Interstitial Cystitis

I just recently discovered that I have a condition called Interstitial Cystitis. It seems to be associated with foods that I'm allergic to, as well as, foods that are acidic. So, how that bears out is, not only do I have to avoid foods that I'm actually allergic to, but anything else that causes the symptoms. This has made my already rather restricted diet, even more restricted! Many of the foods that I used to give my recipes flavor are now off my menu. This includes things like:

Lemons

Limes

Any citrus

Pineapple

Any tart or tangy fruits

Tomatoes

Processed meats (lunch meat, sausage, bacon, etc.)

Peppers of any kind

Pickles of any kind

Vinegar

Most salad dressings

Most condiments (ketchup, mustard, etc.)

Spices like paprika, pepper

Anything “hot or spicy”

Any tart or tangy dairy, like buttermilk, yogurt or sour cream

Hard, aged cheeses, like aged Cheddar and Parmesan

Chocolate

Tea

Coffee

Soda (pop)

Of the many sites I've read on the Interstitial Cystitis Diet, most agree that avocados, apples (sweet ones), pears and blueberries are safe. Peppermint tea is safe and actually helps with symptoms. I found I can drink nearly flat Diet Dr. Pepper on occasion without symptoms. Sites say Root Beer with a lot of ice is okay. I've not experimented with that yet.

So, in addition to my recipes being gluten free, etc., they will also be friendly for the IC Diet from here on out.

There is going to be a lot of trial and error with this, and some things that might work fine for me might not work at all well for others.