OK, so I'm doing the VERY best that I can to stick to this way of life, and it usually goes great. However, I had a bad case of diarrhea on Sunday morning, and I woke up this morning noticing that my skin was a bit red, hot, and slightly irritated. Hmm, well, that's odd. Sounds like a food allergy to me. All I've added this week that I wasn't eating last week are avocado oil, all-beef hamburger patties, a different brand of olive oil than I normally use, and organic, cage-free eggs. Well, I thought about it for a while. I've eaten the patties and organic eggs several times before and never had any allergic reaction, so I started to question the avocado oil. HOWEVER, I am NOT allergic to avocados, which is the only ingredient in this product. I also don't believe that I had any of the olive oil yesterday, so that was out too. I don't really suspect the organic, cage-free eggs, either.

Mind you, my kinesthetic sense has been WAY up the past few days, for whatever reason. I feel practically every tension in my body and every muscle that I contract, and I'm constantly aware of where every part of my body is in space. Putting those Alexander Technique classes to good use, I guess... It's both a good thing and a bad thing to be this aware, trust me... So, it made sense to me that something might be causing me harm from a previously unknown source.

So, I started to consider the seemingly-harmless 100% all-beef hamburger patties. "Well, that's odd," I thought. "They've never given me any problems before." I checked around the box a bit more thoroughly, to see if it actually did contain hidden ingredients. They don't even have an ingredient list, but they DO say all-beef. I looked at the nutritional content again. Of course, it didn't have any carbs in it. However, perhaps for the first time, I noticed what it DID contain...1.5 grams of Trans fat per patty! AAAAHHHH!! That means I had a whopping 6 grams of Trans fat on Saturday and Sunday, and 3 more today! WHY??!?!?! Why are you doing this to me, corporate America?!

I'm going to try to limit myself to one of these patties per day (still WAY too much Trans fat, but what else can I do?!) until I can walk to the grocery store on Saturday. Hopefully, I can find another inexpensive meat source that is actually as healthy as it's SUPPOSED to be... Time will tell as to whether or not this was what actually caused my allergic reaction, but I want to get rid of the Trans fat, regardless.

Thank you, super-sensitive-yet-still-highly-adaptable body! You're my hero! =P

OUCH! Welcome to reality in the modern-day food supply!

Ugh, I know! It makes me sick...literally! Ha ha ha...

Oh yeah, I forgot about the new teas I tried on Saturday as well, but they're all made with all-natural ingredients, so I doubt it's them... The more I think about it, the more I KNOW it's the meat, since I've been getting kind of a bad vibe from them since I bought them (and I always felt slightly sick after I ate them but I ignored it since I figured my body was just getting used to all the saturated fat). I thought it was just the whole low-fat lie that was pumped into my brain from birth, but now I know they're actually a problem. This brand is, at least. I hope I can find something better next time I go to the store...

Um guys, I hate to break it to you but meat contain a natural amount of natural trans fats.

They are not the ones to be concerned about.

Also I doubt that trans fats would be causing an allergic reaction. That is not something it does.

I would suggest getting your allergies tested by a naturopath to determine what it was.

I would also advise against trans fat hysteria. If you are avoiding vegetable oils and processed foods then you will be okay.

I AM avoiding vegetable oils and processed foods. Avocados and olives are both fruits, correct? These oils contain very few polyunsaturated fats, so I'm guessing they're alright. Maybe I'll experiment a bit and see how my body reacts to them.

Even if all meats do contain a trace amount of Trans fat, 1.5 grams per serving? That seems like way too much. Not to mention the fact that SOMETHING made me sick. I can't really go and see a naturopath right now, since I'm a broke college student without even so much as a car. I just have to figure this out myself. I appreciate your input, though. Any and all advice would be great.

TigerEyes, avocados are a PERFECT low-carb food with some very healthy fats in them.

TigerEyes,

Food allergies can develop at anytime and are usually to something that you have eaten a lot of, but not always. Dave is right there are some naturally occurring trans-fats in beef, and since trans-fats are so plentiful in many foods, you would probably have a lot more problems with anything you eat if it were the trans-fats.

I would cast a wary eye to the tea. I have food allergies myself and I can't drink any of them without breaking out in a itchy rash. The best way to find out is when the rash clears challenge with tea again. Don't drink the tea and eat the beef on the same day. I could be wrong but I'd bet money on the tea. Just because it's not natural doesn't mean your body is not sensitive to it. Remember it can take as long as 2 weeks for food allergens to clear the body which is why it can be such a mystery sometimes. Good luck and keep me posted.

Hmm, well, I've never had a problem with tea before, but I will include them in my experiments. Thanks for the heads-up. I'm feeling a bit better now, so I think I'll try the avocado oil tonight (I've never had it before Saturday, so I just want to make sure).

Thanks for the info! Does that mean that naturally-occurring Trans fats are not to be worried about at all, or is there a consumption limit for them? Also, what effect does cooking them in the microwave have? I know, I know; I'm pretty desperate for resources on low-carb foods. I can't help it, since the so-called "kitchen" in my dorm doesn't have a stove... It does have an oven, but all I have to cook it in is a ceramic (I'm pretty sure that's what it is) bowl, and while I'm pretty sure it's microwave-safe, I'm not 100% sure it's oven-safe.

I put some avocado oil on some vegetables along with mustard and seasoning. I'll let you all know how that turns out tomorrow...

Argh, I couldn't take it... I got really hungry, so I had two more patties. Well, if I have more allergic reactions tomorrow, I'll at least know it was either the oil or the patties. It'll be easy to cut out the oil tomorrow and only have hamburgers (as the allergy tested food, not as the ONLY food), so I'll just have to see what happens... I'm really starting to hope it was one of the teas, though.

No, natural trans-fats aren't a worry. Butter also contains natural trans-fat, and the anti-trans-faters (pretty much the same people that pushed trans-fats to save us from saturated fat!) are condemning it along with hydrogenated oils.

Microwaves are in my opinion safe, but there are many that do not feel they are. If you do use them glass or ceramic is the best, but they should be marked as being microwave safe. Plastic, especially disposable plastic should not be used if possible.

I remember those dorm days!! Back then we only had a toaster oven and a coffee pot. The floor kitchen had a stove, no oven, but there were 30 of us on the floor.

I can't see how those burgers can be the problem....but if you do seem to react it's likely there is something added and not listed! I'd definitly contact the company if you think you're reacting!

I was gonna suggest that you cut out the oil and the teas for awhile and see if you develop a reaction or not. Food allergies are something else. For years I could eat shellfish...then suddenly I can't tolerate any of them at all. That really sucks since I grew up on shellfish as a child. That was something that was eaten every Friday.
I know this sounds strange...but I cannot eat coconut flakes...I get a major rash but I had no problem taking the oil. I don't understand that at all...but it is possible that you are able to eat avocados but cannot take the oil. If that is the case it is a shame because Avocado oil is one of the best oils out there.
Also...did you change your detergent or anything like that?? Change perfumes...it is almost like you have to become a detective when your body reacts negatively. I was gonna suggest you buy ground meat and make your own patties...then you would know exactly what is in them...then I noticed that you live in a dorm. I remeber those days as well...
I hope you find what isn't agreeing with you...

Well, gang, I woke up this morning without any symptoms! I had the avocado oil, hamburger patties, and eggs yesterday, so I'm VERY happy to report that they have all been judged as "INNOCENT". The only things I didn't have that were under suspect were the olive oil and the three kinds of tea. I'm guessing it's one of the teas, since I really don't remember having any olive oil this weekend, yet I'm pretty sure I had tea on both days. I'll probably try them one day at a time to see which one it was, just so I don't have to throw away all three kinds...

I'm really glad I wrote this though, since I've now been educated to the fact that natural Trans fats aren't harmful to the body at all! Thanks, guys!

And I'm REALLY glad that I was wrong about the meat. Like I always say, if I were really a psychic, I'd have already won the lottery and be halfway around the world by now. I guess I really was just being paranoid about it.

Iggykatt: Thanks for the tips, but no, I didn't change deodorants or anything like that. I would've known right away if it was something like that though, since I already know how allergic to man-made fragrance I am...