Hello, I'm Thomas. New here, and new to veganism. I stopped eating all things animal in January 2019 primarily for health reasons. A big step, although I had gradually moved in a plant-based direction over 2018.
Then came August 2019. Travel to my hometown in the Midwest, family, old friends, old habits... I think "relapse" is the best way to describe those couple weeks. Steaks, fried chicken, pig roasts, you get the idea. Oh, and beer. The plant-based diet nearly eliminated my taste, and tolerance, for alcohol. But a belly full of pulled pork makes a critter thirsty.
After Labor Day, I was back home, trying to remember how to have breakfast without bacon, when I was flattened with raging case of gout. A self-inflicted wound, I'd say.
A couple rounds of harsh medications and a very strict diet put me back on my feet. By "very strict", I mean I minimized all dietary purines - those compounds that lead to uric acid which can lead to gout. So I avoided not just meats, but also plant-based purines (legumes, spinach...).
Once feeling well, I brought a full spectrum of plants back to my table. And, WHAM! Gout again. More meds, back to quinoa & cabbage for a while.
So, my current theory is: 7-8 months of plant-based life put me in sort of a factory-reset. Running my diet off the rails in August produced a predictable result. And now... do to my whipsaw behavior, I have some hypersensitivity to dietary purines? Maybe I can gradually reintroduce more plants? Anyone with similar experience?
This got way longer than I planned, so I'll spare you more medical info, except that besides the gout, I appear otherwise healthy, near ideal weight, liver & kidneys are working fine. I appreciate any feedback.
Then came August 2019. Travel to my hometown in the Midwest, family, old friends, old habits... I think "relapse" is the best way to describe those couple weeks. Steaks, fried chicken, pig roasts, you get the idea. Oh, and beer. The plant-based diet nearly eliminated my taste, and tolerance, for alcohol. But a belly full of pulled pork makes a critter thirsty.
After Labor Day, I was back home, trying to remember how to have breakfast without bacon, when I was flattened with raging case of gout. A self-inflicted wound, I'd say.
A couple rounds of harsh medications and a very strict diet put me back on my feet. By "very strict", I mean I minimized all dietary purines - those compounds that lead to uric acid which can lead to gout. So I avoided not just meats, but also plant-based purines (legumes, spinach...).
Once feeling well, I brought a full spectrum of plants back to my table. And, WHAM! Gout again. More meds, back to quinoa & cabbage for a while.
So, my current theory is: 7-8 months of plant-based life put me in sort of a factory-reset. Running my diet off the rails in August produced a predictable result. And now... do to my whipsaw behavior, I have some hypersensitivity to dietary purines? Maybe I can gradually reintroduce more plants? Anyone with similar experience?
This got way longer than I planned, so I'll spare you more medical info, except that besides the gout, I appear otherwise healthy, near ideal weight, liver & kidneys are working fine. I appreciate any feedback.