It has been a few weeks since I’ve started on this doctor-imposed diet of reduced protein and salt. The general rule is just merciless: no pork, no beef, no chicken, no seafood, no cheese, no milk, no potatoes, no bread, no bananas. And let’s not forget the happiest part of it all: no taste at all. During the first few days, it had been quite painful. It seems that the more I craved for something, the more my senses are determined for me to miss it.
Day 1 and I suddenly had a longing for chicharon and, oh-la-la, Jolli Spaghetti. Quite a potent combination. Pork rinds that leaves the tongue all salty and dry, plus that signature spag that’s sweet with its oozing tomato sauce and those tender meat slices. Thinking about it just made me want to scream. I didn’t scream, of course. But I cried. Buckets down my face as I poured my heart out for every single mouth-watering food that is part of the list.
I haven’t really counted how many days I’ve been on it though. Close to the first month mark, I think. And thankfully, as most of my family and friends have said, it’s getting better. Probably because I cheat and still eat fish and chicken. Oooh, but I’m still missing pork and beef. A whole lot.
So I better myself at imaginating, as my kids would call it. Imaginating that the day’s second serving of lettuce is spiked with a whole lotta cheese. That my munchies of breadsticks are Pringles and that tuna is roast beef, or better yet, barbeque! That eggplants are, well I dunno, potatoes I suppose. Used to love eggplants but I’m getting too purply nowadays it makes me want to reconsider.
I can’t really tell how far this diet will last. When people ask, I say “forever.” And then my heart breaks once more as I think of lechon macau and french fries. On the plus side, I’ve managed to lose a few pounds in the last couple of weeks but that’s not really much of an incentive for me, since I haven’t been really big on going on diets.
That being said, I cross my fingers and wish my condition improves so that I can eat ham again next Christmas. If it means keeping away from pork and beef, maybe just for now, I am willing to do that.
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Pictured: Corned Beef Sinigang at Sentro 1771
Finally Dee 