Why recipes?

In 2001, while taking part in the Willing Workers on Organic Farms (WWOOF) program on the Big Island of Hawaii, I developed symptoms of Interstitial Cystitis, a chronic pain disorder that I have been able to successfully manage for several years.

Like most Interstitial Cystitis patients, it took a long time to understand how to best manage my IC. Work is still being done to understand IC, and many ICers have had the frustrating experience of invasive procedures and failed treatments. For some, a combination of oral medications (such as Elmiron and Urelle) and diet modification are helpful. I have chosen not to take prescription medications, and instead I closely follow the IC diet.

The Interstitial Cystitis diet is the most powerful way I've found to take control of my life and minimize my pain. It can seem daunting at first because there are so many foods we can't eat. I've been lucky to have a kitchen wizard in my life. Nearly all of the meals I eat at home are prepared by Andrew Baron. He knows the IC diet almost better than I do and loves figuring out new dishes to serve up with a somewhat limited range of foods.

Every ICer has a different diet. Not everyone can eat what I eat, and there are lots of foods other ICers can handle that I can't. This can make the diet endlessly frustrating, but it also means we aren't quite as limited as the initial list of unadvised foods can make it seem.

There are delicious meals out there for Interstitial Cystitis patients, and I'm hoping to catalog as many as I can. Shoot me an email if you want more information, or if you want to submit a recipe.

Check out the entries marked Food to see the recipes I've posted.