I have been having some bad stomach cramps and today I confirmed that they were caused from eating quinoa. When I told my husband about it, he said at least I was lucky that I was able to identify it so quickly and be able to eliminate it from my diet. He was right, there’s many people out there who have food allergies or difficulties that spend months trying to pinpoint what is causing them problems or they spend lots of money on test that pinpoint what the problem is. I didn’t have to do any of that. The reason though is because I have OCD.
Due to my OCD, I like to eat the same foods at the same time during the day a lot. If given the chance, I would probably eat the exact same menu every day for several months without changing it. The consistency gives me comfort and it also makes me feel good to not have to think or worry about what I am going to eat. Instead of eating the exact same thing all the time, I will change what I eat, but there’s a good consistency in my eating patterns and if I do change something, like switching my lunch carb from lentils to quinoa, it is easy to recognize any differences in my body’s reactions to food.
I often say that I wouldn’t wish OCD on my worst enemy. I still wouldn’t. Today, I had to go to a doctor’s appointment and because it was a difference in my daily routine, I had an anxiety attack, but I got through it. Yet, OCD helped me to recognize that my body can’t really digest quinoa. It is a disorder, but when I learn to live with it and not fight it, then it starts to flow with me and becomes a part of who I am. Sometimes it’s going to make life challenging and sometimes it will help me. I could say it is both a blessing and a curse, but that’s just a label or perception. OCD is what it is. It is how my mind works and how God made me. It’s God’s will and his plan. I have faith in that.
My faith saved me. May God’s peace reside in all of our hearts.
