BRUMI1968

From comcast news...probably AP

WASHINGTON - Many imports of canned tuna have mercury levels higher than the federal limit, according to analysis by an environmental group.

Defenders of Wildlife found the highest levels of mercury in tuna from Ecuador and Mexico _ countries known for setting nets where they see dolphins to catch large tuna swimming below.

"They tend to catch larger, more mature fish, which tend to have higher levels, being at the top of the food chain," said Bob Irvin, the group's senior vice president for conservation.

The group is a longtime advocate of dolphin-safe tuna.

The group had a laboratory test 164 cans of tuna labeled as being from Ecuador, Mexico, Costa Rica, Thailand, Malaysia, the Philippines and the United States. Tests were done by New Age/Landmark laboratory, a Benton Harbor, Mich., company that has been used by the federal government.

Analysis of the samples found:

_Average mercury content of U.S. tuna was generally lower than imported tuna.

_Tuna from Asia had the lowest average levels of mercury.

_Tuna from Latin America had the highest mercury levels, with some exceeding the government limit of 1.0 parts per million.

The lab found higher levels of mercury even in light tuna, which the Food and Drug Administration considers to be low in mercury.

FDA says it's safe to eat two meals a week _ a total of 12 ounces -- of fish and shellfish that are lower in mercury, such as canned light tuna, shrimp, salmon, pollock and catfish.

But the agency says to limit albacore, or "white," tuna to one meal per week, 6 ounces, because it contains higher levels of mercury.

Defenders of Wildlife said people should limit light tuna to one meal each week, instead of two, and avoid canned tuna that says it is imported from Latin America on the label.

"The occasional tuna sandwich is not going to cause any problems, but we are saying the government needs to do a better job of looking at mercury content in light canned tuna, which up to now has been touted as a low-mercury source of protein," Irvin said.

About half of the canned tuna in the U.S. is imported, the report said.

Mercury concentration levels above the federal limit were found in two samples of light tuna: Calmex from Mexico, which had 1.4 ppm, and Sardinar from Costa Rica, which had 1.3 ppm.

Above-the-limit concentrations were also found in four samples of Tuna Real brand solid pack tuna, which had levels as high as 1.5 ppm.

The federal government advises pregnant women, nursing mothers and young children to avoid fish with high levels of mercury _ shark, swordfish, king mackerel or tilefish. Elevated mercury levels have been linked to learning disabilities and developmental delays in children and to heart, nervous system and kidney damage in adults.

Traces of mercury are found in nearly all fish and shellfish. Released through industrial pollution, mercury falls and accumulates in streams and oceans as methylmercury. Methylmercury builds up in fish and shellfish as they feed, in some types more than others.

However, eating fish also has widely acknowledged health benefits. The American Heart Association advises people to eat fish at least twice a week.

I think that craving sweets is a reaction to too much protein - and you can offset it a bit by eating apple cider vinegar. what? that's not as yummy as desssert. (The theory is you've got a lot of acid foods and need alkaline - or you've got a lot of contractive foods and need expansive -- I forget which.)

Always the killjoy....

You know what I've been eating for dessert since I gave up all sugar, fruits, and sugary veggies five days ago (yes, I know exactly how many days it's been, how many minutes, how many seconds).....

almond butter

4 drops stevia

cinnimmon (sP?)

In the post I quoted, you said that you were eating 80% vegetables and 20% protein. I added that up to 100% and concluded that there was 0% fat in your diet.

Margarine is not a food, but a product of a chemical factory.

aha - math...something I avoid. I guess I meant more visually - my plate has about 80% veggies on it, and about 20% protein on it. Never mind the 25% olive oil. Yum!

Welcome! I'm glad you got dianosed in your 20's -- for me it was 34 years of complaining - and 37 years old by the time of diagnosis.

You want to Private Message "nini" to get a newbie pack. It'll be really helpful.

If you live alone, you need to just get all gluten products out of your kitchen. You also, though, need to wash out all your drawers, your refers, wash all your kitchen towels/linens, vacuum like crazy, etc. YOu may have gluten hanging out in your kitchen that will cross-contaminate you. The problem with this disease is we're talking gluten on a molecular level. If you don't live alone, you should devise a system, or get your living-space partner(s) to adopt gluten-free too. Check out some of the posts about kitchen cross contamination - there is one going on right now.

Hopefully, you love vegetables and fruit. If so, you can eat all of them. Yay! Many folks with Celiac find they can't eat dairy for a while at least, since the lactase you need to digest lactose is released on your villi, the friendly fingers in your small intestine that you have been squishing and destroying with all your innocent gluten-eating. Many folks find they can add it back; some folks never can since they've developed allergies to it.

I would be especially careful to supplement for Vitamin B (a complex works well since it's balanced) and the bone-building materials, since often Celiacs have osteopenia or osteoperosis - thinning of the bones. That stuff is minerals and vitamin D. Yahoo, it's summer...go outside and get some Vitamin D.

There are lots of gluten-free substitutes out there at health food stores and the like. I ate some at first, but have given up on them as most are empty calories. If you continue eating other grains, there are some great ones like Quinoa and Amaranth as far as nutrition goes.

Anyway, I'm rambling now. Hope I've helped. Welcome!

I have my own toaster, and there is a dedicated counter where gluten can be. (Beer is usually forgotten to be gluten and opened on my side.)

also, since our silverware was kept in a drawer on the gluten side, I have my own silverware drawer too. I thought keeping the demarcation really clear was better than moving all the silverware.

I don't use wooden spoons and bought all new spoons for myself. I like the color coding idea: I use bright green...well, any green.

I have my own shelf in the refrigerator where no one goes w/o asking. Also, the dishtowels it seems would be a danger. I have my own, it hangs on my side and is green.

I also keep my own sharp knives, but that is mostly to reinforce the gluten area and the nongluten area.

As to pans, we NEVER use nonstick (don't get me started on that topic!), so as long as our pans are washed well and put through the dishwasher, I don't worry. I do have my own sponge, which stays on my side of the counter. If we hand wash dishes, we first scrub things with the gluten-spong (unless we know it didn't touch gluten) - then finish it off with my sponge.

It all sounds crazy, but I think it is working. Oh yeah, the "regular" placemats and napkins are on his side too. Oh yeah, we don't have kids, but we have a nutty friend who has trouble remembering things, and he likes to cook at our house.

I can't imagine what anchovies taste like? I likd ceasar dressing back in my dairy/garlic days - but always freaked out if there were actual anchovies on my salad. Are they the fishiest things ever? Do they make your breath weird? I almost bought some the other day from Italy in olive oil, but chickened out.

I'd have to point you to Ursula as well. I don't eat beans and grains, but I eat any and all veggies, especially the cabbagy ones that I think have lectins in them. There are different kinds of lectins, and different percentages of lectins in foods - I think grains are 20% or something like that. (But never trust me with numbers.)

I will say that I was VERY LOW on that body ecology diet. I dragged myself into the store the other day and bought one of those Amasaze (sp?) rice drinks - the almond one - it has 35g of carbs. It totally cured me, thank goodness. I'm still leaving out fruit for the remainder of the week, but if you cound how many carbs you're getting from nonstartchy veggies, it's shockingly little. Maybe Ursula has something to say about this too.

Good luck.

I avoid all gluten replacement products. They are all refined grains (I mean the flour-based things, not cooked quinoa and the like). No more cookies for me. And it's helped.

I've probably just never had this wonderful 25 year old vinegar. Next time I'm bucks up, I'll look for it!

I don't think the age matters - as long as it's from Modena, Italy. My nutritionist seemd a bit hyper warning about vinegar - I think it one of those controversies. I use true balsamic and apple cider...oh yeah, and rice vinegar (but w/o the "seasoned").

You could always call a cheaper non-Italian brand to get if they are gluten-free.....

I'm experimenting with adding back meat too. So far, just chicken. But I do look forward to a nice grass-fed hamburger patty w/i the month...have to work my way up to it. then I'll try buffalo. I am thawing a buffalo steak for my hubby right now. No doctor said to do it or not do it; I am just seeing if it changes how I feel. Plus, once I quit grains and beans, my choices of protein sources diminshed.

If it is from Modena, Italy, it cannot by law contain anything other than the vinegar. If it is not, however, there are no laws governing its production. Some chaper balsamics not from Italy contain sugars to make them more carmely - and CAN (probably don't, but can) contain gluten in that sense.

Really, buying the good stuff makes a huge difference anyhow...yum. Apple cider vinegar is good, but is so strong.

Is there some reason you've eliminated fat from your diet? Fat can be as effective an energy source as carbohydrates, and contrary to popular notions, is less likely to be stored, as it is slow-digesting and doesn't hit the bloodstream all at once..

I think you're mixing two of us together - I am not shy about fats at all, in fact, add olive oil to virtually every thing I eat. I also eat avocados quite frequently. The gal who has cut out most fats is doing so because her digestive tract can't handle it right now.

I did some research and it looks like this type of fatigue/muscle weakness is common when doing the no yeast thing - it is called the die-off phase or something, and having weakness is normal. However, I am going to keep track of my calories and stuff today, make sure I've got a good balance of acid/alkaline - expansive/contractive, protein/carbs, etc.

I thought of another one while reading a tip for recipes elsewhere on the site:

NO MARGARINE.

Transfats = evil. (The true axis of evil: transfats - corn-fed beef and cooked milk - and processed grains)

Raw butter is best, and then for cooking coconut oil (sesame oil too?)

noncooked: pumpkin oil, olive oil (virgin of course)

I have been a vegan eater (except for honey and salmon - I know the salmon is a big one...but other than that I fit the diet well) for two years, vegetarian (except the salmon) for fifteen years.

I did find that when I had to go gluten-free, it was more challenging than if I was a meat/cheese eater. Lots of folks on here would talk about yummy meaty/cheesy things they were eating instead of gluten things...but all I had was veggies, fruits, nuts, etc.

All was fine, actually, until I decided to quit grains and beans altogether, to see if that would help some ongoing problems I was having. Suddenly, I didn't have enough to eat, and especially in the protein department.

I made the choice to TRY eating farm-raised ethically treated chickens and eggs (I visited the farm to check) to see how I felt, both ethically and physically. So far it is going alright, though it's only been a few days.

This diet is totally DOABLE as a vegan - it just requires more diligence. And I would definitely stay away from soy - whatever you use now for protein that has obviously been working for you for some time, should work the same. I guess the combining to get full amino acid profiles might be an issue. Well, beans and corn make a complete protein, so that's one way. Nuts and seeds of course, and quinoa is a full protein. Plus, not all folks need a huge amount of protein. If you've been at this vegan thing as long as you have, you must be doing alright.

Do you ever get the magazine Herbivore. I LOVE that magazine.

I know this sounds nuts, but sauteed greens with poached eggs IS SO GOOD!

napa cabbage has 3.45 g of fiber

chard has 3.68 g of fiber and huge amounts of vit K,A,C, Iron, Potassium...this is good stuff. I usually do scrambled eggs with this one.

Eggs have 5.54 g of protein (approx obviously) wit Vit K, tryptophan, selenium, and B12.

I take the chard and also some leek or shallot, and put it in very hot pan with some olive oil (though it's best not to heat olive oil - you could use a bit of broth to keep it from sticking to the pan). Flop it around a bit until it is wilted, and then lemon juice it MILDLY or just a dash of apple cider vinegar - not too much.

If I use the nappa cabbage, I sautee off some onion first, adding a bit of broth to soften them up, then add the cabbage, cooking a wee bit longer than I would the chard. This is really good with scrambled eggs. A Korean or Vietnamese dish (I'm sorry, I forget which one) is made this way, with salt, pepper, nappa cabbage, a bit of fish sauce, and scrambled egg. It is good. It sounds nasty, but it is good. I leave out the fish sauce at this point.

And, a couple important tips about poaching eggs. I take a pretty shallow and small frying pan and oil the bottom of it, then fill it with water. PUT SOME VINEGAR IN THE WATER - this helps keep the egg together. Also, never salt the water, this causes the white to break up. I bring the water to a near-boil, then add the eggs. They don't need to hard boil. I usually flip mine because I can't stand it if the white part isn't completely cooked. then out they come, plopped onto the chard.

Good luck!

I'm on day 4 of a candida-starvation diet, though one might call it a Sherri starvation diet.

I eat veggies and proteins from salmon, chicken, and some seeds/nuts (I went overboard on walnuts at first, and now they bug me), and almond butter. I don't eat any grains or beans, and I only use stevia to sweeten things.

I try to keep it at 80% veggies and 20% protein.

I also take Florastor, which is a yeast, which is supposed to heal the gut. I was taking a high potency probiotic as well, but it is powder and I was mixing it in with my other "gut healer" called Endefen which is plantain based...but then I realized the endefen had soy lecithin in it, and I don't do soy...so I haven't been taking the probiiotic, other than the florastor.

Here's my question for all of you who have done this before:

My back and legs hurt like crazy. And my legs and back are tired like crazy. I think I need more water, but is there something else possibly going on?

(interesting about the garlic/onions....I've been craving onions more than usual. I can't eat garlic - or at least couldn't before - haven't tried it lately)

anyway, any advice on if this is normal healing process would be much appreciated.

I grew up in Tacoma - went to Sunset Elementary (then moved to Harbor so went to Gig Harbor High School) and then moved back and lived near Wright's Park for a few years. It seems I keep moving north - first to Seattle, then to Whidbey Island, then to Sedro-Woolley, and now to Bellingham. My parents and sister live in Tacoma - I'm trying to get them to be tested. My mom is having her mom tested in a few days - then is that's positive, she'll do it.

Anyway, good luck to you. Obviously I'm not up on the support groups - but the national support group, what are they called, have a listing. You might want to Private Message "Nini". If you go to "members" and then hit "n", you'll find her. She has a Newbie pack that might well contain the info you need.

At which store do you work?

Thanks, both of you. I can tell I'm dehydrated, so I need to address that. I am trying to eat 80% veggies and 20% protein, but I find my snacks tend to be protein, since I don't usually have my stove and my olive oil and my shallot handy with me, and I find most raw veggies that aren't salad to be detestible.

I'll definitely drink more water. I also think I'll keep a diet diary with calories/carbs/fats counted - it takes time, but I can't go on being so tired physically. When I was on Paleo diet, I felt on top of the world (except for the bloat) and now I'm sluggish, but the bloat is gone. Maybe tomorrow I'll try to eat an apple for breakfast, and see if the bloat comes back.

I'll do more research. I CAN add spaghetti squash and winter squash, and in another week or so I can add back carrots and sweet potatoes I think. I'm really just trying to hold out until I think some yeasties are dead, in case that is what it was.

Is there a test for candida?

Since reading "Dangerous Grains" I have felt guilty about the amount of grains that I eat. I know that I would eat alot more veggies if I gave up some of the grains and would lose that last 15 lbs to boot! Bully, do you find that you feel much better when you limit grain consumption? And....how do you prevent hunger on such a diet? If you tell me that you feel better I just may be tempted to do an overhaul of my diet.

Well, it's been about 15 days with no grains of any kind. At first it was hard, but it's gotten much easier. My digestion got better, though it didn't work itself out entirely (until I quit fruit and sugar a few days ago)...it was better, but I was still bloated. I do think I started to lose fat, since my biceps looked bigger even though they aren't, so I figured it was less fat to hide them.

My new symptoms, not sure if they are from grain restriction or not, are backache, leg muscle aches, leg cramps, and leg fatigue. I can't walk up a hill right now to save my life. I'm pretty low on physical energy. (This is mostly after quitting sugar/fruit, but probably started quitting grains). It's highly probable that I'm dehydrated, especially as I'm eating more protein that I did for the past 15 years as a near-vegan.

The upside is that everything seems visually sharper and brighter, fingernails better, teeth don't bleed when I brush/floss.

I think it's worth a try if you have the time to make the extra veggies. The hardest times are when you want to pop into the store and find something for yourself to eat other than fruit. The other day I bought a slab of salmon from the deli case, and it was dry and nasty...that and some olives were probably the only things in there that would've been easy to eat.

I do chicken roll-ups (I've added meat back to my diet), veggies and poached eggs, veggie omlets, veggies and salmon, almond butter, trail mix (until I quit fruit), fruit (obviously, ditto last parenthetical phrase).

If it doesn't work for me, I'll add back quinoa and millet, but I'm going to keep trying it for a while and see if it continues to work.

I thought I wouldn't poop, but I have been - in fact, my C is gone and now that I quit fruit, my bloat is gone too.

Anyway, I've rambled...but that is my experience thus far with grain-free.

I definitely plan to do the cultured veggies - I'm going to start a batch tonight, and probably buy some at the store for while they are fermenting. I'm glad others have posted on it.

Please help.....I'm new, and just started eliminating wheat and gluten. It's very difficult to understand were gluten is hidden. I still can't find the delphi list. I've read in this forum about gluten free items, but it seems not everyone agrees. Is there a sure way to fing out? Do you call each manufacture? Any help would be greatly appreciated. I'm looking for gluten free soymilk, pudding, cereal for less than 4.00 a box, and some alcohol. oh....and were is spell check, and how do I post my own thread? I have three kids...each one zapped some brain cells Also I tried atifungal, yeast cleanse and dr. crook's diet (the yeast conection), great book if you are trying to eliminate yeast. I checked it out at our library. There is a yeast free diet at www.candidapage.com

Hi. The person you need to PM (private message) is Nini. If you look up "members", hit N, then you'll find her. Ask her for the "newbie kit". She is happy to send it along.

I call any manufacture of stuff I question, like "natural flavors" or "caramel color". I want to hear it from the horses mouth that they don't contain gluten. Since I've quit eating almost anything made by anyone other than God/Nature, I don't have to do it very much anymore.

Beware of soy when you're starting out - it can bother quite a few folks. There are no doubt gluten-free soy drinks, but I'm not in the know there. As to cereal that's less than $4 a box - what are you, stuck in the 1960's. Sorry...just kidding, it's just unbelievable as to the price of cereal. One that I ate B4 giving up all grains was Crispy Brown Rice with fruit by Erewehon. Also for hot cereals you can do cream of rice, buckwheat, and Bob's gluten-free that has those plus corn I think.

Tequila is the only alcohol that is not from grain - but most alcohols are fine for Celiacs provided they don't have mash added back again. Because they are distilled. YOu should think about vinegar - for example, cheap balsamic vinegar often has additives like sugar (or wheat-derived sugars) and malted vinegar is definitely out. However, the concensus is that distilled things don't have gluten left over. There is some controversy, but it sounds mostly solved.

Anyway, thanks for posting and the link to the candida thing. You'll get the hang of the board and if you're like me, you'll spend at least two hours a day checking in and whatnot. New hobby I guess. Glad I have a laptop and can do it in the sun.

Everyone should check out the website the world's healthiest foods.

Open Original Shared Link

Have you been eating any gluten-free hot cereal? If you do grains, those can be good. Cream of rice, or buckwheat (buckwheat tastes funny, but if you like it, you like it) or Bob's gluten-free hot cereal which has corn, rice, buckwheat, etc. are all options.

Fruit, if you do fruit, can be good to, and are best eaten on an empty stomach. You could do apples with peanut or almond butter on them, maybe with some cinnamon.

I will certainly say, we're at day four and I still have no bloat. I miss fruit, though. It is summer and I want all the yummy local strawberries we have here. Blast! I'm hoping that it's yeast and not fructose, so I can go back to it.

Good luck.

I'm not suggesting that you might increase fats, but we do need them, like in the case of omega-3, 6, and 9 fatty acids. Those are essential, so not having them is apparently a serious detriment. Of course many veggies have omega-6. So you're getting fats in one form or another. Animal fats are another thing altogether, so I'd never touch those. There's a big difference between the two. Animal fats and proteins will really inhibit calcium absorption.

Actually, AS important as getting the omega fats, is getting them in the right proportion. You're average American diet provides a ratio of 10-1 Omega 6 to Omega 3. The ratio should be 1 to 1. If you eat gluten-free but still eat a lot of grains, corn-fed beef, etc etc., you're getting too much Omega 6 to your Omega 3 ratio. I personally, would not supplement Omega 6. I eat a lot of salmon, which is high in Omega 3, and avoid the American diet pretty much entirely.

Another interesting fact is that CORNFED Beef has a 10 to 1 ratio of Omega 6 to Omega 3. This is doubtlessly why it is bad for you. GRASSFED beef has a ratio of 2-1, which is fantastic. This is near the quality of salmon. (By the way, this is coming from a vegetarian of 15 years). The same is true of raw milk versus cooked and homogenized milk. the nutritional value of grass fed organic beef and raw organic milk are substantial, and the risks are not so high as many might have you believe - since they are basing their info on corn-fed beef. Cows are not meant to digest corn, they are ruminents - their entire existence is based on eating grass.

People for thousands of years have been drinking milk and eating 'red meat'. It has not been long, however, they have been eating corn-fed beef, feed-lot pigs, caged chickens, and cooked and homogenized milk. These things are a problem.

Anyone with suggestions on how to add more nutrients, flavor to my diet, please advise. I feel like I am eating too much rice and my diet is bland. Where can I get more fiber?

-- Gluten free

-- dairy free

-- no corn

-- food sensitivies to bananas and potatos

It sounds like you eat a lot of grains in the form of gluten substitutes. You mention a grain at every meal. I would consider trying to decrease the amount of grains you're eating - they have anti-nutrients in them, can block mineral absorption, and have some other issues surrounding the fact that they're lectins.