I've been working all week with a client who has been TKO'd by broccoli. She's a broccoli lover. And right now, there are a lot of other foods that don't get into the day because she's not quite sure they're safe. So, while we work on that, she's been leaning pretty heavily on broccoli as a food.
The last few weeks she's been complaining about feeling bloated, which is common when someone whose food choices have been limited starts to expand their menu.
The situation reached a break point the other day when she had back and gut pain so severe she was rolling on the floor. The symptoms sounded enough like developing appendicitis that we decided an urgent care visit was in order.
Turns out, the problem was twofold: excessive gas and constipation.
The gas is likely related to the broccoli consumption. It's just a food that produces gas. And gas won't go anywhere if there isn't anything propelling it through the system.
The constipation is likely due to such a long history of limiting food intake, and the intestines quite literally forgetting how to process food.
So when you overdo one food that really shouldn't be eaten if your intestines aren't healthy…when your intestines aren't healthy…you just might find yourself rolling on the floor wishing someone was there to drive you to Urgent Care.
The moral of the story is, there's no such thing as a good food. Even a good food, when eaten in excess, can be a bad food for your health and your comfort.
PCOS is one of those problems where you can develop significant food fears. Is this going to make me gain weight? Is this going to raise my blood sugar? Is this going to make my acne worse? Is this going to interfere with my fertility?
PCOS is also a syndrome which, for recovery, is completely dependent on ridding yourself of that mentality, that some foods are good and others bad. Your body will respond best to a variety of foods eaten in moderation.
Broccoli is probably ok 2 or 3 times a week, in 1/2 cup portions. But on those other days…why not carrots or beets or spinach or green peppers?
If you do this right, you should be gradually increasing your food repertoire, not narrowing it down to a handful of choices.