A Tomato a Day Keeps the Doctor Away

Anyone who really really knows me, understands I've hated the taste of raw tomatoes for pretty much my whole life. At restaurants for whatever I order I always ask for no tomatoes. I always ask, "Does it come with tomatoes?" They are never on my sandwiches or hamburgers. I've never been shy about putting the tomatoes to the side when I have salads.

I've been asked, "Didn't you ever have home grown tomatoes in your garden growing up?" I know we had a garden when I was growing up but since I was never interested in tomatoes I don't know if we grew them or not. People would look at me like I'm crazy when I say, "No I did not eat garden tomatoes growing up but I have had garden tomatoes and I don't like them any more then the store bought ones."

People don't understand that I've eaten several tomatoes over the years just to see if my taste buds have changed because I understand that I may actually change my attitude towards them. Over the years I've learned to like certain things with tomatoes in them like salsa and soups.

A few months back that attitude change started to happen. You see I get strep throat very easily and in the first four months this year alone I've had it twice. The second time I thought I was going to die. I was in more pain then I had been in since Ruby was born. The misery was overwhelming.

As I visited the quick care doctor she pointed something out to me that no other doctor had bothered to mention in the 20+ years I've been chronically diagnosed with strep throat, "Gargle lemon juice or vinegar to help with the ph levels." It was like a light went off in my head. What do lemons and vinegar have in come? Acid. Now who wants to drink straight lemons or vinegar...not me. Orange juice is out because of the sugar levels and my pre-diabetic issues. So that left me with one other option.

Tomato juice.

So for the last two months I've been drinking one small can of tomato juice a day to prevent strep from returning. Will it work? I have no idea and frankly it could all be in my head but if I can make it the rest of the year without getting strep again I'll owe it all to that quick care doctor and tomato juice.