Pomegranate and grape-seed conditioner

A few months ago when I was searching for shampoos I picked up a pomegranate and grape-seed conditioner made by the Balsam label. When I brought it home I left it on a table and it disappeared.

The other day my very greasy Derma conditioner ran out and I scoured around desperately for a substitute. Behold, there was the pomegranate conditioner sitting in a basket, untouched. I wasn't sure because my experience of pomegranates has been mixed. My suspicion is that the juice is low-salicylate but it's often difficult to eat the fruit and avoid the pulp, which is likely to be high-salicylate. Similarly with grape seeds. Green grapes seem pretty harmless but what about the seeds? So it might all depend whether the pomegranate is pressed and strained or crushed.

I'm pleased to report the conditioner seems to work well. It may be because my tolerance level is still quite high, although not as high as it was over Christmas. My other half has decided to keep testing me and last night she fed me chicken pieces that seemed to be laced in garlic. My skin had flared up nicely by the time I went to bed but I was pleased to see it had calmed down again by the time I got up this morning. And, as I say, the conditioner did it no harm when I had a shower.

No doubt Tesco's will have already ceased to stock this particular conditioner.

RAS

Fish today

 I've eaten fish all day. I opened a tin of sardines at breakfast and ate one as a brunch. I had a salmon dinner and then when I got home finished the sardines as a snack. It seems to be working. I was getting worried that the ache in my left eye was returning yesterday - but it's almost okay tonight.

RAS

Honey, quorn, double chocolate and ginger

 Over the last week the assaults on my newly acquired stability have increased.

First my other half served a plate of gammon. I thought the gravy was rather sweet and gently inquired. "Honey" was the reply. Yes, not a term of endearment but the contents of the sauce. "Oh I thought it was okay". In fact the lists say honey is high in salicylate. It's not obvious way - something to do with it being concentrated plant matter, no doubt. So that screwed me up for a start.

The next day  a delicious chicken sauce was served. Sadly it was not chicken, it was quorn as we had some left over from catering for a vegetarian over Christmas. I have no idea whether quorn is meant to contain salicylate or not. However as it is made from mushrooms (or edible fungus) and it is probably grown in compost rather than grass, the chances seem high. Certainly my body thought so - as I went rushing to the toilet.

In spite of some inner turbulence and some tingling of the tongue,  my skin remained largely clear - until at the weekend I indulged in some double chocolate gateau. It was too tasty to refuse.

Then today I was offered a chocolate sandwich biscuit. I bit into it and tasted ginger. I had to finish the biscuit even though my throat was getting sore and I was getting hoarse.

Tonight the rash is back on my tummy and I have taken a singulair. It's instructive that I started the New Year clear and healthy - but staying that way is proving hard. I must avoid chocolate.


RAS

Wine and fruit juice

 The improvement that started before Christmas after I contracted a cold seems to be carrying on past the virus and past the New Year. I went to a function at the weekend and secreted a mini-bottle of Jack Daniels on me, just in case. However wine was laid on by our hosts so I thought why not? I drank quite a lot of white wine, enjoyed the party more and felt better for it the next day. The cure is not total by any means although I do wonder whether the rash on my tummy has gone for good. I've still got a blocked nose. It could be the after effects of the cold although I don't think it's viral. It's more like the blocked nose I've lived with for the past couple of years. If I eat something dodgy, then my tongue starts to tingle and my left eye is starting to feel sore.

Nevertheless I get the impression that my level of tolerance has improved quite a lot. So I've been going back to the lists the dietician gave me. I haven't consulted them for a long time. And there was always a problem of the contradictions between her first and the second lists. The first list said carrot and cauliflower were okay. The second said they have "moderate" amounts of salicylate. I've kept on with carrot and cauliflower over the time and even added spinach, forgetting it was not on the list.

The second list divided salicylates into high, moderate and negligible. Curiously the "negligible" list included squashes and fizzy drinks apart from Cola (which contains caffeine). That never seemed to work and I've avoid soft drinks until now.

It seems that this year I can continue to experiment with the moderate list. It may be the result of several weeks of largely home-prepared food and a reasonable amount of fish in the diet. And if I can drink wine, what about grape juice and apple juice? 2009 promises to be exciting!

RAS