Week 32 Moderation Kills

After 2 weeks of a low histamine diet I started to feel good.  Really good.  So good in fact, that I got cocky and began to entertain thoughts of a hypothetical future wherein living on fresh plants could be moderated in some way, or modified to suit a more typical Western diet, albeit with a healthy intake of plants most of the time. 

This perspective led me to cheat on the diet, first in small ways, then large.  My first cheat was processed cheese puffs and Takis, which tasted great and did not seem to noticeably effect my breathing or overall health.  The next was a meal of turkey with dolmas (spiced rice wrapped in grape leaves and topped with potatoes).  This too did not cause any problems, so on a whim, I went full bore the next day: Arby's Beef and Cheddar with Bacon and a side of curly fries.  This was a terrible idea.  The rest of the evening, I was convinced I had induced a cardiac event.  Breathing was labored, my fingers and toes started to go numb, and my stomach and left arm started to hurt.  All the symptoms that convince sensible people to visit the emergency room.  Luckily, these symptoms subsided after about 6 hours, but the lesson has been learned: moderation kills!  When Dr. Esselstyn says no oil, that means no fucking oil.  That means no nuts, no vegetable oils, no meat, no cheese, no yogurt, and especially no beef, cheddar, and bacon with a side of transfat laden fried potatoes.  If even one cheat meal of this kind was enough to cause me to fear for my life, I am in a new phase of life.  The damage has been done to my arteries, and I am not going to be healthy  enough ever again to eat meals like these without risk.  I must reassociate those foods as disgusting.  I must learn to hate and fear them.  I must discourage their consumption in my home and encourage only whole foods in my pantry.  If I had a choice, I would surely keep small amounts of oily foods in my diet, but its clear that I don't have a choice if I want to live a long life free of heart disease and be around for my family.

I will remain on the low histamine vegan diet and attempt a vegan cheat day of pumpkin pie in November with Thanksgiving dinner.  Updates to follow.