Michi8

i am pro-dirt too

My kids do wash their hands with regular soap and I will wipe down the phone...but I dont go overboard. We are in the middle of cattle country and farmers get cow poop on them all the time , hubby does a calving and gets the poop on his face (direct hit sometimes. What I have noticed is that none of these guys gets e-coli and all these farm kids stay relatively healthy. Very few with asthma, etc. We are however a hotspot for MS (southern Alberta)...

Sandy

I wouldn't be surprised if your family has built up immunity to e-coli with being around cattle all the time. E-coli is an issue, however, with the general public because strains are becoming increasingly resistant to antibiotics and the risk of developing necrotizing fasciitis (sp?) goes up along with it. That's where we do need to be careful about germs/bacteria to ensure we aren't unnecessarily exposing ourselves through poorly handled and undercooked foods. Precautions have to start with the people who first handle our foods, whether it's contamination of water used on the fields (contamination of food crops), handling by sick workers (eg, crops/foods contaminated with hepatitis), or poor health procedures during slaughter and packaging.

My "fear" is mold, We had a mold problem in our previous house and kids were always sick and it was during the exposure to it - that they developed their autoimmune diseases. Mind you they had to have a genetic weakness, but I believe mold was the trigger, plus influenza at the time didnt help!

Certain types of mold (ie black mold) are an issue for everybody, not just those with allergies, and can definitely be very harmful to one's health. I'm sure it contributes to chronic autoimmunity issues and long term health.

Michelle

The kids are on spring break right now, so our routine has gone out the window. I haven't really had any meals yet today (kids had cereal)...just pomegranate & berry juice and coffee so far. Will have to make lunch for the kids soon...will probably have pasta w/red sauce for lunch myself.

For exercise, I'll be going to an 1.5 hour hot yoga class tonight. I'll have to eat dinner 2-3 hours before the start of class.

Michelle

I am totally pro-dirt. Except for known sources of very bad things (pork, chicken, bathrooms) I have a casual approach to "cleanliness". I never use Purell, don't buy anti-bacterial soaps or wipes, don't drink bottled water, mop my floor occasionally, and leave the spiders in my house (mice, however, are another story).

I think you should live in harmony with the world, not fight it.

(And the antibacterial soap hasn't been shown to be more effective at killing bacteria on your hands than regular soap. All you're doing is exposing yourself to more chemicals.)

I totally agree. The germs that we have in our own houses really aren't a concern to our health. Yes, the house needs to be cleaned, but it doesn't need to be sterile. Antibacterial soaps are very hard on my skin too...I have to wear gloves when washing dishes or cleaning bathrooms or my skin will crack and split. We use very basic, gentle soaps for bathing and washing hands.

We do drink bottled water, however, because I do not think that drinking treated tap water is safe...especially since our municipality treats with chloramine (combination of chlorine and ammonia)...the stuff does not easily gas off (takes at least 2 weeks with constant agitation) and will quickly kill fish...can't believe that it's that safe for humans either.

Michelle

We have mosquitoes, no cockroaches ... Yuck! But have 'stink bugs' that fly ... also known as squash bugs and fir beetles. They are really gross

Yes, unfortunately, mosquitoes are found in the BC interior...don't think I'd like the stink bugs either...that's why I'll pick the coast to retire. I'm thinking somewhere around Sechelt.

Michelle

Hi Rusla; It sounds like you had a blast in Victoria I like to visit the island occasionally, but don't want to live there. Those ferries would drive me insane, and is one of the reasons we don't visit all that often, as hubby's cousin would say.

One error that someone told you about fleas. We took our mini dachshund to Victoria for a week and had to treat him for fleas before the week was over. My daughter constantly had to treat her cat and dogs when they lived there. To be fair, I don't know of a warm, wet area that doesn't have a flea problem.

Sure glad you had fun and got to see all the wonderful stuff. It really is a gorgeous city, and I love spending hours in their garden nurseries. If you move there, have the place you rent or buy checked out well for mold problems, another 'coastal' problem. That includes all the cities in the great rain forests of B.C.

I know you are high on the coast, but you have to look at the practicle stuff too. I'm with you, better the coast than Calgary ... even though Calgary has no bugs, and the Coast has tons of them It's kinda like 'gluten free" do your research before you quit the job In the meantime, visit often.

The only time Calgary has no bugs is when it's windy...which happens a lot. I found that living on the coast (Vancouver) was way better bug wise, because there are no mosquitoes!

I cannot stand the mosquitoes in Calgary and Edmonton...it can make summer evenings unbearable. Only thing worse is living in Winnipeg (where I lived for the first 12 years of my life), because they have even more mosquitoes. All other bugs I can live with...except for cockroaches...they're worse than mosquitoes.

Michelle

Weird...most of the time doctors recommend Calgary and Kamloops for people with asthma. It's like the desert. But with mountains.

I think it would depend on your asthma triggers. My asthma started when I lived in Calgary where the air is really dry and dusty. It disappeared when I was living in humid Vancouver. My allergies have become worse since moving back to Alberta...and my asthma acts up every so often.

Michelle

I remember the aspartame controversy dating back to when it was first introduced...and followed it somewhat through the years. I thought it was a bad idea then and still do, but ingest it more now that I used to allow myself to. I won't let my kids have it except for the odd piece of sugarless gum.

I also remember hearing about celiac about 10 years ago. At that time, there was tv segment that was shown repeatedly in Vancouver, BC that talked about what celiac is, and what the diet was all about. I actually paid attention to it and got a lot out of it...and remember thinking how difficult it would be to manage. Who thought I would end up looking at it from a different perspective now?

I do have a tendency to pay attention to/seek out medical and health information, and especially consumer info...guess it's a bit of a passion/hobby...maybe just a little OCD. LOL!

Michelle

Around here, it is strongly suggested to return unused and expired drugs to the pharmacy for proper disposal. You certainly don't want it entering the water system if you can help it.

Michelle

I can tell you that aspartame is worse for you than nutrisweet, (snip)

Nutrasweet is a brand name of aspartame...do you mean to say Splenda/sucralose is better than aspartame?

Michelle

Love the Lunch Jars!

Another suggestion, and a bit cheaper, is Laptop Lunches (bento-style lunch boxes):

Open Original Shared Link

Michelle

Well, the ingredients on the bag say "Organic sprouted whole grain wheat, filtered water, organic sprouted whole grain barley, organic sprouted whole grain millet, Organic malted barley, organic sprouted whole lentils, organic sprouted whole soybeans, organic sprouted whole grain spelt, fresh yeast, sea salt. This unique bread is made from freshly sprouted live grains and contains absolutely no flour. "

I've been eating this bread b/c I've been told and I've read that "gluten breaks down during germination and the bulk of the gluten naturally contained in wheat breads breaks

down in sprouted breads." And thus people with wheat or gluten allergies are able to eat sprouted grain breads.

Ezekiel 4:9 bread is not gluten free. However, if you go to the company's website: Open Original Shared Link They do have a list of products that they make which are gluten free.

Michelle

If it is sliding down, wouldn't that mean you need the smaller size? I would contact the company if I were you.

I remember doing a little research on this for my daughter. I'm menopausal ... unfair that I finally hear about something like this when it is too late. Anyway, I thought I ran across a few comments of older women who found the size 2 too large. You might google a bit & see if you can find women's comments on their personal experiences with the Diva Cup.

The bigger size is necessary for women who have had children, because the vaginal tissues have relaxed more. For some women, the tissue elasticity changes enough that even the larger size will not remain in place correctly. Unfortunately, kegels don't always make much difference when it comes to genetics and the effects of gravity.

Michelle

i have gas reflex i had it since i was 16 and sometimes it acts up for no reason

Reflux is not the same thing as gastritis. Have you investigated the reason for your reflux?

Michelle

I had hoped 'eagle' would define 'gastritis'. Only that person knows what that term means to them. Docs apply that term to describe all kinds of stomach problems they can't explain. just like they apply 'IBS' to gut symptoms they can't explain. I was diagnosed with 'gastritis' years ago. I was given zantac and then tagamet plus maalox or mylanta to block acid. My symptoms were reflux and poor digestion, which were really caused by celiac intestinal damage. My doc never tested for celiac. She just prescribed antiacid meds. "If all you have is a hammer, every problem is a nail". She treated the condition she knew (gastritis) with drugs she knew (antiacid meds and acid blockers).

Oh. Sorry. I guess others aren't allowed to help/share information. Shall I erase my response?

You know, my first response to eagle mentioned that it depends on what the cause of the gastritis is, and recommended to talk to the doctor for clarification and proper treatment. My second response was to Mtndog and for the benefit of eagle, in case s/he wasn't clear on the definition.

My gastritis (and hiatal hernia) was diagnosed visually during endoscopy, and confirmed with biopsy...so it's not simply an "I don't know" label. However, I wasn't offered any treatment, so I have to go back to the doctor again to diagnose the cause of my gastritis. My GI has the bedside manner of a rock, and doesn't seem to want to deal with patients beyond doing procedures, so I get to go through my family dr (who is on maternity leave...so now I'm dealing with her replacement who doesn't know any of my history) to figure it all out.

Michelle

I don't mean to sound dumb- but what do you mean by gastritis? Upset stomach? Acid reflux?

Gastritis is inflammation of the stomach lining. According to wikipedia, these are known causes of gastritis:

Bacterial infection (often by Helicobacter pylori)

Fungal infection (typically in people with AIDS)

Parasitic infection (often from poorly cooked seafood)

Viral infection

Bile reflux

NSAIDs

Cigarette smoke

Excessive alcohol consumption

Certain types of radiation

I've read elsewhere that autoimmune issues can also be a cause.

Michelle

It would depend on what is causing your gastritis. If H. Pylori is the cause, then you may need a course of antibiotics. I'd talk to your doctor to confirm the best treatment.

Otherwise, you'd want to avoid foods that would further aggrivate your gastritis: spicy foods, acidic foods, alcohol, coffee, nsaids and any foods to which you are allergic or intolerant.

Michelle

Yeah, I looked at the web site and read the directions carefully, and after a few tries I was able to spin it, so I don't think that's the problem. I may try trimming the stem, but I think it's slipping low enough that even the base of the cup would bother me.

I do semi-regular (okay, not regular enough!) Kegels, so I wouldn't have *thought* that would be the problem, but I guess you never know. -sigh-

Jeanne

The only suggestion I have is to ensure that you have purchased the correct size. For women who have had children or are simply older than 30 (regardless of having children or not) size 2 is recommended for proper fit. I suspect, though, that it simply doesn't work well for everyone.

Michelle

Dear Michelle,

You are right. The only ones that are safe are made in the U.S. Outside of the U.S., maltodextrin can be something other than corn. I know in Canada, that it contains wheat a lot of the time. Reading labels is always your best bet.

Actually, according to the Canadian Celiac Association, maltodextrin does not contain wheat and thus is safe to consume here as well. There are many ingredients that are the same throughout North America.

It really comes down to reading ingredients lists to ensure that a product does not contain gluten. One simply cannot assume that the exact same ingredients are used in a product that is sold in Canada vs. sold in the U.S. The difference in Lea & Perrins worchestershire sauce is that, in the U.K., the product is considered "suitable for a celiac diet" because it's gluten content follows the Codex Alimentarius guidelines...this is the same product that is imported and sold in Canada. The U.S. version of the product apparently does not have any gluten content.

Michelle

Condiments:

Smart Balance Margerine

Crisco Shortening

Crisco Oil

Pompeiian Olive Oil

Great Value soy sauce

Heinz Ketchup

Lea & Perrins Worchestershire Sauce

(snip)

Not all brand name products listed are gluten free in other countries. For example, Lea & Perrins worchestershire sauce is not safe in Canada or Europe...only the version made and sold in the U.S. is gluten free...the version sold in Canada is from the U.K. Definitely something to be aware of when travelling abroad.

Michelle

Hope I spelled that right! We're going to a birthday party tomorrow for a family member and I was asked to bring an hors duorve. I always try to take something my husband can eat, and all my recipes are pre-celiac!

Furthermore, he doesn't like any gluten-free crackers. I'd like it to be something substantial, since he may not be able to eat much else.

Has he tried Blue Diamond Nut-Thins? They are incredible.

Aside from crackers, though, what about veggies and hummus? Corn tortillas would be good for dipping too. Fresh fruit with vanilla yogurt dip (I like Astro Jeunesse yogurt for this.) Asparagus spears with cream cheese and ham comes to mind too. Also proscuitto and melon, scallops wrapped with bacon.

Michelle

This is my absolute favourite pasta salad. It's a whole meal in itself...and is vegetarian. It's from Canadian Living's Best One Dish Meals cookbook. It says it makes 4 servings, but that is if it's served as the only dish in a meal. As a side, it goes much further. Michelle

Make-Ahead Penne Salad

2 cups penne

1/2 cup snow peas

1/3 cup mayonnaise-style salad dressing

2 tbsp tomato juice

1 tbsp white wine vinegar

1 1/2 tsp Dijon mustard

1/4 tsp each salt & pepper

1/4 cup chopped fresh chives

1/4 cup chopped fresh parsley

2 tbsp fresh dill

1 cup drained canned chick-peas

1/2 cup sliced celery

1 each sweet red pepper and green pepper cut into strips

In large pot of boiling salted water, cook penne for 8 to 10 minutes or until tender but firm. Drain and refresh under cold water; drain well.

Meanwhile, trim snow peas; blanch in small pot of boiling water for 1 minute. Drain and refresh under cold water; drain again.

In large bowl, whisk together salad dressing, tomato juice, vinegar, mustard, salt & pepper; mix in chives, parsley and dill. Add penne, snow peas, chick-peas, celery and red & green pepper; toss to coat well. (Salad can be covered and refrigerated for up to 1 day.) Makes 4 servings.

All Kraft peanut butters are gluten free, BTW. AFAIK they are not sold in the U.S.

Michelle

Well, I'm better today. I don't believe it was any sort of stomach bug, though. I've had this pain after eating many many times over the years, and it's horrible. However, it doesn't happen real frequently, thank goodness. A burning stabbing gnawing pain in my upper stomach, no comfortable position to get in. Plus last night I felt really nauseated and horrible in addition to the pain. I looked at the tuna...it's Costco's Kirkland and all it had on the ingredient list is white tuna, salt, pyrophosphate added (whatever that is!). I don't buy the foil packet tuna because it has so much gunk in it, including soy.

I wonder if it's the tuna....I wonder if I have problems with tuna for some reason. I don't eat it a lot, and I have a vague sense that it doesn't totally agree with me.

However, all this didn't cause anything of a digestive nature, no D or anything!

Have you considered it could be the onion? I've recently been having a hard time with raw onion (causes intense stomach pain)...I'm very disappointed that this is happening as onion is one of my favourites (in any variety & form - raw or cooked). It's not surprising to me either, however, since there is a family history of intolerance to onion.

Michelle

Glad I'm not the only slightly clueless person here

Habs is the nickname for the Montreal Canadiens hockey team. I believe it stands for les habitants.

Michelle

A dermatologist said that the pimples I've been getting scattered on my legs and breasts are folliculitis. He didn't ask what else has been going on in my life. A integrative health MD who I saw for my MS sx's said she thought it might be DH.

My question to you fine board folks is this: Can DH look just like a little pimple? I thought anything "herp" was clear fluid-filled, not pus filled.

Thanks in advance!

So, I did an Google image search for folliculitis and found pictures that pretty much look exactly like the pictures I've seen of DH. I'd recommend doing a biopsy to confirm whether it's DH or not.

Michelle