I am allergic to nightshades. I went two days without eating any. That doesn’t sound like very long, does it? But yesterday at noon I went with my dad to a Mexican restaurant. After lunch, I had to pull myself up the stairs. I woke up this morning with “morning pain” in my fingers and feet.
After only two days of no nightshades I was feeling better. Maybe it would be worth it to give them up. Honestly, about half the food I eat I am allergic to. If I want to get on with my life with much less pain, say 75% less than I deal with on a regular basis, then I need to give up those foods.
No more Hawaiian Chicken at Steak and Ale. (The rice has peppers in it.)
No more Thousand Island Dressing. (Tomatoes.)
No more hamburgers with anything on them except lettuce. (I could have pickles, but I don’t like dills.)
No more marinara, tomato sauce, pizza sauce.
No more dip at Churrasco’s. I can still have the plantain chips, though.
No more mustard.
No more ketchup.
No more queso.
No more Mexican steak.
No more Mexican food, period. Unless I get cheese and chicken quesadillas and the chicken hasn’t been marinated.
No more tomato soup.
No more macaroni and tomatoes.
No more french fries.
No more potato chips.
No more ranch style beans.
No more baked potatoes.
No more barbecue.
No more honey mustard dressing.
Nothing spicey.
Nothing with tomatoes.
Nothing with potatoes.
Nothing with eggplant. (Not a big loss there.)
So what could I eat?
Breakfast at Burger King.
Dr. Pepper.
Macaroni and tuna.
Hamburger gravy.
R’s chicken spaghetti.
That really good macaroni and cheese that Mrs. Nash makes. (I better get the recipe.)
any soda I want
Tostitos, Doritos, and Fritos
cheese
peanut butter
bagels
plain hamburgers
plain cheeseburgers
wheat thins
cream of chicken soup (Maybe. I called Campbell’s and they couldn’t tell me what spices were in the soup.)
Ron’s mom’s chicken and rice casserole.
Plain beans.
Plain homemade burritos.
Quesadillas.
Zio’s cheese and alfredo “enchiladas” – I don’t know what they call them, but that’s what they are.
Chili’s cheese sticks. As long as I don’t eat the marinara.
Ice cream. Any kind.
Churrasco’s steak
Pancakes
Orange rolls
Chicken, beef, pork.
Cinnamon
Cloves
Some restaurant foods.
Honey seared chicken at Pei Wei
Zingers
Protein bars
Apparently last year I made it through a week without nightshades. And I know that in 1998 I made it through four months without any. (Of course then I had some and went to bed in excruciating pain.)
So this week I will have gone three days without nightshades.
It seems that if nightshade allergies are solanine toxicity build-up, eating just a bit, perhaps once a week, would give me a hedge against the total debilitation that comes with going without for a long time and then being re-introduced.
Of course, the addictive part of the toxicity makes it hard to keep the eating down to that level.
As far as solanine goes and what you have to cross off your menu, don’t forget blue berries, huckleberries, artichokes and okra.
I forgot about huckleberries. But I didn’t know about blueberries. Are you sure about artichokes and okra? I have never liked those. No, never mind. I’ve never liked tobacco either.
http://sweetrocket.blogspot.com/2009/02/nightshades-solanine-and-pain.html
She talks about finding that they have solanine.
Very helpful…think I am just now linking nightshades to some pretty severe reactions ranging from indigestion & nausea to itching, break out like reaction on my face, stinging sensation on tongue and pain/muscles tighenting up.
I had NO idea this could be linked to my food until I eliminated all animal products (thus reducing my diet as well)allowing me to pin point reactions as I began to feel better on a whole.
Was feeling great, had gluten free pizza with no cheese, pignole nuts, eggplant and spinach last night…immediately had symptoms and woke up with lips swollen. Same thing happened after eating gogi berries earlier. Thanks for posting this info and list.