Links to traditional foods diet, part 7

[barleychown]

Tina asked:

"Ok, it is not the sweetening we object to so much as the way it is manufactured, right? I read so much when I first began that I am getting reasons for deleting mixed up."

about HFCS.

To me, there are multiple reasons. Mercury is found in it. Studies have shown that even if you consume the same number of calories, those consuming HFCS gain more weight. It isn't digested the same as sugar. These are just a few reasons...

I'm still removing/replacing things in my kitchen. It's sad, really...it's found in so many things.

[Tina]

Thank you.

[barleychown]

Happy to help.

Mike has noticed, more and more, he can see a difference in his moods depending on what he's been eating. He seems to be very sensitive to the dyes they use in so many things...

[Tina]

Oh no! Those poor red M&M's! Yes. I know that is next on the list. I really have changed as I've aged. I really like my food naturally colored. A pile of colorful vegetables is more appealing that a decorated twinkie. Or a piece of meat nicely browned on the outside and pinker and pinker as you get to the middle. Food is lovely by itself.
And it is great that you have Mike on board.

[barleychown]

 More like those poor red slurpees. 

He wasn't an easy sell, at first...but the more he read, the more he wanted to change. It really helps that a coworker of his is in the same boat.

[Tina]

A coworker is in the same boat how? His wife is also altering the meal plan?

[Triss]

Those food dyes affect us as well.  We have done well to keep red out of the house but on the rare occasion we do get it, I see differences in both Charlie and Zack.

[barleychown]

The coworker and family eat natural meats, coconut oil, ect...so now Mike doesn't think I'm a lone crackpot. 

Triss, that's great that you are avoiding it too...I found it, and MSG, in my favorite doritos.

[sunsoaker]

MSG?? In Dorito's? Hmm. MSG makes my ankles and legs swell.

[barleychown]

In doritos specifically, it's even listed on the label as MonoSoduim Glutimate...not one of the more sneaky names.

[sunsoaker]

Well its good that I don't normally eat Doritos anyway then.    But I have to be careful where I eat oriental food at due to MSG

[barleychown]

Luckily, there are two Chinese resturants here that do not use MSG. I did find it on the label of jerky though.

[Jessica]

You will have to make your own, Sarah (jerky that is).  It is frustrating to read labels.  I don't understand why they put all of these unnecessary ingredients in our food.

[Triss]

Things like Doritos are one of the ways red food dye does get into their diets but not very often at all.  I did not know about the MSG thought. 

[bestofour]

I watched Oprah this afternoon and she had vegans or people who are veganish on.  I tried this once before and thought it was too harsh but it seems so healthy and my niece and her boyfriend are vegans so I thought I'd look it up and try it again.  My nieces boyfriend has been vegan all his life, has never even tasted meat or dairy, white flour or refined sugar unless by accident BUT he's a little soft or fluffy chubby if you get what I mean.  You'd think he'd be on the thin side and I'm not saying he's fat but he's not as firm as you'd think a 29 year old vegan would be in my head anyway.

So I went on line to look up vegan breakfast ideas and the majority of them use pretend ingredients;  margarine substitute, sausage substitute, cheese substitute


Several of the substitutes  have annatto which is a dye and when I looked it up I found "Food dyes can sometimes cause allergic reactions. It can be difficult to pin down the source of the reaction, since so many dyes are added to processed foods. Children seem to be especially susceptible to additives like annatto. If allergic reactions cannot be linked with common allergens like wheat, dairy, or nuts, testing for sensitivity to food dyes may be a good idea."

The meat substitute I looked up has methylcellulose listed and when I looked it up I found "Do not use methylcellulose without first talking to your doctor if you have stomach (abdominal) pain, nausea, vomiting, or difficulty swallowing.  Cellulose is not digestible by humans."  This was the burger that was voted "Our juicy meatless burger was voted Best Veggie Burger 2009 by Vegetarian Times"

I then found this site Vegetarian Organic Life which is written by a woman who was a vegan for 20 years, had great medical exams, then at 44 went to the doc to find that she was deficient in B12, iron, vitamin D.  Her thyroid was out of whack too.  So now she's eating wild caught salmon and free range hand gathered eggs once a week.

As deligent as this person was she was still not getting enough nutrients and started being dizzy , tired with migraines that sent her to the doctor.

It seems people need to eat real food and not stuff that holds other stuff together like a lot of the vegan food sources I looked up.

[sunsoaker]

Yes, in my opinion, the best diet is: if you can grow it (plant food) or raise it (animal food) then you can eat it. If it is processed in any way, then its not good for you. But it is very hard to eat that without being a farmer and/or rancher. Even the veggies and a lot of meats in the grocery have all kinds of additives.

The guy you were talking about being soft, Sheri, was probably not getting enough protien. Muscles need protien, and muscles burn fat, so it would make sense that he was "pudgy and soft".

All this coming from a fat girl. 

[Tina]

I live near Loma Linda hospital. You may have heard of it because it does big things with heart transplants and a lot of children things. The town of Loma Linda was settled by Seventh Day Adventists. They are vegetarian and the hospital serves no meat dishes. I had friends in college from there that grew up eating no meat and such. They loved a good burger.
The original foods that were manufactured to resemble meat were horrid but basic ingredients without a lot of additives. They have made a lot more stuff over the years and I guess the taste has improved but the ingredient list has not. It is scary.
I am still reading labels and looking for the fewest, simplest ingredients.

[bestofour]

I have heard of Loma Linda.

Another question I have is why do people who don't eat meat and dairy want substitutes for meat and dairy.  I was looking for recipes that were vegan with regular food ingredients.  And if I'm going to eat a grilled cheese sandwich I want the cheese to melt.   All of the vegan cheeses I looked at talked about how they melt so it must be a problem.  What do they put in cheese that won't melt?

[sunsoaker]

I've not met a vegan that is truly healthy without taking a lot of supplements. They are out there but most don't truly do it right. I couldn't. Too many foods I'd miss that are good still good for you.

[Tina]

Yes, it always bothered me that they wanted foods that looked like banned things.
If I went vegetarian I could do it. But would still eat my own foods and not those made up wannabes. I doubt I could do vegan. Like today I had pasta with veggies for breakfast (with real butter). I don't eat meat every day. But I do usually have cheese on days I don't.

[bestofour]

I don't eat meat every day and I could even do without dairy, probably, if I could figure out what to eat all the time and keep it in the house.  I've read Marilu Henner's book and I think most of her stuff is real food but it's very expensive stuff and I can't find most of it around here.  Monroe doesn't have specialty shops.

[bestofour]

So I have to eat my words here (purely vegan words I'm sure).  Marilu must have changed a little since her original book from way back when.  I just went online and looked t some of her current recipes and she's added fish to them.  So there you go.  She needed a little meat too.

[bestofour]

Here I am again eating my words.  I just read that as of March 2010 Marilu has decided not to eat fish anymore.  Here is her sample day.  I'd starve.

Breakfast: 1 glass of fruit juice (without any added sugar) or a piece of fresh fruit with oatmeal.

Lunch: Tuna Salad.

Snack: Fresh veggies, such as carrots, broccoli or cauliflower.

Dinner: Caesar salad with light dressing and non-dairy cheese; whole grain pasta.

[sunsoaker]

Where's her protien?

[bayou girl]

sheri, tuna salad is fish   when i get home, i'll put the rest of my 2 cents worth here