My Food "Do"s and "Don't"s

This page was updated on February 9, 2026.

Image courtesy of  xedos4 / FreeDigitalPhotos.net


This is the page that I will use to keep track of how food affects me.  It's more for my benefit than anything else, but maybe it will give you a place to start looking if you're trying to identify your food "do"s and "don't"s.  The lists will fluctuate over time, I'm sure.  I'll try to keep it as up-to-date as possible.
  

I have split this page into 2 categories: Foods that Hurt and Foods that Help to make it easier to find specific items at a glance.  Foods that Hurt will be any food that makes me tired, changes my mood negatively, gives me IBS-type symptoms, nausea, etc.  Foods that Help will be any food that improves my mood, gives me energy, improves my health, etc.

Also, in September of 2019, I decided to try intermittent fasting.  This is where you eat for only 8 hours a day and fast for the rest.  I normally try to eat between 10am and 6pm, though some days it is 9am to 5pm.  Either way, this has really helped with my digestion issues, my sleep issues, and is helping with weight loss.  I highly recommend it.  {Update, 2-9-26: Though I still do a form of intermittent fasting, it looks different now.  I have a medication I have to take with food at 8pm (by food, I mean a handful of almonds), so I just try to not eat anything large portioned after 6 or 6:30pm most days and only eat a handful of almonds with my pill at 8pm.  I also don't eat before 8am the next day most days.  So, I normally have a 12 to 14 hour fasting period each day.}

{Note: I am not a doctor.  This page is just intended to share my personal experience.  Any decision you make to change your diet or lifestyle should not be made based on this information alone.  Please discuss any dietary changes with your doctor or dietitian before you try them!}

Foods that Hurt:



1. Processed or junk food.  This is like your bleached flours, pre-made frozen foods, foods with lots of additives/preservatives, fast foods (though I can do it on occasion as long as it's a small amount, certain types (I do better with hamburgers than chicken sandwiches, believe it or not, and I do best with a Taco Bell burrito or Burger King hamburger if I'm going to eat fast food) and less than once every few weeks), foods loaded with simple carbs, etc.  These make me sick in some way from fatigue to IBS-type symptoms to migraines every time, hands down.  I avoid them at all costs because they are NOT worth the trouble they cause!  {Update, 2-9-26: I do more of a "eat what I want, add what I need" philosophy now which means no food is off limits as long as I limit the foods that are not as nutritious to 1 serving and then add more nutrient-dense foods (high in fiber, protein, healthy fats or are fruits/veg) to it to fill me up.  I still do have issues with my system if I eat a lot of processed foods, so I do try to limit them, but they are no longer strictly "off limits".}
      
2. Soy.  Though some say soy is good for you, it is NOT good for me.  It turns my stomach, makes me cranky, and zaps me right out.  Soy is a no-no food for me.  I can handle it in very small amounts in the form of soybean oil or soy lecithin if I have it about once a month, but even that gives me a little bit of an upset stomach, so I'm best off avoiding it.  {Update, 2-9-16}: I do still avoid soy as much as possible, but I can have it more often in very small amounts now - once a week, maybe - without too many issues.  It is still one of the ingredients I red flag for myself, and if it is at the top of the ingredients' list, I normally don't try/purchase that particular food.}
     
3. Sugar other than honey.  As of May 2020, the only sweetener that doesn't make my heart race or make me feel horrible is honey.  I have not tried maple syrup recently, but that may be ok, too.  For now, honey is my only sweetener, and all others are a no-go.  {Update, 2-9-26: Honey is still my sweetener of choice, but I can also tolerate molasses and maple syrup in small amounts.  I also can handle a bite or 2 of sugar containing goodies IF it also contains a large amount of protein or spices like cinnamon and ginger.  I can handle up to half of a cookie like ginger snaps which is wild to me, and I still don't take advantage of this "loop hole".  I only have these things once or twice a week every 6 months to a year or so - so extremely rarely.}
     
4. Artificial sweeteners, including sugar alcohols, in large amounts.  I can handle small amounts of artificial sweeteners (no more than a serving or 2 daily, if that often), but tend to get a mild headache or stomachache if I have too much.  I am aiming to try agave soon to see if that is ok for me.  {Update, 2-9-26: I still haven't had agave.  I know - I will eventually.  It's just expensive, and I can't make myself buy it just for me.  Also, I do enjoy the zero sugar drinks like Sprite Zero or Vernors Zero or Culver's Diet Root Beer on occasion, but I cannot have them more than a few days in a row until I notice an issue with them either giving me a headache or stomachache.  I try not to have zero sugar drinks more than once a week, but aim for less than once a month or longer.}
      
5. Chocolate, coffee, and anything containing caffeine.  I cannot handle any type of caffeine-containing products as of May 2020 without my heart racing or other arrhythmia issues, so I avoid it at all costs.  I even struggle with decaf products, so I stick with herbal teas if I am wanting something warm to drink (though I am actual a fan of drinking hot water).
     
6. Anything with added sugar and some fruits and veggies.  As of May 2020, I started avoiding all foods with added sugars, and have to avoid most fruits and veggies that tend to be more sugary (i.e. grapes, carrots).  I do great with berries and greens, and can eat limited amounts of veggies like carrots and tomatoes, but I have to avoid most others.  I'm still discovering what all I can eat or not eat in the veggie/fruit realm, but it seems to be if it is basically a sugar fruit/veggie with little fat or fiber, it is a no-go.  {Update, 2-9-26: I have found that I can eat at least a small portion of all fruits and veggies except for melons and bananas, but do best with raw apples, berries, cherries, greens, peppers, tomatoes, avocados, and cucumbers.}
     
7. Fats.  I can have full-fat, salted butter and fatty foods like bacon and cheese, but I can only have them in moderation, and I have to try not to have them all together at the same time.  For example, I can have cheese, but not cheese with bacon, at least not more than a serving or so per day.  I do best with "good" fats like extra virgin olive oil to cook with.  Again, I can use the other fats, and they don't seem to bother me when in baked goods, but if it's fried or greasy, I really need to limit it to no more than a serving or 2 per day max, preferably no more than a few times a week or I have IBS-type issues.
      
8. Acidic foods.  This is everything from coffee to citrus to tomato-based products.  I can eat them, it's just HOW I eat them.  I have to have them with a form of protein (meat or dairy generally) or they upset my stomach.  Also, I do better if I only have about a serving or 2 per day of these items.
     
9. Waiting too long to eat or eating too late at night or too early in the morning.  Waiting too long between meals makes me feel everything from queasy to headaches to weakness to crabby.  Eating after 8pm makes me feel sick and gives me heartburn which makes me crabby and not able to rest well which tends to ruin the next day.  If I don't get at least 12 hours of fasting in a day (from like 8pm to 8am the next day), I feel awful, too.  {Update, 2-9-26: As I mentioned above, I still try to get at least a 12 hour fast in daily.  I also take Pepcid in the evenings, and that definitely helps with some of my GERD/heartburn issues.  I still do get hangry if I wait too long to eat, though, and I don't feel the best if I eat a lot of food after like 7pm.}
      
10. Garlic.  I discovered in April of 2014 that I cannot handle garlic in any form.  Raw or cooked is the worst.  I can handle a little bit of garlic salt or powder, but very little.  If I eat it, I have horrible IBS symptoms.  This makes me sad because I do enjoy garlic.  In May of 2020, I noticed I can eat a little cooked garlic on rare occasions, but I still cannot eat a lot of it.  {Update, 2-9-26: I still try not to eat a ton of garlic, but I can handle it a bit more now.  It is still something I treat as a "sometimes food", though.}
     
11. Onion.  Also in April of 2014, I figured out that I can eat very little raw or cooked onion.  I can tolerate onion salt and powder, though, but still only in moderation.  I can tolerate it better than garlic.  I love onion, too, so losing it as a "anytime" food makes me a little sad.  When I have too much onion, it causes IBS symptoms.  In May of 2020, I noticed I can eat a little cooked onion on rare occasions, but I still cannot eat a lot of it.  {Update, 2-9-26: I still try not to eat a ton of onion, but I can handle it a bit more now.  It is still something I treat as a "sometimes food", though.}
     
12. Too many grains.  In April 2014, I noticed issues with IBS-type symptoms when I ate too many grains of any sorts.  I do ok with small amounts, but not tons.  This applies to all grain-types (oats, wheat, corn, etc.), though I do ok with rice. {Update, 2-9-26: I definitely have noticed that eating more gluten-free is better for me overall, so I try to eat that way for the most part, but I do have gluten-containing things as well, I just try not to do that daily.  I also noticed that I can eat oatmeal (I DO actually love old fashioned oats now if made with milk - go figure) and popcorn on a daily basis as long as I don't have a ton of either and be just fine without tummy issues.  Wheat, however, is definitely turning into a "sometimes food" for me.}
      
13. Sausage of any sort.  In 2019, I started to notice a real issue with sausage of any type with very rare exception.  This includes breakfast sausage, hot dogs, bologna (not what you typically think of as sausage, but it technically is a type), Italian sausage, summer sausage, pepperoni, etc.  It doesn't matter what type it is or how little I have of it, it will give me a horrific stomach ache, gas, etc.  I avoid it now as often as possible.  On the days that I do have some, I try to eat some that is more natural.  I do better with that, but I can still have only a very small amount and I will always have at least a slight stomach ache from it.  {Update, 2-9-26: I still avoid sausage more often than not, but I can have a few brands or even have it on pizza sometimes.  I just can't have a ton of it or all the time.  It is an ok "sometimes food" treat for me.  I have found that chicken sausage I do very well with, so I get those when I am craving sausage and don't want a massive gut ache afterwards.  FYI, this brand is the best one I have found for sausage (other than our local brand with is impossible to beat) that doesn't hurt my tummy or cause me other issues.  I do best with their chicken sausage, as I mentioned before, but even their pork sausage I do much better with than other brands.}
      
14. Most pizzas and bread sticks/rolls.  I figured out in the end of 2018 that I cannot eat fast food and restaurant pizza ever, and have to avoid bread sticks/rolls at restaurants.  They make me very sick (anything from horrible gas to severe stomach pain, diarrhea, etc.).  I can eat a few frozen types of pizza (I do best with Home Run Inn, and do best with the plain cheese, but I can ironically eat their sausage pizza without issue if I only eat a slice or 2 every other week at most) and a few store types of pizza (I do best with Aldi's Mama Cozzi pizza as long as I only eat a slice or 2 every other week at most and I pick the types that aren't loaded with pepperoni or sausage), but I have yet to find bread sticks/rolls that I can eat more than 1 of (if I can even eat that much) no matter if that is from a restaurant to frozen (I can eat some homemade rolls/bread sticks if I only have them like once a month).  Even if I make pizza from scratch, I can only eat a limited amount  (1 or 2 pieces at most), and definitely can't eat it every week.  I'm not sure what exactly the issue is with the take-out/restaurant pizza that is so different that I get so sick whenever I eat that (even if it is just a few bites), but I believe it is either something in the preparation or the ingredients.  The worst one for me is Little Caesar's (I nearly went to the hospital after eating that one last time, and I was the only one who was sick out of all of us that ate it, so it wasn't food poisoning, and I know it was the pizza because it hit less than 30 minutes after eating it, I had no fever, and I was fine the next day), so I especially avoid that one completely, including their bread sticks.  If I could pinpoint the exact issue, I know I'd be better off because if it is a specific ingredient, I would know to look for it in other things.  Since the issue tends to be with not just the pizza but bread sticks, too, I believe it must be something in the dough that is the issue.  Maybe one day I'll figure it out.  {Update, 2-9-26: I can eat a few pizza place brands: BC Pizza and a local pizza shop brand.  I can also a few frozen/store types, but generally try to stick with Aldi's pizzas or Home Run Inn or Costco's Kirkland frozen pizzas.  Any other brands/types are a toss up, and I definitely cannot eat Little Caesar's pizza ever.  Most of the time, if I am trying a fast food pizza, I find that if I get a thin crust, I will do better with it, and I try to limit it to 1 slice.}
      
15. Bread.  I mentioned above about too many grains, but I wanted to mention bread specifically.  In late 2018, I noticed that I could only eat sourdough bread and the Oat So Healthy bread by Aldi's Simply Nature brand.  However, as of May 2020, I can now only eat the 3 ingredient sourdough bread (I can eat it daily if I limit myself to 1 or 2 servings daily).  Any other breads, I cannot eat, especially if they contain sugar.  There may be a few other types out there, but I've yet to find them.  {Update, 2-9-26: I still found that a 3 ingredient sourdough bread is my best bet for bread, but I can also eat a whole grain bread with higher fiber content (3 grams or more of fiber) if I don't eat more than a slice or 2 at a time.  I try not to eat bread more than once or twice a week now.}

Foods that Help:

1. Whole, natural foods.  This is food that is made (normally from scratch) from whole, natural ingredients, food made from scratch with those ingredients, and things that are not processed or very minimally so.  I also do better with organic and non-GMO if I can find/afford it.  This includes, but is not limited to:
      
• Limited amounts and types of fruits and veggies, fresh or frozen that are just fruit or veggies.  As mentioned above, I have to avoid most fruits and veggies that tend to be more sugary (i.e. grapes, carrots), but I do great with berries and greens, and can eat limited amounts of veggies like carrots and tomatoes, but I have to avoid most others.  I'm still discovering what all I can eat or not eat in the veggie/fruit realm, but it seems to be if it is basically a sugar fruit/veggie with little fat or fiber, it is a no-go.  {Update, 2-9-26: I have found that I can eat at least a small portion of all fruits and veggies except for melons and bananas, but do best with raw apples, berries, cherries, greens, peppers, tomatoes, avocados, and cucumbers.}
      
• Whole grains/flours that are not processed to death, and I can only eat them in limited amounts since April 2014 (no more than 2 or 3 servings per day is good, but 1 serving a day or 1 serving a week is better).  I do best with King Arthur brand flours, oats, rice and pasta (whole grain is the best bet with pasta, but not 100% necessary) as long as I don't eat a ton (that's more preference than it is a need, since eating a lot of carbs of any sort makes it harder for me to lose weight).  UPDATE: As of May 2020,  I can now only eat the 3 ingredient sourdough bread (I can eat it daily if I limit myself to 1 or 2 servings daily), pasta (gluten-free rice pasta or regular pasta), oats in limited amounts, and rice.  Any others are a no-go.  {Update, 2-9-26: I definitely have noticed that eating more gluten-free is better for me overall, so I try to eat that way for the most part, but I do have gluten-containing things as well, I just try not to do that daily.  I also noticed that I can eat oatmeal (I DO actually love old fashioned oats now if made with milk - go figure) and popcorn on a daily basis as long as I don't have a ton of either and be just fine without tummy issues.  Wheat, however, is definitely turning into a "sometimes food" for me.}
     
• Most full-fat dairy.  Cheese, milk and yogurt such as Stonyfield Organic Plain yogurt (not fat free) are all good as long as I don't have them in combination with something greasy.  I have found out that I do best with Greek-style yogurt if I have yogurt, too.  Also, any dairy I do eat must not contain added sugars.
         
• Meat, not injected with broth or full of preservatives.  Chicken, beef, ham, pork, venison, turkey, bacon - these are all fine as long they aren't injected with broth, do not contain added sugars, and are not full of preservatives.  I do best with Hormel Natural Choice meats and bacon.  {Update, 2-9-26: Jones Dairy Farm is also a fantastic brand for meats.}
      
• Stocks that do not contain added sugar or other added "junk".  Any brand that is not loaded with soy or preservatives and sugar I can have so far.  {Update, 2-9-26: My go-to brand for chicken stock is now Swanson Organic Chicken Broth or Swanson Organic Chicken Stock or Swanson Chicken Stock (Yes, these specific brands and types ONLY).  Beef stock gets trickier to find one that I like and most contain yeast extract, but Kitchen Basics tends to be your best bet overall for better overall ingredients, in my opinion for any non-chicken stock/broth, though they do have the pesky "natural flavor" in most of their broths/stocks.  That said, most of the time I avoid cooking with anything other than chicken stock/broth because I tend to get a stomach ache from any other brand/type than the ones listed above.}
      
• Limited amounts of honey.  I cannot handle any other sweetener at this time, though I can do limited amounts of artificial sweeteners.  {Update, 2-9-26: Honey is still my sweetener of choice, but I can also tolerate molasses and maple syrup in small amounts.  I also can handle a bite or 2 of sugar containing goodies IF it also contains a large amount of protein or spices like cinnamon and ginger.  I can handle up to half of a cookie like ginger snaps which is wild to me, and I still don't take advantage of this "loop hole".  I only have these things once or twice a week every 6 months to a year or so - so extremely rarely.  Also, I do enjoy the zero sugar drinks like Sprite Zero or Vernors Zero or Culver's Diet Root Beer on occasion, but I cannot have them more than a few days in a row until I notice an issue with them either giving me a headache or stomachache.  I try not to have zero sugar drinks more than once a week, but aim for less than once a month or longer.}
  
  
• Eggs.  I try not to eat these all the time, though (again, more personal preference than need here).
     
• Spices/herbs and baking ingredients that are just the spice/herb or don't contain soy or preservatives or added sugars.
     
• Tree nuts, seeds and unsalted peanuts and natural peanut butter.  The fat content can sometimes bother my stomach if I have too much (no more than 2 servings a day), but otherwise these are good to go. :)
      
• Limited amounts of full-fat, salted butter, olive or canola oil.  All of these are the only fats (with the exception of bacon grease now and again) that I can cook with, and I have moved away from doing a lot of frying in that it tends to upset my stomach.  
    
  
2. Drinking enough water.  If I get at least eight 8 oz. glasses of water a day, my stiffness and swelling is much better and I feel good in general.
     
3. Taking my probiotic.  I take a probiotic daily.  It really helps with my digestion issues and overall health.  {Update, 2-9-26: I now take a probiotic twice a day.  I highly recommend probiotics, and I can't imagine getting along without them now.}
     
4. Eating on time.  This just means that I eat breakfast between 8am and 10am, lunch between 11:30am and 1:30pm and dinner between 4:45pm and 6:30pm, and nothing after 8pm.  If I have a snack or dessert, it is something light and healthy, preferably something like carrots or an apple.  If I follow this, I feel so much better.  
     
5. Getting my 12 hour fast daily.  If I make sure that I get at least a 12 hour fast in every day, I feel better.  I think that's because my digestive system gets time to rest.  I aim for eating after 8am and then nothing after 8pm (preferably after 6 or 6:30pm if at all possible).  {Update, 2-9-26: As I mentioned above, I still try to get at least a 12 hour fast in daily.  I also take Pepcid in the evenings, and that definitely helps with some of my GERD/heartburn issues.  I still do get hangry if I wait too long to eat, though, and I don't feel the best if I eat a lot of food after like 7pm.}
         
6. Herbal tea.  I have a few herbal teas that I drink for wellness, and I find that switching to tea has helped me in my weight loss journey, so I find it a wonderful thing!  
   
   
7. Sparkling waters.  For an occasional treat, I do like a flavored or non-flavored, no sugar added sparkling water.  They aren't for everyone because they definitely are not sweet, but I do like them.  My favorite flavors tend to be citrus (lime, lemon, grapefruit) or berry ones, though I did find watermelon also very good.  They are a nice upgrade from plain water for me, and I find them refreshing.  I mostly drink them in the summer time or if I have an upset stomach if I am going to drink them.

Note: I found a site called Green Thickies by Katherine Natalia that I found very helpful!  It shows you how to incorporate greens and other veggies into your diet among other things.  It even has recipes for delicious smoothies that contain all those healthy things I just can't seem to get around to or make myself eat in and of themselves for one reason or another.  I tried my hand at making my own version using her guide and the stuff I had around the house, and I tell you - good stuff!  When my daughter was 2, she drank it faster than I did! :)  I encourage you to check out her site; you won't be sorry.