When I really think back, this started when I was in college, maybe HS. I was extremely healthy, except for allergy stuff until I moved away from MA at age 15. My stomach has always reacted in some way to stress and I have close relatives with colitis, hiatal hernia, ulcers, you name it. I would say I go for months without any symptoms or I eat something and I can specifically trace it to that food, most notably Brussel sprouts and broccoli. However, I can eat those things most of the time. My feeling now is that it's a combination of things. I suspect the increased vegetarian/Mediterranean diet, increased endurance exercise, which can set off an inflammatory process, and wine. But since I don't do all of these things together all of the time, I am just going to be more aware. My problem is when I go away, like the past 2 weekends, I am often doing some intense sports thing, followed up by lots of eating and maybe a glass more of wine than I usually do. I am concerned about my trip to Spain; as you know, part of traveling is experiencing the food of a different culture. So, 9 days of the bike trip (7 days of riding, 1 hiking) with the eating drinking, and hot temperatures are a bad combo. I have spent the first couple of days of every trip I've done being in the bathroom a lot, even missing the olive oil factory tour in Baeña, Spain. Now I get it. I've always said I don't restrict myself when I go on these kinds of trips, but I am going to have to be more diligent. This, plus the fact I may have to eat red meat, which after 2 years, not sure how it will affect me. It gets to me when I see other participants just eating and drinking the night away, and then getting up early and riding 50 tough and hilly miles the next day.
So, I am feeling pretty good today, after a somewhat crappy night of slightly increased pain. I couldn't fall asleep because I read too long and when I finally did, i had bad dreams about both of my granddaughters and the government! That is not usual for me. It may have been the soup I made. But, I had a mango with my breakfast, no problem and had some tuna, with a small amount of spinach, as a test for lunch, and I feel fine. The good part is that I am finally down to the weight I want to be at...