The first step after the initial diagnosis was to change my diet and my lifestyle habits completely in order to allow my oesophagus to ‘heal’ – or at least, settle down. After clarifying with the specialist, I embarked on cutting out high starch foods, particularly wheat, peanuts and potato from my diet, reducing the intake of highly processed foods, and lowering my intake of caffeine, alcohol, and carbonated beverages.Simple.Well, it seemed simple at first, but at that time (when ‘gluten free’ was a term relegated to the dark corridors of Celiac diagnosis as opposed to a price-inflating packaging brand) it was particularly challenging. The medication I was on had a useful website with some good resources provided by the Heart Foundation for healthy eating, but nothing really matched/fulfilled what I needed for this diet/lifestyle change. What I needed was a complete overhaul. To top it off, I was headed overseas to Singapore for a week to visit a friend! Frantic emails regarding dietary changes were sent and I resigned myself to a week of rice and not much else. (I had been told that rice and sweet potato were two starches which did not particularly cause issues with the digestive system.)So off to Singapore I went.

|Not until we are lost do we begin to understand ourselves. – Henry David Thoreau

This slideshow requires JavaScript.

One thing I discovered in Singapore was that the smell of freshly baked bread and pastries is intoxicating. I found it almost impossible to resist that warm inviting scent at all the bakeries that litter the shopping malls at every corner! Luckily I had remarkable willpower thanks to the words from the specialist still fresh in my mind.Singapore proved the beginning of my dietary overhaul. Eating out allowed me to explore a number of different cuisines I had had limited experience with prior. I ‘discovered’ Nasi Goreng, when made authentically, doesn’t have to be spicy and can be quite tasty. Indonesian food, Singaporean food, Malaysian food opened up to me and I realised I had a lot more choice for eating than I originally had thought. So I began exploring the culinary aspects of Singapore with its multitude of international eateries and establishments. Indian curries, Mexican feasts, Japanese sushi, Thai stir fries, Vietnamese soups – I was actually spoilt for choice, which helped put my mind at ease.I was discovering that I could eat (and eat really well) if I kept a close eye on ingredients, food preparation standards, and cooking methods. I also had to remain vigilant with my own cravings and urgings, but once I had discovered the whole palette of options available, they faded to the background. Singapore was not the sting I thought it might be, but instead became a saviour. I avoided all alcohol (which seemed strange when I was with a friend with whom I had shared many a night out in our previous lives in the UK) and I got by without bread. I realised that dietary change was not only possible, but easily obtainable back home as well.I love spicy food and, despite warnings otherwise, my stomach can actually handle spice. So this new foray into south-east Asian cuisine inspired me to start expanding my home cooking repertoire. One such dish which has become a go to (especially in winter) is Singapore Chicken Curry/Nonya Kari Kay. The recipe I follow is available here. I substitute chicken thighs (skin off) in place of the chicken marylands, and sweet potato in place of the potato. Replace the palm sugar with 1/2 Tbsp honey, and use macadamias in place of the candlenuts. As an alternative to making your own spice paste, pick up a jar of pre-made spice paste from the Asian Grocer’s – just remember to check ingredients carefully as they can be heavy on salt, palm sugar, and other processed ingredients and preservatives.Happy eating!