[Polykronic]

I'm recovering from anorexia. I'm at a healthy weight again (just barely but that still counts!) though I still have loads of trouble eating and I tend to eat junk so I can go longer between meals.

Problem is, I'm in school and working two jobs; my husband works his butt off; but we live in one of the most expensive areas of America for my grad school. Local projections say you need about $40k a year to live here and NOT be in poverty: we make half that.

Since I battle migraines and have to be on a strict, doctor-ordered diet to prevent them, my food can get pretty expensive. Often I run out by week two or three of each month and can't get more. My husband can get by (thank God) because he can eat whatever. But I've lived on homemade cookies these past two weeks because it's really all I know to make that's filling and lasts a while and meets the migraine diet requirements and we have the ingredients for it.

This is mega-triggering for my anorexia. I'm not sure what to do. We're too "rich" to get aid because that's based on national numbers and has no relation to the reality of living here.

Guess I'm looking for ideas. I can't keep letting myself starve. I'm already desperate to get back to my lowest weight. Not good!

[Gr3tta]

Can you tell us the parameters for your migraine diet? That might help me make suggestions for how to stretch things out! Also, have you searched for recipes containing the foods you need? At allrecipes.com you can click "ingredients" underneath the search bar, list some items that you have, and recipes will pop up! That might give you some ideas to go on! There's several sites where you can try this.

[Polykronic]

I have to avoid dairy, citrus, processed meat, MSG, gluten, artificial sweeteners, and caffeine; miso, red wine and beer, pistachios, beets, spinach, lettuce, broccoli, celery, tomatoes, onions or anything with onion powder, bananas, figs; and everything must be low sodium.

Essentially I make a LOT from scratch, which is hard with grad school and two jobs.

[hamster-bamster]

What a challenge!!

Do you have health insurance?

[Polykronic]

It is very hard! I tend to eat the same three or foods all the time, despite being sick of them.

I have access to basic health care through the Uni health center, but that's it. We can't afford "real" health insurance.

[Gr3tta]

That certainly is challenging. I cannot eat onions, so i know from experience they tend to be in everything! I am also a vegetarian, and highly lactose intollerant. You might want to start by searching for vegan gluten free recipes, then eliminating those that contain other ingredients you cannot eat. Also, try thinking of substitutions. For instance, if you can tolerate garlic, a little of that can fill in for onions, and kale or cabbage might sub in for spinach or lettuce, etc. Since you have to home cook a lot on a limited schedule, once you find some more things you like, I would cook them in large batches whenever you have an afternoon off, and then you know you have several things ready to go that you know are safe foe you to eat. It's definitely difficult, bit its worth it to be healthier and in less pain.

[Polykronic]

Thanks!!! "Vegan gluten free" is a search phrase I hadn't thought of. And I'd completely forgotten about kale and cabbage! I think I spend so much time lamenting what I can't eat (why are onions in EVERYTHING?) that I forget to think of substitutes. I guess I need to change my mindset.