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juliebove
03-19-2006, 07:45 PM
All of my life I've had problems eating raw carrots and also bread of any kind. I no longer eat the bread though. The problem is if I eat these things on an empty stomach, I get loud, painful hiccups. If I eat a few bites of something else first, this doesn't happen. I guess it's not so much of a problem as an annoyance. The same thing happens to my mom and daughter. A few days ago it happened with celery. Never happened with celery before!

My problem with fruit is two-fold. Harder fruits like apples can cause a painful feeling in my throat, as though a piece of it has gotten lodged in there. This can happen even if I'm eating a very thinly sliced apple. So it's not as though I'm accidentally swallowing a big chunk of it. It doesn't always happen, but when it does, it makes me not want to eat them again for a long time!

Oranges and raw pineapple give me canker sores. I used to be able to eat canned pineapple with no problems like this. I don't really care for the taste of oranges, so that's not a biggie. I can have a small amount of orange juice blended in something and it doesn't cause a problem.

But the biggest problem is that most raw fruit causes me to have terrible stomach pains. It wasn't always this way. I could eat fruit as a kid without the pain. I've never eaten a lot of fruit though since most of it just doesn't taste good to me.

I remember the day that it started though. I was in Reno or Las Vegas (can't remember which) and went to one of those "All You Can Eat" buffets for breakfast. These things are always a waste of money for me, especially at breakfast since I don't eat a lot then and there isn't usually a lot I will eat from what they have to offer. I had a little green salad but was still hungry so I went back, looking for something else. I took a slice of canteloupe. I ate only a couple of bites and immediately began burping. Now I am not one of those people who burps a lot. In fact there are times when I feel the need to burp and it's next to impossible to get myself to burp. So this was odd. Then the stomach pains began. They were so bad, I was rooted to my seat. After a while, the waiter came around and said I would need to get up if I was not eating any more because they needed the booth.

The pain finally went away after two or three hours. But now whenever I eat canteloupe, or any melon, this happens. Occasionally I'll eat a bite of something I don't normally eat, like a peach, just to see if I still hate them. I immediately start burping and then the stomach pains begin. Doesn't matter if the fruit is organic or not. Young or old. Even apples and pears will have this effect on me if I eat more than a few bites. Grapefruit does not cause this problem. And I seem to be able to eat berries with no problem, but I don't really like them and usually eat only a few at a time.

I guess it's a good thing I don't like fruit very much. Dehydrated fruit does not have this affect on me, although I've never tried dehydrated melon and am not even sure you can dehydrate it! Years ago, I made muffins of oatmeal, applesauce, nuts and various dehydrated fruits, soaked in hot water to soften. They did not make me sick. I used to make a mix of nuts, seeds and dried fruits. That didn't make me sick. Canned fruits do not make me sick. Only raw.

Someone speculated that it is the natural sorbitol in the fruit that could be the cause. Sorbitol sweetened foods do have this affect on me. And I wasn't aware that there was natural sorbitol in fruit until he pointed this out to me. Indeed there is. And some fruit has more than others. Apparently the sorbitol goes through some kind of change when the fruit is cooked. And I've been tested for allergies. I'm not allergic to these things. At least they didn't show up on the test. I've read that if a food is something you don't eat on a regular basis it won't show up on an allergy test.

At any rate, I'm curious to know if anyone else has these problems. I'd hate to think I'm the only one!

stRAWberry fields forever
03-19-2006, 09:04 PM
I don't have too much advice to offer, but can respond to several of your comments.

First, considering the problems you've mentioned, you might find research on food combining rules of interest. These rules are especially pertinent to consumption of fruit. From the readings I've done so far, fruit is to be eaten on an empty stomach, and you are then to wait at least half an hour before eating any other kind of food. Melon should be eated ALONE -- this means not combined with even any other type of fruit, let alone foods from other groups. I've had digestion problems with melon before, and I might contribute it to bad food combining practices.

Lastly, melon can absolutely be dehydrated. Dried cantaloupe is delightful.


I hope somebody else will correct me if any of this information is incorrect! Good luck.

juliebove
03-19-2006, 09:14 PM
I've heard of the food combining thing but I don't buy that for a variety of reasons. I could not fruit on an empty stomach either. I have diabetes, and to do that would cause my blood sugar to go through the roof!

karenisraw
03-19-2006, 09:19 PM
I wonder if you are allergic to some fruits.

k
:)

juliebove
03-20-2006, 12:26 AM
I wonder if you are allergic to some fruits.

k
:)

As I said, I had the RAST test and the only things that showed as allergens were eggs, dairy and almonds.

Indi
03-20-2006, 05:55 AM
Hi juliebove,


I have not experienced any of the problems you are currently encountering. However, when reading your post, i noticed that you were talking about eating these items.

Have you tried juicing them?

It may also be worth considering diluting the juice.

If you are having problems with fruit maybe diluted veggie juice may be the answer for a while...

You probably have...

Just a thought :)

ljannise
03-20-2006, 09:15 AM
Since I was a child, carrots not only gave me hiccups, but they made me choke as well. I always wondered why. I blamed myself for maybe eating them too fast or something, but they will ALWAYS do that to me to this very day.

I dont eat carrots unless it's maybe the baby ones. They are easier for me. I havent craved any in so long. We buy them for our guniea piggies so every LONG once in awhile, I would grab one or two baby ones.

BDraw
03-20-2006, 09:58 AM
Two comments concerning your post.

1) Carrots also cause me to hiccup, but I noticed one day that if I really chew them well, I do not get the hiccups. And I love carrots. Come to think of it, when I finely grate them for a carrot salad, they don't cause me any problems. So I am thinking it is the size of the carrots chunks that end up in my belly. :cool:

2) Pineapple will burn your mouth and therefore, also you tummy, if is is not fully ripe. When you buy a pineapple, poke holes in the bottom (stem) with a fork, put it in a sunny window in a bowl with some water in it (and some dulse, if you have it). Then when it is no longer green, use it. It will smell wonderful and taste heavenly and will not burn you! :D

Enjoy!!