my chocolate consumption when i quit coffee and now i have quite the little habit going. maybe i should learn my lesson and not try to just substitute something for whatever i’m trying to quit! glad to hear you are feeling the benefits so quickly!
After your post on cross reactivity, I decided to give this a try again. Stomach upset, sore neck, brain fog, ear ringing, eye floaters, and headaches are all back. I am now positive chocolate, coffee, and booze are the problems. I was doing so well at avoiding them and then life got really stressful. But you cant handle stress when you freel crappy. I am happy you found your missing link!
I can’t tell you how much I enjoy your blog. Finally, someone who understands…
Can you provide an updated list of everything one should avoid on the autoimmune protocol? So far I have: all grains, all legumes, all soy, all dairy, eggs, nightshades (tomatoes, eggplant, white potatoes, and peppers), nuts, seeds, chocolate, tapioca/yucca/cassava, seed spices, spices from peppers, alcohol, yeast, yeast fermented foods (kombucha, kefir).
Have I left anything out? I wonder about vinegars: should I avoid those too, because of fermentation and yeast?
Thanks for the very valuable information you provide.
I think the only thing missing from your list is coffee.
Thanks very much. If you are feeling generous, I would love to hear how you manage this strict diet on a typical day or in a typical week–i.e. I would love to hear a meal diary or meal plan. I am especially interested in how you cook for your family’s needs and for yours at the same time. Does everyone eat the aip foods? (I assume not, since you often post recipes with eggs and nut flours.) I’m trying to cook for a family as well as to heal an autoimmune condition–my family is paleo but does not need the aip. There are many days on which the restrictions and differences make meal planning hard.
I eat a different lunch and breakfast from the rest of the family, but our suppers look pretty similar (I might not eat the sweet potatoes or something like that, but otherwise it’s the same). And the baking type recipes I make re for my family, not for me. I will try and keep a meal diary for an upcoming post.
Congratulations, Sarah! And thank you for sharing this with us, it’s really helpfull. I followed the AIP for two months and I felt great. It was difficult for me during my holidays, but today is my first day again.
Best,
Ana
Oh this is a happy/sad story…but yay for finding out what your missing link is! Too bad it turned out to be chocolate.
Glad you are on the mend! I was really getting frustrated for you since you are so disciplined and work so hard. Just wondering if Carob is allowed on a Paleo diet and if it would have the same ill effects as chocolate?
Is it weird that I would be more upset to lose my kombucha than my chocolate? I doc have a question though if it’s not too late. If you’re not consuming kefir or kombucha where are you getting your Probiotics from? Supplements or are fermented veggies ok?
No, not weird. The amount of yeast in kombucha or kefir is much greater than the amount in fermented veggies. Right now I am steering clear of all of the above just to be on the safe side, and then will try reintroducing sauerkraut and see what happens. As much as I am a fan of getting everything from food, supplements feel safer to me right now. I’ve ordered two supplements, an acidophilus/bifidus supplement with 8 (or was it 10) different strains and no yeast (and clean in terms of fillers etc.) and a soil based probiotic with a bunch of different strains (and again clean). I’m still waiting to receive them but I will definitely write a post about them in a month or so once I have a solid opinion. I’m also going to try making coconut milk yogurt with the acidophilus/bifidus supplement as a starter!
Can you offer a heads up on what you thought of the probiotics? What brands? I am looking for a good one because the “Pearls” just don’t meet the standards I’m looking for. :S
What about raw chocolate? I’m surprised no one seems to have thought of or mentioned it (unless I just missed it). I make my own raw chocolate from raw cocoa and coconut oil (I have friends who also add cocoa butter, which is great, but hard to get in Canada). Raw cocoa reacts completely differently in your body than regular chocolate and is very healthy. Has anyone with sensitivities/reactions to chocolate tried it raw? Note: pretty much none of the chocolate you can buy (that I know of) is raw. You have to make it yourself. It’s actually pretty easy.
I have tried both raw cocoa butter and raw cocoa nibs (sepearatly) and reacted to both.