Why?

I saw this cartoon on a friends Facebook page a while ago and loved it. It was posted shortly after I went vegan and laughed because I have experienced this attitude often when telling others about the lifestyle. I still laugh everytime someone coils at the idea of not eating meat and dairy.

The other day I heard that a coworker has been diagnosed a while ago with an autoimmune disease which could be helped with a grain free vegan diet. I know it is a very restricted diet, but if it made you get better why would you not try it? This coworker has not even tried it and I keep asking myself why.

I guess one can't force others to immediately take on a direction which is considered so out of mainstream like vegan-ism. I guess even if it makes total sense to me, others still find it too extreme. Oh well, maybe they don't want to get better.

Dressing

One of the challenges I have with the Forks over Knives (FOK) diet is the no oil. I love salads and usually liberally pour over straight olive oil and balsamic vinegar before I tuck in. Yummy. So when I read that oil is considered a no-no on this I was a little taken aback. 

After reading further I understand. Oil, no matter what its form is highly processed and contains just the fat and nothing but the fat. High in calories, which it know because I enter things into the recipe analysis app for the recipes I do I see that to be true. Their research has shown that oil does not  help the reversal of the arteries as the plant based whole foods do.

However, I was happy to find this link:  https://sites.google.com/site/hgkprintablerecipes/big-list-of-no-oil-salad-dressings that has all kinds of dressings. Not all of them are FOK approved, but there are some really good ones. In addition I found an oil free mayo that uses tofu,lemon juice, and some others stuff that sounds good on the blog Cooking With Plants. All of these are well worth the trip.

New Recipes!

I always love doing new things in the kitchen and am constantly on the lookout for new recipes. With this vegan diet, a new world of cooking has opened up for me and I find it really interesting to make something delicious that is also healthy. 

After seeing Forks over Knives I realized I used an awful lot of oil on my cooking. I pour in several tablespoons for practically everything and was wondering about the high fat this causes. The Forks over Knives uses no oil so sautéing things without oil is very foreign to me. But I bought the $4.99 iPad app, which Is basically the book to the lifestyle, and the recipes I have tried so far have been really yummy. My only complaint is that there are no calorie content listed so I have to use the app I found online to determine what the nutritional information is for everything.

All in all, this new road in my journey toward health is becoming more delicious at every turn. I am getting less bothered by not eating cheese and now not using oil - or at least not as much as I have in the past. 

The China Study

Last night I attended a screening of Forks over Knives (check out their site at forksoverknives.com) It is based on a book by T Colin Campbell called The China Study. This book entails the work Dr. Campbell has done, along with data from other like minded researchers, who have discovered that a plant based, whole foods, diet will cure everything from cancer to diabetes and everything in between.  As you may know, these diseases are the major causes of death in this country and it is their findings that show these ailments are caused by eating meat and dairy. "Milk does not do a body good..."

As you may know, I have been following a vegetarian lifestyle in the past few years. As of about six months ago I have tried to increase that to vegan. I have noticed some very interesting changes (see my blog entry for my recent dentist appointment). In addition to the dental improvements, I have finally been losing weight after years of trying unsuccessfully. I thought it was just due to the gluten aspect, but according to this film, the plant based diet's first really noticeable change is weight loss.

I got a copy of the book at the showing and will report more as I read, but this is very exciting to me. I have told many about the lifestyle and some have been interested and others have not. If I had a disease (and I do with the diabetes) and fixing it would be as simple as eating differently why would I not try it? You have nothing to lose but the pounds and bad health.

Something to this Gluten free

So I had a dentist appointment yesterday. I have had to start going every four months because my gums are getting bad. There was inflamation and bleeding even though my home care was good. I had pockets in the gums around my back teeth and things were not liking good. 

So almost a half a year ago I switched to a vegan, gluten free diet and my dentist was pleasantly surprised at things looked. My gums were not inflamed, there was no bleeding, and the pockets had reversed themselves and were much less. One went from a six to a four. They asked me what I had done differently and I told them about the new diet.

So I guess the gluten affects everything including my gums. I had heard that gluten caused inflammation in the body and I guess they are affected as well. This diet can be very demanding but with results like this, it makes it so worth it.

Health

I got the results of my bloodwork back from this new doctor I am seeing and they were really interesting. Apparently I have something called Leaky Gut Syndrome, among other things, which could be the reason I am having all kinds of digestive problems and weight issues. The bloodwork showed that I have several low level food allergies which were a little surprising.

Mt mother has had food allergies all her life and for a long while I thought I didn't have to worry about it. However as I have gotten older, at a point where the body starts to decline if you don't really pay attention to it, they have reared their ugly heads and begun to cause me issues. Like her, I have a sensitivity to wheat, gluten, and dairy. Interestingly enough string beans ranked very high - weird.

So my doctor suggested I cut all of that out for a month and see what happens. I am having a good time trying all kinds of substitutions in some if the recipes I use, and finding new ones, so there is a positive on that. But cutting out wheat and cheese is a big challenge for me. She is also going to start me on two new supplements and feels pretty confident things will begin to reverse themselves. I am glad she has confidence here, because I am a little doubtful. But we shall see. As my stepfather used to say, "we can only go up from here".w

A Little Fightening

Last night I attended a viewing of GMO OMG. I came home more disturbed about this country than ever. The powerful people at Monsanto, along with other chemical companies, are not only destroying our health but our environment all in the name of money. I am not surprised, necessarily, but shocked at the gall.

If you have an opportunity to see it, please do. I did not stay for the panel discussion but I am sure it was interesting. There were several people there who are doing what they can making sure we are educated, informed consumers and know that our food items have GMOs in them by labeling them. This is something that Monsanto and the other do not want. They interviewed a European scientist who said that they have been labeling for a while and no one wants the GMO stuff. All we are asking for is the choice and the knowledge that we are putting quality - or not quality - food in our bodies. What could be wrong with that?

I'll tell you what's wrong. The more educated a consumer we are, the less likely we are going to purchase their product  and the poorer they will be. I am sorry, I am all for the rights of workers, but companies who make this stuff are criminals in my book, and all they are doing is making their employees accessories to the crime.

Mindful Eating

Yesterday I had an engaging conversation on Facebook about a product that contained mostly chemicals. My husband had brought the container home because a coworker drinks it and he wanted me to check out the label.  The third ingredient in this powder is propylene glycol.  I looked that up online and found that  which is used as an antifreeze and to absorb water, which I posted online asking the question "Why would anyone in their right mind want to ingest this?"  My Facebook friends and I went back and forth about what people should be eating.

As you know for the last year or so I have been advocating, and trying, to maintain a whole foods diet.  Occasionally I do "fall off the wagon" and eat something that is off the track for that, but generally I am pretty good about processed stuff.  When you think about it, most of what we eat is processed, i.e. cooking, or prepared, even meat is processed to a point as we don't just sink our teeth into the side of a cow or something.  But I am pretty good about staying away from foods that have chemicals in them because I try to read the labels for the foods I buy.

Some of these chemicals that are in the foods on the shelves at the grocery store are really scary when you read about them. Sure they don't generally put a whole lot of the stuff in, but even a small amount can change your internal balance.  The human body is an incredible system with a delicate balance that should be maintained by giving it the fuel it needs.  While I sometimes I would love to just take a pill that supplies all my nutritional needs, purely as a matter of saving time used in food preparation, the body needs to have its fuel delivered the way it was designed.  And while I am not where near the image of ideal health I think I am moving toward that direction rather than away.  The standard American diet is killing us IMHO and it is time to get back to basics.  This means voting with our pocketbook and not buying crap to eat.

Whole Foods

When I was at my last employer, they provided an online course for their employees on the Mediterranean Diet Plan with Dr. Will Clower. If you don't know the program it is a way to lose weight and get healthier by eating better food, also known as the French Don't Diet Plan.  I blogged about this previously. I came across another nutritionist recently named Patrick Quillin, when my mother gave me the book Wisdom of Whole Foods.  I read this over the weekend and fell in love with the premise.

Many of you may know that for a while I have been touting the benefits of eating real foods; those that don't have preservatives in them or at the very least without high fructose corn syrup.  This book really goes into the reasons why those things are so bad for you and also talks about the benefits of certain foods including things to eat to prevent cancer.  For example, I had no idea that pineapple and mushrooms reduce inflammation.  This book is quite detailed on those benefits.

I urge you to read it, or at least review the website.  There is so much in the foods that nature has provided us, rather than ingesting so many chemicals.  Why wouldn't you try something that could extend your life longer and live healthy?  I am so convinced that we are killing ourselves as a nation by all the crap in our food system.  We can vote with our pocketbooks by not buying it and sooner or later the manufacturers of food will realize we no longer want their products. We have the capability to reduce illness in ourselves and I think we owe it to ourselves to try.

Injury

On Friday night I was making pizza for dinner and I could not find my sifter for the flour.  I rummaged around the cabinet and all of a sudden I found my mandolin slicer!  Or rather my finger found it.  Blood was everywhere! I wrapped it in a paper towel figuring it would stop bleeding soon but no, it bleed, and bleed, and bleed.  I finally got my husband to wrap a paper towel around it and secure it with electrical tape so that there was constant pressure on the wound in hope it would finally stop enough that I could survey the damage.

Undaunted, I went on to knead the pizza dough with my uninjured hand.  Not an easy feat.  By this time the yeast was so bloomed I thought it would be no good. The pizza turned out okay but the dough was a little tough.  With all this going on, it was getting later and later and I really didn't have time to have it rise.  But I discovered that regardless, the crust was quite flat  - a little thick, but flat never the less.  It was supposed to be a flat bread pizza after all!

Having an injured index finger on your dominant hand is annoying.  One soon learns how many things are a challenge with that finger out of commission.  Take typing for just one example  A lot of mistakes for sure. But it is teaching me to slow down a bit and be careful where I place my hands.  The human brain is a wonderful thing, even mine which I am sure is short a few dozen neurons, and after a while, typing gets better.  One learns to adapt.  That's the moral of this story that all things heal and we find ways to do things that need to be doing.  For me, I found a recipe for pizza dough with no yeast.  It's much quicker.  I also found a new place for my mandolin - out of the way of delicate fingers.

Invisible Illness

At this time of the year we often try to think of gifts for Christmas.  Often I see posts on Facebook about “invisible illnesses” where people look perfectly fine but are suffering inside.  These kinds of illnesses such as Chronic Fatigue Syndrome (CFS), Epstein Barr, Lupus, and other autoimmune illnesses can play havoc on ones lives and the lives of their families.  They often go undiagnosed for a long time because the person is uncertain why they feel so wretched yet look totally normal and don’t think they have something really wrong with them.  Many doctors often overlook them as well. 

For many years I suffered from CFS.  It was shortly after my son was born that I developed a high fever that lasted about three days.  After the fever went down, it stayed at 99 degrees for about 2 years and was accompanied by an incredible feeling of fatigue and a mild sore throat and swollen glands.  In addition, I had spells when my memory was so bad I couldn’t remember how to get to work.  Through it all I still went to work and cared for my young son with enormous help from my husband.  It is not an experience I would like to go through again.

I was lucky in that I found a doctor who was sympathetic with my condition and tried various things to determine what I had and how he could help me.  I ultimately went to a doctor who prescribed massive doses of certain vitamins which took me into a remission.  I also think that my symptoms were not as severe as others who may have the disease otherwise I don’t think I would have been able to continue working through it.

One needs to be understanding if a family member is going through such a time in their lives.  Outwardly they don’t appear sick, but inwardly they are fighting everyday to maintain some semblance of a life. It a time like this that they would certainly appreciate a small amount of help in doing daily chores that we often take for granted.  If there is someone in your life who is experiencing anyone of these conditions, doing a small job for them could be the greatest Christmas gift of all.

Illness

I woke up feeling a little queasy today. It could have been something I ate, or I could have a little stomach bug. Whatever the cause, it was unpleasant. Lying in bed this morning, I debated whether I was going to call out sick but decided against it because that would mean that I was caving into whatever I had and there was a good chance I would feel better later in the day.

I remembered back about 20 years ago to the days when I had Chronic Fatigue Syndrome. Every day was a struggle getting out of bed and going on with my life. Everything hurt and I just wanted to sleep. But there were so many things that needed doing; a small child needing caring for, I had to “bring home the bacon” and maintain my job, I had to cook dinner for my family, and sleep was not an option. I was lucky though. My case was not that bad and I beat it. It took 3 years and a lot of vitamins, but I eventually got better and the effects of the illness faded into the background.

Not all people have that luck. There are some who are sick for years, hanging on until the end. Not much is known about autoimmune illnesses like Epstein Barr, Lupus, MS, Fibromyalgia, and others, and they are not always the kind that make one so sick it is obvious to everyone around them. Even doctors don’t agree that some of them are “real” diseases and dismiss them. I often wonder what the causes are and whether there is some cure out there just waiting to be found, or better yet some way to prevent them. In the meantime, we just have to press on regardless, and we have to be a little more understanding with others because even if they look okay on the outside, they may be suffering on the inside.

Scary Statistic

Here is a sobering fact.  I read an interesting article recently that stated that in about 18 years from now 42% of Americans will be obese.  It seems like far away and in some respects it is, but it really isn’t but the good news is that it allows us time to make changes.  Obesity is a growing (pardon the pun) problem in this country and will increase the amount we spend on health care for things like diabetes, high blood pressure, cancer, and associated illnesses that come along with those things.  While the pharmaceutical industry is licking their lips with anticipation, the issue is a really serious one and one that can be changed.  We all must have the will power to make it happen.

First and foremost, we have to stop eating processed foods, especially foods with high fructose corn syrup.  We have to campaign with our wallets and purchase fresh food with ingredients we can pronounce.  If we demand the food industry will deliver.  We need to demand that people on social programs providing dollars, are able to purchase good food that is not processed.  We need to teach them to cook and perhaps to garden and grow their own foods.  We need to teach our children what to eat and what not to eat and teach them not to be swayed by Captain Crunch and others.

The municipality where I live now is one of lower economic means and we have just begun to introduce a community garden partnering with a local church to hold cooking lessons.  We got a huge contribution in the form of extra vegetables from a local gardener and will be kicking off a grand opening in two weeks.  Many communities in this country are doing the same so there is hope that this trend can be turned around.  We need to attack it nutritionally, naturally, and knowingly so that more and more people can work towards a healthier future.

Gardening for Your Health

I came across an article about gardening and health the other day.  It spelled out just what I have been experiencing over the past few months.  I have had a garden for the last several years, but have not gotten into the hobby like I am not until this year.  I think because of this immersion I have had some of the benefits they are talking about.  My stress levels are less, I am getting out in the sun more, and I believe that the end result of the all the vegetables that I am going to eat as I harvest them can only help with my overall nutrition level. 

The only drawback to this is that I have become somewhat of a gardening snob.  I look around at all the people who can improve their health and their lives just by fiddling around with a few plants and sneer at them.  Many of the cases of obesity, depression, and overall poor health could be drastically improved if people would only work on themselves.  I have always hated people who complain, but I am getting more and more intolerant of those who complain about their health when there is something out there so simple that they could help themselves with.  Or maybe that’s just old age.

At any rate, I am very glad I have taken up this hobby.  I hope that you too can work a piece of the great outdoors into your life too and use Mother Nature instead of modern chemistry to advance your life.

Dirt

One of the bad side effects if you will of gardening is dirt under your fingernails.  No matter the fact I wear gardening gloves, wash my hands frequently, and take a shower after coming in from gardening, I frequently look at my hands the next day and am aghast that I have a little dirt under one or two of them.  It is kind of embarrassing, but I suppose it is a hazard of playing in the dirt. 

But you know what?  I don’t care.  It’s a small price to pay, I think, for the overall improved health that I can realize by growing and eating fresh food. Furthermore the gratification I get from seeing my garden take shape and grow, not to mention the stress relieving aspects which will help my overall well being, are much more rewarding than the small amount of embarrassment I get from having a little dirt under my fingernails.

Fast Food

Several years ago I took my son to McDonald’s for a fast snack.  He ordered the standard hamburger, coke, and fries order.  After we had pulled out of the drive through and down the street, he found that the burger was missing the burger.  All he had was bun.  We were in a rush and really couldn’t take the time to go back so we went on and fortunately he thought it was very funny so didn’t raise too much of a fuss.  My point in relaying this story is that sometime my life reminds me of that order – something key is missing.

I had been going along recently doing what I have always done and feeling as if there is something wrong.  Sure my job could be much more interesting, my home life a little more exciting, and my son a whole lot more better behaved.  This is nothing special and most of us feel this way. What I am talking about is my overall health and well being especially when it comes to my eating.

As you may know I have been working on “eating clean” and I am slowly finding out that this is the thing that has been missing.  The PATH program focuses on loving your food and eating in control.  One learns through the program that there are many factors that cause us to overeat, and more importantly, overeat food that wreaks havoc on your body.  The control aspect has always been a huge problem for me and I have eaten more in response to stress and general malaise than I have because I am hungry.  Identifying when I am hungry and when I am full is key in control.  Identifying why I am eating is even a bigger factor to me being in control.  Furthermore knowing that I am human and mistakes will happen but I have it within me to be able to break the chain of overeating is the icing on the cake, if you will.  All of these things have been missing in my 58 years of existence and I have finally realized that now have the burger.

The Right Stuff

About a week ago I received a visit from the ergonomic specialist at work.  She determined that I needed a new chair, keyboard holder, and monitor stand.  I was at first skeptical as I was unsure that any of those things would help with my aching shoulder.  The equipment came, minus the monitor platform, a few days later and it was installed in about 10 minutes.   My chair is more fitted to my stature and quite a bit stiffer.  No longer do I have the opportunity to lean back in my chair without really trying to which helps me sit up straighter.  My chair was at the right height immediately and didn’t really need to be adjusted aside from the lumbar support.  The foot stool has the appropriate height and tilt and is far better than the inverted trash can I was using.  True, I can’t put my feet up all the way, but it does seem to help with the cold feet problem I have recently been having.

Ergonomics is a fairly new science at least as it is concerned in the workplace.  They have found that with the proper adjustments to your workspace you can avoid suffering from repetitive strain injuries keeping costs down for employees who might suffer from disabilities.  I already have carpal tunnel syndrome which was really caused by the repetitive movement of my right arm using a mouse that was not in the proper position for years.  The doctor didn’t realize it was my shoulder until I went to a hand therapist who determined that my hand problem was really due to the shoulder problem and having to compensate.  That was back then and it has never really gone away, but with the new adjustments to the work space will help to keep the pain at bay, I think.  Only time will tell if I can really feel a difference now that the things are in place.

I am really lucky as I am somewhat ambidextrous and when my right hand was bothering me so much I switched to a track ball with my left, a suggestion made by the specialist. That was several years ago and I have not switched back since.  My old keyboard tray had to be somewhat butchered as the mouse tray was securely on the right side not taking into account we left-handers and I had quite a bit of wrangling that I had to do to remove it from the right and put it on the left.  This new tray can have the mouse on either side with no problem.  That alone is a major improvement because I could never really get it right with the old one.  So with the newer equipment, I hope I will see improvements over time in how my shoulder and hand feel.  As my stepfather used to say, it’s only up from here!

New Way of Eating

My place of employment has implemented a variety of health related programs this year that are designed to put money into your health fund to help defray costs for medical coverage if you take advantage of them.  One of the things they are doing is helping one eat properly.  I made an appointment with the nutritionist, but her calendar is very full and my appointment isn’t until the end of this month.  Last month they brought in Dr. Will Clower , author of the book The French Don’t’ Diet Plan.  I just started reading it a few days ago and it is very refreshing.

For years I have been battling my weight which has slowly become much harder to lose.  Things are really different now than they were in college.  I remember crash dieting for a dance eating only lettuce and water for 2 weeks and losing 10 pounds to fit into the most amazing dress I had back then.  Now I get physically ill if I eat that way, not to mention extremely cranky and ready to bite someone’s head off if they approach within 10 feet.  At any rate, dieting now is a challenge for me.  Furthermore, the more I have learned about the foods we eat these days, the more convinced I am that all the stuff they put in the food you buy in the grocery store is design to kill you.  Dr. Clower confirmed that assumption.  According to him high fructose corn syrup (HFCS) is practically the invention of the devil and the number one cause for weight gain in America.  Read the labels and you can’t get anything in a bottle, can, or box without ingredients that will make your eyes swim trying to pronounce it.  His favorite saying in the book is “if it doesn’t grow from the ground or have a mommy and daddy, you should not eat it.”

So long story short, I am fully subscribing to ridding my life of processed foods, HFCS, and all the crap that companies use to manufacture our food; it’s fresh or not for me from now on.  Hopefully if his theories are right my health, weight, and disposition, should be drastically improved in no time. 

Returns

So last year I before I took my leave of absence to work on a political campaign, I was diligently going to the gym and trying to at least keep somewhat fit.  I stopped doing any kind of exercise after it started getting dark in the morning and I couldn’t ride my bike.  I was working all kinds of crazy hours and by the time I got home not only was it dark but I was exhausted.  Now that I am back on a very regular schedule, I signed up for the gym.

My employer provides an on-site gym and you would think that I would take advantage of it without a second thought.  Let’s face it.  Like half the population out there, I am lazy and hate to exercise.  But I have been trying to lose this winter weight and get in better shape (aren’t I ALWAYS), so I decided I needed to get back into the gym.  I also have to keep up the exercise on my bad knee and not undo the great outcome from the physical therapy I had last year.

My first time is next week.  I need time to get back in the routine of things and I am giving myself a little “me-time” before jumping right into it.  I have to set myself up for this and arrange the schedule in my head to make room for this.  When my brain is engaged, my body will follow?  One can only hope…

Pressure

Over the last year, I have developed high blood pressure. My doctor gave me medication for it but I don’t want to take it as I don’t like depending on drugs. I have stopped going to that doctor anyway and am looking for a doctor that won’t pump me full of artificial things to get me out of the office rather than try to find the reason for it and fix that. Whenever I feel as if my blood pressure is too high I try to relax and think of something that is calming. Looking at pictures of flowers and plants helps. I tried to fantasize about some muscle bound hunk taking advantage of me, but I think that makes things worse.

Gardening really helps with the stress levels. There is something about getting among the plants and digging in the dirt that helps unwind the tight muscles and sooth the frazzled nerves. But it is winter and there is not much to do in the garden now, so I have to resort to looking online at various garden blogs and fantasizing about which flowers I am going to buy and what my garden could look like. That, and maybe a cup of herbal tea. Oh well, got to get back to work now.