The Fat Nutritionist http://www.fatnutritionist.com/ is a blog I read. Her tag line is “eating normally is the new black.” I am so down with that. Death to Diets I say! Anyways, her post “Get Out of Jail Free Cards” http://www.fatnutritionist.com/index.php/get-out-of-jail-free-cards/ talks about “largely irrelevant” food labelling. It began with a treatise on coffee and “Canadian style wussy coffee”, that is coffee with cream and sugar. There was a brief introduction and contained a very funny line:
black coffee is an abomination unto the Lord and shall not defile this house
After I finished laughing, made an appropriate comment on her blog about how much we in this house agree with that statement, I started thinking. What other food and/or beverage items are, to our household, “an abomination unto the Lord and shall not defile this house?” I came up with the following list. Note: there’s a bit of a legend:
- items marked with a single * are those which only my husband thinks fall into this category;
- and since we’ve agreed that we only buy things that both of us eat, items marked with a double ** are ones I miss eating unless I’m out, or have batted my eyelashes at him enough (i.e. whined) to get his agreement for purchase.
- items marked with*** are those which I only think are an abomination.
- no *’s at all means we both agree that these items shall never, ever defile our house.
List of Foods – Not Exhaustive, although I’m a bit tired after typing now.
- Offal
- Head cheese
- Coffee whitener
- ***processed cheez in a jar — my husband says it “adds personality.” I say it’s one step from being plastic.
- Anything with the word “bean” attached to it [i.e. green beans, lima beans, kidney beans, et al.], with the exception of “coffee bean”
- Brussel Sprouts
- Octopus
- Squid
- Pork Sausage (possible exception: Mennonite Sausage. Good Mennonite Sausage that is)
- *Chickpeas**
- *Sweet Potatoes**
- *Squash of any type**
- *Porridge — this one comes in–never get between me and my cooked oatmeal in the morning!
- *Cottage Cheese** (exception: Lasagna)
- Caviar/Tapioca – eerily similar, visually, don’t you think?
- *Asparagus**
I’ve participated in my second blog carnival. The Chronic Babe http://chronicbabeclub.ning.com blog carnival, hosted by www.fibrochondriac.com
http://www.fibrochondriac.com/2010/03/07/a-carnival-of-our-own/
[On the Chronic Babe forum, I'm known as KD since there are two or three other people that belong to the Chronic Babe forum with the same name as me.]
My submission is this entry:
Flower from the flax plant
(Taken from the broadcast January, 2010: On the Line: Fibromyalgia with Dr. Alison Bested MD and Dr. Alan Logan ND (Naturopathic Doctor) http://www.ctstv.com/calgary/player.php?ctsvidID=17298&show=On%20The%20Line
Drug treatments include NSAIDs, opiods, anti-depressants, and Lyrica and Gabapentin.
My interest however was in non-drug strategies and treatments. What I found interesting was that Dr. Bested spoke most often of non-drug treatments. It’s been my experience that medical doctors are more interested in drug therapies for fibromyalgia. Certainly my medical doctor is. Some of these non-drug therapies include:
- Identifying food sensitivities. Many patients with fibromyalgia often have sensitivities to wheat, dairy, mold, and corn. Identifying – and eliminating – sensitivities can lead to a 10% reduction in pain.
- Other dietary strategies include:
- Watch foods that can increase inflammation at the cellular level. These include refined sugars, processed grains, corn syrups and trans fats.
- Fibromites “use up” antioxidants more easily and faster than “normals” and thus require higher levels of the same. Try to eat a variety of colorful fruits and vegetables as much as possible. Include green leafy vegetables Foods high in antioxidants include berries and green tea.
- Include adequate amounts of protein in the diet. I’d also like to add – include salmon and other fish that are high in Omega 3 oils (see below.).
- Supplements are used but are just that – supplements – and do not take the place of a healthy, whole foods diet rich in antioxidants, green leafy vegetables, adequate fiber etc.
- Nutritional oils (Omega 3 and 6 particularly) are effective anti-inflammatories. Omega 3 oils are the fish oils and flax seed oils. Omega 6 oils is found in evening primrose oil and flax seed oil (note: some stomach upset may occur with evening primrose oil.*) Therapeutic levels must be taken to achieve an anti-inflammatory benefit: 1 gram of Omega 3 and 300 mgs of Omega 6. Heat is very helpful for fibromites, including infrared saunas, hot tubs, even hot baths.
- Epsom salts in the bath helps detoxify the body. Fibromyalgia sufferers have problems detoxing.
- Therapeutic massage is helpful and it is recommended that to get the full benefit, fibromyalgia patients have an Epsom salts bath before and after the massage. Do something relaxing after the massage, rather than stress the muscles more by doing an activity such as grocery shopping.
- Chili pepper extracts, such as capsaicin, can be helpful in pain reduction.
- Exercise is very important. Start slowly and build up your tolerance. Start moving and keep moving. Dr. Bested spoke of a woman with fibromyalgia, who had been bed-ridden for 2 years, and she started exercising (gradually, slowly) and is now able to go for walks, go to the mall, etc. I can attest to the benefits of exercise. I try to exercise 2 – 3 times a week. My fibromyalgia symptoms are so much better when I exercise, and not as good when I don’t. You may need to see a osteopath or other medical professional to help put the muscles /joints back into alignment because of exercising — I see a chiropractor on a regular basis.
*As always, consult with your doctor or pharmacist for contra-indications and possible drug interactions with these or any other supplements or medications.
Mandatory disclaimer: I am not a doctor, nor do I play one on TV (although that would be fun.) I’m a patient.
We received the following in an email from our church’s vision team. Our answers are below each question.
The Vision Team would welcome your perspectives on the following questions.
1. What is most important to me about my congregation?
The close friendships we have made where we feel totally accepted and can be truly authentic.
2. What do I worry most about when I think of my congregation?
In general:
We’d say that sometimes in faith communities there exists a reluctance for authenticity and honest discussion. Such an atmosphere is not fostered, welcomed, or encouraged. There also exists, in some faith communities, a shame based culture, as well as pressure to conform, “go with the flow,” don’t rock the boat, etc.
For example: Christians, because of who we are in Christ, may labor under the mis-conception that we *should* never experience any form of mental illness etc. and if we do we berate ourselves for the same.
3. If I could change one thing about my congregation at the drop of a hat, what would it be?
Legalism and the focus on sin, daily confession, keeping short accounts, etc.
“Under the covenant of law, one was not totally forgiven but must receive ongoing forgiveness in order to remain in a guilt free state. Yet at the cross, God poured out all His forgiveness toward those who are His. We don’t need to ask anymore! Paul described total forgiveness in Colossians 2:13-14.
The cross of Jesus was God’s final word about our sins. So let’s stop acting like it wasn’t by continuing to ask Him to do something He’s already done – forgive us.”
4. What are opportunities and threats that face my congregation?
There exists an opportunity to become different than other churches. A church that is inclusive, grace-based, and fostering an atmosphere of total authenticity. Faith communities embracing total authenticity involve some measure of risk, uncomfortableness, etc. One would think that in a faith community more so than any other community (i.e. a “work” community) one could be free to be totally themselves, but this is not always the case [in our experience].
Threats include: ignoring the opportunities for change, contentment with the “status quo”, making things more complicated than necessary such as outreach, missions, etc.
It will be interesting to see what may come out of this. There was also a discussion group held last Saturday that we weren’t able to attend. I believe the focus of the Vision Team is to find (negotiate, navigate) a way forward for our church.
Make it Once, Eat it Twice
Posted by: Kathy
February 17th, 2010 >> Chronic in the Kitchen - my cookbook, food, recipes
I’m becoming a huge fan of this cooking style, particularly when I’m time-strapped or energy-depleted.
Enjoy!
Each meal serves two and both are minimally prepared
First Meal
Salmon with a Maple Soy Glaze, Rice and Frozen Vegetables
Prepare rice – I use a rice cooker –
Fill bottom of rice cooker with water.
Add 1 cup rice and 1 cup water each to the basket that is placed inside the cooker. Stir. Plug it in and set the timer to 30 minutes.
Salmon:
4. frozen salmon fillets (no need to thaw first)*
2 T. each Soy Sauce and Maple Syrup
1 tsp. each ginger and garlic
Preheat oven to 450. Lay salmon fillets in a large casserole dish. Combine soy sauce, maple syrup and ginger and garlic in a small bowl. Pour over salmon. Bake in oven for approximately 18 minutes.
The rice and salmon dishes each provide four servings. Serve with steamed stir fry vegetables.
Meal Two
Reserve half the rice and two of the salmon fillets. Cut the salmon fillets up into small pieces, combine with the rice, and add some stir fry vegetables – place in a non-stick frying pan with some water, soy sauce, ginger and garlic. Fry for a few minutes until the vegetables are thawed and the rice and salmon are heated through.
*Thawed chicken breasts would also work; cook until no longer pink inside and the juices run clear.
Behind the lens
or holding a pen,
my pain disappears,
it seems to end.
The focus required
for both to take flight
robs my illness of power
it seems to take flight.
Such creative endeavors
I forget I’m not
the girl without illness
the girl who’s fraught.
A sick chick no more
as I walk through that door
‘cuz a creative i.d.
has a hold of me.
I’ll be participating in the 18th edition of “Patients For A Moment” http://duncancross.net/patients-for-a-moment/ a patient-centered blog carnival created by Duncan Cross – on February 24th. Leslie at Getting Closer to Myself http://gettingclosertomyself.blogspot.com/2010/02/patients-for-moment-is-here-february.html is the blog host for this blog carnival. If you wish to participate, click on the link above.
Leslie asks the following question:
What’s Illness Got To Do With It?
What is your relationship to illness? Is there a particular time when you wish illness wasn’t in the picture? Or is there a time when you find it’s easy to forget about illness?
My post, which will take the form of a poem, will attempt to answer those questions.
This is the new form of torture; a few bars of this song and I’d be ready to confess anything, just to make it stop.
My friend Julie Van Rosendaal, cookbook author, writer, chef, food blogger and intrepid traffic reporter [whom, astonishingly, I've never met in real life,but all that will change February 24th when I attend the Farm Table Dinner at Forage] has pulled off something incredible. What an amazing woman! Thank you Julie for being the hands and feet of Jesus, as the expression goes.
In just under three weeks she taken on a monumental task and has co-ordinated food bloggers from all over North America to contribute recipes for the Blog Aid Cookbook, convinced West Canadian Graphics and Blurb.com to donate their services, and sat with her friend Catherine countless hours to design, compile, and edit The Blog Aid Cookbook as a fundraising effort. 100% of the proceeds of this will go to support earthquake relief in Haiti. $50 gets you a hardcover edition and $25 gets you a softcover edition. With recipes from the likes of Michael Smith, Dana McCauley and Emily Richards and of course, Julie Van Rosendaal herself, this compendium will be a welcome addition to any foodie’s cookbook shelf, and make awesome gifts for the cooks in your life. I personally can’t wait to try Snickers Bar Pie from Recipe Girl, and the Korean BBQ’d beef from Savory Sweet Life. Huge rounds of applause to all who participated.
Matching Donations:
from http://blogaidforhaiti.blogspot.com/
The proceeds from book sales will go straight to Haitian relief via the Red Cross and Doctors without Borders, and get this: both West Canadian AND Blurb are matching the dollar amount of the proceeds raised, to TRIPLE those dollars going to Haiti. And of course until February 12th, the Canadian government will match that.
Ordering information: http://www.blurb.com/books/1172809
As of 10:00 a.m. this morning, with matching donations, almost $10,000 for Haiti has been raised from this! Good on ya!
Click on the below link to access 60 minutes video on the traumatic conditions in Haiti.
[video.php?v=wshh74PTeYT3IKR8XWEr]
