So, I haven’t been blogging for a while.  Firstly I was super busy at work (which, strangely I really enjoyed!), and then I got sick.

For some reason, every year around this time, I get stomach issues.  This year was a record though… 2 stomach bugs in 2 weeks.  The first was fairly mild.  The second made me take 3 days from work.  However, these were totally eclipsed by food poisoning.  I really wish I was joking.  Somehow, even though I was hardly eating a thing, I managed to get bacterial gastroenteritis, or food poisoning.  Not only that, I think it’s highly likely that I gave it to myself.  This is my most shameful confession.

It has absolutely tortured me.  How can someone who cooks as much and as well as I do, manage to give themselves food poisoning!?  I am totally blaming the meat – chicken.  It must not have been fresh or something.

Whatevs.  Silver lining is that I have lost 10kg.  Ok, so I had to be hospitalised and so ill I couldn’t think straight for that to happen, but I just don’t care.  I am taking it as a win!

There is another silver lining.  I am learning things.

Laying there on my death bed (yes, I am also a drama queen) I had some strange cravings.  I consulted The Oracle (aka my Mummy), because I thought they were odd.  It turns out it is, we think, directly related to the things my body was lacking.

For example:

Peanut butter – proteins.  I wasn’t eating at all so understandable my protein levels needed topping up.  Strange though as I have been allergic to nuts for most of my life.  Never had peanut butter.  In fairness, this particular craving started before I was super ill.  Who knows.

Strawberries – iron.  Unsurprising given the crazy amounts of blood they took from me twice a day.  I honestly thought I was going to run out.  I like strawberries every now and again, but never have craved them before.

Bananas – potassium.  I HATE BANANAS.  I haven’t liked bananas for as long as I can remember.  I can’t stand the taste, smell or texture.  I can’t touch them when they are peeled because they make me gag.  Heaven forbid a small child has one and is smushing them up in their little hands.  Ugh!  I just shuddered and gagged even typing that.  I really hate bananas.  Really hate.  But here I was craving them, and have had half a banana every morning since I have been out.  Odd in the extreme.

So, they were my hospital cravings.  I went to the store the next day and topped up.  I chopped half a banana and 2 strawberries in a bowl with a spoon of natural bio type yogurt, and literally as soon as the strawberry touched my tongue, my whole body relaxed.

Fast forward a couple of days and I am doing better, but am still really weak.  I go to the store because I have no food in my house, and try and work out what I want for dinner.  I don’t decide but my body does.

I end up with minced beef (low fat), spinach, and sweet potato.  Beef and spinach, for those who don’t know, are high in iron, and sweet potato is chocked full of natural sugars.  I had nearly passed out earlier that day so figure my blood sugar was low.

I plain fried the beef and the spinach together, and mashed the sweet potato with some avo.  I put them together in the style of a shepherds pie, and then baked it a little.  Turns out it doesn’t brown like shepherds pie.  It was however delicious.  I could have added a little feta I think to break the sweetness down, but didn’t feel like eating feta.  Still don’t!

The next day I cannot even tell you the difference I felt.  It was amazing.  I have literally eaten that every day since and although I may not be 100% again, I am much stronger.

Its absolutely fascinating to listen to your body when it’s been stripped back to is emptiest.  I am actually rather enjoying it, and think I may continue like this for a while.

I just hope I don’t get a craving for magnesium, as chocolate is by far the tastiest way to get that into your body fast!