to wonder if this 'proves' how 'evil' some 'food' is?

[manicinsomniac]

My New Year's Resolution was to stop eating anything processed, containing refined sugar, artificial sweetener or added salt and to avoid starchy carbohydrates.

I stuck to it until this weekend when I had a friend staying and somehow find myself eating pizza, cupcakes, crisps and probably a whole load of other crap, I can't remember.

I have been so ill for around 48 hours now - nausea, diarrhoea, stomach cramps, headache, either freezing or boiling. I know it sounds like gastroenteritis or something but I'm literally never ill (haven't been for well over 10 years anyway) so it seems like too big a coincidence.

Can the body somehow develop and inability to process things it doesn't normally receive?

Or could it show that we really aren't designed to eat this crap and only tolerate it because we're used to it?

I'm not a dietician or nutritionist, but I'm pretty sure that big changes to your diet are better introduced gradually, so if you don't, your digestion will struggle to cope with them. Although I bet you caught the bug off your friend!

I also think a diet low in saturated fats and exercise is likely to give you a happier and healthier old age, unless you are very lucky and inherit extremely healthy genes from your parents which aren't prone to blocking arteries due to cholesterol.

Carbs aren't evil - I have brown rice, bread and pasta with meals

Sugary processed crap is worse

A high fat diet would kill me as I have an inherited angina issue

A scientist may correct me but I'm pretty sure a change in eating habits could not cause a temperature. It's a bug.

so you revised your diet in January. 6 whole weeks ago?

Yeah, I know it's only 6 weeks - but that's 6 weeks of literally only eating chicken, fish, fruit, vegetables, eggs, nuts and olive oil.

And before that my main issue was artificial sweetener and processed food (I could live on diet coke, low cal hot chocolate and flavoured rice cakes for weeks!).

So high sugar, high fat foods have been rare in my diet for years so do tend to make me ill. I've had quite a few instances of upset stomach, itchy skin and feeling hot and cold after sugar in particular - but yes, I think this is probably on a different level.

Just feels very alien to me as I can't remember the last time I was ill.

I think that the body becomes used to certain things, definitely. I have a friend who lives on quite simple processed food - freezer chips, nuggets etc. Whenever we go out for 'posh' meals that are richer (and probably more nutritious) she gets the shits, everytime! Swears blind she has food poisoning but I think it's more that her body isn't used it.

But it does sound like you've picked up a bug this time around, I'm afraid. Drink lots and rest up!

I was in Africa for 3 weeks on trad diet and had pizza when I came back. Made me really ill. I know people with gastric bypass can get 'dumping syndrome' when their body can cope with the sugar, perhaps cutting it out then gorging is similar?