How does dieting impact health and wellness?
With each meal comes a new obstacle for senior Emma Praske.
Food is a necessity everyone needs to live, but views on this basic habit can vary drastically from person to person. Most people choose what to eat for breakfast without much thought, but Praske does not have this freedom.
“I’m allergic to barley, cranberry, egg white, egg yolk, kale, lettuce, milk, cow’s, nut,” said Praske. “There’s also pistachio, oat, safflower seed, chia seed, hemp, sesame, tomato, wheat, yeast, baker’s, yeast, brewer’s, and more.”
Her allergy list goes on, but these specific foods are not the only thing Praske has to avoid. She also has an intolerance to a chemical compound in the body called histamine.
“A histamine intolerance means I can’t digest the histamine in foods so I get sick when I eat high histamine foods,” said Praske. “Symptoms are headaches, stomach cramps, pinching/stabbing pain in the stomach, nausea, and rashes.”
Things like fermented veggies, fish, and certain types of beverages commonly have a large amount of histamine in their contents. With all these restrictions, Praske finds it can be difficult to adapt in social settings where food is present.
“It has had a negative impact on my life in ways like being able to eat/go out with friends and adds complications to my life, especially if I eat the wrong thing accidentally and get sick,” Said Praske. “However, the positive side is that I can relate to a different group of people who have similar issues and we can connect over it.”
In the group of people with restricted foods with Praske, who is a senior who does PSEO at the University of Northwestern St. Paul, there are students at Minnehaha Academy who also limit their dietary intakes, a common one being lactose.
“I can’t have dairy. No cheese pizza, no cheeseburgers, no milk, no cheese at all,” said sophomore Miles Felder. “The hardest part for me is the milk.”
Although approximately 30 to 50 million Americans are lactose intolerant, there is a solution that many steer towards.
“You can take medicine so your body can tolerate dairy,” said Felder. “It is called Lactaid.”
Lactate is a supplement that comes in over-the-counter tablets, capsules, or chewables. It is a great route to take when one’s stomach does not agree with dairy but still hopes to indulge in foods like pizza or cheeseburgers.
Following lactose, fructose intolerance is also something some have to be aware of. Sophomore Simone Feyereisen talks about her experience navigating life with this restriction.
“In normal table-top sugar, it is 50% glucose and 50% fructose. If the percentage of fructose is above glucose, then I can’t have it,” said Feyereisen. “It sucks sometimes because I can’t have a lot of fruit or sweet treats.”
This is a struggle for many who are sensitive to fructose.
“It gets easier. You start to know if you can have it,” said Feyereisen.“Now, when I see foods that have fructose in them, it doesn’t really make me upset because I think of how much pain comes with eating them.”
It seems to get easier over time, but imagine not eating certain foods from the day you were born due to dietary preferences. Junior Amiir Ahmen has this.
“I do not eat pork because of my religion,” said Junior Ammir Amed. “I know a lot of other people who restrict certain foods because of their preferences.”
Although restructuring foods is sometimes necessary or optionally chosen, there are sometimes where this habit can become unhealthy.
“Our bodies need many different types of nutrients,” said Nuse Streed. “The big 3 for Macronutrients are Proteins, Carbohydrates, and Fats. In addition, we need micronutrients, which include vitamins and minerals.”
When limiting specific foods, these nutrients are often hard to obtain.
“Carbohydrates seem like a nutrient that can be missed when someone is gluten-free, since many of them involve wheat,” said Streed. “Vegans and Vegetarians have to be mindful of how they get their protein.”
Many alternative foods include all the essential nutrients.
“Potatoes, rice, and beans are all good sources of carbohydrates,” said Streed. “Tofu and edamame are great sources of protein that would work for both groups. Lentils (beans) are good at providing protein, minerals, and vitamins that are good for your gut health as well as your body,” said Streed. “Nutritional yeast is also a plant protein. Wild Rice, nuts, sprouted grains, quinoa, chia seeds, etc are all other great examples of ways to complete your protein and nutrient intake if vegan and/or vegetarian.”
Try to make your plate look colorful with foods – vegetables, fruit, dairy, fats, carbohydrates, and proteins.