It's all about food. Well, mostly.

Since my girlfriends weren't going bowling, I decided to stay home and meal plan for my grocery trip.  I sometimes manage a trip to the grocery store during the week after work but it's exhausting and I don't have the energy to cook dinner when I get home, so I usually just do the quick-ish emergency trip when we're out of meat or milk.  I made some waffles for breakfast.  I'm still struggling with my waffle iron to figure out when the waffles are done, how much batter to put on, and how to get the top as beautiful as the bottom.  The first couple were pretty good; I put the third one, which was a little burnt on the bottom, in the fridge for another time (and then Mick ate it for lunch when he got home while I had some leftovers), and threw away the last one which was way too burnt to salvage.  I cleaned up the kitchen and started the dishwasher, knowing what I was expecting throughout the day.

After lunch, I headed out with a cooler and some ice packs in the back of the car.  I filled up with gas at Sam's, then headed in.  There weren't any carts so I knew it would be a quick trip, but I had "saran wrap" on my list.  I couldn't find any, so I did a quick walk through and picked up Simply orange juice and Wholly Guacamole individual packets for me, and pizza rolls and sour cream for him.  I left about 45 minutes after I left my house; the lack of carts definitely works more to my advantage than Sam's.

Next I went to Sprouts, where I found a sale on the vitamin and personal products area.  I've been an Oil of Olay girl for a long time, and have tried a couple other moisturizers, but have wanted to replace my skin care products.  I checked packages for soy and wheat ingredients, and finally got on my phone to check online about the gluten-free status of a couple.  The thing I don't get is that the choices for shampoos and conditioners is endless, but there are almost no hair styling products, and I found exactly two that didn't have soy (the brand had soy in all the rest of their products).  Also, why is there an endless supply of lipgloss but almost no other makeup?  Does being a health nut mean not wearing eyeshadow or mascara?!  I guess it's just something that I have to buy elsewhere, but I don't know where.  I ended up getting several moisturizers and facial cleansers and a toner.

I have tried five or six deodorants in the past couple years.  So far, I'm not impressed with any of them, so I picked up another one to try.  I ended up spending just over $100 in this section, so I got 10% off in addition to the 25% sale.

At this point, I realized that I had spent quite a bit of time reading labels and needed to get moving, so I headed to the food.  This is always an adventure!  I guess one of the hardest parts is reading a label and realizing that I can probably make it myself, and then debating about whether I will make it myself.  There was a panang simmer sauce, and I love panang, but why can't I just make the sauce myself instead of buying the bottle?  But will I make the sauce, that is the question.  For example, I can make marinara sauce, but I know that I won't, and I use it alot for a last minute meal.  I was using it with rice pasta, but found that I kind of like this spicy sausage, garbanzo bean, veggies and sauce mixture instead.  I think that once I make something, I can see how easy or hard it is and make a better decision, but until I have time to make the recipe, I am reluctant to get into making something complicated when I'm already hungry and tired.

Among the things I picked up were the Muir Glen organic tomatoes with chipotle peppers (4/$5, so I got 4 cans) because I love these in whatever quick Mexican meat mixture I'm making with beans to eat with some guacamole.  I got some produce and chicken, mostly organic, to balance out all the not-organic I knew I would get later at Fresh & Easy.

I got a few new things to try including some cranberry juices (can you say vodka?), some pinapple coconut juice (can you say rum?), some coconut milk chocolate yogurt (and some plain that was on sale that I can freeze for smoothies), and some Applegate Farms turkey bacon (mmm, bacon).

Once I was done giving the cashier my arm and my leg, I was ready to go.  I realized as I was leaving that I would have to go to F&E because I forgot Mick's white bread, among other things I could pick up there.

At F&E, I picked up more produce, because you can never have enough potatoes and sweet potatoes and avocados, and I forgot to get garlic earlier...  I have enough "milk" but I did get some of their salsa (Mick loves the pineapple chipotle), and then found tomatillos on the clearance rack--score!  The lady giving out samples saw me looking at the Jenny-O turkey breasts and she highly recommended the sundried tomato one but I wasn't comfortable with the length of the ingredient list, even if it did say "no gluten" on the package, so I got the one that had less ingredients, as well as the g/f corn tortillas they have.  I got a big tray of chicken thighs (more on that later) and some turkey cutlets for a recipe I had seen earlier.

I finally made it home and Mick's parents were already there, as I expected, watching the Coyotes game.  My FIL helped me bring in the groceries and then went to watch the game and I worked on putting everything away.  They brought steaks to grill during the intermission and I had leftover ribs.  We used my microwave potato bag for the sweet potatoes they brought to share, and they really liked how the potatoes turned out.  I did get to watch most of the game after that.

When the game was over, they left, and I cleaned up the kitchen so I could start the next mess.  I had decided to make a Tomatillo Chicken Soup from my favorite cookbook (currently) for my office Soup Throwdown.  So I chopped and cooked and made a huge mess and wore myself out.  Once the soup had been set to simmer for two hours, I took a break with some strawberries and Justin's Chocolate Peanut Butter.  Oh, so yum.  When the soup was "done" I tasted it and it was s.p.i.c.y.  I added some cilantro from my garden (who makes a tomatillo recipe without cilantro?), unsweetened almond milk and hominy with little impact.  I almost instantly regretted adding the hominy since not everyone likes hominy.  I wasn't sure what else to do, so I let it cool a little, put it in the fridge, and asked for help.

Update: My friend K (with English Setters and a garden) suggested corn and honey, so I added 2 cups of frozen sweet corn and some agave syrup (a little easier than my raw honey).  It did help, and I won the Throwdown!


Above all, you’ve got to love yourself enough to give your health priority.  (read online)

Sunday Date Night, er, Day

I got up early enough to make pancakes for breakfast.  I misread the amount of oil so I added the rest of the mix I had and some more rice milk, and the pancakes came out great.  Since I'm supposed to be eating more protein at breakfast, I microwaved some cashew butter and spread it between the pancakes and then topped with some maple syrup.  It looked weird but tasted great.

I was unsure that my husband, Mick, was going to go with me to the Gluten-Free Expo, but he did.  We were kind of surprised that no one else wanted to go.  I've never been, so I didn't know what to expect.  It was very small, maybe 10 or 15 vendors, so I talked to most even if I wasn't sure I wanted to.  There was a hair salon giving free samples of shampoo and conditioner, and there was a couple of skin care product tables.

Innocent Indulgence was giving small samples of some of their raw desserts.  I had a cocao nib square which was interesting, kind of like a chocolate chip cookie, but not.

Sprouts had baskets of freebies.  Many (MANY) I could not use because they had soy, including the Larabars (they were of the chocolate varieties, not the ones I typically get).  But I got some Food Should Taste Good sweet potato chips and a "shake and go smoothie" mix in Vanilla Almondilla and Chocolat.

Next we visited the table for Wei of Chocolate.  Oh, yeah, that is for me!  She asked us to pick a picture of a flower we were drawn to and I chose a yellow flower which led to the Chai chocolate, and he picked a pink orchid which meant spicy and led to the chili infused chocolate.  We tried a couple samples each and they were awesome.  It seems expensive but I have to think about whether it is worth it.

I briefly stopped at a bakery table but moved on as soon as I confirmed that was not going to happen, and then passed by the Udi's table since I already know that won't happen!  Mick checked out the Planet Ale table and joined me at the Nourish table, where we were able to speak with the chef for a while.  I bought their new book, Freak at the Table--I can eat almost everything in it!

I went to the Arbonne table and got a sample of a "Digestion plus with prebiotics, probiotics, and enzymes" which the lady said was great to take if you accidentally have gluten or something your body reacts to.  I also got a makeup makeover from the makeup artist, using all Arbonne products.  Mick was skeptical of the benefits of makeup that is gluten-free; I can see the sense in using better products, I'm just not sure I can see spending the money!  I really liked the foundation primer and mineral powder foundation she used, but I don't typically wear foundation.  (maybe I would if I liked it?)

We went to Nourish for lunch, and based on the chef's earlier suggestion (and the fact that I haven't had teriyaki in many months since it "always" has soy), we both had the teriyaki rice bowl, his with chicken and mine with wild salmon.  I also had white ice tea which was very good and he had another Planet Ale gluten-free beer.  I was almost disappointed with the first bite of my rice bowl, since the salmon was on top, and there was no teriyaki flavor that I could discern.  Then I realized the teriyaki was in the brown and wild rice mix underneath, so I mixed it up and ate it.  We both thought it was very good, although he gave me his broccoli and snap peas.

My precious...

When we looked at the menu, I knew I was going to have dessert.  Because I could!  I thought I would order something with chocolate, but when I heard lemon cheesecake--no wheat, dairy, eggs, or soy--I could not resist.  It is made by Innocent Indulgence; it had a nut crust and the lemon cheesecake was creamy and tart.  I really liked it but he thought it was too lemony.  We agreed that the lunch was good, but for $60 (including tip), it seems like a major splurge.  It is nice to see that "safe" food can be tasty enough for people who don't need "safe" food.  Before leaving, I also bought a jar of apricot preserves, mango vinaigrette, and coconut vinegar, all products that they use in the restaurant.

We returned to the Expo to see if we could catch the Innocent Indulgence Raw Food demo.  It was already taking place so we went in and sat in the back.  It had started a lot earlier than we thought, so we were just in time to see the presenter make a green smoothie.  We were given a small piece of paper with 2 recipes and, as the helpers gave out samples, the presenter said that she used the recipe on the right.  I checked the recipe and then tried the sample.  After a couple of "sips" (it was thick), someone asked if there was banana since it wasn't in the recipe.  YES, there was banana.  Are you kidding me?!  You can't go to something designed for allergic people and then give them something, with a recipe, that does not follow the recipe!  I am not denigrating Innocent Indulgence as I think it's a great company, but the presenter did not really seem to know her stuff and made a pretty big mistake.  (Warning: TMI!!!  I had terrible gas the rest of the day.)

She also made a chocolate cherry smoothie, which we thought was more like a dessert, almost like an ice cream substitute.  She used a protein powder which she passed around (a couple people immediately asked about what was in it); it was okay but had stevia, which I usually don't consume.  I would consider making something similar at home using frozen cherries and cacao nibs.

After such an exciting day at the Expo, we went to another Expo--the Home Show at the Cardinals stadium.  We knew there would be a lot that we had seen already, but a few things we would want to look for.  Someone gave us free tickets on the way in so we didn't pay admission.



In one area, there were a few gardening groups, and I stopped to look at the succulents.  I've never seen anything like them.  We also looked at a supplier of organic seeds and transplants.  I was interested in some of the hot peppers but I don't need a whole packet of seeds so I'll have to check out their website.

We talked to a solar heating guy for a while about solar heating for a pool.  It was very interesting and informative and he showed us several photos to give us ideas of where we might be able to put the panels after we get a pool.

Clivia

I also picked up another shade loving plant for the area by our front door where we couldn't get roses to grow.  Several people were checking it out but they weren't looking for a plant for a shady spot, so I came home with it.  We planted it when we got home, and then worked on the garden.

I made tacos for dinner and they were so tasty, I ate too much.  I also poached some chicken for chicken salad.  Once it cooled, I added chopped celery, apple, kiwi, a tiny bit of cilantro left over from the tacos, a little lettuce from the garden, and some of the mango vinaigrette from Nourish.  (And I have the recipe for it now, too!)  Later, I remembered to add the chopped walnuts.

Chicken salad, pre-walnuts

Chicken Salad

2-3 chicken breasts (I used one package of the 6 pack from Costco or Sam's), cubed and cooked
3/4 diced celery
1 large apple, diced
3 kiwis, chopped
cilantro or herbs to taste
1/2 cup mango vinaigrette
15 medium lettuce leaves, chopped
3/4 cup walnuts

Divide chicken in thirds (about a scant cup each) into mason jars or other lidded containers.  Add 1/4 celery, 1/3 of the apple, 1 kiwi, 1/3 of the lettuce, 1/4 walnuts, 1/3 of the vinaigrette, and herbs to taste.  Add lids and shake.

If you will not be eating the salads quickly, leave dressing in separate container until ready to serve.

Stand in your power

I almost forgot that I had an appointment for Dr. H scheduled--it never made it onto any of my calendars.  Oops.  Fortunately, the only meeting I had during that time was moveable.

I arrived on time and a substitute student greeted me; my current student was getting an IV for dehydration.  The temp got my vitals and went through a lot of questions to update my file on my condition.  She asked about my diet and drinking (no judgement) and energy.

Dr. H came in and they discussed my energy level (best in a long time!) and stress (yep, there's a little!) and diet.  I mentioned that my improved energy, combined with my angry cleaning, even has my husband noticing my improved energy.  So we ended up talking about boundaries (and some peoples' lack of said boundaries) and standing up for myself and being empowered.  I'm a married woman so I know that compromise is a part of life.  At the same time, some things are important enough that I have, and I should, make them a priority.  At the risk of pissing someone off, I have to make choices that are best for me.  But I really hate pissing off people in my inner circle, as Dr. H called it.  As Sloane said in Allergic Girl, "Sometimes it's family that can be the most rigid and least understanding about your needs."

Dr. H was concerned that the quinoa was not gluten-free, maybe it was contaminated.  (I have since checked the box and it says gluten-free.)  The big concern was that I get enough protein and good fats.  I thought I was doing okay but I know I'm struggling a little.  The doctor and student recommended I eat proteins, more considered lunch or dinner food, for breakfast.  Eating fish or chicken in the morning just seems weird to me, although I love a piece of fried chicken and mashed potatoes or some leftover spaghetti with meat sauce for breakfast.  So they suggested that I make chicken salad, with fruit and nuts and my special mayo.  Hmm, maybe.

The student also spent some time going through my schedule.  The purpose, I found out, was to find areas of time when I can make batches of ingredients or cook batch food.  Obviously, I have a ridiculous schedule, as even she had trouble making a suggestion.  I didn't have the heart to tell her that her suggested Friday night batching was unlikely since I work late on Fridays unless we have plans with friends.  I understand the concept of batching, I just never quite get around to it in more than an extra day's worth of food or ingredients.  It's on my should list, though.

The other doctor came in a little after Dr. H left and restated several of the previous comments, that I looked like I was feeling very well, and that she wanted to make sure that the student emailed all of the information to me--that they should make it as easy as possible for me.  When she left, she took the student with her for a moment.  The student returned and told me how amazed they all were at my progress in such a short time.

Both doctors and the student reminded me that they want me to see Dr. M, the gentle chiropractor there.  He actually does the work and the students just observe.  On my way out, I made an appointment (for April!) with him instead of making an appointment with Dr. H.  She wants to see me every week or two, but I'm not sure what I am getting at this point besides a little therapy session and validation that I'm on the right path.

Bananas!

My student, K, started by reviewing my allergy results, then going through her questions.  Some things that I have not been eating regularly did not show as allergens but she said that was normal; she is Celiac and wheat doesn't show for her even if she eats it right before the test.

it's for breakfast

The big terrible news is that I cannot eat bananas!  I have been eating Glutenfreeda oatmeal for breakfast most days; the box of six packets has three flavors, including banana.  I will have to give away the packets I have left--I have been purchasing these by the case from Amazon in order to save money.  In the future, I can order the other two flavors separately.  I also use bananas in smoothies and "shakes" pretty frequently, and no more banana milk either.  I was really looking forward to trying banana "ice cream" so I'll have to delete that idea from my brain.  And I get bananas in my produce box every two weeks, so I have just updated my preferences to exclude them.

bananas. and cranberry?

The test graphs have 2 bars.  The lighter colored bar, IgG, is the (where I have some positive readings) which are "gut" and the darker colored bar, IgE, (where I *thankfully* don't have positive results) is the "antiflaxis."  Essentially this means the darker colored bars are what people call allergies and have symptoms where they can die, and the lighter colored bars are the ones that everyone thinks are not serious since you can't die (you just wish you could) or worse, it's all in your head.

She reminded me that I had coffee and dairy the night before my test, so I thought it was interesting that "whey" was off the charts but coffee was not.  Although I'm not allergic to coffee, I'm supposed to limit my coffee consumption due to its inflammatoryory properties.

Goat milk and cane sugar

I'm still a little confused because she pointed out that I had a response (within the 0 to 1 column) to the goat milk and shouldn't consume it, but when we talked about other items to which I had similar responses, she thought I should just try them after eating clean for a month.  Hmm.

Another student, C, was present for the appointment, and he was actually the one who did my treatment today.  It was weird to get a Castor oil massage treatment for my shoulder from a guy.  He noted that the pectoral muscles tend to contract when we spend a lot of time hunched in front of a computer and they talked some about ergonomics.  They suggested I be aware of balancing both sides, like if I am leaning to one side, then lean to the other, or carry things on both sides.

They also did "blocking" which was not at all what I thought it would be.  It is a way to gently realign since I'm lopsided.  With me laying face down on the table, he picked up my feet and moved my legs to different positions, then put my feet back down.  Then they put rolled up towels under each leg; on the right, it was closer to my hip and on the left, it was closer to my knee.  The towels stayed in that position until after the massage therapy was complete.

K reminded me to schedule the appointment with the "chiropractor" they recommended.  I won't be able to go back to Dr. H (I only saw Dr. H on the way out) for 3 weeks, so I may be able to fit another appointment in--we'll see.  I felt very good when I left but found that I was having some additional pain within an hour, maybe a residue of yesterday's breakfast.  I should mention that my upper lip has been numb since sometime yesterday.  This happens occassionally and when it first happened, several non-medical people thought it was an allergy thing but the doctors in my life at the time said no.  I wonder...

Pecans and carrots.

Now that I've been wondering for a while, I wonder if it's the oats.  After reviewing my results with my husband and talking about the confusing conversation with the student, I think I need to:

• 1. talk to the doctor (in 3 weeks!)
• 2. find an allergist or nutritionist to make sure I'm getting what I need in my diet
• 3. cut out everything that shows any bars in the graphs (I'm not even sure that's possible)
• 4. get another allergy test done (pay for another blood test), maybe in the next year (since the tests are somewhat not accurate, as evidenced by the wheat and egg graphs conflicting with my August test).  *big sigh*

He is really upset that I am saying that my life sucks, fuck my life, and crying and stuff.  Well, I'm fucking pissed that my health sucks so much and I'm so tired of my body betraying me.  Yeah, I know my life rocks in some ways, but I'm in pain, I've been in pain for the majority of 2 days, I can barely walk right now because of it, and I have to go throw out half of my food.  AGAIN.  So, yeah, I think at least part of my life sucks a little.  I know, at least I have food to throw out, at least I'm finding out what's been wrong with me for years now, blah blah blah.  Anyway, FML. Or at least my health.  I'll work on the gratitude tomorrow.

Label me, I label you inconsistent.

After getting my hair cut, I went to Sprouts.  Grocery shopping is so frustrating.  Labeling is inconsistent, ingredients are unrecognizable, and apparently the other shoppers can't see me except when they are glaring at me for looking up ingredients on my phone.  And why do the stores that have "natural" products think that we only want to wear lipgloss?  Really, no actual makeup to use with those eco-brushes?  FML.

Food bits

I keep running across this Paleo Diet; it seems to be everywhere online, but no where in real life.  Here's why: nothing processed--grains, dairy, salt, beans/legumes, potatoes, sugar, and refined, factory-made foods.  That's right, no coffee, tea, beer, wine--no beverage except water.  While I think this is probably the best summary I have seen, I'm pretty sure PD is not for me.

As a relative newcomer to coffee drinking, I read quite a few labels looking for creamer.  I wanted something with a little sweetness so I wouldn't add a ton of sugar.  I decided on a couple of brands, but determined that non-dairy creamer was not for me.  (So I can't do a dairy-free diet!)  I do not expect to drink coffee at most places since I made this decision to avoid non-dairy creamer.  COFFEE-MATE is a fine example of an ongoing American trend towards “foodstuffs” instead of food.  Cream, by definition, is a dairy product, and therefore a product labeled as a “non-dairy creamer” is obviously… what exactly? In many parts of the world, COFFEE-MATE must be called not creamer but “whitener,” as the label of “cream” misleadingly implies a dairy product.  I may try half-and-half as suggested, but I am a fan of La Creme.  It keeps me away from the lattes and mochas most of the time.

I have vodka.  I think I'm going to make vanilla extract.  I should grow my own vanilla for it too!  I'm not making my own vodka though.  I think "they" have that down already.

These gluten-free pancakes look AWESOME.  The recipe is from the main ingredient maker, so I have to be a little skeptical, but what if they are AWESOME?  Okay, I'm not eating gluten-free, but I am inundated with information about MS patients improving their health through gluten-free (among others) diets.  Where are my g/f peeps?  Make these and tell me if they are AWESOME.  Bonus: Extra batter will keep in refrigerator in airtight container for up to 3 days.  I think that translates as "convenience food."

So this isn't REALLY a food bit, but egg whites are used in the DIY version of pore cleansing strips.  What a great, inexpensive idea.  It's weird, but it's weird to use the convential strips.  I love how she (not your typical tree hugger--I thought that was me?!) calls it a ghetto-fabulous tip and gives the last step: check for porcupines.  If you've used pore strips--you know what she means.  If you haven't, well, what are you waiting for?  You're skin is disgusting.  How has no one told you that yet?!  Ew, gross, your skin.  Now, check your porcupines.

I have a juicer that my lovely sister got me.  I want to use it more often but just forget.  I originally saw this "green drink" idea from Dr. Oz and Montel Williams.  The Glam Organic Goddess (see pore cleansing strips above) has some super-cool DIY tips that you should check out and DIY for me, but she also has what I'm going to call Green Goddess Juice.  Her tips and tricks may persuade me to try, try again.  Juicer, warm your engine.  Side note to my loyal readers (all 3 of you, thanks, love you much): check out her story.  Project "Save My Ass"...seemed more like the doctors were just taking a shot in the dark, after taking several shots of tequilla or something.  Only 1 of the 5 doctors mentioned ANYTHING about a healthy diet. Girl, I know exactly what you're talking about!

Things to make so I can eat them (and food news)

I'm sure this will come as a surprise, but I love good food.  I love to eat yumminess.  Because of this, I kind of like to cook.  And I really kind of like to bake.  I'm not great at cooking or baking but I fake it pretty well.  Here are some things I would like to make VERY soon:

• It's a Brooklyn cookie.  It has chocolate chips.  And molasses.  And chili powder.  Nuff said!
• I have always wanted to do this and hear it is super easy, maybe even easy enough to get M to do it for me: BBQ Beer Can Chicken (video).
• I love shake and bake chicken but don't like the ingredients in those packets.  Yummo to homemade, although I'll probably try it with panko instead for more crunch.
• I love Peppermint Patties even more--you know the ones I'm talking about.  As I read this the first time, I thought (1) this would be great to make with kids, and (2) I don't use shortening anymore. Hmm. Then I started reading the comments and found it: substitute extra virgin coconut oil--I have that!  I would also use dark chocolate instead of semi-sweet.  Yummo.
• I can't believe there are such things as Ice Cream Bread and Thin Mint Truffles.  All I can say is boo, friggin boo, too all who told me I did NOT need any Girl Scout cookies this year.  You know who you are and I do NOT forgive any of you.  You think you're helping me.  Go ahead and think that.  It's your own fault you aren't getting any truffles.  In case you missed it, boo.

That's 2 chicken recipes, one bread, and 3 desserts.  Add a salad and you have a perfect lunch for friends, if you ask me.  (At least one dessert should count as an appetizer, don't you think?!)  If you think that all of these recipes sound like something you "shouldn't" eat, here's your recommended reading: When Food Attacks!  I couldn't have said it any better--"As I always say, the only thing you should ever feel guilty about eating is babies."

If you are an emotional eater, here's the news to piss you off so you have a reason to make all the recipes above and eat them at one sitting.

• Artificial food coloring may be linked to behavorial changes and health issues in children.  Products with artificial dyes include Jell-O, Lucky Charms, Minute Maid Lemonade, Cheetos, Froot Loops, Pop-Tarts, and Hostess Twinkies.  Most artificial colors are now made from petroleum products (they used to be made from coal tar), so while Americans drive hybrid vehicles to reduce reliance on foreign oil, they can eat it, literally.  Note the financial aspect: no patents on dyes, so no incentive for research; pediatric research expensive and difficult, so it doesn't happen; and who benefits from this news--a sentence at the very end, extolling the virtuous Whole Foods and Trader Joe's, who "refuse to sell foods with artificial coloring."  That is an interesting choice of words by the "journalist"--"refuse" is probably the most emotional way to describe that.  Whether this is a marketing ploy or not, I am glad to hear that Frito-Lay is going more natural since there is a lot of artificial coloring in chips.  They are taking the MSG and other artificial ingredients out of about 60 snacks.  I can eat Doritos again!  I think my hips are already protesting...
• I already know that food inflation is being kept hidden in tinier bags, but just realized this is going to have an impact on lots of recipes.  I haven't made any of my "old" recipes recently, so I wonder how much of an issue I will run across.  Some people think, just don't used process food, but we're talking about things like canned vegetables and packaged pasta that have gone smaller for the same price.  I'm still annoyed that I can't get a 5 pound bag of sugar anywhere besides Fresh & Easy.
• I'm always interested in the case against veganism, although I'm not sure this one would stand up to criticism.
• I'm still interested in the raw milk movement and found an old post about milk for daredevils.  Hmm, not sure how I feel about that one.
• There are 21 ingredients in McDonald's oatmeal!  Great oatmeal doesn't need more than 5 at most: oats, milk and/or water, dried fruit and/or nuts, and possibly a sweetener like honey, brown sugar, or molasses. Okay, maybe cinnamon too--it's good and good for you. If you eat a lot of oatmeal, consider making your own oatmeal packets (with cost analysis).

And, for your viewing amusement, rapping about dairy farming.

Food and nutrition news and views

I found something to share with the gluten-free folks (I came to this through a link I saw for Red Velvet Cheesecake Pops.  I never expect to have the time to make these, but OMG, what an awesome idea.)

And some slow cooker recipes, including this pulled pork.  Have slow cooker, will learn and plan to use it.

What's in your smoothie?  I'm a fan of Jamba Juice and Robek's, going there for lunch occassionally when I've had a large breakfast.  I look at the nutrition book and stay away from the milkshakes in disguise.  Even so, I did not realize that there is Splenda in the dairy base at JJ (which I thought was frozen milk or soymilk for some reason).  I don't agree with the article wholeheartedly, but I know that I do NOT get "smoothies" at fast food restaurants after watching an employee make one at the milkshake machine.  The "real juice" advertised was more of a fruit syrup that went into the bottom of the cup and then was blended with ice cream.  So I make smoothies at home.  There is so much flexibility: frozen fruit, milk/almond milk/green tea/juice, yogurt (Cascade Fresh, the large container of blueberry or strawberry for sweetness), additives like flax or I used to do protein powder....  I have also used peanut butter on occassion; other nut butters would work too.

Tomato sauces in eco packaging and sweeted with carrot puree.  Hmm, pureed carrots as a sweetener.  Let the experiements begin.

The most awesome garden planner using the square foot gardening concept.  Use one of the pre-planned gardens and edit or plan from scratch.  I've been on this site before but don't remember this planner.

Be killed. Or evolve.

Pesticides kill more than pests (what a sad story). 

So does caramel coloring in sodas.  (We already know that aspartame in diet sodas is killing us.)

But maybe we'll just evolve like the bottom feeding tomcod, a Hudson River fish that has evolved in the past 50 years to resist toxic PCBs.

My butter won't catch fire!

Flame retardants have been found in varying amounts in butter. It is thought to come from the packaging. Of course, the FDA says it is still very minimal. The minimal amount is not what I want to hear about. What I want to know is what are they going to do to determine the source and to eliminate it?

The research is further evidence of why the Food and Drug Administration “should do a better job of studying how food is contaminated with PBDEs and other chemical pollutants.”

Catching up on message boards

I'm catching up on emails and notifications.

• The Rockefeller Center Christmas tree will be donated to Habitat for Humanity for the fourth consecutive year. It will be milled and processed into a house for a family in need.
• A time capsule was recommended for an eco-craft for kids, maybe using a cookie tin from the holiday season. I wonder if we should do one and bury it in our backyard when we start work there.
• On my "new" commute, there are a couple of those fancy new digital billboards. I noticed that one had a concert ad still showing from last month and was a little confused--how is that not changed out yet? But my primary reaction to these signs is annoyance. They tend to be in driving areas that are busy, accident prone freeways. While they are probably more profitable, they also may be worse for the environment than traditional billboards.
• No, I don't want to start my own organic gardening business, but thanks for the resources and tips.
• A post on a website I don't want to share or promote in any way did have an interesting post about the "junky gift syndrome" or "plastic disaster." How much STUFF did we exchange during the holidays that wasn't wanted or needed this Christmas?
• Someone recently questioned my use of sea salt in my kitchen. I explained that I actually use both "regular" salt and sea salt--they are right next to each other by my stove. This person felt that I would not get any iodine (maintains thyroid glands!) if I used sea salt. Table salt is fortified with iodine, but there are other sources of iodine.
• A thread on a message board discussing the worst excuses for not getting healthy and I ran across this possible tidbit: "People diagnosed with Celiac disease are eligible for a tax deduction on gluten-free foods (because of the extra cost)....do a search for tax-deduction for celiacs."
• Study suggests that consumption of cranberry juice cocktail does not decrease UTIs. Commentors on the message board were concerned with the HFCS or other artificial sweeteners that could impact the effectiveness, as many have moved to either pure cranberry juice (YUK!) or cranberry pills. I take the pills and I think (anecdotally) that they are effective.
• Red No. 40 is not safe for consumption, but it is one of the most commonly used food coloring in the US. Those candy canes are good enough for American children, but as of this summer, several countries have banned the use of this artificial food dye, along with Yellow No. 5 and Yellow No. 6 and something called Cochineal Extract. Great, more things to add to my list of groceries to put back on the shelf instead of in my basket.
• My sister and brother have been visiting and we had to go to the grocery store. They drink whole milk--a lot of whole milk. A Harvard Study shows "Whole-fat dairy products may lower diabetes risk." In related news, "Confusion among nutrition experts: High-fat dairy product eaters have 40% higher risk of mortality." I would question the validity of either study, as many factors do not appear to be controlled. But if both were valid results, does that mean that drinking whole milk will keep you from getting diabetes but you will die sooner?!
• Find a registered dietitian! I've been trying to find a good source, not for weight loss, although that would be a great side benefit, but for better health and digestion. I think that some of my pain and health issues could be addressed through diet if I just knew how and could work with someone to figure it out. So now, do I look for someone who works with immune disorders (MS is thought to be an autoimmune disease), oncology patients (my medicine is a cancer drug), digestive disorders, or do I select based on another criteria such as location or use of metabolic measurements? I looked at some of the websites and I don't want someone to give me meal plans or recipes--I have plenty of both.

This very cute picture story "Let it dough" is worth a view or two.  I'm off to allocate my assets to sprinkles...

Osmonds and MS

David Osmond (yes, THEIR nephew) and his dad have MS. David was diagnosed four years ago in his 20s. He has remitting relapsing MS, so it completely attacked and disabled and then gave him his life back, more or less. He attributes his recovery at least partially to his attitude.

David, who lives in Orem, Utah, says the power of a positive attitude helps him cope with the pain and adds that his life is much better because of a major lifestyle change: He has switched to an intensive program of all-natural nutrition and dietary supplements. But more than anything, David credits his wife, their baby, and his famous extended family for helping him find the strength to live with MS.

I struggle to understand how he had a baby knowing that his dad has MS too, but that is a personal choice that I just don't understand obviously. I hope his attitude keeps him well. He is making nutrition and dietary changes--a big "I should" in my life.

The Twitter Diet

I ran across this article and comments about the Twitter Diet. A man lost some weight by reporting everything he ate. It's the modern-day Weight Watchers or food journal. Don't miss the comment at the end of his article that says there is a scale that will post directly to Twitter. Say it ain't so!

I think this Twitter Diet is a cleaned-up version of the Public Humiliation Diet. Check it out; he's funny. And it leads to the funniest page about Fiber One bars, which I checked out once but decided I didn't like the ingredient list.

Anyway, I find this diet idea interesting because the best weight loss experience I have had was when I met with a "nutritionist" at the women's only gym I went to. We met weekly and I just wrote down on one piece of paper everything I ate and whatever exercise I did. The accountability really worked for me. She was also able to help me find substitutes and better alternatives rather than giving things up. Obviously I know how to lose weight since I have done it before but I haven't found it to be so easy. I gained that weight back after my diagnosis, and have tried several online "food journals" to gain the accountability, but so far none have worked. Thinking back to the program I did, I think that online programs don't work because I eat a varied diet of prepared grocery store food, restaurant food, and food I have cooked myself. The websites are a pain to use for tracking food, in my opinion.

A concern with these Diets is that I don't want to read what everyone ate everyday when I'm catching up on FB, so who wants to read about what I'm eating either. But I don't think anyone reads my blog, so maybe I should do a daily post on what I ate. I think it will be super boring, but I am going to try it for the next 6 weeks to see how it goes.

Here's my first post. I weighed 192.5 this morning. YIKES. I've been around 188-190 for quite a while. This weekend was super bad. This morning the milk was bad, so I threw it out and went to McDonald's for an egg McMuffin. I didn't eat all of the English muffin. I took my Horizon chocolate organic 2% milk-box with me. I forgot my fruit. :(

For lunch, I went to Einstein's to get a tuna sandwich but they were out of tuna so I ended up with chicken salad on a wheat bagel. It was WAY too mayonaissey. I love their tuna because it isn't and they use light mayo. Very disappointing. I got potato salad as my side (other choices were cole slaw and chips) but couldn't eat it after the chicken salad, so it's in the fridge. I also had a green iced tea.

I was getting hungry when I left work so I had a can of low-sodium V8 juice before going to the grocery store. We were having a notary come to the house with our closing documents, so I didn't want to start cooking dinner, so we had a Digiorno after she left. I had 2 pieces (of 8 as we cut a pizza) with a little ranch dressing and Parmesan cheese. I had some F&E green tea. I also had two leftover Oatmeal Scotchies.

Would you like some mothballs with your Fruit Loops?

I have migrated away from any Kellogg's cereals over the past few years because of the long ingredient lists that include things such as High Fructose Corn Syrup. They recently had a voluntary recall that is discussed in this rather SCARY article about chemicals in our food and other products. The article essentially states that most of the chemicals used in food are not regulated or tested. That's NOT good!

"If a manufacturer possesses data showing that a chemical harms health or the environment, it is required to turn over the findings to the EPA. Critics say that creates a disincentive for manufacturers to test their chemicals."

Also note that Kellogg did their own investigation and destroyed the possibly contaminated products, so the FDA isn't doing a full investigation. HUH?!

and here we have an article that discusses research showing that all sugars are not created alike. Fructose (much of which we get in HFCS) helps pancreatic cancer cells to multiply. While the corn industry (subsidized and powerful) will likely discredit this research, I am continuing to avoid HFCS and will be more careful to look for fructose to avoid also.

Xylitol is lethal to cats

I was watching Pets on Parade and a veterinarian guest talked about hazards for pets, in particular cats. It wasn't surprising to hear about chocolate and raisins, but he went on to add sugar-free gum and candy. Apparently, the Xylitol often used in those items is lethal to cats. I have been trying to avoid chemical sweeteners and have found the hardest item to buy now is gum. Pretty much all gum has artificial sweetener in them. At "health food" stores, they sell gum with Xylitol. It is not good for the digestive system (ask a cat?), so I also avoid that ingredient. I have found ONE brand, only at Sprouts (not Trader Joe's or Whole Foods) that uses sugar instead of artificial sweeteners. Unbelievable. So our choices are aspertame and Splenda (cancer) or Xylitol (diarrhea). Great.

Vitamin D Deficiency for everyone

An article states that most of the population is Vitamin D deficient. It goes on to say that most people are not getting enough sun, cannot get enough Vitamin D from diet, and are at risk for many things not generally seen as related. There was a study in Finland tying Vitamin D deficiency to Type 1 diabetes. MS is mentioned as an autoimmune disorder linked to Vitamin D deficiency.

The article also talks about Vitamin D toxicity, which can't happen through sun and diet, but definitely through supplements. The doctors did not feel that toxicity could be reached very easily.

Symptoms of vitamin D toxicity include nausea, vomiting, poor appetite, constipation, weakness and weight loss, as well as dangerous amounts of calcium that can result in kidney stones, confusion and abnormal heart rhythms.

Constant snacking contributes to obesity in kids

While my gut reaction is "duh" I also realize that many parents seem oblivious to this fact. Kids are eating more snacks, with more calories and less nutrition, and getting fatter. Yes, kids should get snacks, but snacks are not treats.

I was a little upset at Anthony's first soccer game to realize that an article I had read making fun of the constant snacks available to the author's kids is what is actually happening. And worse, no one cares! The game was at 8 a.m. The kids are 4 and 5 and rotated throughout the game. At the end, they got Dunkin Donuts and "juice" bags. (yes, siblings watching the game got some too.) And everyone looks at me like I have three heads when I question it. "oh, they exercised." What? They didn't even break a sweat. And next, let's go to breakfast and feed them muffins (the 4 adult serving ones) and more juice.

Every group on the soccer fields had treats to give out, and I don't think I would consider any of them healthy. I would be a total outcast if I had decided to have kids!

Milk

This article claims that a certain chemical in milk from certain breeds of cow may cause congestion in some people. Since almost all milk in this country comes from one breed of cow (not the way it was a hundred years ago, of course), shouldn't they be more specific? So for those people who overproduce mucus after drinking milk, generally due to conditions caused by inflammation, a dairy elimination diet is shown to work. That must be one of the reasons dairy is banned on the MS diet.

Fido minus 5

Article about obesity in pets, how it translates compared to humans, and how to deal with it.

HFCS Controversy

Interview of Princeton researcher rebutting criticism of their press release linking HFCS to obesity in rats.