Honestly, I didn't even know that changing my diet would affect if i did or did not get outbreaks. I just recently discovered that while reading these forums! I researched EVERYTHING else about it though!! I eat EVERYTHING. I drink a decent amount of alcohol, I eat my fair share of junk food, and I drink diet soda and coffee. So I guess if junk food and alcohol is trigger food....i am lucky! I am 24 yrs old so a couple of these years with HSV has been in college...drank pretty heavily and now i drink probably a few times per month (not counting glasses of wine with dinner occasionally). Yeah, hopefully someone else chimes in to enlighten us!! I think i will go back to the doctor and ask for the western blot. I am just so confused because everything i've read says once you have this virus, you always have it. I wonder if viral load (smount of antibody in blood??) correlates with shedding. Do you have any idea???