Wezi
Thamm Rule of Thamm
SO LONG, SOUL FOOD
‘Eating to live’ may sound strange to say but it is one of those
things we start doing consciously sometime after an HIV diagnosis.
There was a time after I left my parents’ home that I would eat what
ever took my fancy: foodstuffs my parents had long said were not good for
me, my teeth, my bones; foods that would give me spots and make me fat.
As one embarks on the adventure of becoming an adult we also discover there
are foods we like, those we don’t, those we crave and of course those
that are ‘bad’ for us even though we love them. Some less fortunate
souls are even allergic to certain foods.
An HIV diagnosis and medication brings with them a whole new set of problems
related to food, what with the night sweats, stomach cramps, nasty body odour,
nausea, the runs, trapped wind…
There are the meds that have to be taken before/with/after meals and there
are the things that are no longer safe to eat including raw meat and undercooked
eggs.
You may see a dietician who tells you what you should be eating. This advice
may be common sense but to me it often sounds confusing and contradictory
and risks creating a vicious circle.
Here’s the logic of healthy eating with HIV as I see it: I am supposed
to avoid certain foods, but in doing this, I deprive my body of certain foods
that have kept me healthy and have boosted my immune system all along.
This means I had to find other foods to provide me with the ‘right stuff’
to keep me healthy or else end up taking supplements that do the job the absent
foods were doing in the first place.
But when you break out in a painful rash because you eat a certain fruit,
or when you put a little cream in your coffee or tea and it raises your cholesterol
to dangerous levels, you find you are fighting a losing battle and risk becoming
seriously anaemic.
This means preparing even a simple meal is a pain because you now have to
choose your food with care and make sure it is properly cooked. No longer
can you throw caution to the wind because retribution comes fast.
When you go shopping for fruit and vegetables they always have to be fresh
and preferably, but expensively, organic. And it’s a definite goodbye
to those special offer/reduced and past sell by date goodies.
The same goes for the meat. Many of us are fighting body fat in unwanted places,
so we really should only buy lean meat. Steak Tartar sadly falls into the
“No, No, No - that could kill you” category.
Then there is fish; forget oysters, smoked salmon and sushi. Eggs, soft centres
(3 minutes), sunny side up all become a thing of the past. Or you eat them
at your own risk just like deep fried battered foods. The risk of salmonella
infection or raised cholesterol doesn’t bear thinking about.
Raw is good but only in vegetables; cook, but don’t overcook because
that way you loose all the vitamins etc. And we better forget frying. Grilling
and roasting is good for meats (well done) and for veg, blanching and steaming
is best I hear, as they retain the vitamins.
I think they are supposed to be best when still crunchy (only I am not so
sure that refers to meat). I guess you learn a new vocabulary too like, slow
cooking, whole wheat and whole grain.
Then there are the foods rich in omega 3 oils; foods that boost the immune
system; foods rich in iron and vitamins A,B, C. But where do I find them?
With all this effort going on, of course I get cravings: chocolates, ice-cream
with double cream, sorbets, soufflés, cake; strange childhood, homeland
and fast food cravings that come with sugar, salt and even alcohol withdrawals.
All I know is that it is easier said than done. The battle to eat right is
uphill and difficult. So perhaps the phrase ‘eating to live’ is
not quite right and the rather more clumsy “Working hard to eat right
to stay alive and healthy” is probably closer to the mark.
