Even Stupid Accomplishments are Still Accomplishments

[unforth]

In my last post, hidden amongst the TMI, was a bit about how the doctor has informed me that if I want to give my self the best chances of avoiding diabetes later in life, I need to eat a more balanced diet. Including fruits and vegetables. Which I loath - I find the textures of 99% of fruits and veggies to be nauseating to varying degrees. However, I have an announcement to make.

In line with my last post, I just ate an apple. I've never eaten an apple before. Yes, I know this is utterly stupid. But it was hard for me. I almost gave up half way. I had to peal it after the first bit, because the peal was really causing me problems. But I have succeeded, and I am rather stupidly proud of myself. Yes, a 24 year old has just admitted to being proud of eating her first apple. Laugh. I dare you. Anyway, the score is now Granny Smith 0, Me 1.

Now I just have to grow to like it. Ugh. Damn you texture!!

Comments

[akashiver.livejournal.com]

Have you tried eating fruits and veggies in combos? For example, apple + blue cheese on a turkey baguette can be really nice.

Also - juices. Make your own, and you can drink 4-5 pieces of fruit without havign to actually eat the item in question.

[unforth.livejournal.com]

I can't drink juice, much to my grief, it upsets my stomach very badly.

Combos work sometimes, but things like sandwiches are problematic because if I come across an "unexpected" texture, even if I *KNOW* it's there, it turns my stomach.

I'm REALLY weird about food, it's annoying. I've been getting steadily better over the past 10 years or so, though.

Thanks much for the suggestions, though - I'll try some combos out. I bet I can come up with some that won't bother me. :)

[dyrecorn.livejournal.com]

You teach them fruits what fer!!!!

[unforth.livejournal.com]

Hell yeah I will! Booyah! I'm gonna kick Granny Smiths sorry little butt!

[kendokamel.livejournal.com]

Congratulations! (:

Bummer about the juice. ): Is it the acidity in the fruit juices that causes your stomach upset? How about in smoothie form? Are you able to trick your stomach into thinking, "Hey, this is just ice cream"?

I worked with a client, once, who had some serious texture issues (with all foods, not just certain kinds), and what we did with him with the fruits and veggies was start with total purees topped on, or as akashiver mentioned, in combination with some other type of food that he was OK with.

[unforth.livejournal.com]

I think it's the acidity. If I don't drink any for a long time, and I drink it with a meal with a lot of starch (like bread works very well) I can usually manage, but otherwise it makes me all gassy and gross.

I used to have serious texture issues with all types of food. Years of work went into fixing that. ;) Now it's mostly just anything mushy or that has an uneven texture (like things that are squishy and then suddenly snap, or things that squirt when you bite into them). I don't have a blender, though, so sadly purees are not an option, though I usually don't mind stuff like that as long as the texture if EXTREMELY consistent.

[mindstalk.livejournal.com]

"An apple peel a day keeps cancer away." -- recent headline

Apples vary widely in taste and texture, so you might try other kinds. I tend to go for sweet and tart, and very firm and crunchy -- Braeburn, Pink Lady, Honeycrisp, with Gala running up. But there's also the sour crispness of Granny Smith as you tried, or the sweet mushiness of Red Delicious, and other varieties out there.

[unforth.livejournal.com]

I bought one granny smith and one braeburn. I'll be trying that one tomorrow. I liked the flavor of the Granny Smith, and the texture wasn't SO bad. I'm glad to hear that Red Delicious are mushy, though - I'll avoid that one. Mushy is very, very bad.

[d-c-m.livejournal.com]

HI! I totally understand what you mean about apples. I am right there with ya'. So sometimes I do this: cut the apple up and sprinkle lemon juice on it. That makes it better for me.

Good luck! And again, I totally understand.

[unforth.livejournal.com]

I did notice that cutting it up helped a lot. I'd never have managed if I hadn't cut it up.

[d-c-m.livejournal.com]

For what it is worth, I totally understand. Sometimes the only way I can eat carrots is if I dip them in mustard. I kid you not. They are good that way.

[mindstalk.livejournal.com]

And lemon juice and mustard aren't even unhealthy... it's probably the case that having a fair bit of salt or fat with your veggies doesn't entirely defeat the point of eating the veggies, especially if one notes the calories and decreases them somewhere else.

[squishymeister.livejournal.com]

2 years ago I worked with a little boy in Kindergarten with autism who also had trouble with food. His mom would pack the littlest baby carrots (like 2 or 3 of them) in his lunch most days, and he would see them, at it would be all over. Lunch time was a nightmare, I had to sit there with him, with him balling his eyes off trying to get him to at least look at the carrots. Usually we only managed the tinyest of tiny nibbles, in fact it was less than licking one. The kid would lose a lot of recess time cause of it too. I think it's good to try though, and even though it made that hour of my life hell everyday, I think it was important for his mom to try to get him to eat some different foods.

So just take away your recess time until you eat your good-for-you foods.

[skygawker.livejournal.com]

Congratulations! I can sympathize with the icky texture issue. That's caused me some trouble with food for my whole life. (How do you feel about Japanese food? Heh....)

I've heard a lot of success stories from people getting used to things and having them grow on them, though -- I hope this will happen for you too! Apples probably won't ever be your favorite thing to eat, but there's reason to hope that it will get easier. I can eat broccoli now and even like it! Weeeird! (Sauteeing it in lemon juice for some reason helped me conquer that particular vegetable.) Good luck!

[sapphohestia.livejournal.com]

Yay apple!

[schenker28.livejournal.com]

I love all the responses you got to the "I ate an apple" post!

Just one nitpicky thing: both the noun and verb are spelled "peel", not "peal". :)

[schenker28.livejournal.com]

P.S. a "peal" relates to a cool sound bells can make...

[kniedzw.livejournal.com]

Then again, if you get bells shaped like apples, you can say, "I find the apples' peal appealing."

On a more mundane note, congratulations on tackling an apple!

[ultimabaka.livejournal.com]

Getting the stupid comments outta the way first (cuz you know I can't not say them :P )
(a) applesauce is just as good, much nicer texture too
(b) the peel had all the vitamins and nutrients that are the reason why people say you should be eating them in the first place - if you ate the peel and threw out the apple, you'd be doing more for your health :)

Either way, though, it's awesome to see you're eating healthier. Can't say I see myself ever eating veggies in the same light (their lack of good taste doesn't help much), so I can sympathize with the potential difficulties of shovin em down *huggles*
-- Gerardo