Idea for a list

[chainsaw]

Has anyone ever thought of asking those on the network about what brand name foods they have found that contains the "bad" things we IC'r should stay afraid from? And also, the brand name foods they have found that does not contain the "bad" things? Maybe someone could make a "list" of these items and post it on here. That would help those who do NOT have the time to go to the store and read every lable. This is just an idea that I had come to me. Don't know if it is a good idea or bad idea, but I thought I would toss it out there. You never know.

Chainsaw

[tabasco32]

not all brand names are bad. But some simple foods might be. I just realized that some Icers can't tolerate milk or milk products. This may be a cause because some farms feed thier cows soybeans in their diet. They also give them hormones and antibiotics because they suck on those poor utters 12 hours a day everyday. Raw milk is better because they only eat green pasture. I say label reading and knowlege is the only way to know. The more chemicals and names you can't pronounce the better off you are without it.

[ICNDonna]

Unfortunately there are two potential problems with such a list. First of all, ICers can be very different in what ingredients may cause flares --- what bothers one ICer may be entirely okay for another.

Secondly, ingredients are frequently changed in products. Companies are always working to "improve" their products, which unfortunately can be a problem for those with diet restrictions. I recently bought a product that I have purchased many times in the past and found that it now contains tomato (I was in a hurry and didn't read the label again!). I checked a can I had purchased not more than a month ago and it did NOT have tomato. The only way to really play it safe is to continue to read labels.

Hugs,
Donna

[kadi]

I know exactly what you mean, Donna! I cringe every time I see a "new & improved" label on something because to me & my IC, it usually means "new and inedible".

[Berkshire Road]

LOL "New and Inedible!" You are so right. I can't even make it the grocery store most weeks, so poor Jack has to do all the label reading, and he and my 11 year old pretty much split the cooking. I'm down to just eating mostly whole foods and the one or two frozen dinners that don't trigger me. Oh, and vanilla ice cream, which I consider a health food I mean, think about it: Calcium, protein, and, um, it makes me happy?

[plaedes]

I personally think the list is a great idea. It could be done in such a was as to state Brand and variety (ie. Campbells Chicken noodle soup, etc.) and then just simply state if it has tomoto, MSG or other known bladder irritants. Something like this would have helped me so much in the first year or so. The IC diet is so completely lacking in information. I know it is a trial and error process for everyone, but a list like this could really help point out some of the good and the bad. My first two years were miserable because of my lack of knowledge. Of course this website helped a lot with that, but a list would probably help a lot. I didn't realize that MSG was even a problem for me until last year! Now I read a lot of labels and find out that it is no wonder I hurt so much those first few years. I was hurting so bad that cooking a "real" meal was out of the question most days. I relied on canned soup and the like to just stave off hunger. I realize now that I was just making matters worse. There should just be a disclaimer at the top of the list making sure that people know that it is still just a guide and that things change from time to time. I also would really like it if there was a section of the main page devoted solely to IC friendly recipes. They have this for IBS and the like. Why can't we have one? In the diet section I mostly find people discussing food, vitamins, spices, etc and how they effect them. We need a good place for posting recipes only and no discussions. This way I can come here and find something good for dinner tonight without reading weeks of commentary and before you know it dinner time has come and gone and now I have to eat something fast or skip dinner and go to bed because I've been trying to read too much stuff. I'm sure I'm not the only one that gets lost in why they actually came here just reading through the posts. Most times I enjoy it and learn a lot that I didn't realize I needed to know, but other times I'm in a hurry. I also don't think a Recipe only listing is a bad thing. Could help a lot of people who don't care to read that much.

[slaston]

If you scroll down past the forum to where it says, "ICN Features" withtin that it has the "ICN cookbook", they have quite a few things there, although I've only tried a few.