| Adapted from an online discussion. Carolyn: My husband and I have developed very different approaches to food, and I am starting to get very resentful. Blood tests a few years ago showed he had high cholesterol and highish blood sugar. His doctor wanted to start him on meds, but he wanted to adjust his diet first. I fully supported this effort. We went mostly vegetarian, then mostly vegan. His “numbers” have improved dramatically (yay!), but his eating has become more restrictive, not less. NO white flour, pasta, bread, butter, cream, cheese of any type, eggs, sugar, desserts. No oils other than (limited) olive oil. No meat other than lean chicken breasts. Very limited types of restaurants we can patronize. He will say he “can’t” eat lots of different foods (even in tiny quantities) and labels other types of food I consider normal (a single chocolate chip cookie, for example) “cheats.” He cooks once or twice a week, but the meals are nearly inedible to me. I have tried to find flavorful meals that fit his many, many restrictions. We have a very limited roster that works for both of us. Otherwise, I basically cook two meals, which feels unsustainable. Good friends who had not seen him for a while commented on how much weight he has lost and suggested he looked a little too thin. I have tried to talk to him about his eating, and he immediately says things like, “So you want me to be on meds the rest of my life?” or, “So you want me to have diabetes?” It is impossible to have a quiet conversation about this topic, and I wonder if he’s developing an eating disorder. Is that possible for a mid-50s man? I have actually gained a few pounds from snacks after the lousy dinners. I want to enjoy our meals together. Is the only solution to tell him to plan, shop for and cook all his own meals, and I’ll do the same? — Food for Thought |
