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I've recently read Michael Pollen's books, “The Omnivore's Dillema” and “In Defense of Food” (the latter was really a longer version of his New York Times article “Unhappy Meals” which you can find online. It's really good if you're not into buying “In Defense of Food”.).
ANYWAY, I like what he has to say about getting back to eating foods your Grandmother or Greatgrandmother would recognize. I believe the so-called “western diet” weakens our immunity and leaves us vulnerable to disease…. and not just heat disease.
I'm also gluten free, dairy (mostly) free, soy free, msg free and sugar low. Is anyone interested in discussing food, recipes, alternatives to western meals, ethnic foods (how DO you make sushi??? My attempts have been inedible.) and the like?
I believe I feel better partly because of my dietary intervention along with the AP. I've come a long way over the last two years. I can recognize all the herbs … FRESH HERBS.. not just when they're in a glass bottle with a lable!!;) And I use Teff (Ethiopian grain), coconut flour and tarragon… This from the woman who thought In and Out Burger was a gourmet version of McDonalds. Yes. I've come a long way.
Anyone read M.P.s books?
Jenn
Before I knew about AP (even though I was on it, ha), I thought this diet change was the most important part of my recovery. My husband and I are both on it – although I'm dairy free 100%, he can have goats cheese. Even though he's gluten free 100%, I can have Rye. Sugar and preservatives etc are out too – but I have trouble with the sugar occasionally still.
We basically had to go back to cooking everything from scratch. My doctor has a recipe book, and that has come in handy – especially for banana muffins! Yum! The hardest part is traveling and eating out, and friends wanting to feed us – its hard to explain that we can't eat their food without sounding rude. 🙁
I dream that some day I can grow my own food, have fresh eggs.. etc. We pay a lot more for the “luxury” of eating organic fruit and veg.
Of course, I'm very interested on any topic that is food related! I'm willing to share recipes that I've got! 😀
HEY! You have no dx, too!
I found myself standing in the produce aisle two years ago at the age of 37, asking strangers..”Excuse me. Is this dill?”.:D Omg. I knew nothing about real food. And isn't that scary? It's so very basic to our survival!!!
I've tried twice to grow an herb garden, but it always gets out of hand…. things flower before I get to them.. and the bugs… then die. I get some good use before the end, but it's a bummer that I can't figure out how to keep them going. I just got a rosemary bush at Christmas. That won't die. Where do you live? Climate wise. You could get a rosemary tree. They grow like a weed, but don't always survive really cold climates. If you kept it in a pot, you could bring it indoors. That's what my aunt, in New York, does.
Taragon is the newest herb I've disovered. I got it for a chicken pot pie I was making. It's so good. Great in salad. Just chop it up- use a lot. It's got a great flavor that does something unique to the food you add it too. I think it would be fantastic in chicken salad. Oooh.. 😛
Because we're dairy (mostly) free, we've found a great dip recipe I'll share… You use your favorite hummus flavor… add chopped dill and toasted onions. It's great. It's also great as a spread on a sandwhich. I used it for a “raw” collard wrap sandwich last week. It had the hummus mix, and all sorts of colorful veggies I'd picked up. I wrapped it in a giant collard green leaf. EXCELLENT.
I've come so far so quickly. I had to. We actually need to eat everyday, here!;)
I found one of the most difficult things to remove was msg. It's hidden in everything! There's no broth out there without msg. OH, they call it “yeast extract” or hydrolized this or that… but it's msg.
Have you read “The China Study”? It's about meat mostly. It's a real page turner. We're down to one night of chicken and one night of fish each week.
If you haven't read that one, I recommend it.
So, what are some of your recipes?
Jenn
I havn't seriously looked into growing anything here in South Australia as yet. We have a back concrete area that gets no sun in the winter, and full sun in the summer. We've covered it with shade-cloth, but it only helps so much. When I lived in Victoria, it was a cooler climate, and I was able to grow some herbs (rosemary, thyme and basil) without too much fuss, and I grew tomatoes too, which taste amazing home-grown. A lot of work, and water, though. I felt guilty using the water in a drought, so I stopped and they died, but not before getting some great tomatoes out of them! Winters are cold here, but not very frosty from what I've experienced (I've only been here for one winter so far).
We mostly eat vegetables steamed, with no sauces or special preperation. It took a while to get use to, but they all have a flavour of their own. 🙂 I would love to get more fish into our diet – My fish-skill is limited to: Take fillet of fish – put lemon juice on it – wrap in tin-foil – put in a saucepan – pour water in till it's part-way up the foil/fish – simmer very lightly for a few minutes or untill the fish comes away with a fork easily. That's all I remember about fish from cookery. 😉
We eat a chook (chicken) about once a week already. I'm having trouble with red meat at the moment. The smell puts me off, and the taste is fatty. Chicken is the best – I roast it, and make a “stuffing” too. Stuffing is made from a few peices of “allowed” bread, 1 egg, mixed herbs (I'm using dried due to lack of fresh), chives – all blended together, and then a sprinkling of currents. I've found a place that sells chooks for $6 each – they claim they're “free range”, but I didn't see it running around.. so I'll be skeptical. I know it tastes pretty good though. We use leftovers for home-made pizza – my husband's favorite! The trouble with pizza is getting the base right. I don't even mind not having cheese! There is a pre-mix base available here from Orgran, but it's a little hard to get down my way (and when I did find it, it was a lot of $). That was nice, but I made my own, and it was almost as good – except I made it too dry and thick.. I'm getting better with each one though! :roll-laugh: Since I can't have tomato paste, I made the pizza sauce from a little olive oil and tamari and basil. Tamari is a soy-sauce alternative made from soy. It's very good, but I have to use it very sparingly. (Lets just say, the results of overuse are extreme.. :?)
I understand about the MSG – Vegemite is totally yeast extract. 😛 There is an alternative though, which is Vege Spread by Freedom Foods. I was using it waaaaaay before I knew I needed to – just because it tastes ALMOST as good, and without the “addiction” you get from Vegemite usually. No gluten or dairy either, which is nice.
Hope I havn't written a novel. I will post the banana muffin recipe next time!! 😀
Hi Jenn.
I think it's a great idea to swap recipes. I must confess that I eat whatever I want but try to eat more healthy (choose seafood over red meat) but I give in to my sweet tooth pretty regularly (in small doses). You certainly have come a long way! I love hummus and have actually gotten my 4 year old to dip apple slices in it!
It is very hard to cook from scratch when both parents work and the kids are hungry within 20 min. of getting home. So I would love recipes that are relatively easy and fast but of course tasty enough to appeal to toddlers. Tonight we relied on a rotisserie chicken from the store and we cooked green beans and rice pilaf.
What do you recommend for packing a lunch for work? I love soups because our cafeteria is usually freezing and I have secondary Raynaud's. Anyone have good soup recipes?
Susan(SD, AP 16 mos)
Hi Susan…your mention of rotisserie chicken reminded me of a homemade recipe I use for soup. After I roast a chicken for the family, I just take all the leftover chicken and veg (I usually make extra) and throw it and any leftover gravy in the blender with some water and it makes a lovely, nutritious soup. We often have this the next night and it only takes a couple minutes to make and heat up. You could even package the soup in small microwavable containers, freeze them and take them to work with you on days you fancy some hot, homemade soup. 😀
Peace, Maz
Good morning:
I am in remission with MCTD for 2 years. I have been on AP protocol for 3 years. I did several other things that I feel contributed to my improved health.
First I began taking B12 shots.
Second, I began seeing a counselor who specialized in chronic disease. His support has been invaluable.
Third: I began allergy shots for food allergies. I never would have figured out the allergies on my own because they were so sneaky. I am allergic to every food there is, but the allergist began the shots and told me to only avoid the foods that are at the top of my allergen list. I am violently allergic to:
yeast, barley, corn, chocolate, peanuts, and apples.
All of these foods have a yeast base behind them. Barley is extremely difficult to avoid. When malt is listed as a food additive, or maltodextrin, there is no way to know if corn is the base, or barley. Either way I must avoid it. Corn is in most ready made foods.
Fortunately I am a great cook, and have always been an old fashioned country cook. I just change a few things around when I cook. I am thrilled to be back on the board. I would love to share some of my recipes.
I also have to avoid soy because I am a cancer survivor, and my oncologist told me to avoid soy. I use soy sauce in a couple of my recipes, but never eat any other soy product.
I am free of all gastritis, yeast problems, reflux, etc.
Phebagirl.
I also read “The Omnivore's Dilemma”, a great book.
http://www.rachaelray.com/recipe.php?recipe_id=1589&r=1049,354,36,26,727,615,386,502,59,512,1596
This tuna burger recipe is the best ever. I've made it so many times, I can do it in my sleep. I've passed it along to all my friends, and it's a hit with all the kids. It's just so tasty. You can do it on a bun or off. I cook them in a bit of coconut oil. It gives fish a tropical island flavor. 😀
Here is a quick meal idea:
Pasta (we use gluten free fusili or something like that), 5 or more cloves of garlic sort of cut up a bit, cherry tomatoes cut in half, a gigantic bunch of fresh basil chopped, olive oil, good salt and pepper.
Cook the garlic with your pasta. Drain. Smoosh the garlic chunks against the side of your bowl with a fork. Mix in all the other ingredients. Yum.
Chicken curry salad on lettuce wraps is really good. I keep it simple enough. You can add or delete what you want. My chicken curry has chopped cooked chicken, mayo, yellow raisins, sliced almonds, and curry to taste, and salt and pepper. I use white pepper for this salad. I don't know why. It doesn't matter, honestly. I use great big lettuce leaves as wraps. You can add onions, tomatoes, shredded carrots… Or put the salad on a bed of salad greens. I do that for dinner. The wraps are a lunch thing around here.
Lentils (green ones) and brown rice in peppers. I get multicolored peppers and stuff them with prepared lentils and brown rice. I have already mixed the lentils and rice with some tomato sauce, garlic salt, pepper, and diced onions. (dice the onions really small). Then I cover with a spoonfull of tomato sauce (or spaghetti sauce. that's what I use) and bake until the peppers are getting soft the way we like them. You can also wrap cabbage leaves with this mixture.
Thanks Jenn for the recipe ideas (where do you live and can I invite myself over for dinner? 😉 ) …. I will have to try them.
I am pretty fortunate – my kids are pretty good eaters. Tonight they ate sweet baked potatoes. I love the baked peppers stuffed with lentils and rice idea. I really need to work more beans into my diet to replace red meat.
Hi
I have been reading about the foods that contain Arichidonic Acid (AA). Apparently this AA is the inflammation causing substance and if we already have high inflammation as in RA, Lupus, heart disease and asthama etc. we should be aware not to go over a certain amount per day. For instance an egg yolk is very high in AA and well over than the days allowance.
This information is availble on line if you google “arachidonic acid” and lots of information is available so you don't need to read a book as I did.
I would be very grateful if you would let me know what you think about this. Also the recipes are a brilliant idea but I was lead to believe that tomatoes and lemons any citric fruit are to left alone.
Please help! PS I have just invested in a very expensive juicer to help me!
Rosemary :blush:
I highly recommend the Yahoo Group “Vegan_Gluten Free” Lots of recipes there, including some cool stuff in the files like a step-by-step on how to make sushi (with photos). Opportunity to post questions and interact with others on a similar diet. Great resource!
Rosey
The link below will give you why certain foods are not good for arthritics and it's not about acids.http://www.fedupwithfoodadditives.info/factsheets/Factarthritis.htm
Be well! Lynnie
Palindromic RA 30 yrs (Chronic Lyme?)
Mino 2003-2008 100mg MWF - can no longer tolerate any tetracyclines
rotating abx protocol now. From Sep 2018 MWF - a.m. Augmentin Duo 440mg + 150mg Biaxsig (roxithromycin). p.m. Cefaclor (375mg) + Klacid 125mg + LDN 3mg + Annual Clindy IV's
Diet: no gluten, dairy, sulphites, low salicylates
Supps: 600mg N-AC BID, 1000mg Vit C, P5P 40mg, zinc picolinate 60mg, Lithium orotate 20mg, Magnesium Oil, Bio-identical hormones (DHEA + Prog + Estrog)Good grief, Lynnie. I'll have nothing left to eat.
Actually, veggies do my body good. I have just learned from a genetic test aimed at identifying my ability to detox that I need to eat lots of cruciferous veggies. Since the article I read says too much salicylate is harmful to everyone, I feel I must surely be at risk.
Through two years of intensively identifying the right diet for me, I have found I have a sensitivity to milk and soy proteins, red bell pepper, egg whites, lettuce, halibut and lobster. Avoiding these foods keeps my symptoms to a minimum.
Now I find I am genetically unable to detox certain toxins of which NSAIDS and Antibiotics are included. I need lots of veggies. Then I read your post and the links and I think “what's left?”
Actually, I am relatively painfree as it stands and I am not going to try anything else yet. Still, I will read up on it more and perhaps be sure I rotate my choices of veggies.
Susan
I know how you feel Susan! At the moment (on my AP doc's advice) I've started a reduction and what what will be an elimination diet. This should tell me what I'm sensitive/intolerant to – it's different for different people. Hopefully, it's not the lot………or I may shoot myself!
Be well! Lynnie
Palindromic RA 30 yrs (Chronic Lyme?)
Mino 2003-2008 100mg MWF - can no longer tolerate any tetracyclines
rotating abx protocol now. From Sep 2018 MWF - a.m. Augmentin Duo 440mg + 150mg Biaxsig (roxithromycin). p.m. Cefaclor (375mg) + Klacid 125mg + LDN 3mg + Annual Clindy IV's
Diet: no gluten, dairy, sulphites, low salicylates
Supps: 600mg N-AC BID, 1000mg Vit C, P5P 40mg, zinc picolinate 60mg, Lithium orotate 20mg, Magnesium Oil, Bio-identical hormones (DHEA + Prog + Estrog)
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