tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-279007442024-03-04T23:50:41.221-05:00Sugar Free, NaturallySpreading the word... life without processed sugar and flour, fake chemical sugar, life with a clear head and clear conscience...Meenahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09923017146447232837noreply@blogger.comBlogger44125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-27900744.post-11285780852663215012014-02-16T10:01:00.000-05:002014-02-16T10:01:02.520-05:00Positive visualization and meditation to change habitsI'm excited about today's post. Very excited because I've hit on something extraordinary.<br />
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As you may be able to tell if you've read any of my past posts, I love educating myself; reading and researching to find answers, and following myriad rabbit holes to see where they lead. I believe that every discovery I come across just gets me closer and closer to the way of optimal health- and kicking addictions and habits.<br />
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Last week I found something called The Gabriel Method, through <a href="http://www.mindbodygreen.com/0-12098/the-7-things-i-did-to-lose-220-pounds-without-dieting.html">this article</a>. I was intrigued, and visited the website <a href="http://www.thegabrielmethod.com/">http://www.thegabrielmethod.com</a> to learn more about this extraordinary story. To give you a basic summary, the author, Jon Gabriel, found himself extremely overweight and frustrated that nothing he was doing was working. He had a life-scare experience with the 9/11 tragedy, which changed his life and prompted him to find ways to release stress and convince his body to heal.<br />
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Now, I have always leaned on positive visualization for all sorts of things. I visualize a procedure going well (when I perform veterinary surgery); visualize myself with abundance; getting the job I want, the apartment I want, the list goes on. I don't just "believe" that it works, I <i>know. </i>I have known for many years. Why is it I never applied it to the subject of kicking sugar, or losing this extra 15 stress pounds I'm carrying around? Wild.<br />
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I've read the book already (I devoured it in 2 days) and have used his nighttime meditation MP3 every night for 3 nights now. I already feel incredible. He isn't just using visualization to convince the body to drop excess weight, he also believes that life can be more positive and fulfilling. I've got more energy, I feel happier when I wake up, my body feels alive. The premise he bases his method on is that our bodies "want" to be fat, for many reasons- to protect us emotionally, or from perceived famine (which is how our primal brain interprets money woes and so forth), or from low self worth. Convincing your body and mind that you're safe, you're awesome, successful, energetic and love healthy food is the way to go- not deprivation.<br />
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So how does this relate to kicking sugar, the entire point of this blog? Well, if you convince your body to want and crave healthy foods, natural and whole foods, and to shun processed crap, you will eventually just not care for super sweetened things. They will taste terrible in your mouth. Even in the past 2 years I have trained my body to prefer dark chocolate that is not that sweet- I no longer care for the intense sweet commercial candies that are everywhere available. If you train your mind to prefer fruit, veggies and grassfed meats, eventually the other stuff will lose its pizazz. Especially if you aren't making them "forbidden", just cutting out the desire to eat them.<br />
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Well that's revolutionary, isn't it! For years I've been trying the denial method, only to fall off the wagon and go for it whole hog. I'd feel bad about it, use logic on myself, to no avail. A craving is a craving. What I do know is that I particularly crave sugar when I am feeling very stressed out, lonely, sad, unheard and so on. Perhaps this is my body's way of helping me make a layer of fat to insulate myself from the bad feelings or situations, who knows. Either way, when I eliminate stress or retrain my mind and body to crave a run in the wood instead, I'm only picking a win-win situation.<br />
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I'll keep you all posted. I'm still of course following the feminine 28 Days Lighter, as I want to feel my cycle calm down (another culprit in the sugar binging), tracking my energy and mood. I am excited to see how the Gabriel Method will assist in this other idea, as well as in my desire to kick sugar for life.Meenahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09923017146447232837noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-27900744.post-46477014076446665822014-02-11T10:42:00.000-05:002014-02-11T10:42:11.318-05:00Fructose malabsorption, an updateAlthough I have been searching for answers to heal my belly for a long, long time, I feel only in the past year have I really hit on what is finally working. As I wrote last spring, I discovered after embarking on a cleanse with the <a href="http://whole30.com/">Whole 30</a> that I have a pretty terrific intolerance to a lot of different foods- aka Fructose Malabsorption. Great. After much more reading and research I came upon the FODMAP diet, and have learned quite a bit since then. I'll post some helpful links at the bottom, if you're curious to learn more.<br />
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So how am I feeling, nearly a year later? Well, I've had my ups and downs and have experimented a little, but for the most part I'm pretty strict with the FODMAP protocol. I have the protocol printed up and hanging on the fridge, and keep it bookmarked on my smarty phone so that if I have questions when I'm grocery shopping I can refer to it quickly. Mostly I have to say my diet is pretty damn boring. Being FM means you can't eat the things I love. NO broccoli, asparagus, artichokes, GARLIC, onions, all stone fruits (be still my heart!! No apple picking for me this past fall. I died a little inside.) It's a big list, a really big list of "no". <br />
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Is it worth it? YES. I no longer bloat like I'm 6 months pregnant. I no longer have to make sure I know how to exit a social situation quickly for fear I'm going to fart like a college boy and embarrass myself. In fact- fart jokes in my presence are such a common thing that people are a little confused that I'm <i>not </i>farting a lot anymore. I guess it was just a part of my existence. Ugh. Anyway, I feel a lot better.<br />
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In the times I've gone ahead and had a forbidden food, I'm quickly reminded why I chose this path in the first place. It sucks to bloat, to not fit into your pants because your belly won't allow it. It sucks to fart like a damn trumpet early in the morning (good morning, lover!). My hope is to test out some certain foods and see if I do actually react to them. I miss garlic, for example. I want to eat good, raw sauerkraut; probiotics are so necessary! I want to eat some cherries. I know some things may not be available to me, or that I will just suffer the consequences when I choose to eat them.<br />
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The agony is being invited over for dinner, or going to a potluck. I hate the way it feels to tell a friend who invites me over, "Well you see, there's this long list…" Thankfully most people are amenable to being emailed my favorite FODMAP list so they can see for themselves what I can and cannot have. There have been some awkward moments however when I can tell the friend is put out. That's a yucky feeling. It makes me want to avoid social situations involving food, frankly. Often I will eat before going out so that I'm safe; I can snack on something but not be starving and obligated to eat something that will make me sick.<br />
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Sometimes you get fooled, too; particularly in restaurants. All restaurants except those in EBF know about the gluten issue and have foods to cater to those folks. But, FM? Forget it. EVERYTHING has onions in it, did you know that? Everything. Particularly everything in the lunch bar at my local health food store.<br />
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It's worth it though, totally worth it. I'm happy to be feeling better, despite my limited menu. If I could afford it I'd go to a dietician or nutritionist to make sure it's all balanced appropriately, but I listen to my body. If you suspect you have FM or other issues, definitely get checked out for allergies, fructose intolerance, celiacs or gluten sensitivity and let a nutritionist guide you. It's much faster and safer than my fits and starts and experimentation.<br />
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Some helpful links:<br />
<a href="http://blog.katescarlata.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/04/BW_NEWFODMAPSCHECKLIST_JUNE_2513.pdf">FODMAP list</a><br />
<a href="http://www.thepaleomom.com/2012/08/modifying-paleo-for-fodmap-intolerance.html">Good FODMAP summary here</a><br />
<a href="http://www.eat-real-food-paleodietitian.com/paleo-diet-and-fodmap.html">Excellent summary and list</a><br />
<a href="http://www.ibsfree.net/">IBS free website</a><br />
<a href="http://glutenfreegoddess.blogspot.com/2013/07/fodmaps-friendly-recipes.html">FODMAP recipes</a><br />
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<br />Meenahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09923017146447232837noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-27900744.post-64050326314506326482014-02-11T10:21:00.000-05:002014-02-11T10:21:45.681-05:00Sugar free life: consider your menstrual cycleI'm back on the wagon, after a "cheat day" which turned into a "cheat week" which turned into a PMS eat-all-the-things disaster. I felt bad about myself, felt angry and upset- why can't I just stick with it? I had such crazy hormonal shifts, and felt like only chocolate could make it all better. Is this normal? Do I have to go through this, month after month, so good at refraining from sugar for 2-3 weeks and then have it all come crashing down?<br />
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For this particular scenario, I'm on a Whole 30 support group on Facebook. It's just a small group of friends who all made the commitment at the turn of the year to stay on the Whole 30 and see each other through. The fascinating thing is, we made it to the end and then we all hit PMS time. Each and every one of us "cheated", needing or wanting wine or sugar or carbs in some way. We all had terrible things going on- mood swings, cramps, cravings, you name it. We each then guiltily admitted to falling off the wagon, and having a hell of a time getting back on.<br />
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Someone then suggested a book, <a href="http://www.amazon.com/28-Days-Lighter-Diet-Emotional/dp/0762787678/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1392131650&sr=1-1&keywords=28+days+lighter+diet">28 Days Lighter Diet</a>, which is written specifically for women. I can't say enough good things about this book! They address how our cycles work, they get into cravings and mood swings and pain, and why it happens. They show you how to take control, by knowing when to exercise hard, what kinds of foods to go for, and when to retreat from the world and relax. I think a big part of the craving cycle is, at least for me, a cry out for a break or a "treat" to soothe me when I'm overbooked, overworked and overstimulated. They advocate avoiding gluten and minimizing sugar so they are in line with what I'm hoping to achieve. <br />
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I'm determined that this will help me to stay on the wagon the way I want to. I also read a great article recently of a woman who has been sugar free for 3 years, <a href="http://www.huffingtonpost.co.uk/sarah-wilson/how-to-stop-sugar-cravings_b_4642664.html">found here</a>, because she relies on coconut oil for her craving fixes. Switch fat for sugar and viola. I certainly have been leaning on the fat more and have found that the sugar craving is absolutely reduced. Ha ha- until it isn't…<br />
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If you have cravings, find you're missing chocolate, try this on for size:<br />
<a href="http://www.agirlworthsaving.net/2013/11/no-bake-chocolate-fudge.html">unsweetened chocolate fudge</a><br />
This recipe has been saving my butt. <br />
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Cheers to a better, saner month!Meenahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09923017146447232837noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-27900744.post-49459981693087299172013-08-20T14:37:00.000-04:002013-08-20T14:37:08.309-04:00Sugar allergy? Oh, mother nature you're so funny.Well, kids! Another step in this endless odyssey. <br />
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I remember that a few years ago, I said to myself- this kicking sugar business would all be so much easier if I were simply allergic, and couldn't eat it! Of course, the scenario I imagined was something like breaking out into a rash, or anaphylaxis, you know- something immediate and definite. That would do it! No more falling off the wagon, then!<br />
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Oh, be careful what you wish for. Yes, mother nature has a fantastic sense of humor. It turns out that...<br />
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*drumroll*<br />
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I <i>am </i>allergic. No fooling! How ridiculous is that? <br />
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A few months ago I was really feeling this logy energy, feeling depleted and not coping with life all that well. Belly bloat, weakness, exhaustion, you name it. In my last post I talked about Fructose Malabsorption (FM). After that post I was good about sticking to the FODMAP diet, but threw the awesome Whole 30 program out the window and started eating sugar and rice crackers (simple sugars and carbs) all over again. I thought, well, what the hell! What can I eat! I went into a place of 'poor me, I'm so deprived' and just went a little nutty. That's how I roll, all or nothing.<br />
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Anyway I was really feeling crashed out so I finally went to see some doctors. First, I went to see an MD and got a referral to a GI specialist. That appointment was a few months out- our American diet is keeping those guys pretty busy! Then I went to start some therapy (EMDR) to deal with anxiety and past childhood stuff; anxiety and IBS go hand in hand. She had suggested the idea of something called Adrenal Burnout and gave me the names of a few NDs to see on this issue.<br />
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I went to see an ND. She agreed with the FODMAP diet, and urged me to get tested for food allergies so I could stop driving myself crazy. She had me stop the heavy weight lifting I was doing, and urged me to manage stress and pick lower stress exercise like yoga and dance, until I was healed. I was to concentrate on sleep and managing my time better. I began to take all sorts of adrenal support tinctures and teas, and really have started to feel better in some ways.<br />
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Incredibly enough, I went all bingey with sugar. As summer set in I wanted ice cream and popsicles, fruit and smoothies. Which are all foolish things to do with FM and IBS in general. I felt like I couldn't stop. It's an intense battle. Sugar is what I turn to when I am stressed and need an escape; I love sitting with a book and a treat and finding solace there. Since I was being asked to manage my stress, to get my stress level down, I retreated into this habit full bore. Oh! It is the last thing I should do!<br />
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Meanwhile I submitted blood for allergy testing. I could just laugh and laugh at the results:<br />
Moderate allergy:<br />
*Baker's yeast<br />
*Brewer's yeast<br />
*Coffee (never have the stuff anyway)<br />
*Sugar cane (haaaahahaha!!! See? Hilarious)<br />
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Low allergy:<br />
*Dairy products including yogurt and cheese<br />
*peas<br />
*lentils<br />
*eggs<br />
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Well. Isn't that a hilarious joke on me! I am allergic after all, and two fold- not only having a fructose issue due to the IBS, but allergic to cane sugar after all. Well doesn't that beat all.<br />
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Even with this information I was stuck, on the sugar train and feeling paralyzed. Two days ago I really started thinking I have got to get off, I feel so awful and foggy all the time. My weight has crept up- part of which is from the adrenal issue and the other is the sugar binging.<br />
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I began to look around for support and info on the internet. Wow, things have changed since I first tackled this problem back in 2006! Incredible! I found some amazing articles and resources, and feel vindicated that this is a hard struggle and I am not alone. It is hard to kick sugar because it is one of the most addictive and widely available substances out there.<br />
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This time, armed with all this new knowledge, I feel confident that I can kick it and stick. I was good for over 2 years the first time I kicked it. The website I Quit Sugar is helpful- she recommends eliminating fruit (aka all sugars) for 6 weeks to really break the body's habit of hankering for the stuff, and then being careful after to never go above 6 g per day. Meaning, limit fruit to 1 to 2 pieces per day, and stick with the low glycemic index stuff. Which with FM is something I need to do anyway; berries and that sort of thing are ok, apples can be a bit dicey.<br />
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Off I go... to try again.<br />
<br />Meenahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09923017146447232837noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-27900744.post-16521738184660678552013-04-20T22:32:00.000-04:002013-04-20T22:32:24.526-04:00Fructose MalabsorptionAnother path on the road to discovery...<br />
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I have reached the end of the Whole 30 cleanse, with mixed results. If you've never heard of the Whole 30, I urge you to check it out:<br />
http://whole9life.com/#<br />
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It is a fantastic program based on the Paleo diet designed to help you kick sugar and eat clean.<br />
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Anyway, I went into it whole hog. Totally psyched, ready to go. I bought a companion book called Well Fed to teach myself to do weekly batch cooking, to save time preparing meals (lunch and dinner) to ensure that I was eating optimally healthy food every single day. It was lovely, and beautiful, this food- fresh, local, grass fed meats; organic fruits and veggies, local when available. Oh, I was so excited!<br />
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However, within a few days of starting my poor guts were in complete dismay. I was bloated, and had so much extreme embarrassing gas; I was miserable to be around my boyfriend. Hell I was miserable to be around myself. I was doing everything correctly- portion sizes, balanced plates, enough protein, carbs and fat. What was I doing wrong? I tried to pin point what I was reacting to, but it seemed like I was reacting to <i>everything! </i><br />
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As it turns out, I was.<br />
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I began to research coconut, as it seemed the worst offender. I mean, there I was, almost 2 weeks in, clothes as tight as ever- when all the claims were that by week 2 people were feeling better, clothes looser, sleeping great, feeling awesome. Me? No sleep, I was in agony, bloated up and uncomfortable. When I began to look around, I came upon Fructose Malabsorption. I recalled reading about that backin '08, just before I discovered Paleo. Remember- I've been at this a long time! Back then I was experimenting with Raw, and really working hard to be at my healthiest. I ran across FM, but was then so swept up into Paleo that I forgot all about it.<br />
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Well! I began to read and discovered some very interesting things.<br />
1. People with IBS, as they age, become more likely to develop "leaky gut syndrome".<br />
2. People with leaky gut become more sensitive to different foods, leading the person to assume they have food sensitivities (i.e. "I can't eat gluten"- totally me)<br />
3. People with IBS, leaky gut- are extremely likely to also be suffering from FM and quite possibly SIBO- small intestine bacterial overgrowth.<br />
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I just sat there cringing. Take a look at the typical FODMAP diet- the diet that helps you avoid the things you can't eat:<br />
http://www.eat-real-food-paleodietitian.com/support-files/Paleo-FODMAP-food-list.pdf<br />
Well, the "NO" list pretty much sums up everything I love to eat.<br />
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Every night I would fry up some onions and garlic to season my meat... I often ate apples or mango for dessert... avocados were my main source of fat (along with coconut butter, which I blamed for all my symptoms)... and was pounding nuts like it was my job.<br />
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Shocking. I was already on an elimination protocol, with the Whole 30- why not make life more interesting? Wow- what a boring couple of weeks, but a DRASTIC improvement. I followed the guideline strictly. Within 2 or 3 days, I lost 5 inches off my belly because the bloat- both water and gas- went away. I began to sleep better, finally. I couldn't believe it.<br />
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So what the heck was I eating?<br />
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For breakfast, I would drink some home made bone broth. It's delicious, and helps heal the gut lining and fortify the body. Great. Then some eggs (all local, free running) with a small amount of greens like baby bok choy or kale. (I later found out those need to be eaten with caution, in small amounts. Sigh.) Maybe a 1/2 a banana to round it out. Then for lunch, chicken, string beans and carrots. To get enough fat, I just ate a spoonful of coconut oil; I was at a total loss on how to fulfill that part- I hate olives. And for dinner, ground beef with tomatoes, a small amount of green peppers and some hot sauce (carefully chosen to not have "no" ingredients). In all, not bad, tasty...<br />
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I invested in a book called "IBS-free, at last!" which is a more in-depth guide on how to get clear of symptoms. I've read some conflicting things though. Different sources argue about which foods will trigger; I've seen some foods listed as OK in one and NO on another. It's very confusing. The folks that really seem to know what's going on are out of Australia, Dr.Shepherd and co. I guess I would trust them first, as they were the ones to pioneer research into this condition. Either way, it seems to be trial and error for every patient. The book advocates a strict trial for 2 weeks and then doing challenges on the body with foods to see what is tolerated and what is not. That makes sense to me. See, there are 3 categories that are avoided: foods with a lot of fructose, or fructans, or polyols. For more info on that, read up on some other sites that provide lots of great resources etc. I'm just stating what I know here, based on what I've read over the past few weeks. What I do know is that I am avoiding everything and feel great.<br />
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Want to know the kicker? The safest sweet thing to eat if you have FM is SUGAR. Yep, you read that right. What a kick in the pants. Ideally I guess it's best avoided altogether, but when sweets are wanted, you need to avoid honey, and even powdered Stevia. No wonder I was reacting! Powdered stevia is extremely processed and acts like a sugar alcohol (polyol) in the body. Ppppffffrrrrttt!!! Yep.<br />
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So. I have been on the FODMAP diet for about a week now, with notable difference. I'm bored as hell with all this restriction though, but that will improve now that the Whole 30 is over. I will have to be careful about what I reintroduce, as I'm prone to going crazy over sweet things and I'd prefer not to be a sugar slave again. <br />
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I have also read some accounts that FM can be healed. And that it cannot. I know "leaky gut" can be healed, by decreasing inflammation. This is done by strictly following an elimination diet to avoid introducing things which irritate the lining, and by taking herbs to soothe- like slippery elm, licorice herb tea (actually one of my favorites!), glucosamine, and omega fatty acids. Supposedly following the FODMAP pretty strictly means that those foods can be reintroduced later, but not in large amounts. The way it's laid out in the IBS book says that you can eat them, but not all together, and not too many of them in a single day. So it's as if you have a daily allowance of FODMAP foods that you can consume in one day; once you reach your quota, you're done. Any more than that, and it's Windy City for you! Well, and pain, bloat, embarrassment... Symptoms can linger as long as 2 weeks so it really isn't worth it.<br />
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If you think this is what you're suffering from, don't be a dolt like me and go it alone- find a dietician or a Dr who knows what IBS and FM really are about. There is no need to suffer. There are tests that can be done to determine which type of FM you have- breath tests to figure out which bacteria are prominent based on the type of gases you exhale. I'm too impatient for that, so I'm doing it the hard way with the elimination (the "poor person's diagnosis"- or the Wise Woman's way, in my mind.) Don't take my word for it. Go without those foods for a few days and see what happens, you might bes shocked. I was.<br />
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What does this mean for my future? I'm going to have to be so careful. No honey, no stevia. Limited maple syrup and limited (organic, fair trade) sugar. Yikes. Limited apples! I might die! Seriously though, it's going to be a tough but rewarding journey if this is truly what is going on.Meenahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09923017146447232837noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-27900744.post-71723692066346985022013-03-12T12:56:00.001-04:002013-03-12T12:56:37.274-04:00Almost a year?Well! This poor blog was lost in the weeds yet again for a long, long time. I have come a long way on this journey of discovery to learn how to balance my own body chemistry and feel better. On and off the sugar wagon, I have learned that it is a life long battle, not just a simple matter of kicking it and being done. It is everywhere. Sugar sneaks into our lives in insidious ways.<br />
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There are some gains in the battle... NYC is banning large sugar drinks, obesity is making bigger headlines (ha ha), Stevia is now legal as a sugar substitute, and people are truly learning more and more every day about what the body needs. <br />
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For myself, sadly I can no longer eat Stevia. I now react to it, in the pure distilled white powder form. I can no longer eat the ice cream that folk adore on this blog. I make ice cream, yes, but differently now. My body will not tolerate "fake" sugars anymore! I thought perhaps eating fermented foods for a year would heal me enough to go for Stevia again, and I tried- but alas, it is not to be. So what am I doing to quench that sweet tooth?<br />
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Alas, I am jumping on and off the wagon, that's what I'm doing! It is a strenuous battle. Mostly I am trying to stick to honey, and home made maple syrup. Oh, maple syrup! It is that time of year! Last year I learned how to make it, and helped boil down the syrup and even make maple candies to send to mom for mother's day. This year I am learning about bee keeping, and enjoying raw organic honey from the source.<br />
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This may be the key. Vowing to never eat commercially created sweet things, but only things created by your own hands. Eating foods that are whole, made from whole ingredients- if you must have sweets, eat sweets you create with whole foods like maple syrup and honey. The benefits of using these things are 1) they can be local, and 2) they are indeed a whole food with vitamins and minerals. I will write another blog expounding on the beauty and benefits of honey, I think. <br />
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For now, it is enough to say that I am feeling vastly better in my body since eating fermented foods for almost a year now. I have far less pain, and feel it acutely when I am not taking care of myself. I am eating whole and healthy fats, fermented foods, honey, and mostly sticking to good local food. Grass fed meats (local!), veggies and fruits (local! local!), and grain free when I can be. Since beginning to lift weights I cannot be as strict paleo as I was; I do eat rice crackers and bread made from rice/ tapioca/ potato starch. Calories! I need calories!<br />
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Still, I am healthier than I have ever been, and getting stronger. I plan on writing more blogs on working with honey and maple syrup, in this ever winding road of discovery.<br />
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blessings on your health!Meenahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09923017146447232837noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-27900744.post-71577359806114250522012-05-16T19:43:00.000-04:002012-05-16T19:43:00.863-04:00Fermented Foods and Kicking SugarWelcome back, voyagers! It's been several months and I have traversed several sugar holidays, and am sad to report that I was firmly and truly off the wagon. Sigh. Sugar is an incredibly powerful force. <br />
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I have new discoveries to report, however. About 6 weeks back, I suffered a major IBS attack like I have not experienced in a long, long time. It was painful, embarrassing, and noisy to say the least. My companions were very understanding but nevertheless, it is not something I care to repeat. I believe I know what set me off- popcorn with nutritional yeast! Yes, the hippie superfood. I did some looking later and discovered that it is actually not good for you, not digestible, and not what the body wants.<br />
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It was suggested to me that I start to eat fermented foods. I wrinkled my nose in distaste, automatically thinking of dirty socks kimchi, of the nasty relish on hot dogs (that I had mistaken for sauerkraut), and other such yucky treats. Well, was I in for a surprise!<br />
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I wasn't going to let my palate get in the way of healing. The very next day I went out and bought two very important books:<br />
Nourishing Traditions by Sally Fallon, and<br />
Wild Fermentation by Sandor Katz.<br />
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Brilliant.<br />
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They are stuffed with information about healing, nutrition, about the bogus diets and bogus FDA and food pyramid that are making people so sick. It jives with the paleo principles I've been following (despite the fact that I still sneak in chocolate- I am a bad monkey). There is information about restoring the gut flora and the benefits of that- regulating mood, cravings, digestive issues, malnourishment and so on. They are huge proponents for animal proteins- but not just any! Animal proteins acquired from animals living in the most natural way possible (aka grass fed cattle, chickens eating bugs and grass) and from small farms. I am learning more and more.<br />
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So, I did it. I made some sauerkraut. I thought I'd hate it. It's a tough sell, I tell you, at first whiff. Collective wisdom I've read says if you can get past that first whiff, you can fall madly in love with the stuff. They were right. I made garlic kraut, thinking it would make anything taste ok- and I LOVE IT. <br />
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I've been drinking kefir every single day (from grains acquired from a friend, I make my own); yogurt I make myself (way cheaper); garlic kraut; fermented ginger carrots; and- drumroll, please- sourdough bread! I made my own starter and have made some bread and wow, it is amazing! I am totally thrilled. Life is opening up.<br />
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My sugar cravings are not gone, but are definitely less pressing. I am trying to stick to honey when I crave it- raw, unprocessed cream honey. Or to the maple syrup we made this year. From sap! From trees! Amazing! To keep myself focused on healthy food I have occupied my kitchen with little projects- kefir, kraut, violet infused honey, mead, dandelion vinegar, dandelion wine. I am paying attention to the season, started a garden with my own cabbage for kraut, kale and broccoli too. <br />
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Of course I am adjusting my ice cream recipe once again, moving towards full fat milk and cream; even experimenting with raw milk from a local farm. Using eggs from a local farm (critical, people- stay away from factory eggs! Poison!), and local maple syrup or honey. Or even dates. Life is better with whole foods.<br />
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I will be the first to admit that kicking sugar is a total bear. It's next to impossible. Our health is getting worse, though, and we need to pay attention. Consume less, consume less sugar. I also have read sugar's dirty history, sugar slavery (which is still alive and well!) and am less than impressed. I need to make the choice- do I want that sugar on my lips, on my conscience? Or support local agriculture? It all helps.Meenahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09923017146447232837noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-27900744.post-9064776425898317052011-11-18T06:25:00.001-05:002011-11-18T06:43:43.105-05:00Paleo Pumpkin Pie (from scratch!)'Tis the season for family and food, and lots of sweet things that some of us can't handle. Not only must I avoid a lot of sugar, I need to avoid flour. This recipe is a great compromise, slightly sweet but so damn good for you! You'll never believe you're eating a vegetable.<br />
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***So, a disclaimer about this recipe: I seem to have very shallow pie pans, so the way it's made (including the crust) makes 2 pies for me. If you have a deep dish, it may only make one pie. Be prepared to make two- they're so good you can freeze one, but it won't be in the freezer for long!<br />
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First, prepare the pumpkin puree. This is a lot easier than you'd believe.<br />
Oven: 400 deg Fahrenheit<br />
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1 sugar pumpkin (do this- waaaaaay better than canned crap!), cut in half and the guts taken out. It's worth separating out the seeds, you can lightly toast them on a cookie sheet for 10 min while the pumpkin's baking.<br />
Bake the pumpkin halves on a cookie sheet for 45 to 60 mins, until you can slide a fork easily into the flesh.<br />
When that's done, take it out and let it cool a little bit. You'll need a food processor for this next part.<br />
Peel the skin off the insides (this part's fun!) and put the insides into your food processor; blend until very smooth, no lumps. There's your pumpkin puree!<br />
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Then you need to make your "crust":<br />
Oven: 350 deg F<br />
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2.5 cups nuts (walnuts, almonds, pecans work well)<br />
2 to 4 tbsp oil<br />
2 tbsp maple syrup<br />
spices (cinnamon, nutmeg, ground ginger, clove; or cheat and use "pumpkin pie spice")<br />
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Get your processor ready. Put the nuts into the processor and start it up. When the nuts are pretty well ground, add the 2 tbsp oil gradually, and the syrup. I'll add the extra 2 tbsp of oil if the result isn't looking like "dough". Add in your spices- I just do a little sprinkle of each, to give the crust some flavor. <br />
Spread the dough in your pie plate(s). I like to just make a 1/4 inch layer in the bottom and squish some up the sides a little bit.<br />
Put the plate(s) in the oven. Bake the crusts for about 7 to 10 minutes. Keep an eye on it, it's very easy to burn it. You just want it to get golden brown. I suggest starting to make your pie mix while the crust is in the oven. When it's done, take it out and let it sit until you pour in your pie mix.<br />
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Make the pumpkin filling:<br />
Oven: 400 deg F for 15 min, then 350 deg F for 35-45 min.<br />
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2 eggs<br />
2 cups puree<br />
1 cup coconut milk (or cream if you do dairy; needs to have some fat content, whatever you use)<br />
1/2 to 1/3 cup sweet (maple syrup, honey, brown rice syrup, barley malt, whatever you like)<br />
1 tsp cinnamon<br />
1/2 tsp nutmeg<br />
1/2 tsp ground ginger<br />
1/8 tsp ground clove<br />
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Beat the eggs in a med/lg bowl. Add the puree and blend well. Add the coconut milk and blend well. Add the sweetener; I use less because I'm trying to keep my sugar intake very minimal; you can add more if you want. Then add the spices. I like my pie very spicy; if you don't, use half the required spice, and try it- you can always add more but you can't take away!<br />
Pour the mix into your pie plate(s) and put in the oven. Some folks will put a little pan with water on the rack beneath to keep the pies moist and prevent cracking, especially if you live in a dry climate.<br />
Bake at 400 for 15 min, then reduce the temp. The pie is done when you can stick in a toothpick and it comes out clean. <br />
Let the pie set a bit and cool before serving.<br />
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It's the bomb.<br />
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<br />Meenahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09923017146447232837noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-27900744.post-83517346992824196382011-11-17T12:00:00.001-05:002011-11-17T12:12:05.175-05:00Paleo and Sugar Free check-inWow, too much time has passed! I have moved to a new state, got a new job and in the blink of an eye neglected my favorite blog.
I am fully cemented in eating Paleo and Raw now. I am becoming more and more sensitive to what happens to my body if I get any grains at all, and any sugar. Sometimes I just give in and eat a piece of pizza... after all, it sucks to be that girl who has to be all food sensitive when we all go out to eat! Bah! And sometimes I just want to have a damn piece of toast.
Well, then I pay.
What's interesting is that over the last year (and some) I have tried to balance out my sweet tooth. What can I eat? What won't shake me up and give me cramps? It's been tough! I remember leaning a lot on Stevia for my sweet tooth cravings. I also remember when I discovered I couldn't eat it anymore. I started reacting to it exactly as I did to sugar alcohols (maltitol, xylitol) which is intense bloating, cramps, gas. Fun fun! That was a sad, sad time. I love Stevia, what it was for me.
So I try to be in moderation but a sweet tooth is for life. As I stated in the past, it is an addiction like any other; I look at my familial patterns and see that my entire family is addicted to either sugar or booze. What is a girl to do?
Of course I want to be more "natural" and so I stick to honey and maple syrup. These things are more or less acceptable among the Paleo and even Raw theories. In moderation, of course. However... I am still having problems with carrying bloat, mood issues, and energy issues when I get too much. Or even a little bit. It's frustrating! I just want to be "normal" sometimes.
I did a juice fast for three days last month. I used mostly vegetable broth that I made, pineapple juice smoothies (with kale/ spinach), water and tea. I tried to avoid most other fruit juices in general. Well, after the three days was up I felt amazing- no bloat, no gas, no mood issues. Wow. But one cannot live on broth alone!
If I had the will power to simply eat only vegetables and lean meat, I would probably be fine. The will to do such things is not within me. I love my chocolate and sweets too much for that. Hrumph. Everything in moderation, right? Likely waiting until having a full belly with plenty of protein before taking anything sweet would indeed solve a lot of the problem.
As I said many blog entries ago, kicking sugar is a life-long process. It is not the type of thing that you walk away from and you are "cured".Meenahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09923017146447232837noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-27900744.post-3015968896760890392010-05-15T11:11:00.000-04:002010-05-15T11:11:22.977-04:00Subsidized sugars and "food deserts"A curious thing happened a couple of months ago- the CD player in my company truck seized up, forcing me to rely on radio. I cannot stand any of the music on any of the stations, so I found myself listening to NPR for 8 to 10 hours every day. I drive around for a living, as an ambulatory veterinarian... long have I avoided the News, because it tends to make me too angry. I discovered so much more though, lots of thoughtful conversations and topics, some of which I find relevant to this blog and the struggle I have long had to eat well.<br />
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There was a week when NPR covered obesity as our national epidemic. Finally I heard someone talking about the inverse relationship of obesity and poverty. In history, it was typically the rich man with the big belly- the "fat cat". These days it is the most impoverished that end up obese and unhealthy. Why is that? I think it's pretty simple; it's cheaper to eat fast food (the $1 menu, for example) than it is to eat the way I eat with my astronomical grocery bill from buying organic or whole foods. What is in the $1 menu? Lots of corn, some fatty meat, salt and sugar. Sugar. That's it. Nothing that is at all nutritionally sound.<br />
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Then they introduced the concept of the "food desert". This is areas of the country- often inner cities- where there simply is no fresh produce or meat available. For those folks who don't or can't drive, and can't take the time for a long bus ride to a grocery (or can't afford it!), they rely on the cheap sources of energy from fast food or the corner store. It is literally a desert. No fresh markets, no nothing. I have seen this myself! How are you supposed to eat healthily if you can't find the food to do it?<br />
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This all plays back into our health care system, too; and the millions of overweight and unhealthy Americans who aren't that way because they choose to be but sometimes are that way because it's what is available to them. Yes, sedentary life plays a big part- choosing to sit inside with your TV rather than walk or run or play- but so does diet. When you make nothing but cheap calories available to people, that's what they'll eat; then we all complain about the burden on our health care system. Well! Serves us right.<br />
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What about subsidized sugars? Not cane sugar, that's a whole other story. Corn sugars. High fructose corn sugars and syrups, one of the most evil things ever created. It's in everything. Why? We grow too much corn every single year, and it's paid for by the government... so where do we put it? We invent new ways each year to use up the surplus- fillers, additives, sugars, animal feeds and even plastics. Your plastic grocery sack is likely made of corn! And the government paid for it. I don't want my tax dollars subsidizing such a useless and dangerous starch! So many people have become hypersensitive and allergic to everything, and I've heard some pretty compelling cases made against the over use of corn and corn by products. We already know that overdoing sugars tanks your immune system. Go to the grocery store and look at how many things contain HFCS. Corn comes in other guises too!<br />
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Go watch "Food, Inc." for a closer look at how pervasive corn is, and how the industry works. It's sad. It even talks about the epidemic of poor folks unable to buy anything but fast food. And the powerlessness of folks to fight, often, because of the enormous lobbying power of some conglomerates, and their big lawyer budgets. It made me so angry! <br />
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So between NPR and this movie, lately, I have done a lot of thinking on how tough it is to eat well and be healthy. I'm lucky I make enough money to afford to eat well, and have a car to get me to the best place to buy produce. I support my local butcher and local farms, with both produce and meat, when these things are in season. If you can you should too. Heal yourself, heal the planet.Meenahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09923017146447232837noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-27900744.post-36555414969508899982010-02-01T11:17:00.000-05:002010-02-01T11:17:55.473-05:00Paleo DietHere I am, several months after the diagnosis of IBS and several years after my self-diagnosis of hypoglycemia and certain sugar allery (aka addiction). I've tried so many things to heal my body and mind; veganism, vegetarianism, alternative sugars, fruit-free, gluten-free. What I inevitably come back to each and every time is kicking sugar. Breaking the sugar habit. Realizing that I cannot have even a small amount, because it is the catalyst to bigger problems and habits that are harder and harder to break as my life accumulates more stress and responsibility.<br />
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I've wondered for a long time what it would be like if the temptation simply were not there. If the colorful packages beckoning from every aisle were missing; if I were raised on the simple fare of my ancestors and did not know this strange addiction and all that it entails. I thought a lot on my heritage- I am mainly Northern European, with some Native American thrown in (Inuit, or Eskimo)- what did they eat? What was my body best adapted for? Our ancestors did not have access to so much sugar, and not even so much fruit except in certain times of the year. These thoughts shaped what I typically cooked for dinner- fish and greens, some poultry when I finally dropped vegetarianism for good- but had no effect on the endless battle against chocolate and sugar.<br />
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I went back on the wagon this year. When you are facing isolation and boredom, that is the hardest time to look your own personal demons in the eye and try to win. Like Cartman says... "the chocolate loves you, the chocolate doesn't judge you..." Ah, such battles! Each and every holiday is filled with treats and more clever ways each year to peddle them. One of the grocery stores in my area has tables set up right in front of the doors so that when you walk in you are assaulted by the nearest holiday's brightly colored packages of chocolate and sugar, blasting your senses as soon as you enter. How hard it is to fight it! How very difficult! I fully sympathize with cigarette and heroin addicts, as I understand the undertow. A little... just a little... it opens the door, and you cannot fight that. There is no such thing as a little. It is all or nothing. I thought, when I began this fight (and this blog) that once I kicked it, it was forever. I did not know that it is a continuous fight. <br />
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One thing I have discovered, which has helped me immensely, is the Paleo Diet. As I was saying previously, I wondered a lot how my ancestors ate. Did they have digestive troubles as I do? Did they have colds all the time? Certainly some things must have been better, without so much sugar around. I have since read Dr.Cordain's "Paleo Diet" and have found so much relief. There are others out there thinking the way I do, and others who are committed to finding relief to dietary and GI issues. I don't enjoy constant low grade pain, gaseousness, and irregularity. In fact I didn't know I had constant low grade pain until it went away.<br />
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As I wrote in a previous entry, I went through testing this fall and was given the official diagnosis of IBS. Fabulous. What triggers it? Stress, and too much sugar, or foods that are "too rich". What is "too rich"? Well... fatty meats, cheese/ dairy, patries and candy, I assume. What else? The Paleo diet (which is a lifestyle, not some "lose wieght quick" diet that you use and lose) is basically committed to getting people back on what we evolved to eat. The basic tenet is this: eat as much fresh vegetables and fruits as you can, and eat some LEAN meat with your meals. Good quality protein, and not too much. Lean is the key; our modern meats are raised on foods <i>they </i>shouldn't be eating; you are what you eat, and thus the chain is created. So you do what you can. Animals fed what they were designed to eat make a proper ratio of fats in their own bodies, and you benefit from that directly. Cattle fed fermented grains (which they LOVE but boy does it cause a lot of medical problems, speaking as a veterinarian) create a lot of fat, and most of that fat is Omega-6 fatty acids- the kind that solidifies easily when you're done cooking that juicy hamberger. Well, Omega-3 (the "good" one) is one that is supple. So if you think about it- your body benefits from good "supple" fats because you need fat to keep you warm and give you energy; "hard" or "bad" fats tend to compete with the supple ones and that is not optimal. That's a very simplistic explaination... sorry.<br />
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We buy locally grown, grass fed beef. Free range chickens. We know where the animals are raised, we can see them. I eat a lot of fresh vegetables, and raw when I can. I eat fruit to satisfy the sugar urges. It doesn't work 100% of the time but I am making my best effort, because I want to feel better.<br />
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Eating so well actually illuminates the times I don't. I can feel the change as soon as I eat something stupid; my belly doesn't like it, then my mood crashes, and I feel terrible even up to the next day. That is just no fun. I know what I am doing and why; the responsibility for my own moods and my own health sit squarely in my lap. Sometimes this makes it easier to avoid eating things that are not good for me; sometimes it just makes the lesson when I don't all the more poignent. <br />
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Still, 90% of the time I am following the Paleo Diet. I don't eat any of the recipes I once posted here. I don't eat stevia (I react to it! Sad.); I don't eat ice cream, and chocolate only rarely. I just can't do it; one little bit and the door is shoved open, the demons of sugar addiction dancing all over me. I'm healthy, though, and fit; my body looks better and feels better. There are no grains in my diet at all. I don't need them, and I find that my blood sugar stays more stable, and I'm not hungry as fast. That took some adjusting; I was ravenous when I started on the Paleo diet. If this is what it takes to win this battle with sugar, so be it. I'm through with fighting.<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj523lj88tokBGY61GlKfs9Yl-evgzUiFquQ_CS37TVEm_UClb_mBZt3xabUuyn0YofwmZ3cqkKoJyDg4DlhVf2KSLsV-8E32EiZBhN_TQVTpANGjICANSoNndEQkAII6x9KQN7sA/s1600-h/sugar+skulls" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj523lj88tokBGY61GlKfs9Yl-evgzUiFquQ_CS37TVEm_UClb_mBZt3xabUuyn0YofwmZ3cqkKoJyDg4DlhVf2KSLsV-8E32EiZBhN_TQVTpANGjICANSoNndEQkAII6x9KQN7sA/s320/sugar+skulls" /></a>I saw this picture on another blog, someone else who is fighting this fight... sugar is the gateway drug...</div>Meenahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09923017146447232837noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-27900744.post-53637006857230591672009-10-10T09:53:00.003-04:002009-10-10T10:17:48.365-04:00Final DiagnosisWell, after months of struggling with diet restriction, experimentation to figure out what exactly I was suffering, I went to a GI specialist. He took a good history, ran several blood tests- negative for H. pylori, wheat allergen, and an iron storage disease... the final diagnosis is IBS. I had suspected this back in college when I had a few years of horrible bouts of stomach pain, relieved only by going to the bathroom. Nothing I did seemed to help, until the circumstances in my life let up and the stress decreased. It faded away like a bad dream. Hmmm! How funny I forgot that. I have experienced some pretty strong stress in the past few months- mostly at summer's start- and that must have triggered another terrible episode, lasting these months past. <br /><br />I guess it makes sense. I am relieved it is not celiac disease, Crohne's, or otherwise. This I can (and have) lived with. There are things which trigger episodes, such as STRESS, caffiene, SUGAR (and especially sugar replacements), cacao, milk products, and high fat diets. High fiber is what is recommended in order to control the symptoms... along with moderation of trigger foods.<br /><br />Which brings me to a final realization and lifestyle change, one that I will hopefully manage to maintain for life... the Paleo Diet.<br /><br />So, several months ago when I embarked on this journey to discover the source of my discomfort and pain, I had lamented that we could not easily just eat a simple food diet the way our ancestors had. I thought a lot about what my ancestors ate, Northern European folk (and Native American), what I had perhaps evolved to eat. That should be what's safe to consume, with no pain or distress! Still, fighting the sugar addiction was/is hard. So very very hard.<br /><br />I started to look online through various things about issues such as mine and came across the Paleo Diet, or Neanderthin. I have bought and read the Paleo Diet book, by Dr. Loren Cordain. I was very much impressed by the throughness of his research, and how well thought out the plan is. It is not some fad diet embraced by anorexic Hollywood actresses whose lives balance on the head of a... carrot... but something he presents as a better way to LIVE. Not something you stick to until you are slim, but something you live by. We weren't meant to eat pounds of sugar, processed meals and tons of grains. Still, I wasn't sure and decided to go on a trial.<br /><br />I feel amazing. It has taken me a little while to adjust to using a different source of energy, since my body is trained to use high carbohydrate sources in order to function. In just two weeks I feel much better- no bloating, no gas, no pain, no distress, no crashes or bad moods. It means I'm eating fruit again (yay!!!) without suffering any ill effects. Already though I have done a challenge test. In the book he helps you outline what you will eat day to day, to assist in adjusting. He gives three "open meals" which allow you to eat what you used to eat (just don't overdo it!) so you don't feel deprived or torn as you transition. Well... I went out to dinner and had cornbread, beer, and a lovely spinach salad (with waaaaaay too much dressing) with chicken and mozerella on it. It all tasted wonderful. But before I even got home I was gassing up, farting up the dickens, and woke up with some lovely IBS cramps. Guess I will have to be more careful when I go out. Ooops. Maybe no open meals for me? <br /><br />I enjoy what I eat, but I'm having trouble staying full. I'm not sure why. He advocates that this way of eating makes you feel satisfied for longer, since protein breaks down more slowly in the gut. But when I'm hungry I'm <span style="font-style: italic;">starving!</span> It's so curious. It's getting better, though; perhaps that is more of the transition. I eat a lot, eat all day long, and don't skimp... it isn't about cutting back on calories but eating quality. I feel a LOT better and look forward to having months at a time pain free.<br /><br />As for sugar, I can do nothing but cut it out cold turkey. The Paleo Diet leaves no space for it anyhow. If I open that door the monster of the craving comes charging out, leaving me helpless. The first week of abstinence left me angrily craving... "what do I care! I am going to eat chocolate anyway!" but I gently worked through it. What a beast! What a tough, tough, beast! I feel better for it. Much, much better. I wish I were the sort that could be satisfied with a tiny piece of chocolate every few weeks or so, but I know that is not the case. <br /><br />He goes on and on about how this reverses and controls various diet induced ailments, like high cholesterol, high blood pressure, incorrect fat balances (LDL vs HDL), obesity, arthritis, and so on. He also goes on at length about weight loss, which to me is a bonus but not my main goal. Already the bloated appearance of my belly is reduced, and I look better, slimmer. I have no wish to be "skinny" but to be healthy. I eat loads, and I am grateful to be eating fruit again! Yay!<br /><br />I wish to say here also that I am deeply grateful I live in a place where I can afford to eat this way. I know this is not accessible to all. It is cheaper to live on highly process, crappy food. Food laden with sugar, salt, processed grains, and fat. Obesity once was a malady of the rich, and now it is a malady of the poor. It seems the poor can hardly be otherwise, as it is very expensive to eat a diet of good organic vegetables- the fresher, the better... and the more costly- fruit, and lean meat. That's the difference, too; not fatty crap meat and bacon and sausages (this is no Atkins) but good meat. Grass fed meat, raised how it is supposed to live naturally. That is expensive and hard to come by! I do recognize this, and know that not everyone can do this. I am so grateful that I work a good job, and live in a good area that allows me to invest in my health as fully as I wish.<br /><br />If you wish to know more I urge you to find his website and read. It is one of the best things I've ever done. There are stories aplenty of folks with debilitating conditions that have worked hard to heal themselves through diet (something I advocate for animals, as a veterinarian!), even folks with IBS who have been symptom free for years now! It's heartening. And a good way to stay away from sugar... hopefully, forever.Meenahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09923017146447232837noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-27900744.post-12910932469871263162009-08-17T02:37:00.003-04:002009-08-17T03:03:09.762-04:00sugar allergy and the continued fightWell, back when I started this blog I thought, there! I've kicked sugar, now I can relax into this good feeling of health and vigor. Ha! So innocent, I say now. The halcyon days.<br /><br />Just as an alcoholic, it is one day at a time. It is about choice, it is about will, it is about being gentle with yourself when you aren't living up to your ultimate standards. It is about choosing to be the higher standard you hold and forgiving the slips, while reaching for the best health you can.<br /><br />What a rough road! <br /><br />It's funny, when I started this, I went through all the ways I could find in order to avoid sugar but enjoy life. I have a powerful sweet tooth, handed down to me by family (and likely genes, too; sugar is energy, energy is survival...) It is entangled with life's pleasures, the taste on the tongue. Within my journey, I have experimented with many different ways to keep that pleasure without the pain- the pain of crashing, mood swings, weight gain and all the myriad ways sugar destroys my balance. In those experiments I have discovered what I cannot tolerate, and have caused new intolerances along the way.<br /><br />I am fully several weeks into avoiding fructose to the best of my ability. I cannot help but feel I brought this upon myself, this odd allergy. Has it truly been lifelong, or have I done this by overdoing things causing my flora so much upset? I used to tolerate Stevia, and now it causes me agony; I used to live on fruit every summer and now it causes me so much pain. Somewhere in my secret heart I used to wish I was allergic to sugar so that it would be easy to stop eating it. What if overdoing Stevia and other fake sweeteners has caused me to upset the balance like this? They say that overdoing high fructose corn syrup can trigger fructose malabsorption, and this syndrome takes all the other sweeteners with it! Oh, you wish to be allergic, wish granted. What a hypochondriac. Please.<br /><br />Well, I have no wish to be some sensitive ridiculous girl who cannot eat as she pleases. That is just unacceptable. Right now I am eating a pared down diet, with the thought that if I give my GI system a break, I can heal and go back to being a normal human being who eats a normal diet. This is what we prescribe for dogs with GI upset; a bland diet with slow reintroduction into regular food once again. Why not people? Why not me?<br /><br />Admittedly, I sometimes wish that I had access only to a more basic/ ancestral diet. Fish, ancient grains, fruits from whatever region my ancestors are from, maybe meat but rarely, good vegetables locally grown. I can do that if I'm committed. That's what I'm doing right now, anyway, in order to heal. Still, we are surrounded by a glut of easy prepared foods, stuff that is so oversweetened and oversalted you can't even detect the original ingredients. Don't even get me started on all that, please. I am eating basic, feel better for it and have no regrets. No regrets except one: that the deprivation of anything resembling sugar is making the siren song of it so strong I almost cannot bear it. It's terrible, ridiculous, I am an alcoholic sniffing out my next gin, a nicotine addict looking for a lost ciggy in the couch. <br /><br />Now that I think of it the 5-HTP was helping. This is a building block the body uses to create dopamine in the brain, a serotonin precursor. Those chemicals are ones your brain uses for feelings of well being and calm, and help with things like cravings and addictions, loss of sleep and so forth. I was taking it regularly and then forgot the habit when I moved. I can see now that it was helping, a great deal! It sometimes isn't enough to be committed to an idea, the idea of kicking sugar, if your body will not climb aboard the train with you. Everyone's got to be along for the ride. <br /><br />It can sure be a helpless feeling when you are years into an ideal, and yet cannot simply just get into it and stay there. I sympathize with all my heart for those who give up cigarettes and have to walk through a cloud of smokers on their way into a pub. Or those who have been sober for years and get invited by co-workers to the pub after work, knowing just how difficult it will be to sit in that environment. I am lucky enough to have never been addicted to those things, or other drugs. I plea the case that sugar is as addictive and as evil. That it can most certainly lead to other addictions. If you've read "Potatoes not Prozac" or other texts on sugar addiction, you can see others feel this way as well.<br /><br />If you have been on this journey with me, I'd love to know how you're faring. It's a tough road, right? I'm on and off again. I'd love to sit on a high horse and say that all those years ago I threw down the candy and never touched the stuff again, but I'd be lying. No, I fully jumped off the wagon and bounced right back into the swings and bloat and moods and all that. Only with full knowing of the consequences, and guilt. Lovely. Bring the headcase gear along, folks, it's going to be a wild ride. Eeek! <br /><br />Well, it's off again, since my body has said in so many ways "enough!". I hear you, loud and clear! No sugar, no stevia, no tropical fruits, no dried fruits, no concentrated juice, no sugar alcohols, hell, not even any wheat for now. Don't you just hate it? Being "sensitive"? Or "special"? B.S. Total crap. I hate it. Makes me want to live in the middle of nowhere that knows nothing of Cadbury or the cane, the magical extract of beets, trees or bees...Meenahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09923017146447232837noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-27900744.post-3871858790215633562009-06-12T23:44:00.002-04:002009-06-13T00:01:11.674-04:00Fructose MalabsorptionA new development I have stumbled across... well, new for me, since there's lots of good research out there about the topic. A bummer to be sure, but at least I have a name now and something I can try.<br /><br />So two weeks ago, I started realizing that this whole bloating and icky (farty!) thing was getting out of control. It was non stop. Just ridiculous. I was eating NO STEVIA, nothing strange, no added nothing... and just disgusting, painful, horrible. Well, the difference is that it's spring/summer and the fruits are out! Yay! Favorite time of year for a sugar junkie like me, natural sweetened goodness... I was eating cherries by the handful and suffering horribly as a result. WTF? My favorite things are smoothies (mango, pineapple, carrot and spinach); fruits (cherries and apples); with dehydrated "raw" oat cookies with dates and raisins. I pretty much lived off this stuff all last summer, and just farted away, thinking the culprit maybe flax seeds, or sunflower, or whatever, with my raw experiment. <br /><br />Well this time it was absolutely clear that the culprit was the cherries. It was so hot last week that I barely wanted to eat in the truck as I drove around; when I did, I often went for the cherries first as they were simple and small. Within an hour I was bloated up, farting away and embarassed. Not to mention pissed. I love fruit! I love living off fruit in the summer! Unfair! First sugar alcohols, then my beloved Stevia, now this? What the hell is wrong with me?<br /><br />I stopped eating fruits for a few days to see what would happen. I felt better, looked better, and sounded better (heh). This made me pretty curious so I started hunting online to see what the hell my problem was. In a long and roundabout way I found dietary fructose intolerance (DFI) which is now called fructose malabsorption. I read all about it and it made so much sense to me, I can't deny either that it exists or that this may be the root of my problem.<br /><br />I will save explaination of it here, since others have done such a fabulous job. You can check out what they say in these websites:<br />http://fructmal.googlepages.com/<br />http://www.healthsystem.virginia.edu/internet/digestive-health/nutrition/BarrettArticle.pdf<br /><br />And of course there are more, but if you think you are having issues I urge you to do some research yourself. The first website gives a lot of good and interesting links.<br /><br />Well it certainly explains a lot. My steadily increasing intolerance for things over the years. Problems I had as a kid. It's even linked to depression, PMS and mental fogginess... problems I abhor and deal with constantly. I'll do anything to feel better, anything. If it means eating a boring bland diet for 6 weeks, so be it. This sucks. This is the worst thing you can do to a sugar addict, to a major sweetaholic... the WORST. Then again, it may just be the very thing that saves my life and sanity, who knows?<br /><br />How interesting that I have a strong addiction to the very thing that makes me feel the most horrible. It has psychological implications I am just going to have to avoid like the plague, I have enough on my plate these days. It certainly does bear thought though, as to why people become addicted to the very poisons most likely to kill them. Or at the very least harm them. In love with the toxins that take you down. <br /><br />I'm going to plan this boring horrible "ancestral diet" very carefully, and I'll check in and report how it's going now and then. I know a lot of this has to do with bacterial overgrowth in the large intestines... I wonder is there a way to reset the buggers? Some people have given their experience that the symptoms started after a bout of sickness that was treated with antibiotics. Yet some people report that probiotics make it worse... more bacteria to feed on the fructose you're not absorbing. How frustrating! It's likely there's damage to the intestinal lining or crypts that make absorption of fructose/ fructans no longer possible. Is there a way to heal that, restart things (the lining regrows every 7 days or so), reboot the bacterial flora in the gut, and start over? Lots of that wierd hippie colonic cleansing shit I guess. Ugh. Doesn't sound that pleasant, but hey... if it helped me I'd do it. First I will experiment and see if I'm barking up the right tree; I already feel better, so I guess so.<br /><br />Cheers.Meenahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09923017146447232837noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-27900744.post-59793796416069459642009-02-20T18:37:00.003-05:002009-02-20T18:52:14.735-05:00Off the wagon and on again.I'm beginning to realize that quitting sugar is a lot like quitting cigarettes (based on my friends and family's experience) or heroin (which I've read about). It's tough, so tough! When I started this quest I had this quaint notion that I would quit sugar, walk away, and feel so awesome I'd never go back. Feel so healthy, self-righteous, elated, alive... why would I <span style="font-style: italic;">want </span>to touch that stuff again?<br /><br />Well! That is just not the case. It became a battle somewhere, involving a whole lot of guilt and weird back-and-forth arguments in my head. Never a dull moment to be human, I guess. The trick with quitting anything is to just pick yourself up and get back on the wagon as soon as you can, like the next day. I just lost the will somewhere, caught up in the misery and stress of schooling and then my internship. It just didn't seem to matter anymore to take care of myself in the way I know best. Maybe the psyche likes misery? Hey I know! We're miserable and stressed, let's compound that by altering things drastically with that sugar drug! Whee, isn't this fun?<br /><br />Plus, the fact that there is sugar around constantly in the place I work (and the place I went to school) means I can never escape. I used to dream when I was a child that someday I'd have a big glass jar, as tall as me, that was an eternal fount of candy. No matter how much you took from it, how much you ate, it was never empty! In that world, you could eat chocolate for all your meals, and boy was that fabulous! Well, it's nearly a reality with the way we live today, and with the endlessly filled candy dish at work (not to mention cookie Thursdays, plus thank you gifts from clients, do-gooders bringing in donuts, etc, etc... endless...) It makes is so challenging to live up to the highest ideal I have given myself. <br /><br />It makes quite an interesting vortex or whirlwind, too; eat that crap, feel guilty/ bad that I'm off the wagon, compound with stress from work, eat more of the crap to try and feel better (the mind likes arguments like- well, I deserve <span style="font-style: italic;">some </span>pleasure, don't I?); feel worse, crash, eat more. Next thing you know I'm buying it instead of just eating it at work, and voila! Not only am I off the wagon, I'm sitting in the dirt watching it pull away. Oof!<br /><br />I never wanted it to be a battle where I could beat myself up for making mistakes. In fact I am always telling others to be gentle with themselves if they slip and eat pie at a family dinner. It's ok to be human! However, I need to remind myself it's for my health and it really doesn't make me feel good to crash and burn in that endless cycle. Or worse, hurtle towards diabetes. Goddess forbid!<br /><br />After being "off the wagon" for quite a long time, I've jumped back on, cold turkey. I cannot allow myself even a little bit because it's a gateway. Depression and stress are no excuse because frankly, they are worsened by sugar. I know this! Instead of leaving it as an indefinite thing, I have decided to be a bit more gentle and go month by month. I am simply doing a sugar fast this month. None. No sugar. That's easy, I know I can do that, that is an attainable goal! It is a perfect way to detox, and trick myself into compliance. It's easy to go around the candy bowl at work when I can say to myself- not this month! I'm not eating sugar right now.<br /><br />Then, next month, I can do it again. And again. Until I am back in the swing and can write on here how amazing I feel not eating crap.<br /><br />I was prompted to jump back on due to the fact that I got sick again. When I am not eating sugar, I never get ill. Now I've been battling a lingering cold/ crud for <span style="font-style: italic;">weeks </span>and I'm disappointed. Not only that but I gained some weight, feel terrible, achy, and so on. How shameful, since I <span style="font-style: italic;">know </span>the prevention and the cure! Old habits truly die hard, and people where I live are very unforgiving of those living an alternative lifestyle... very suspicious of those who do not eat the All American Diet. Many of the people around me are overweight. It's an epidemic in this country, as we all know! I want no part of the modern diseases our diet has caused us. Time once again to stop.Meenahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09923017146447232837noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-27900744.post-31512243011627738212009-01-03T18:30:00.003-05:002009-01-03T18:44:18.805-05:00Fasting for the New YearI'm sure many of you have been battling the endless battle of Holiday Crap. Aunt Sally's Death by Chocolate... Granny P's devastating peanut brittle... the list goes on and on. The candy jar at work. The endless thank you presents from clients- cookies, chocolates, you name it. Ugh. You gain weight, crash and get cranky just by looking at the stuff.<br /><br />It's a tough battle to say no all the time, especially to well-meaning family members who get such joy out of feeding others. Or with co-workers who secretly get pleasure out of sabotaging your diet... you know who I mean. It's cruel! Just cruel!<br /><br />Anyway take a deep breath, the new year is here and there isn't another stuff your face holiday for a while. <br /><br />I am fasting to celebrate the new year, as a way to re-start my body and mind back into the health I adore so much. Cleansing is good practice, and not a bad idea to do a few times a year, or more if you stress a lot. Giving your body a break from all the things you put into it makes good sense.<br /><br />The fast I am doing does not involve complete food deprivation. I cannot do that, I've tried. It makes me crazy. Instead, I am doing a fruit fast for two days (today is day two) and then an Ayurvedic type fast for another two days. (I got it from the "Eat, Taste and Heal" book, look it up, it's rad). Basically, I figured out what would work best for my body- deprivation not being the answer- and I'm sticking to it.<br /><br />Two days of raw fruits (and some dried), pretty much whatever is appealing and fresh. I have been enjoying pineapple, pears, apples, mangoes, kiwi, pomegranates, bananas, dates and figs. Even dried papaya. It's been wonderful. I feel calm and clean right now, brighter. Out of respect for my body I am not doing the strenuous workouts I normally do, but am taking it easy with yoga only. <br /><br />The next two days will be eating only rice and mung beans, called Kitchari. I am not cooking the beans as it is called for however; I sprouted them to get the most nutrition out of the beans. Sprouted beans are incredible. So much energy and enzymes! I mean, when a bean is sprouting you are getting all that vigorous "life! life!" energy out of them, fantastic. I was mostly raw all summer and lived on sprouted beans and grains. (This practice is tougher in winter when I want desperately to be warm, and eat warm, all the time.)<br /><br />The purpose of the cleansing and the fast is to abstain completely from caffeine, additives, preservatives, toxins, white sugar, flour, etc. Just simple foods that are easy for the body to digest and process. Yes, fruit is high in sugar, and not ideal for long term fasts. I seem to be doing ok on this front though, luckily. <br /><br />On day 5 when regular food is to be introduced, it is done slowly; adding simple soups, steamed veggies, and whole grains, a little at a time with each meal. I may even do some raw fish on day 6 I think. <br /><br />I encourage everyone to cleanse every now and then. You have to pick the one that is right for you, and if you have physical issues make sure your doctor knows. There is nothing worse than causing damage when you only mean good! <br /><br />Good luck in the sugar battle, and happy new year!Meenahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09923017146447232837noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-27900744.post-50516903800874783882008-12-05T14:28:00.003-05:002008-12-05T14:40:29.279-05:00Allergies and processed foodsThis topic is a can of worms... or worse, Pandora's Box. I have a few things to address on this issue.<br /><br />The first is a commentary on my own new allergies. I have never been allergic to anything, that I know of. Now, it is apparent that I cannot eat any fake-chemical sugars, and I have a sad, sad feeling that Stevia is becoming something of an issue as well.<br /><br />A few years ago, when I began my effort to kick sugar, I found some "sugar free" candy by Hershey's. It was a small bag of Peppermint Patties... and I ate them all! Oh, how I paid and paid. My belly swelled up as big and tight as could be. I suffered the most terrible colic pains... horrible, horrible belly ache that made me feel so awful. I lay on the bed in agony until I started tooting it out, and it took hours to get real relief.<br /><br />After that, I slowly tried other "fakes" and discovered, one by one, that I have the same disasterous symptoms. I didn't really want to be eating them anyway since I don't believe we truly know their effect on our bodies (or water systems, when we pee them out) long term... rumors of cancer and so forth make me hesitate. Still, I hated how I felt when I crashed from sugar so from time to time I tried some things. And now I know I cannot ever eat fake sugars. In any form.<br /><br />Even now, after using Stevia for a few years, I am starting to discover that it too makes me a little gassy. Not nearly as colicky as the others, but that is how it starts; a little reaction, and then, boom! On to full blown allergy. Damn. I have also noticed how terrible I feel when eating super processed foods too... after eating raw all summer (easy due to so many farmer's markets!) I can see the difference, eating a winter diet of cooked foods. I don't feel well, and gained a little weight... isn't it sad! My body only wants the best of the best to be completely happy. So sensitive!<br /><br />Which brings me to another point. Allergies. I feel people are suffering from these more now than ever before. Is it because of environmental causes, pollution and lawn chemicals and too many other types of crap in our air and water? Or is it because children aren't playing outside and eating dirt, rolling around with dogs, like they used to? Another favorite theory of mine is diet. Too much sugar weakens your immune system, and processed foods as well... how would we all feel if it just wasn't available, if all you had to eat was good whole foods?<br /><br />Sometimes I wish that junk food wasn't so readily available. My life would certainly be better, without the endless battle of sugar and all that. Especially now that I am learning that my body simply does not like anything that isn't straight from this earth, direct.Meenahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09923017146447232837noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-27900744.post-52655641145667384652008-08-09T09:25:00.003-04:002008-08-09T09:33:47.396-04:00Raw and Sugar FreeAhh, the neglect! I have neglected this poor old blog as my life has become very full and busy. What's new? Well, I have this very summer become inspired to further enhance my nutrition by experimenting with eating more raw/ vegan, and especially local foods. This has been a fantastic experiement, and easy to do with the summer being so abundant with fruits and veggies. I've found that I have more energy, feel even better than before! <br /><br />What has been modified, then? I don't cook. I have a few wonderful Raw transition books and have been experimenting with a dehydrator to make sprouted "bread" and "cookies". In fact, I have been sprouting quite a lot which is becoming my favorite way to eat legumes and grains. It's amazing! All the while I am still eating things that make me happy, such as ice cream, but I am using recipes from a book called Vice Creams, which are based on almond milks or coconut meat. <br /><br />It hasn't been easy. It's never easy to change your mindset. The main reason I am doing this is to consume less packaging, waste less resources. Eating raw means less processing, which is better for your body and the environment- eating foods with intact enzymes means more is available nutritionally for your body. Less packaging means less petroleum used, and we all know that this idea can only be for the good of our planet (and our society!)<br /><br />You have to be careful when eating this way to be balanced and to eat a well rounded diet, lots of sprouted beans and grains for complete proteins. Adult humans do not need nearly the protein we advocate for ourselves (via the beef council); in fact only 10% for a normal adult or MAYBE 20-30% for a body builder. The rest should be balanced... none of this crazy "carb fear" or any of that bunk. Keep the sugar out, eat your grains and veggies, fruits and legumes and relax! I look great and feel even better.Meenahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09923017146447232837noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-27900744.post-72709795533887233402007-07-12T09:04:00.001-04:002007-07-12T09:09:50.653-04:00I'm back!I'm back in town, just got a new apartment... looking forward to refurnishing my kitchen. My dear friend Anna is getting me a new ice cream maker; last summer when we shared a place doing research together, I made lots and lots of Stevia ice cream that she enjoyed greatly. So now when I make ice cream I can think fondly of her (and invite her over to eat as much as she likes!)<br /><br />Things are looking up. It was tough, traveling and living out of my car, finding things to eat that worked well with me to keep my energy up. I even had to stoop to using a microwave to make nut butter cups while I was on my various externships. Hey, whatever works. What a giant relief to have a home base, a place to work from again.<br /><br />The challenge now is restoring my kitchen. I am not going to have nearly what I did before, but that's ok. I bake less since giving up sugar, so some of it I don't need. Good thing! There's no oven where I live now, just a stove top. I know I eat a lot of flour, so it isn't a bad thing to adjust to. I baked maybe 4 times a year anyway- mostly in the fall and winter; and I have friends with ovens...<br /><br />So. I'm back, and cookbook-less, and so I will become more creative in my endeavors. I hope you will continue to be inspired, there's more to come!Meenahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09923017146447232837noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-27900744.post-1715122007968074852007-05-22T22:24:00.001-04:002007-05-22T22:34:54.941-04:00ChangesDear friends,<br />My life has taken some sad crazy changes lately and I have been working pretty hard to maintain an even keel. The house I was living in burned down 3 weeks ago, taking all I owned (except for a few pieces of jewelry) with it. It has been a surreal and pretty unimaginable few weeks, full of changes and challenges. The amount of support and outpouring of love and help has been incredible, and I can stand before you now saying yes, I'm ok, I'm surviving. My kitties did not. None of what I have worked my whole life to build has survived. When you come from nothing and build from nothing, it hurts to lose it all. <br /><br />So three weeks later, I am traveling on my externships in my last year of veterinary school and am faced with a spectacular set of issues. Not only am I adjusting to living with an entirely new wardrobe and set of belongings (only, by choice and design, the bare minimum of what I require to get by!) but I am also meeting a lot of new people and traveling to unfamiliar places AND trying to maintain the lifestyle I have crafted for myself. Including eating well despite stress, strife and unfamiliar environments.<br /><br />The first three weeks after the fire were pretty easy. I simply did not want to eat. For the first time in my life I experienced grief anorexia. I have never ever had a problem eating before. Never. When stress rolls along, I would usually seek comfort and be in danger of relapsing to my old sugar habits. Well, folks, surprise surprise... three weeks in unfamiliar digs, totally displaced, out of sorts, sleep deprived... I was barely getting what calories I needed and not even noticing. <br /><br />That has come to ease of late but I am faced with the new challenge of living in a hotel that has fridges, just not one in my room. So I am adjusting to eating in a whole new way, still sticking to my guns of not eating sugar- tempted though I may be by the ease of prepared foods. And free hotel breakfast (I allow you to guess what that might entail). Not to mention life on the road with busy horse vets. Yeah- recipe for disaster, but I'm doing ok. My appetite is returning, and I am starting to wonder what the hell I'm going to eat for the next 10 weeks, while surviving in the way I know best.<br /><br />I'm sleep deprived. I'm not getting enough veggies. I have no place to put them! I don't have the money to eat out all the time... so peanut butter and fruit spread are my options. Now, fruit spread is not ideal, I know- it's pretty much sugar, but I do get the 100% fruit kind and use very little. I am at a loss. No way to cook, nothing to really cook in. Bought a camp stove and fancy camp pot (and this neato swiss army fork/spoon thingie, wowie!) I am making do with having nothing except my car and the kindness of strangers.<br /><br />So. Traveling... no sugar... this is not so much a challenge here, but I imagine the deeper south I go the more interesting it will get. We shall see, that's what I know.Meenahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09923017146447232837noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-27900744.post-88054034712008995782007-04-16T08:24:00.000-04:002007-04-16T08:43:18.533-04:00The argument about AgaveI have to say that I am very excited that more and more people want to talk about giving up sugar, or at least cutting down on it and finding alternatives. Recently I've had the pleasure of talking shop with a well known Vegan baker from the western part of the state. She's been getting requests for all sorts of dietary discretions- like gluten free, for example- and has also been asked to make 'sugar free' delights, or at least sugar alternative.<br /><br />So we chatted in the kitchen at a friend's party about alternatives. My own journey to this point began many years ago with a conversion over to 'alternative sugar'. These consist of barley malt, agave syrup, brown rice syrup, sucanat (the stuff they strip off the white sugar), maple syrup, date sugar, and honey. There are even several cookbooks out there devoted to "naturally sweet" desserts, focused entirely on using these products. I definitely encourage people who want to break away from white sugar slowly to go down this path; it's still sugar, yes, but there are merits to the method. It worked for me to help me wean off and become more aware of what I was taking into my body.<br /><br />Of course, it is easy to trade one addiction for another- you can overindulge on 'alternative' sugar as easily as the white stuff. All things in moderation. However, many alternatives are whole foods (like date sugar, for example) and take a little longer to break down, with the added bonus of some minerals thrown in. I mean, if you are eating dessert you are consciously making the choice to eat something that isn't 'food' in the sustenance sense; but you can still do it as wisely as possible. I even use whole wheat flour every time I bake something (which is rare these days) in the hopes that even though I'm indulging, I'm not completely abusing my body.<br /><br />Not all 'alternatives' are equal, and not all are benign either. The thing to consider when experimenting with these where on the glycemic index they fall. What is the glycemic index? You can try this website (http://www.glycemicindex.com/); here's my description: basically, most foods have some effect on the body in terms of insulin release. The simpler the carbohydrate (or in our case, the sweetener), the faster the insulin response, the faster the body breaks it down and the higher you 'spike' in terms of reaction. Some people are exquisitely sensitive to the ensuing reaction (like me). How this fits into the sweetner scheme goes a little like this: white table sugar is at the top. It is stripped down of anything other than pure sucrose, and the body recognizes it as a raw instant energy. Insulin is released quickly, the body deals with the influx very very fast and the sugar is used up or stored away, depending on your body's needs.<br /><br />So if white table sugar is at the top, something like Stevia is at the very bottom. Or, say, certain meats, or if you decided to eat clay. Honey and maple syrup are very nearly pure sucrose, and so are essentially the same as white sugar in terms of body response. Brown rice syrup falls below that, along with barley malt; and agave is lower still. I can feel the effect of agave, but not nearly as much.<br /><br />Anyway, we got to talking about Agave. This is a clever sweetner, derived from the agave cactus. Lots of people are turning to agave instead of honey or maple syrup- especially those vegan folks- as an alternative to sugar. It is sweet, but not overly so; still, it would be a mistake to say "I don't eat sugar" and then go and consume a bottle full of agave. If you want to be a purist, that is. Yes, it is definitely lower on the index, no question (some bottles advertise this fact on the label). <br /><br />What is the argument then? Well it goes something like this. If you are the sort that likes to wean slowly off sugar, I encourage you to explore alternatives. Give agave and brown rice syrup a try. They can be cumbersome to figure out if you are not accustomed to baking; they are wet sweetners and you need to account for that. Plus they have a flavor all their own, and it takes determination to change a palate preference. It can be done, however. Barley malt is even more powerful in terms of lending its own peculiar flavor; I liked using it with recipes that have a strong flavor already, to drown it out. Use them wisely is all I am saying, and be clear that you are still evoking an insulin response from your body- perhaps not as extreme, but it is there nonetheless. It worked for me; I doubt I could have kicked sugar instantly without knowing how to make 'alternative' stuff for myself. There are cookbooks out there that can help you if you are curious.Meenahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09923017146447232837noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-27900744.post-41422447000490478682007-04-08T22:04:00.000-04:002007-04-08T22:10:40.089-04:00Another Sugar Holiday passed!Ahhh, Easter! The glut of sugar commercialism at its finest. It is now over. And I made it through.<br /><br />I was not tempted! I did not stray from my path! I made it through, unscathed, and whole! Hoooray!<br /><br />Easter is one of the hardest Sugar Holidays for me, since I love Cadbury. Just love it. Instead I had my lovely Stevia nut butter cups (I have been using Cashew-Macadamia, spoiled brat that I am, love it! Just love it!) and felt satisfied.<br /><br />Lately I've been getting back into the ice cream, now that it is hinting at warming up (not actually warming up, mind you, just teasing that it <span style="font-style: italic;">could </span>happen). Sad thing is I think it isn't agreeing with my belly. I don't fully understand it since I tolerated it fine last year, but I am feeling some icky GI issues and it may be the ice cream. mmmrrpph! I need to go pout over that. Or deal with the GI stuff. Or take lactaid. <br /><br />See, I'd love to get more into the nut milks but it is hard to get the right consistency with the ice cream. I will have to make comment on this at another time, but there is a book out called Vice Creams which are nut based, and I have experimented a little... but still love my formula the best...<br /><br />Anyway, I hope if you are reading this that you too have made it through this holiday without succumbing to a sugar coma. If you did be gentle with yourself, it is not easy to kick the sugary shackles that hold us tight in this society.Meenahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09923017146447232837noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-27900744.post-70752777914323262882007-03-28T21:19:00.000-04:002007-03-28T21:29:05.597-04:00Stevia: not for everyoneI have been having interesting discussions about my diet at school. It would come to that, as in clinics you spend a lot of time with people doing intense, stressful things- in the down time, we learn about each other and relax. People are so generous and sweet, too; bringing treats for each other as a sense of kindness (in their hearts). It makes them feel bad when they realize I won't (can't?) eat the doughnuts or brownies, or even the amazing looking chocolate mousse. <br /><br />Sigh.<br /><br />I don't want to make anyone feel bad, so I just gently explain that I simply cannot do it to myself ever again. One of the people in my rotation, E, commented she noticed the difference when I went 'off the wagon' second year... haha... and the difference now that I am back on track, one year now. There were a lot of questions, naturally, about the way that I am able to abstain and how the hell did I manage to do it in the first place? It is so interesting to me to hear someone say, "Oh I could never do it, I am a hopeless sugar addict, you don't understand."<br /><br />Oh, don't I ever. Don't I ever.<br /><br />I do, because, see, I am a hopeless addict too; I could not survive this without my clever stevia crutch. I fully and freely admit it. I like sweeties as much as the next girl, and chocolate all the more. If it weren't for this, I may not have gotten free. (If it weren't for cocoa puffs I might not have ever gotten snared).<br /><br />But I did.<br /><br />The discussions with these fine intelligent people leads them to curiosity about the things I am eating; people are often amazed to hear I make my own chocolates and ice cream. It sounds complicated to them, I imagine; but really it is no more complicated than biscuits, with the same time committment. I like chocolate a whole lot more than biscuits, anyway. In order to show them it is possible, I brought in a sampling; half my supply of cashew-macadamia nut butter cups. My favorite flavor, and best invention yet- the peanut butter version pales in comparison. It was well recieved by all but one.<br /><br />E, who so astutely described my sugary fall from grace, tried it and could not finish it. It was much too bitter for her (Stevia does not assuage the bitterness of pure baking chocolate, nor lighten it at all; it is dark, fierce chocolate, not for the faint at heart). She said it burned her tongue, and believed it was the stevia that did this.<br /><br />I cannot say either way. It could have been the shocking dark bitterness of the chocolate that made her tongue feel strange, or perhaps a reaction to the nut butters. I have never heard of this reaction to Stevia, which is not to say it isn't possible. If you have experienced this email it to me here, it is good to know. Me, I can eat the stuff all day long, and do (mostly in my tea, several times a day). So use it with caution, it may not be for everyone.Meenahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09923017146447232837noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-27900744.post-21967268956772721812007-03-17T20:39:00.000-04:002007-03-17T20:51:40.028-04:00When family doesn't get itWell, you can't convince everyone. Not that I'd want to. Not my job.<br /><br />However.<br /><br />I <span style="font-style: italic;">do </span>want at least my family to understand or at the very minimal respect what I am trying to do. Sigh. Doesn't always work that way, I know, and I am mostly resigned to the fact that I walk my own path and that's ok.<br /><br />Anyway, my mom is... special. She thinks what she wants, no use trying to change the gal, she does her own thing anyway.<br /><br />Everyone who knows me knows I am vegetarian and sugar free. That's a fact. Do I sometimes bend the rules? Yes. It's rare, but I do it. (Not with vegetarianism, but who can say no to mom's christmas cheesecake? That would be ludicrous). For the most part, though, it's known that I do not want dessert and it's best not to offer it to me- if you love me why would you want to torture me?<br /><br />Now, if you've been with me since easter of last year, you know that I kicked sugar by ODing via Cadbury, the lovely Cadbury easter madness. Oh yes. Mini eggs, my own special weakness. <br /><br />And she knows that.<br /><br />As I said, my mom is special. One of the most giving, generous and kind souls on the planet. Also one of the most strangely vindictive- extremely subtle, but she's somewhat of a cat with a mouse. When you do (or are) something she doesn't quite approve of, she'll blithely ignore it and form you to her own special reality. I've adapted gracefully to it and know when to pick my battles. <br /><br />I know, I know- you're dying to hear: what the hell did she do?<br /><br />So she tells me she sent a package in the mail, and was quite excited about it. Besides herself. Well, it was going to arrive on Thursday, approximately. I was on call at the hospital on Thursday- left at 6 am, and arrived home at 6 pm the <span style="font-style: italic;">next day. </span>That's life. Oh, and arrived home in a blizzard- yes, crazy snow... Anyway, she called and said: <br />"Did you get your present?"<br />"Oh! No- I haven't been to the box today, it's snowing like mad out."<br />"Well, go get it! I think it will help you, you've been so tired and stressed. Go get it."<br />"Mom! There's a blizzard outside!"<br />"What? Go get your mail! You grew up here, you shouldn't be afraid of a little snow. Go on. It will cheer you up."<br /><br />Fine.<br />So I went.<br /><br />What did I get?<br /><br />Yep. Mini eggs, a new variety with 'royal dark chocolate.' Wow. Yeah- they looked good, in the sexy dark purple wrapper...<br />And a card. A card with a lovely photo of a beef cow noshing a corn cob. The text at the bottom said:<br />"Corned beef in the early stages."<br /><br />Ha.<br />Ha.<br />Ha.<br /><br />Ok- so how do you get back on the phone to a person who is sitting excited on her couch states away, breathlessly waiting for you to call back? I mean- she <span style="font-style: italic;">knows </span>I'm vegetarian. She <span style="font-style: italic;">knows </span>I don't eat sugar. I think she's trying to torture me. She's kinda sick like that. It's a test of my grace, and I can't yell at her- because she may genuinely believe she is being really kind and funny. Wow.<br /><br />So- I call her and in our usual way I tell her she's sick and needs help (about the card) but tell her that although the candy is so thoughtful, I'm not eating sugar. I don't want to crush her. I tell her I'll try them (she was really excited about the new flavor) and that I am going to cheer up everyone else at the hospital, let her think she's spreading the love around. <br />Man 0h man, family takes patience sometimes. Whew.Meenahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09923017146447232837noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-27900744.post-67292735837771402592007-03-11T18:08:00.000-04:002007-03-11T18:15:28.751-04:00One year- coming up!As the next major Super Sugar Holiday approaches, I am reminded of how I pushed myself one year ago to quit sugar again. I walked through the grocery today and as I sailed past the 'seasonal' isle, I could see all the holiday treats trotted out long before the holiday has even arrived. Easter! A time of amazing confectionary treats! Some that I sadly do like. And will be avoiding with all my strength of will, with sanity intact.<br /><br />What's interesting is that since I have not eaten any sugar in so long, I don't crave it like I did. I see the pretty packages that promise a little slice of sugary chocolate heaven, and I am not as tempted as I was when I had fallen completely off the wagon. This brings me so much relief! I never would have thought, years ago, that it would get easier. But it does. It truly does. <br /><br />One year ago, I pushed my addiction until I was sick. I had to do it that wy, otherwise I wouldn't have gotten free. It wouldn't work for everyone, but I am now able to walk past the isle without wistfulness. I recall this being the case last time I went sugar free. It gets easier, I promise that it does.<br /><br />Right now I feel pretty damn healthy and whole. I am more prone to choosing better foods and eat healthier all around because I am not so distracted by sugar. Oh, I've still got a sweet tooth, don't get me wrong! Using Stevia is freeing indeed, but I still want it. The sweetness. I doubt that will go away. I feel fine indulging in the Stevia version of what I want though, knowing it isn't going to uproot my moods and turn me into a crazy person. <br /><br />I will stand strong and turn the other cheek as Sugar Holiday #2 approaches... I can, because I have so far, and will continue... yay!Meenahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09923017146447232837noreply@blogger.com1