I dunno if this is just me staring 52 in the face or my poor old abused and worn out corpse begging (read: SCREAMING ) for mercy, but lately I've noticed that my eating habits have changed significantly.
I used to love a good chili dog and a cold beer. I also could buy a big bag of peeled and deveined jumbo shrimp and a bottle of cocktail sauce and be happy as a pig in sheet.
But about 2 or 3 years ago, I got hit with a scorching case of gout. Those of you that have had it know my pain. Those of you that have never experienced gout, go have your wife run over your foot with the car. Feels about the same.
For the sake of boring you to tears, describing exactly what gout is, I'll just tell you that it's triggered by certain foods. Including, but not limited to...
Red meat, shellfish, organ meats (hot dogs, sausage) beer, some sauces and gravies, mushrooms, any drink containing high fructose corn syrup.
Anyway, since my first battle with gout (I get a case of it about 2-3 times a year) I've tried to watch my diet. I don't do real well, but I do try to avoid those foods I listed above.
Nowadays snack time consists of celery with pimento cheese or baby carrots with a little dab of ranch dressing. No more Mt. Dew and a Snickers bar or a big bag of fried pork rinds for this fat boy. The later pain isn't worth the small pleasure. I do miss cold beer and rare ribeye steaks, and I'm sure the staff at Red Lobster wonders where I went, but I just can't have that stuff any more.
My PSA to you guys...take care of yourselves, especially if you're in your 40s heading towards the big 5-0. It's tough. Like the late, great Mickey Mantle once said, "if I had known I was going to live this long, I would have taken better care of myself."
Sorry for the novella.
I used to love a good chili dog and a cold beer. I also could buy a big bag of peeled and deveined jumbo shrimp and a bottle of cocktail sauce and be happy as a pig in sheet.
But about 2 or 3 years ago, I got hit with a scorching case of gout. Those of you that have had it know my pain. Those of you that have never experienced gout, go have your wife run over your foot with the car. Feels about the same.
For the sake of boring you to tears, describing exactly what gout is, I'll just tell you that it's triggered by certain foods. Including, but not limited to...
Red meat, shellfish, organ meats (hot dogs, sausage) beer, some sauces and gravies, mushrooms, any drink containing high fructose corn syrup.
Anyway, since my first battle with gout (I get a case of it about 2-3 times a year) I've tried to watch my diet. I don't do real well, but I do try to avoid those foods I listed above.
Nowadays snack time consists of celery with pimento cheese or baby carrots with a little dab of ranch dressing. No more Mt. Dew and a Snickers bar or a big bag of fried pork rinds for this fat boy. The later pain isn't worth the small pleasure. I do miss cold beer and rare ribeye steaks, and I'm sure the staff at Red Lobster wonders where I went, but I just can't have that stuff any more.
My PSA to you guys...take care of yourselves, especially if you're in your 40s heading towards the big 5-0. It's tough. Like the late, great Mickey Mantle once said, "if I had known I was going to live this long, I would have taken better care of myself."
Sorry for the novella.
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