Where's the Beef?

It ain't gonna be on my plate...

(posted by Lisa Laree to Beer Lahai Roi)

I've made jokes here and there about suffering from 'old people digestion', but the truth is I've been having a real go round with acid -- you know -- reflux (don't want search engine hits...)

Had the scope about 3 years ago and the dr found nothing serious enough to cause my symptoms; I've been on increasing doses of the expensive anti-acid pills and finally got disgusted enough that my family dr sent me back to the specialist.

It all comes down to diet, she said, and asked me questions like...'How much water do you drink every day?' and 'How much fiber do you eat?'

Um...I know I don't drink enough water.  I just don't think about it.  But I have never paid attention to fiber content. 'I eat oatmeal for breakfast!' I offered.

'3 grams.' She said.  'You need 20 every day.'

'I eat a lot of salads!'  I thought I'd get brownie points.

'Don't you know salads are bad for reflux?'

*jaw on floor*

'There really isn't much fiber in salads anyway.  You can eat any cooked vegetables you want, except tomatoes.  But you must cook them.  No red meat.  That means you can have pork, chicken, turkey and fish...no beef.  Drink eight glasses of water a day.  Whatever you need to do to make that happen, do it.  You can't go to bed at night unless you have drunk your water.'

I knew my diet needed to change.  I'd done well during the fast but lost focus a bit. I even prayed within the last week or so for the backbone to eat right.  Lean protein and green veggies, I thought.

Well, sort of. 

So, we'll do another scope and small test, just to make sure nothing has significantly changed in the past 3 years, and I'm to be Very Strict with my eating.

A doctor looking over my shoulder wasn't exactly what I had in mind for backbone, but He knows what I need.

Now I'm off to sort thorough a bag of HamBeens  15 bean soup mix (the kids will NOT eat limas, so I pull them out).  9 grams of fiber per serving.  Yeah, I'm paying attention now...