How can I relieve the symptoms of hunger?!


Question: How can I relieve the symptoms of hunger?
Hi,
Skip to the bottom if you don't plan on responding with "Just go to X and get some food".

I'm in the USA, so I can't get food easily, since I am highly allergic to Mono-sodium Glutamate.
MSG, as most know it, is listed on the packaging, right?
No. http://www.truthinlabeling.org/ will tell you all about how MSG is hidden.
The problem is that my hypothalamus is already damaged, and, whenever I have MSG, it makes me vomit everything I ate and makes me horribly ill for around a week.
I have no health insurance, so I can't even go to a hospital over it.
However, I can't take legal action or anything because I can't afford the time or lawyers, especially when the companies are ready to send the lawyer army after anyone who tries to sue them.

Anyway, anything from grocery stores is out of the option because they only carry stuff that is jam-packed with MSG, and are packing it more and more as time goes on.
Even the fruit and veggies give me horrible reactions because they somehow get MSG on them during transit.
Fast food and sit-down restaurants all seem to have it in some form or another. It is unavoidable.

Stop here if you were skipping.

So, I usually live off of stuff without MSG that I can find, like potato chips and white rice, but I can't afford much of it as I am paying child support as well as all my bills and hospital debts.

I am often very hungry, which makes me shaky, tired, and after a couple days of not eating (You can only get so much chips and rice with $30 a month for food), I'll start to get dizzy.

Is there a way to control these symptoms for a while?
I'm thinking that if I can get them under control for a couple months, I can get a passport or something and move to Canada where I'll be able to eat non-packed fish and stuff. I can't wait to go there. For me, nothing sounds better than to be able to go about daily life without either vomiting on myself or falling over due to malnutrition.

Is there a cheap pill or something I can get? A spice combination? WhaT?

Answers:

My family has a history with being allergic to MSG. I get visual migraines, they aren't as bad as my sister's, but I do NOT enjoy them. My dad goes blind in one eye, gets an agonizing migraine, gets burned stomach-lining, and cannot stay anywhere where it is light.

So basically, we don't keep any MSG in our house.

But honey, you do NOT need to move to Canada! I have been in an MSG-free house my whole life, and I live in the USA! I don't even have to be a picky shopper! It all depends on which store you go to. I personally shop at Whole Foods. Their food is absolutely delicious, healthy, and MSG-free! And there's plenty of junk food there :) As long as you buy natural, healthy food (I try to always buy organic, but I don't think that matters for your issue) you should never have to worry. You can even go out to restaurants! I go to grade A places with high-quality food. You can always ask the waiter or chef to check your meal's MSG content before you eat. Tell them you are allergic, and they will be glad to help!

I have never been unhappy with my diet's tastiness or the amount of food I eat ( Except maybe when I occasionally gorge myself on something unhealthy and delicious :D )

Here is a list of quality grocery stores and restaurants that have food you should be able to eat:

-Whole Foods (grocery store)
-Trader Joe's (grocery store) You might want to ask the about MSG-content, I don't shop here often.
-New Seasons (grocery store)
-Bellagio's Pizza* (restaurant)
-Natural Grocers (Never shopped here before, but I have heard it is nice)
-Baja Fresh* (restaurant)
-Olive Garden* (restaurant)
-The Cheesecake Factory* (restaurant)
-Burgerville* (restaurant)
-Panera Bread* (restaurant)
-Starbucks* (small meals, snacks, drinks. Though I'm pretty sure you already know that if you live in the US!)

*Because these places have menus, the listed meals may change occasionally. I would ask a staff member about MSG content in your meal. My family has eaten many times at all of these places though, so I doubt anything will happen.

Some tips for living with a MSG allergy:

-Avoid cheap food places (McDonald's, Taco Bell, Burgerville, etc.) unless you are positive the item you are getting is MSG-free.

-Be very careful when shopping for soup broths, sauces and dressings (especially soy sauce), snacks with powdery surfaces (don't eat cheetos or doritos!), processed food, food with artificial flavoring, parmasean encrusted/flavored/including foods, chicken, turkey, yogurt, croutons, and sausage.

-NEVER eat jerky, Boar's Head cold cuts, junk food with flavored powder on it, fried chicken (Don't ever eat anything at Kentucky Fried Chicken!), soy sauce, or canned meats and fish unless you are ABSOLUTELY POSITIVE there is no MSG in it. It is nearly always in these foods.

-Be very careful when eating at Asian restaurants. They use many sauces loaded with MSG in and on their cooking. Make sure to mention your allergies- they will be more cautious when cooking your meal.

-Whenever my dad, sister, or I get a migraine it always helps to drink a lot of caffeine. Red Bull, coke, or coffee should work. I'm not sure if caffeine only works on migraines, or if you even get them, but it's worth a try!

-Eating healthfully doesn't necessarily mean eating expensively. Even if you're a little low on cash, you don't have to resort to junky fast food chains that are horrible for you and your allergies.

Good luck! You don't have to move to Canada just because of an allergy! :)

Email me at happymaddie@ymail.com if you need help finding stores near you, or if you have any questions! I'll be happy to help :)



Well since I live in Canada, I don't think it's any better, but we so have lots of organic & local farms. You can get lots of heathly things there.
So drinking lots of cold cold water, will make you feel full.



I'm sorry but you are very misinformed. MSG is not in everything and is easy to avoid...especially when you read labels. Talk to a naturopath or a nutritionist who will help you know how to identify MSG, what to eat, etc.

I have a sensitivity to MSG...and I also eat fruit, vegetables, and other items. I think you have more going on than an allergy to MSG. You may want to find a better gastroenterologist or an allergist.

You can get fresh fish anywhere in the US. There are plenty of non-MSG options. That's' why I think you have more going on than an allergy to MSG.

You can also apply for emergency medical assistance and they will help with you medical bills, etc. You can also apply for state low income insurance. Hospitals take a percentage of patients for free and state clinics use both sliding scale and care-for-free. You have options to get a better diagnosis.




The consumer health information on answer-health.com is for informational purposes only and is not a substitute for medical advice or treatment for any medical conditions.
The answer content post by the user, if contains the copyright content please contact us, we will immediately remove it.
Copyright © 2007-2011 answer-health.com -   Terms of Use -   Contact us

Health Categories