Tis The Season!

I hope you have a wonderful holiday season! My wish for you is a Happy & Healthy 2014.

Merry Christmas!

Christmas Play List ~ Some Old Some New ~ Perfect Mix!

I am loving this Christmas play list. I cleaned house to it yesterday and it just put me in a great mood...thought I'd share it with you!

Enjoy!

 

Specific Carbohydrate Diet

I  just had to share this website with you. I have a friend whose child has autism and she is eating a wheat, soy, nut, and dairy free diet but she isn't getting the results she wants. So I did some surfing and found this amazing site. I really think they are onto something and if you have Crohn's, Celiac, Autism, Irritable Bowel, etc...I think it's worth checking out. I think for those of you who may not see results for your ADHD child you might want to research this and give it a try.



SCDLifeStyle

(click in the link)

What is the Specific Carbohydrate Diet?

The Specific Carbohydrate Diet (SCD) is a group of foods which are grain-free, sugar-free, starch-free, and unprocessed.  While removing many foods that are toxic and digestively harmful the diet remains natural, extremely nourishing and representative of what our ancestors ate.
Eating SCD is a way to “re-boot” your digestion and give you an overall health boost.  The diet will probably have you feeling better than ever even if you don’t have any intestinal damage.  But if you are one of the lucky few who needs a bit of digestive support this diet was created especially for you.

Where Did SCD Come From?

The principles of SCD were laid down by Dr. Sidney Valentine as he treated Celiacs and other IBD patients in the 1950s.  One of his patients was Elaine Gottschall’s daughter who at the time was very sick with ulcerative colitis.  Dr. Haas helped Elaine’s daughter to achieve lasting remission through diet and the use of fermented foods.
Elaine Gottschall then dedicated her life to researching the diet – gut connection.  She coined the named the Specific Carbohydrate Diet and released the science and ground rules in her life’s work “Breaking the Vicious Cycle, Intestinal health through diet”.
Breaking the Vicious Cycle is the reason we are here today and.  We are very grateful for all the hard work that Elaine put into it and we think everyone should own a copy or two.

What Science is Behind the Specific Carbohydrate Diet?

The diets guidelines are based on the fact that not everyone’s digestive tract has evolved to optimally digest complex carbohydrates and other man made food products like sugar. The main principle of the diet is that carbohydrates are classified by their chemical structure; they are monosaccharide, disaccharide, or polysaccharide. On the diet only monosaccharide carbohydrates are allowed to be eaten as all others require extra digestion steps to break the chemical bonds down to monosaccharide carbohydrates.
Any food that is not properly digested causes bacterial and yeast overgrowth when undigested carbohydrates are fed on by bacteria and yeast in the intestinal tract. This starts a chain reaction of excess toxins and acids which cause irritation of the small intestine cells damaging them and causing food absorption issues which only helps to continue the cycle.
The diet is an all natural way to break this cycle of bacteria and yeast overgrowth by eliminating the food sources they feed on. By working to restore gut flora to normal levels the intestinal tract is allowed to start repairing any damage by itself.

How Does the Specific Carbohydrate Diet Work?

By eliminating complex carbohydrates, lactose, sucrose and other man made ingredients from the digestive process, the body is finally allowed to start healing. As gut flora levels start to stabilize, the reduction of irritants from undigested foods, toxins and other man made ingredients allows inflammation levels to retreat.
This is accomplished by beginning the diet with extremely easy to digest, natural foods. This “intro diet” starts the healing the process and then more complex foods are added back to the diet very slowly. By carefully adding foods back to the diet the Specific Carbohydrate Diet is individually tailored to each person’s state of injury and digestion abilities.

What Do I Eat Already?

Below is a quick summary of the Do’s and Do NOTS.  Please check the official list before eating something.

Eat This:

Allowed Meats: Eggs, Chicken, Turkey, Beef, Fish, Pork, Wild Game, Bacon, Lamb
Allowed Vegetables: Fresh or frozen of most commonly eaten vegetables are acceptable (asparagus, beets, broccoli, brussel sprouts, cabbage, cauliflower, carrots, celery, cucumbers, eggplant, garlic, kale, lettuce, mushrooms, onions, peas, peppers, pumpkin, spinach, squash, string Beans, tomatoes and watercress) Click here for others
Allowed Fruits: Commonly found Fresh or Frozen or dried with nothing added are acceptable (apples, avocados, bananas (ripe with black spots), berries of all kinds, coconut, dates, grapefruit, grapes, kiwi fruit, kumquats, lemons, limes, mangoes, melons, nectarines, oranges, papayas, peaches, pears, pineapples, prunes, raisins, rhubarb, tangerines) Click here for others
Dairy: SCD Yogurt, natural 30 day aged Cow and Goat cheeses (not Kraft-see below), Butter, Ghee, and Dry Curd Cottage Cheese (DCCC).
Nuts: Almonds, Pecans, Brazil, Hazelnuts, Walnuts, Cashews, Chestnuts (no additives for butters, salted mixes and flours)
Legumes: Peanuts, White beans, Navy Beans, Lentils, Split Peas, Lima beans, Kidney beans, Black beans
Spices: Most non-mixed spices are allowed, screen for anti-caking agents, and make sure the ingredients are listed

Not This:

No CEREAL GRAINS: Wheat, Barley, Corn, Rye, Oats, Rice, Buckwheat, Millet, Triticale, Bulgur, Spelt, Quinoa
Not Allowed Meats: Ham, Processed Sausages, Lunch meats, Bratwurst, Turkey dogs, Hot dogs
Not Allowed Vegetables: Canned are not allowed due to the usual addition of sugars, processing aids and preservative chemicals.
Not Allowed Fruits: Canned and most fruit juices are not allowed due to the common addition of sweeteners, preservatives, and processing aids.
Not Allowed Legumes: Soybeans, chick peas, bean sprouts, mungbeans, fava beans, garbanzo beans
Dairy: Commercial yogurts, milk of any kind, unnatural cheeses (Kraft and most other main stream shredded cheeses fall into this group), all of the following cheeses: Cottage, Cream, Feta, Gejetost, Mozzarella, Neufchatel, Primost, Ricotta, Processed cheese spreads.
Starches/Tubers: Not allowed including Potatoes, Yams, Sweet potatoes, Arrowroot, Parsnip, Cornstarch, tapioca starch
Spices: No Curry powders, Most Onion and Garlic powders are filled with anti-caking agents

Drink This:

Weak tea or coffee, Water, Mineral Water, Club soda, Dry Wine, Gin, Rye, Scotch, Bourbon, Vodka

Not This:

Instant coffee, Most commercial juices, Milk, Soda Pop, Sweet Wines, Flavored Liqueurs, Brandy, Sherry

Sweeten With This:

Honey

Not This:

Sugar of any kind (Cane, Coconut, Table, etc), Agave syrup, Maple syrup, artificial sweeteners.
Ready to Get Started? Click Here Get Your Free Guide

Almond Butter & Rice Cakes

Love these for snacks. I always have them on hand and they are fast and easy for the kids to make.

Sometimes we put banana's, jam, or honey on top. I buy the almond butter from Costco and the rice cakes from Trader Joes.

 

 

Experts Link Food Dyes To Behavioral Problems In Kids

The excellent feature on the harmful effects of fake dyes on

children's behavior aired on the 10 pm news on February 2. You can view it at  Experts Link Food Dyes To Behavioral Problems In Kids « CBS Minnesota

MINNEAPOLIS (WCCO) — As busy parents, we don’t always make the healthiest choices for ourselves but when it’s meal time, we try to make the best choices for our kids.
We check food labels for whole grains, less fat and low sugar but something extra, added to everything from cereal to fresh fruit, could be causing behavior problems in children. Concerns about food dyes led manufacturers in other countries to change their recipes, but they’re still sold here.
Kelly King is certain of the difference food dyes make in her 6-year-old daughter Kendall.
“She’s always had a lot of energy,” King said.
Doctors diagnosed Kendall with ADHD last year and put her on powerful drugs.
“We were going to need to medicate her all day, then give her another pill at 4 p.m., then give her a medicine so she could sleep. It just didn’t feel right to me,” King said.
A few months ago, the King’s heard about a possible connection between dyes and hyperactivity. Within weeks of taking dyes out of her diet, Kendall didn’t need the medication.
“We’ve had amazing results.  She’s like a whole new child and she’s herself again,” King said.
King said it’s been much easier to find dye-free food than she thought. With what they used to spend on medication for Kendall, the cost of food has evened out.
Taking dyes out of kids’ diets is a big part of Dr. Arlen Lieberman’s practice.
“It’s definitely a big factor in what I look at when I talk to the parents is what kind of food are you giving your kid?” Lieberman said.
At the Golden Valley clinic he shares with his daughter, they’ve seen again and again the change food dyes make.
“They have risks and they have no benefit really the only benefit that they have is the look,” Dr. Krystle Lieberman said.
Food manufactures in the U.S. can use up to nine dyes in food. The dyes Red 40, Yellow 5 and Yellow 6 make up 90 percent of the market and cause the most concern.
Take a shopping trip and you’ll see them everywhere. They’re listed on a bright cereal box, even the more covert packaging of a pickle jar. From cough syrup to toothpaste, and waffles to crackers.
Synthetic dyes are sometimes even sprayed on fresh fruits to sharpen their shades.
Dr. David Wallinga at the Institute for Agriculture and Trade Policy said he believes the science is there for customers to be concerned. He cites more than two dozen studies that point to problems.  Most were done decades ago while we eat more dyes than ever before, a 5-fold increase in 50 years.
Wallinga said dyes mess with our metabolism. The yellow dyes deplete zinc levels enough in some kids, he said, to cause hyperactivity.
An added concern: The chemicals come from petroleum products that Wallinga said have shown carcinogenic to cause effects.

“There is no necessary reason to put petroleum dyes in food.  Period,” Dr. Wallinga said.

Countries across Europe have already responded to the controversy. For the most part, you won’t find the dyes in food on grocery store shelves. The European Union requires foods using synthetic dyes to carry a warning label.
Rather than scaring customers away, American companies like Kellogg’s, General Mills and Kraft did away with the synthetic dyes overseas.
“Why shouldn’t American consumers be treated with the same respect, and conversely, why should the U.S. be the dumping ground for worrisome food dyes?” Dr. Wallinga asked.
The FDA took up the issue last spring. Its scientists found that dyes could affect children who already have behavioral disorders. But the agency said most children won’t see a reaction. So the FDA voted against putting warning labels on foods, but it believes more research is still needed.
Some grocery chains, like Whole Foods, have made the decision themselves and won’t sell synthetic dyes.
Ted Labuza, a professor of Food and Science at the University of Minnesota, said he believes it comes down to customers making choices. While other countries operate out of precaution, he sees our system as limited.  In this country, food additives can’t be tested on people so scientists have to rely on several different factors for study results.
“There’s no way to be 100 percent safe. You can’t test your way to safety. You can’t inspect your way to safety,” Labuza said.
One potential solution to the food dye question is being developed in a small lab in St. Paul and planted in the ground in southwest Minnesota.
The company Suntava started as a way to breed corn resistant to common pests.  Scientists found something much more powerful in their purple corn, a compound called anthocyanin with more antioxidants than blueberries.
Suntava CEO Bill Petrich said it’s a huge find.
“I believe this is a game-changing technology that can positively affect many lives for years to come, ” Petrich said.  “I think the market is global, it’s not just U.S. it’s global.”
The research led to the realization of the corn’s potential as a natural color.  Natural food colors can be as much as 20 times more expensive to produce.
The Hopkins School District decided it was worth the investment.  It’s taken dramatic steps to get dyes out of its schools.
Barb Mechura, the school’s nutrition director, said it’s changed their approach to cooking.
“Our kitchen looks a little differently because we need additional equipment for scratch cooking,” Mechura said. “We don’t need as much room in the freezer right now because we don’t have all the frozen, manufactured foods.”
Cooks are constantly checking labels for food dyes and if they can’t find a natural substitute, it won’t be served.
An important part of the curriculum for all of their kids includes reading food labels. For the last few years, the district’s lunchrooms have been considered leaders in school nutrition. After making many changes, teachers said they see fewer outbursts in class.
“It makes sense that if we’re going to put a lot of synthetic and artificial stuff into it our cells aren’t going to have the energy they need to create a healthy body, a healthy brain, help us be happy,” Mechura said.
In a statement, the FDA said “Approved food color additives are considered safe. There has not been a cause and effect relationship established between color additives and hyperactivity in children.”
A spokesperson from General Mills said “We comply with all regulations where we do business and monitor global regulatory developments. Differences around the globe in product formulation have long existed, and are due to different laws or consumer preferences.”

The Feingold Program Pure Facts Newsletters are FREE!

The Feingold Program has all their newsletters from 1982 to 2012 free. Here's the link, Pure Facts Newsletter Archives.

These newsletters are packed full of great info! I think it would be absolutely worth your time to read through these.

This issue talks about probiotics and the gut, I hasn’t realized that The Feingold Program supported the use of probiotics.

Very interesting information. Be sure to check it out.

Herbal Supplements Often Contain Unlisted Ingredients

People who consume herbal products such as supplements may be getting more, or less, than they bargained for. Many of these products contain ingredients not listed on the label, a new study finds.
In the study, nearly 60 percent of herbal products tested contained plant substances not listed on the label. In nearly a third of products, the main ingredient was substituted with a different product. More than 20 percent of products contained fillers such as rice, wheat and soybeans, in addition to the main ingredient.
Overall, out of the 12 companies that produce herbal supplements included in the study, just two had products with no substitutions, fillers or contaminants, the researchers said. [5 Key Nutrients Women Need As They Age]

Such unlisted ingredients may pose health hazards for consumers, the researchers said. For example, one produced was labeled as St. John's wort, but actually contained the laxative plant Senna alexandrina. The laxative is not recommended for long turn use, and can cause serious side effects, such as chronic diarrhea and liver damage.
Other products contaminated with walnut leaves, wheat, soybeans and rice might pose problems for people with allergies or those seeking gluten-free products, said study researcher Steven Newmaster, an integrative biology professor and botanical director of the University of Guelph's Biodiversity Institute of Ontario.
"A consumer has a right to see all of the plant species used in producing a natural product on the list of ingredients," Newmaster said.
The researchers analyzed 44 herbal products sold in the United States and Canada, using a gene sequencing technique called DNA barcoding to identify the plant species present in the products. (DNA barcodes are short gene sequences that are indicative of a particular species.)
About 50 percent of the products did contain the main ingredient, but around 30 percent of these also contained contaminants or fillers.
In the United States, herbal products are considered dietary supplements, and unlike drugs they do not need approval by the Food and Drug Administration before they come to market. However, the FDA can take action to recall a product if it is found to be unsafe after it hits the market.
The findings of the new study are consistent with earlier work. For example, a 2011 study of 131 herbal tea products found that 33 percent were contaminated. Still, the estimates from the new study should be interpreted with caution, and refined with further research, because the study tested products from just 12 out of the 1,000 companies that make herbal products.
The study was published Oct. 11 in the journal BMC Medicine.

*Buy from a good brand and one that has been tested.

Studies Show that Diet May Trigger Adverse Behavior in Children

    WASHINGTON — In a new review of two dozen scientific studies, the nonprofit Center for Science in the Public Interest (CSPI) contends that food dyes and certain foods can adversely affect children’s behavior. CSPI, in a 32-page report titled “Diet, ADHD, and Behavior,” charges that federal agencies, professional organizations, and the food industry ignore the growing evidence that diet affects behavior.

     The report cites 17 controlled studies that found that diet adversely affects some children’s behavior, sometimes dramatically. Most of the studies focused on artificial colors, while some also examined the effects of milk, corn, and other common foods. The percentage of children who were affected by diet and the magnitude of the effect varied widely among the studies. Six other studies did not detect any behavioral effect of diet.

     “It makes a lot more sense to try modifying a child’s diet before treating him or her with a stimulant drug,” said Dr. Marvin Boris, a pediatrician in Woodbury, New York, whose 1994 study found that diet affected the behavior of two-thirds of his subjects. "Health organizations and professionals should recognize that avoiding certain foods and additives can greatly benefit some troubled children."

     Several experts on diet and behavior joined Boris today calling on Donna Shalala, Secretary of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), to encourage parents and professionals to modify children’s diets before resorting to drug treatment. They asked HHS to undertake new research into the link between diet and behavior and to “consider banning synthetic dyes in foods and other products (such as cupcakes, candies, sugary breakfast cereals, vitamin pills, drugs, and toothpaste) widely consumed by children.” Those experts include Ted Kniker, University of Texas Health Science Center at San Antonio, and Joseph Bellanti, Georgetown University Medical Center.

     ADHD’s main symptoms are reduced attentiveness and concentration, excessive levels of activity, distractibility, and impulsiveness. An estimated three to five percent of school-age children have ADHD, though some surveys put the percentage as high as 17 percent. Stimulant drugs, such as Ritalin and amphetamines, are often highly effective in reducing the symptoms of ADHD, and millions of children have been treated with them. One recent study found that 18 to 20 percent of fifth-grade white boys in two cities had been diagnosed with ADHD and were being treated with stimulant drugs.

     Ritalin and other drugs sometimes cause side effects, including reduced appetite, stomachaches, and insomnia. A 1995 study conducted by the federal government’s National Toxicology Program (NTP) found that Ritalin caused liver tumors in mice.

     “The NTP study sends a strong warning that Ritalin may cause cancer—in the liver or other organs—in humans. Millions of young children take Ritalin for long periods of time, and children may be especially vulnerable. It would be prudent for HHS to discourage doctors from prescribing Ritalin, especially in the absence of an explicit warning about the cancer risk,” says Samuel Epstein, professor of occupational and environmental health at the School of Public Health, University of Illinois Medical Center in Chicago.

     Epstein and several other cancer specialists, including Emmanuel Farber, University of South Carolina School of Medicine, Marvin Legator, University of Texas Medical Branch at San Antonio, and Richard Clapp, Boston University, urged HHS to sponsor new animal and human studies on Ritalin and other stimulant drugs.

     “The Department of Health and Human Services should withdraw its printed and Internet documents that largely dismiss the effect of food ingredients on behavior. For starters, the FDA should halt distribution of a pamphlet on food additives that it co-published with an industry group, the International Food Information Council,” said Michael F. Jacobson, executive director of CSPI and lead author of the report. “It’s high time that the government — as well as doctors — provided the public with accurate information that might help many children.”

Gluten Free Bob's Red Mill Oats ~On Sale~ @ Vitacost

I use oats all the time. So I stock up when there's a sale. Vitacost is having a great sale right now.

Bob's Red Mill Gluten Free Whole Grain Rolled Oats -- 32 oz for $4.14. If you spend over $45 you can get free shipping too.

 

If you've never ordered from Vitacost click here and you can get $10 on your first order.
 

 Click on the pic to be taken to the deal.

Homemade Cranberry Sauce with Coconut Sugar

I was looking for a recipe to try out my coconut sugar on and cranberries are everywhere right now so naturally I made cranberry sauce.

This sauce came out really good! It’s a little on the sweet side so adjust your sugar for your taste.

Ingredients

4 cups of fresh cranberries

3/4 cups coconut sugar (you can use raw or white sugar too)

1 cup of water

1 whole orange finely chopped (yes, leave the skin on and be sure all the juice gets in the pot too)

1/4 teaspoon ground cloves

1/8 teaspoon ground cinnamon

1/2 cup of crushed pineapple, drained (I used canned)

 

Wash cranberries, picking through and tossing out the bad ones. Set aside.

Bring sugar, and water to a light boil. Add cranberries, orange, and spices. Simmer over medium flame. Stir often. You’ll hear the berries pop open as they cook. When almost all of them have popped turned off the heat and stir in the crushed pineapple. Cool and serve. The sauce will thicken as it cools. I also used the back of my spoon to crush the berries a little.

Costco & Trader Joe’s Haul

I get quite of few emails asking what I buy at what store and how much is it. I just went and did a shopping trip and I took pics of the haul. I also took pics of the receipts so you can see prices.

 Below are three new items from Costco that I'm looking forward to trying. We've never eaten black rice...not sure how to use it....

 

Costco Receipt

 

Trader Joe's Receipt

Beginning A Elimination Diet ~Allergy ~ ADHD~

When you remove wheat, dairy, soy (and anything else your ADHD child is reacting to) it’s a daunting process. Where do I begin, what do I feed my child, what should I expect, etc…? I found an awesome site with lots of information on allergy / elimination diet.

 

The site provides tips, guidelines, things to watch out for, a shopping list, menu ideas, and recipes.

If you are considering trying an elimination diet for you or your child this is a wonderful resource. I’d highly recommend you print it out and keep it on hand.

http://global.oup.com/us/companion.websites/9780195371109/pdf/00_Mullin_Appendix_3.pdf

I also really like this website for recipes. You can search for a particular recipe (dairy free, wheat free, soy free, corn free, nut free etc) by the food you are avoiding. Makes it easy.

Theallergymenu.com

Breakfast Muffins ~ Packed with Protein

I love these breakfast muffins because they refrigerate and reheat well and they are so easy to grab on the go.

Some mornings we are so busy, rushing to get out the door and I don’t want Johnny to skip a meal or just grab something less nutritious simply because there's no time. It’s nice to have these in the frig.

Ingredients

10 eggs 

 4 pieces of cooked bacon chopped (I used Trader Joe's)

1 precooked potato chopped (I used a small one)

1/2 cup chopped scallions (green onion)

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper

1/4 teaspoon garlic powder

1/8 cup water

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Grease muffin pan (I used coconut oil. Don’t skip this step because these will stick!)

Beat eggs in a large bowl. Stir in scallions, potato, salt, pepper, and garlic powder. Mix in bacon. Spoon into muffin cups—until they are about half full.

Bake in preheated oven until a knife inserted near the center comes out clean, 20 to 25 minutes.

Cool on a wire rack and serve.

What I love about these muffins is you can put anything you want in them. Leftover, sausage, ham, bell peppers, spinach, etc…

When I left these on the rack to cool I went back into the kitchen to take a picture for you and all of them had been eaten but these three…I’ll have to get my pictures quicker…or keep a close eye on my family ;o)

Food Allergens, Sensitivities, ADHD & Taco Bell

There is nothing, except beverages at Taco Bell that doesn’t contain wheat, dairy, and soy.

You may think that a basic crunchy taco without the cheese is just beef, corn, lettuce and tomato...it's hard to believe there's wheat and soy in there!  

 

When you go through their list you’ll see that a lot of their items have all three—wheat, dairy, and soy in them so it’s a triple whammy! NOT good for a ADHD child!

 

 If you are short on time or out and about and are looking for a quick place to get a meal try and find somewhere else to eat.

 

 

Here’s Taco Bells list of allergens and sensitivities:

http://www.tacobell.com/nutrition/allergens

Study: Diet May Help ADHD Kids More Than Drugs

The study's lead author, Dr. Lidy Pelsser of the ADHD Research Centre in the Netherlands, writes in The Lancet that the disorder is triggered in many cases by external factors — and those can be treated through changes to one's environment.

"ADHD, it's just a couple of symptoms — it's not a disease," the Dutch researcher tells All Things Considered weekend host Guy Raz.

 

The way we think about — and treat — these behaviors is wrong, Pelsser says. "There is a paradigm shift needed. If a child is diagnosed ADHD, we should say, 'OK, we have got those symptoms, now let's start looking for a cause.' "

Pelsser compares ADHD to eczema. "The skin is affected, but a lot of people get eczema because of a latex allergy or because they are eating a pineapple or strawberries."

According to Pelsser, 64 percent of children diagnosed with ADHD are actually experiencing a hypersensitivity to food. Researchers determined that by starting kids on a very elaborate diet, then restricting it over a few weeks' time.

"It's only five weeks," Pelsser says. "If it is the diet, then we start to find out which foods are causing the problems."

Teachers and doctors who worked with children in the study reported marked changes in behavior. "In fact, they were flabbergasted," Pelsser says.

"After the diet, they were just normal children with normal behavior," she says. No longer were they easily distracted or forgetful, and the temper tantrums subsided.

Some teachers said they never thought it would work, Pelsser says. "It was so strange," she says, "that a diet would change the behavior of a child as thoroughly as they saw it. It was a miracle, a teacher said."

"In all children, we should start with diet research," she says. If a child's behavior doesn't change, then drugs may still be necessary. "But now we are giving them all drugs, and I think that's a huge mistake," she says.

"We have got good news — that food is the main cause of ADHD," she says. "We've got bad news — that we have to train physicians to monitor this procedure because it cannot be done by a physician who is not trained."

Link to the study: http://www.thelancet.com/journals/lancet/article/PIIS0140-6736(10)62227-1/abstract

Soy IS Bad For You

Soy is NOT a health food!

Soy is in everything! And I mean everything! If you eat a piece of bread, you’re eating soy, crackers -soy, salad dressing - soy, peanut butter-soy, mayonnaise-spy, Chinese food-soy, packaged nuts-soy...Soy is the hardest food to get away from. And it's so bad for you.


I am a healthy 48-year-old woman. An avid runner, I have followed primarily a vegetarian diet for over five years, and have always had excellent blood chemistry results...Last year, however, I added something significant to my regular diet of fruits, vegetables, beans and grains: soy products. I followed the conventional wisdom that this would alleviate early menopausal symptoms, keep my heart healthy, etc. I ate tofu daily, consumed soy milk in abundance, snacked on soy nuts...and looked for soy isoflavones in my supplements. Results: I now am facing surgery for a goiter (enlarged thyroid)...I have symptoms of thyroid damage. My skin, nails, hair are all suffering visibly. I have chest pain when I run. Worst of all my cholesterol has risen from 137 to 210 in the last six months. A nonsmoking, non-drinking vegetarian who eschews all dairy products simply cannot experience this kind of change in less than six months without some external factor."

There are many more stories like this, telling of a myriad of health problems caused by soy. An executive secretary in her 50's with thyroid problems tells of how the hidden soy added to the bread she was eating caused such severe forgetfulness that she couldn't perform her job. When she stopped eating soy, the mental problems went away.

Read about why soy is bad for you here: http://www.optimumchoices.com/Soy.htm

Gluten Free Onion Soup Mix Bean Dip

It’s game day (football) in our house and everyone wants to snack.

 

 

So I decided to use the Onion Mix that I got from Trader Joe’s. It’s a new item for our local store.

 

Since we don’t eat any dairy we couldn’t use sour cream or yogurt for this. I decided to use white beans as a substitute for the dairy.

I think it turned out pretty good. The family is eating it up so that’s all that matters.

Ingredients

2 cans of organic white beans drained

1 packet of Trader Joes Onion Mix /dip

1 tea spoon of olive oil

1/8 cup of water (a little more or less depending how well you drained the beans)

 

I blended the beans with my handheld mixer.

 

I then incorporated the rest of the ingredients with a spoon. Chill for at least an hour before serving.

When I served it I put a little Slap Ya Mama on top—my family loves things spicy and sprinkled at little flat leaf (Italian) parsley.

I think it tastes great as is but I also think you can doctor it up if you're having a party or for the holidays…garlic, green onions (scallions), olives, red onions, a little lemon juice…

I  also think this would make a great sandwich spread...I think I'm going to go make myself a sandwich ;o)

Udi's Gluten Free Bread Is Larger At Costco!

I’m so excited to find Udi’s bread at Costco! It’s a huge loaf with normal size slices and guess what?!?! it cost the exact same as what I pay for the smaller loaf at Trader Joes. In Costco it's located in the frozen section.

 

Check out the difference in size.

 

The loaf at Costco is 30 oz.

 

 

The loaf at Trader Joes is 12oz.

 

I made a simple breakfast sandwich for Johnny with the larger slices and he loved it!! This fast meal is packed full of protein and good fat.

 

I toasted the bread and used coconut oil for the "butter". I used two organic eggs and a handful of fresh organic spinach and just scrambled them together. I salted & peppered a few tomatoes slices leftover from the garden (the addition of avocado would have been great on this sandwich...sadly I didn't have one. It would have added a little more protein & fat to keep you filled up and satisfied longer).

Refined & Unrefined Coconut Oil

What’s the difference from refined and unrefined coconut oil? Taste! You don’t want to mix these two up when cooking.

Unrefined coconut oil tastes like coconut flavor and aroma and the refined coconut oil has a neutral taste.

I buy both but use the refined more. The unrefined I usually use when I’m baking a dessert or a sweet treat and I don’t mind the coconut taste.

This is a REPOST

Thought I’d give a quick update. I took Johnny to his pediatrician for allergy tests as well as a celiac test. It’s worth mentioning that this pediatrician doesn’t feel that allergies have anything to do with ADHD so I just avoid the topic with her.

He had to eat lots of wheat, dairy, soy, etc for 14 days. Then his blood was drawn. Of course during these two weeks he was feeling like crap. Headaches, had a bowel movement every 2 or 3 days, he couldn’t sleep, had dark circles under his eyes, his ADHD symptoms all reappeared…the list goes on and on.

The results are back and guess what, he doesn’t have celiac…woo hoo! However, he was allergic to almost everything tested (which I found odd)—wheat, soy, peanuts, walnuts, corn, clams, sesame seeds, & scallops.

He wasn’t allergic to eggs or dairy. The eggs we knew but dairy he has a reaction to. So we tested dairy last week. He ate moderate amounts of milk, cheese, and sour cream (on his baked potatoes and on his tacos). He had diarrhea so badly that he couldn’t stand up without going in his pants. He said it was gooey slug coming out (sorry for being so graphic) so parents please make your decisions by how your child reacts NOT by what a test shows.

The Dr. wanted to do more testing for other foods but I declined—first, my son begged not to have to eat all that food for another 2 weeks, and secondly, I don’t’ really care what the test show…if he reacts to it we plan on removing it from his diet.

Homemade Salad Dressing

Finding salad dressing without soybean oil in it is so hard!

I made this the other night and we loved it! Its super fast and it makes enough for several salads so just stored it in the frig.

Whisk all ingredients together.

2 teaspoons minced onion

2 teaspoons minced garlic

1/4 teaspoon paprika

1/4 cup white wine vinegar

1/4 cup cider vinegar

1/4 cup olive oil

1/8 cup water

1/8 cup agave

salt & pepper to taste



ADHD Clean Food Shopping List

Of course this isn’t everything, but it gives you ideas.

Remember to make sure these foods are wheat, soy, dairy, artificial food coloring, flavoring, and additives free! When in doubt don’t buy it.

I also buy ORGANIC whenever I can. Especially with meat and eggs.

GRAINS AND NUTS

·         rice (brown, white, wild)

·         quinoa

·         rice noodles

·         black beans

·         cannelini beans

·         pinto beans

·         lentils

·         chickpeas (garbanzo bean)

·         almonds

·         cashews

·         sunflower seeds

·         walnuts

·         almond butter

VEGGIES/HERBS (all of them!)

·         kale

·         lettuces

·         onions

·         garlic

·         cilantro

·         parsley

·         tomatoes

·         broccoli,

·         brussels sprouts

·         sweet potatoes

·         cucumber

·         celery

·         cabbage

·         zucchini

·         lettuce

·         garlic (lots of it)

·         spinach

·         onions 

·         yams

·         artichokes

·         jicama

·         asparagus

·         carrots

MEATS

·         chicken

·         beef

·         turkey

·         lamb

·         salmon

·         bison

·         (anything that you go out and hunt off the land) 

DAIRY

·         eggs

·         rice milk

·         almond milk

CONDIMENTS/FLAVORINGS

·         extra-virgin olive oil

·         coconut oil

·         sesame oil

·       black pepper

·         pink himalayan salt

·         hot sauce

·         salsa

·         turmeric

·         cayenne

·         cinnamon

·         red pepper flakes

·         maple syrup

·         stevia

·         dijon mustard

·         apple cider vinegar

·         red wine vinegar

·         honey

·         agave      

FRUITS

·         lemons

·         avocado

·         apples

·         bananas

·         Pears

·         blueberries

·         raspberries

·        strawberries

·         nectarines

·         plums

·         grapes

·         watermelon

·         grapefruit

·         cantaloup

BEVERAGES

·         coconut water

·         herbal teas  (hot and sun tea)

·         almond milk