Monday, May 25, 2015

nicotine gum "cures" restaurant-food shortcomings

I ate lunch today, on the Low-Carb cruise, from the carvery table in the Windjammer Cafe:  probably about 4 oz of delicious roast pork, a marinated chicken drumstick, and less than a cup of the lamb curry dish (containing a few carrots and slices of zucchini).  Not a big meal, and certainly less protein than when i split a Costco package of organic ground beef with my husband, as i frequently do at home.

I sat down to listen to the afternoon speakers and started feeling crummy.

This isn't the first time such a thing has happened after eating a restaurant meal.  I feel sleepy, slightly cranky, vaguely uncomfortable.  Today, i popped a couple of betaine-HCl supplements and then got out a piece of nicotine gum.  I buy (again, at Costco) the 2mg size, so the dose isn't very high, especially since i always throw the gum away before its full content has been extracted.  It invariable makes me feel better.

The problem is the histamine/tyramine/salicylate issue.  Nicotine "cures" it.  I've praised its antihistamine and anti-inflammatory qualities before, but i never fail to be pleased and grateful for how quickly nicotine improves my well-being.

It's a pity that it has addictive properties for susceptible individuals.  A bunch of people are not going to be able to profit from a great anodyne ... kinda like kratom and melatonin in Australia.  :-(

2 comments:

  1. .... Tess.

    Hope things have improved and you are having a good cruise. There are some great speakers.

    Take Care

    All the best Jan

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    Replies
    1. hi, Jan! :-) Yes, the difference in the food on a daily basis is a little problematic for anyone who has food sensitivity! At home we eat out often, but nothing like the three-meal-a-day pattern of this past week!

      At home i buy mostly whole foods and cook them from scratch with "approved" additions like my home-made mayo and catsup; any pre-made ingredients i choose carefully, like my Costco organic broths and tomato sauces. Here a lot of the dishes have MSG and other sodium-containing additives, which influence my water-retention -- i've been puffy, which makes me uncomfortable!

      Worse -- the whole ship seems to have run out of my San Pellegrino only two or three days out! Club soda doesn't do the same thing for me. :-( As much as we've enjoyed some other aspects of this trip (people), i don't think i'll be patronizing Royal Caribbean again soon.

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