Health and Fitness January, 2015

[Harriet]

Meant to report on the trip to visit my in-law family member who is eating a vegetable diet, pretty much. He has a progressive health concern which is rather grim, and this type of eating may give him better quality of life.

Every day the household makes a big pot of vegetable soup. Leeks, celery, onions, potato, parsley, garlic, tomato. Cooked for 2 hours and the slow cooking preserves nutrients but the digestion will be easy. A sprig of rosemary and some other herb sprigs (stems taken out before they get processed). This is ground down with a simple hand appliance that reminds me of a coffee grinder in its method, but is not enclosed and is easy-clean in dishwasher. Zero seasonings beyond the herbs. It is really very good. The potatoes give it body, as if it had a little overcooked barley in it.

They gave me a cup and I honestly enjoyed it. It's easy on the digestive system and soothing for anyone who is not well. So I know it was good for me, and not contributing to the day's sodium count.

He does get a tossed salad every day and into it he puts "micro-greens", something I had to research, because I'm not that familiar with it. These are not sprouts, but plants grown in the soil for about two weeks and harvested young to have extra nutrition. It is heavy on radishes, which would have used the next week to grow the root anyway, and finish the life cycle, so it's not as wasteful as it sounds. It is sold in our area by Whole Foods but I don't think any other stores have it.

He grows beets himself indoors - I think it's because he wants organic beet leaves and they are hard to find.

I wish I had a photo of that refrigerator interior. Pristine. All across the middle shelf, just juices made that morning, filled to the tops of matching glass mason jars and covered with very little airspace. Bright colors. The household makes so much juice daily that they bought a high-end juicer that makes mine look cheap! LOL

There's a certain kind of milk product he allows himself - more or less an organic cottage cheese, but he blends some with bits of fruit and it is like a frozen yogurt, so that he does have one small dessert a day.

He has had psoriasis for years and that has cleared up - it's just gone and he feels a lot of relief for that. Several of the bloodwork levels that are monitored for his illness have leveled off and he hopes that maybe this is a signal that he can actually get better. But at least he is not getting worse.

He's hired a lady for a few hours a day, who keeps the kitchen super clean and does all the vegetable washing and initial preparation, helps grind the soup veggies, etc. He's spending a lot more time on hobbies and creative outlets and tries to curb stress at every turn. I imagine it's also satisfying to him to look at the inside of his perfect refrigerator!

[Nancy]

Sat. Ex. tba ~

[Lynlee]

That is a good beginning for your dbil Harriet. Prayers for him that he will find peace and successful living - no matter what that means.

re those pages/fact sheets I linked too, I reread them too. New to me info - that msg is recently (like 104 years) synthetised, that everyone has a limit of how much they can eat safely before a reaction, or not at all, and the foods it occurs naturally are all ones I have trouble eating - except for the broccoli. I like it young, fresh and cooked.
Also that the 635 group can switch on intolerances to other things and that thin dividing line to allergy reaction. Also that the news just isn't out there, of the difficulties some/many folk have with these, and getting help.
I don't know if your country is tarred with the ' if its less that 3?% rule, it doesn't need listing' brush. If it was a better known poison it would be important, and not ignored.
The Mr of the fedup web site is a food chemist.

I had a frozen meal last night. tingling lips after, and still. I need not bother with the bought meals, and go back to what I know. I'm due at a Thai place for wed lunch. I must stipulate no msg as well as no gluten.

Here - news of a successful trial helping severe peanut allergy sufferers recover using probiotics. I think grown in peanut base, but didn't really hear that bit.

[Harmony]

I wish I had the time for soups and juices like that. Sounds so good!

Lynlee, that is really interesting about the peanut allergy.

Had a call from my dr. tonight. The medicine that was tested wrongly and then a year later tested wrong again, and about 3 months later another test. Well, that test came up with a too small number, so my dose has been adjusted. I am bummed out that I now much take more of that stuff (it makes me sleepy) and I am equally annoyed that for all that time I was probably low and undermedicated. If it is important that I increase it, it was important that the correct tests were ordered when things went wrong before.

Sigh...I think I haven't had good medical care for years.

[Lynlee]

http://www.livescience.com/49638-peanut ... otics.html
http://www.demanjo.com/news/science/363 ... lergy.html

[DeeClutter]

(((Harmony))) -may it all be better.

I'm liking my daily 'numbers' -blood sugars and weight. I so want to go back and have my A1C be at an even lower level. Dr. was 'happy' with my last one, but I think it's still too high. And finally, finally my weight seems to be creeping downward. That's okay -a slow crawl is better anyway. Trying hard to stay with a reachable goal of steps each day and having my BS well under 120. It was 96 today and 84 yesterday. However dd brought home lots of donuts from their overnight 'lock-in' and then dsonil bought even more while he and dh were out this morning (he didn't know about the others.) At any rate my entire breakfast was one donut -I succumbed. But that's it till lunch. And for lunch she brought home over 1 pizza that wasn't eaten last night.

[Harriet]

((Harmony)) In any other area of life we would be reimbursed when things like this happen, too, even if only to replace the "item" with another of our choice. (In this case, going to another lab to get our own test, our own paperwork on it.) But I assume the wrong tests were being ordered by the dr? - not that a lab would make the wrong tests on their own twice? Or maybe poor communication between drs and their own lab.

There is a new-to-us company here in our area that has a funny name, "Any Lab Test Now". They have 145 locations in US. You just go to them to have the test you need done when you say so and get your own results for no one but you. It could be a double-check like a second opinion, or it could be that you just want the test more often, or to find out any change after 3 months when you are waiting on a 6-month appt with dr, etc.

(Like monitoring A1C, Dee.)

I think it's a cool concept, although cost would have to be considered. I'm sure this is partially in response to the need for large-company drug testing. But it's also in response to people realizing that their regular medical tests are their own business first, and taking the reins to find out about their own numbers. I mean, you go to a med tech and you say, "I have this blood here, of which I am the owner." and he/she says, "Yes, I can see that." and you say, "Me, Myself and I would like it tested." How simple is that.

Oh, well, I am off on a tangent.
Harmony, you have worried here several times that you might not be getting the best care. I don't remember the reasons for thinking you needed to stay with this office, but maybe you could start requesting at least a different doctor in this office and get used to that person?

[Kathryn-in-Canada]

Well, the month-end stats are being compiled now for the Ottawa fitbit group. I took almost 5000 steps more this month than last, but will end up around 65th instead of my 41st last month. That just goes to show how many people joined who are walking in my daily range. There's a battle for first place right now with the current leader having 954,000 steps. That's almost 3x my step count for the month.