BRUMI1968

Tuesday, March 30

By Gunn Sikk

Do you drink distilled water in hopes of improving your health?

For those of you not familiar with distillation, it’s a process by which water is boiled, evaporated, and then the vapour is condensed to form a water that is free of any dissolved minerals. As a result it is believed to have the special property of being able to pull foreign substances and toxic materials out of the body and eliminate them.

If you routinely perform this classic ritual of drinking distilled water, I have two words for you: Stop it.

Here are the facts. Distilled water is dead, unstructured water so foreign to the body that one actually gets a temporary high white blood cell count after drinking it. The longer you drink distilled water, the greater the risk you run of developing multiple mineral deficiencies as well as placing your body into an acidic state.

If you drink distilled water exclusively, you definitely increase your risk of high blood pressure, heartbeat irregularities and muscle cramping. In fact, if you’re an athlete, you should never drink distilled water because it can quickly rob you of your valuable electrolytes: calcium, sodium, potassium and magnesium.

Another common occurrence that long-term drinkers of distilled water can experience is thinning hair or the hair actually falling out altogether. Now that’s not too cool because we know from nutrition that thinning hair is a result of mineral deficiencies. Interestingly enough, this display reverses as soon as these people stop drinking the distilled water.

I’m giving you the real scoop here. There’s no reason to drink this water. It’s amazing how health writers that put forth this idea over fifty years ago persist without even applying simple college-level chemistry.

Like the water itself, distilled water is a dead issue.

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It can contain gluten it is always a good idea to call the manufacturor to check. I use St. Joesph's childrens chewables for my daily low dose asprin. I know that one is gluten-free and it tastes good. The suggestions for an asprin sub sound good, especially the tumeric one. I think I may try that instead but would rather use it in cooking. Wonder if I could get enough benefit that way, hmmm.

It is very beneficial to eat turmeric; however, as to anti-inflammatory and pain-killing and blood thinning qualitiesw, I don't think you could get enough and still have palatable food. The co-ops/health food stores sell supplements of turmernic.

My Ayurvedic doc says most spices thin the blood; but that food thickens the blood - that is how they balance one another out. Anyway, the active ingredient in turmeric (and cumin I think) that thins the blood is curcumidin (sp?).

Good luck.

p.s.. eating turmeric is also good for you, I'm quite sure. If you like Indian food, then you'll be getting a lot of this. Whenever I would cook Indian food, the whole meal would be the same turmeric color no matter how hard I tried otherwise. But yummy.

Hi guys. Anyone try MyChelle dermaceuticals? I've just gotten some and they seem so great. I am wondering if anyone else has experience...

Take it easy the first time...I'm in misery today in my wrists, forearms, inner thighs, and right buttock. Ouch. I know the only way to calm these muscle aches down is to go play again, only more gently this time.

anyway, good luck!

In case anyone is wanting to work out their inner thighs, might I suggest tennis. Holy Moly! I played two days ago and am at my sorest right now - inner thighs, low back a bit, shoulder a bit, wrist a lot, forearm a lot...but the inner thighs...now that's exciting. I wish I'd have known years ago. Back to the tennis court go I....

I think Rainbow Light has a rice based protein powder. Don't know if it fits all the other requirements, but it may well since I have the same no no's.

I'm adding onto this I wonder if there are protein/weight gain options for folks who don't do the things you said, AND don't do grains.....

I am thinking about the buffalo too. Right now I'm buying grass-fed beef from a local farm - and it's pretty easy here to get organical and nicely treated buffalo meat - both are so bloody expensive. But I think it's worth it due to nutrition - and not forcing an animal to eat things they can't digest (cows and corn).

Maybe I'll try the buffalo, though I think my iron is fine. I am bruised to high heaven right now, though.

I find that having a system helps me...I mean a system of eating. This means finding one that works for you and then modifying it slightly (if need be). I use Paleolithic diet. What I mean by there being a system is that you can really wrap your head around what you eat and why - in this case, only stuff that paleolithic chicks would eat - well, modified on the meat end of things of course since buffalo is so expensive and kindof creeps me out after being vegetarian for so long.

Or specific carb diet...or hygeine diet...or maker's diet... In ways they are absurd and so American - we have so little tradition around eating that we can have nine hundred diets around. On the other hand, they are a system in which to think about food. It doeesn't work well for all folks.....

BUT

I get cravings still -- not for carbs specifically, but for that full satisfied feeling. I tend to glom onto something that works, then eat it to frequently and develop an intolerance. Right now it is walnut butter. I literally eat some out of spoon, then feel better. But I get very frusted at how I have to dirty up the kitchen whenever I eat. I mean I've never done so many dishes in my life as since I went gluten/grain free. I have to cook everything. Ug.

So.

1. sautee up some veggies that are good cold as well as hot, like asparagus, green beans.

2. avocados with salt and pepper or humus can really be satisfying

3. if it's sweet you need, what about stevia in almond butter with cinnimin (sp?) - it's good

But like I said, I personally can't have the cookies in the house, or I'll want to eat them. This is an advantage to havng a non-gluten intolerant partner. He can have cookies in the house and I CANT eat them; if they were gluten-free, I'd be tempted like crazy.

Sorry my typing is so bad...just pl;ayed tennis and can't seem to work my fingers now.

p.s. authenitcally searching for answers to the things that ails us is exactly what doesn't set off my attitude problem. You are in tune with your body and trying to listen and respond. I respect that greatly.

Hi. I don't know what to say about the stomach problems...my stomach problems usually are more like feeling green, or feeling like my stomach is full of air...I don't relate right away to your description.

The weight loss thing, on the other hand, is something I'm struggling with. Okay, it's fun to a point, but when is it going to stop? I'm 5 foot 8-1/2 and was weighing about 130 pounds, which is about 10 pounds less than I weighed when I ate wheat two years ago. Now I weigh 125. What's freaky is that I lose about 1/8-1/4 pound every day for a few days...so I've become obsessed about weighing myself every morning. The days I don't poop (they still happen now and again), I stay the same. But if I poop, I lose the weight.

So I started trying to see how much I was eating. Yesterday I felt like I ate a lot, but it was all low cal stuff. I don't eat grains, dairy, beans, soy, or sugar...so basically I eat some meats (new after 15 years of veggie-ism), veggies, some fruits (low on glycemic index - trying to fight off yeast), nuts and seeds, oil, and eggs. It's hard to get a lot of calories this way. I feel awesome most of the time - full of energy like never before - but I just bought a size 26 pair of jeans. I'm 37 years old - size 26 is CRAZY!!!! Well, at least for me. (Admittedly, it was fun jeans shopping for the first time since high school.)

I am going to have to sit down and do some math and try to come up with some ways to manage this. Especially since I want to start exercising more and I don't dare lose more weight if I do that. Maybe when I start exercising, my appetite will get better (it's fine now) and it'll work itself out.

Good luck with your tummy. I know my tummy is loads better w/o the gluten, but we all have to work out the kinks as we go along I guess.

The oxalates in spinach do bind the iron, from what I understand (also not a scientist - but I am obsessed with food). Cooking the spinach decreases the oxalates - but you don't want to overcook it.

I sautee some shallot or leek in olive oil

add spinach (washed/cut, etc.)

stir around with tongs for literally about 1.5 minutes or until just wilted

squeeze lemon

Good luck!

p.s. arugula is yummy!!!!!!

I'm starting tennis and need to know stretches and stuff to help my ankles, hamstrings, and shoulders. Any tennis players out there?

Okay, I really want a new bed. We bought a very good bed (steel spring pillow top bla bla bla) from the Bon (Macy's now I guess)...and it cost over 2 grand...so I thought, good bed. Actually, I wanted a Duxiana, which has springs made of soft metal, but hubby kaboshed it due to price. Well, he hates our bed now too.

Anyone out there sleep on these beds:

air bed?

foam bed - nasa stuff

wool/horsehair bed

Duxiana bed

other good bed

I'm desperate. I'm willing to pay the big bucks to get out of my little hard ditch on the my edge of the bed.

Thanks.

I mostly do a diet called "The Body Ecology Diet". It splits foods into acid/alkaline and acid/expansive. Really, western medicine is the only medicine/eating system that doesn't bother with such things...all eastern philosophies do this - Ayurveda, Chinese medicine, etc. The body ecology diet says 80/20 as well - 80 alkaline/20 acid ... in other words, 80% veggies, 20% proteins, for the most part. I think it works very well. She also says 80% full so you have 20% room to digest. I like that too, though I am losing weight on the diet and need to figure out how to squeeze more food into my day.

The Standard American Diet (the one that most folks eat) is very acid forming - lots of cheese and meats. I was a vegetarian prior to this diet, so did not have that issue. But if you need to alkalinize your body, you can also take supplements that help - Enzymedica has an alkalinizing program. Of course, it's best to do it with foods. YOu can also buy Ph strips to pee on and test your Ph - you need to do it first thing in the morning...and actually, you should do this test where you eat a highly acid meal, then test the pee; a highly alkaline meal, then test the pee; and test the pee in the a.m. Each reading should be different and indicates how easily your body handles excesses in either direction.

I've blathered.

Anyway, the Body Ecology Diet has worked really well for me. I combine it with the Paleolithic diet, though they are very similar.

Good luck.

P.S. what's IC?

Thanks to all your replies.

It is getting to look more and more like a caveman diet. The husband says, well you will be eating offal then. Yuck. I don't think so.

Cathy

I'm actually on the Paleolithic Diet and it is doing me a world of good. You can google it if you want to find out more. It's a bit challenging at first (especially for me as I was vegetarian...WAS vegetarian)...but I swear I finally feel like I'm full of life, instead of just a body dragging itself around this crazy world.

Good luck.

What I noticed right away was that my stool was no longer accompanied by undigested food bits. Yuck, I know, but that's what I noticed right away.

I buy the Digest Gold at the food co-op, but I think "super Supplements" carries them as well. Enzymedica also has a website.

Good luck.

My case is similar to yours, except I've always been on the C side of things. I quit dairy and wheat two years ago, and felt great. But then I started to wonder - if quitting wheat made such a difference, I should make sure I'm not Celiac and doing damage to myself with spelt and the like. Sure enough, I tested positive. So I quit the oatmeal and the spelt, and the various assundry other things with hidden gluten. Suddenly, I didn't feel so good anymore. I was constantly bloated, I had C so bad it caused me to bleed, etc. etc. It was frustrasting as all getout because I knew I should be healing and doing better, and I felt worse.

So I've gone through a series of other dietary changes and finally I seem to have stumbled upon the one that works best for me.

1. I quit all grains

2. I quit all legumes

3. I quit all sugar (including maple syrup, honey,etc., though this is temporary)

4. I went on yeast-killing diet

Everyone is different. Many people on here can't do dairy; many can't do soy; many can't do legumes. You might be one of those folks...so....

I'd ask the doc about getting a food allergy panel done. You dont' want the test where they poke you with a bunch of stuff. YOu want the ELISA test. You can actually get it done for 150 bucks without your doctor - I have a brochure at my office that if you're interested, I can type from to let you know who to call.

I'd also start taking PRE biotics (enzymes). My nutritionist also put me on Betain-HCI which is supposed to increase stomach acid. Both of those seem to have helped the quality of my stool - obviously I was digesting things for the first time in a while. Studies have shown that folks often don't make enough stomach acid. There is some debate as to whether or not Betain-HCI helps with this, but the concept is, you need more tummy acid to properly digest.

I'd start taking PRObiotics - a lot at first, then even out. These can actually cause bloating when you slam them - but if your intestines were all messed up, then you need these. There is one that is not a good bacteria but is a good yeast, called FLORASTOR that is expensive, but seems to do the trick.

For me what finally killed the bloat was going on the yeast-killing diet for a week and a half. You'd have to know that you'll lose energy immensely - are supposed to take it easy on the damned thing, and believe me, if you're like me, you'd have to take it easy. BUT now I feel great. I'm starting back on my exerise, I've gotten invited to play tennis once a week and I'm excited about that. I've added fruit back and it's not making me bloat like it was before for the most part (I did somethng wrong a couple days ago and am still shrinking down from that episode).

Good luck. sorry to ramble on.

Even though the foods you are listing might help someone gain weight, they have virtually no nutritional value. Being too skinny is not great - but getting off your skinniness with worthless food probably ins't going to make you feel any better.

If you eat eggs, they can be pretty inexpensive. If you eat meat, you can make hamburgers w/o the bun - they are great with mustard (Eden makes a GREAT brown mustard that is gluten-free).

Adams Peanut Butter has nothing but peanuts in it (though I have not called to verify it's gluten free - I think they only make peanut butter).

I don't know where you live, but you might want to add some avocados. (In AZ and CA they tend to be cheaper - I end up paying about $2 for a big one that lasts me two days.)

If you have time, you can buy lentils and soak them overnight, cook them up. Those have good protein and are relatively easy to digest. You probably don't want to buy them from bulk - but if you can find them prepackaged, they should be alright. (If this one interests you, ask me for a recipe.)

Brown rice tends to be cheap - and it has some caloric value, as well as vitamins and fiber.

Potatoes, among the less worthy veggies, are filling and probably more caloric than other veggies. Sweet potatoes and yams fall into that category and are good with butter (if you do dairy) or sesame oil, and maple syrup or honey.

I definitely think focusing on high fat high salt virtually worthless food is going to backfire for you. If you're a gas engine and you're running on empty, you sure don't want to fill up with deisel - it does you no good, even though the needle says full.

Take care. I'll think about this some more and see what I can come up with.

1. the cups...I scrub our dishes before they go in the dishwasher; but who knows at work...

2. you lucky dog to live in New Zealand - I don't know what they do to your tapwater. I would watch out for fluoride, that's a bad one. Lots of bottled water tests to have germs in it; and some of it is even just tapwater bottled up (thanks both Coke and Pepsi). I think it depends on your municipality. We get, yearly and by request whenever we want, reports of what is found in our drinking water. Maybe you can request that.

3. you mean teapot, as in, you're not boiling the water in the aluminum pot, but it is steeping in there. I don't know. I avoid aluminum in everything, but I'm kindof a hippie that way. I use cast iron or ceramic...but it probably wouldn't be causing health problems for you right now - I think that is more alzheimers and the like later.

4. I eat only sea salt or himalayan crystal salt. Iodized salt has been processed and is not particularly good for you. Iodine can be had from sea veggies pretty easily, I don't know if you eat those much.

But I don't know. I'd quit dairy FIRST - so many people have problems with it.

I had ongoing problems. I feel great now. This is just me, but this is what I did:

1. quit all wheat

2. quit all dairy

3. quit all soy

got diagnosed with celiac

4. quit all gluten

5. quit all grains

6. quit all legumes

7. quit all refined sugars

8. added back organic nicely treated animal meat (slowly, was veggie for 15 years)

Okay, I know that sounds limiting, but I am feeling really great. I eat veggies, fruits, nuts, meats, oils. It's a bit extreme by the standards of what everyone else is eating, I know...but frankly, it fits well the human digestive system, which is what I'm carrying around with me.

I hope you get some more potential answers to your questions; and I hope you feel better soon.

Take care.

WHAT WAS DIFFERENT WHILE YOU WERE 'AWAY' ON HOLIDAY? MAYBE THEREIN LIES THE CLUE YOU NEED.

Found on the internet:

What does the test result mean?

NOTE: A standard reference range is not available for this test. Because reference values are dependent on many factors, including patient age, gender, sample population, and test method, numeric test results have different meanings in different labs. Your lab report should include the specific reference range for your test. Lab Tests Online strongly recommends that you discuss your test results with your doctor. For more information on reference ranges, please read Reference Ranges and What They Mean.

In women, FSH and LH levels can help to differentiate between primary ovarian failure (failure of the ovaries themselves) and secondary ovarian failure (failure of the ovaries due to disorders of either the pituitary or the hypothalamus). Increased levels of FSH and LH are consistent with primary ovarian failure. Some causes of primary ovarian failure are listed below.

Developmental defects:

* Ovarian agenesis (failure to develop ovaries)

* Chromosomal abnormality, such as Turner’s syndrome

* Ovarian steroidogenesis defect, such as 17 alpha hydroxylase deficiency

Premature ovarian failure due to:

* Radiation

* Chemotherapy

* Autoimmune disease

Chronic anovulation (failure to ovulate) due to:

* Polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS)

* Adrenal disease

* Thyroid disease

* Ovarian tumor

When a woman enters menopause and her ovaries stop working, FSH levels will rise.

I see two things here that might be celiac signals: one is thyroid, the other is autoimmune disease. One of the very best tests for celiac or gluten intolerance is going on a gluten-free diet. Another test is through Enterolab - they do a gene test, and test for caseine and gluten intolerance. but you said you're not in the US, so that might not work.

I'm not very in the know at all about this FSH - in fact, I had to look it up - but with your mother diagnosed, you should consider trying out the diet. You've really got nothing to lose. Good luck.

I use liquid stevia from planetary something or else. I think it's interesting - it imparts sweet but without you being able to tell what kind of sweet - not like honey or maple or even cane sugar.

However, if you use too much, you can taste it and it tastes a bit odd. I've used it in tea, in almond butter for a dessert, and even in vineagrette (not doing sugar at all anymore). I like it.

-Sherri

Hi. I'm in Bellingham - about 90 miles north of Seattle - and on your way to the San Juans if only you were driving there...okay, that makes no sense...but anyway, we're a great port to set out to the San Juans from. I don't know what island(s) you are going to, but they all seem to be rife with bed & breakfasts. Also, Lopez and San Juan are really getting heavy into the locally produced food and assundries. There is grass fed beef, lip balm and lotions with herbs, salsa and humus, etc. etc. I am thinking of moving to the San Juans actually.

As for Seattle, it sounds like that's been covered. IF you do come to Bellingham, the Food Co-op on Forest Street and Terra Organica on Cornwall Avenue are both great. Terra Organica has a separate gluten-free section and a lot of raw food choices, but only likes to carry organic; whereas the Food Co-op carries more variety, but spreads their gluten free stuff throughout the store. They do have a list at the counter, though.

Have fun. I'm jealous of your traveling to the islands. I am going to Vancouver Island, BC in September for my birthday and wrote to the hotel - it turns out they have three gluten-intolerant staff, so their kitchen is well prepared to handle my visit. I suggest you call/email anywhere you might stay - if it doesn't have a kitchen.

WELCOME!!!!

when I quit WHEAT two years ago, I ate a lot of spelt: spelt tortillas and spelt bread mostly, since I find bagels to be really sour tasting. Anyway, I was doing just fine on it for those two years. I decided to get tested for Celiac a couple months ago only because I'd done so well getting quitting wheat. So no more spelt for me.

Ah...that makes sense. I'm so glad I feel better. I'm actually craving exercise, my eyes feel bright and wide open, I don't want naps...I haven't felt this good in a long time.

I'm still working out some of the bugs with what i can and can't eat; and I still sometimes get grossed out by something in my turkey rollup...15 years of vegetarianism can do that to you ... but I definitely think I'm on the right track.

I'll bet all along I was starving my body of protein, and tryptophan. Not that I think veggie'ism is bad at all - it worked well for me for a long time, and it works really well for types who don't need a lot of protein...but I seem to be doing better on this new diet.

The best thing about adding land animals back to my diet is that it is the first time in YEARS that I've expanded my diet, rather than contracting it. And I do think having too rigid a diet can make us a bit rigid too -- I feel more relaxed already.

Thanks guys.

I feel WAY better now. I actually had hit bottom I think a week or two ago- and so I bought an Amasazi (?) rice shake, which had 35 mg carbs, though no refined sugar. I drank that and felt better, though then I had a reaction to it the next day (tried to drink another one)...(I'm still waiting for my food allergy test). Anyway, I think I was suffering a combination of yeast die-off and lack of calories. Now I feel great. My back ache and leg aches are gone. Any muscle aches I get now seem to be more athletic - I mean, they feel better when I stretch, and I probably got them doing something...instead of just waking up feeling like I got hit by a train. I'm still struggling to get enough calories, though. I keep losing a bit of weight, almost every day like a quarter pound or so.

I ate a hamburger patty last night - this is the first red meat for probably 20 years! It was good. I ate it with some raw sauerkraut which is supposed to help with digestion. It went down pretty easily. I feel a bit odd this morning, but I'm not sure that that is all about. I have been eating turkey and chicken natural lunchmeat. I think it's funny that I've no doubt been lacking in tryptophan for a few years, since it comes from soy and animals, and I quit soy some time ago. I actually felt a rush of relaxation/sleepiness after eating last night.

Anyway, I need to probably cut out raisins for a while, to be sure I've got the yeast under control - I think that's the only super high glycemic index food I've been eating lately.

Hope you feel better. Let me know if you like the SCD - I don't think I want to add the dairy, so I probably won't do it....but I'd be curious to hear how you like it...and if it can be done dairy free?????

-Sherri

I have trust issues - I'd get my own toaster...but that's just me.