[lenjan]

Since moving out of the same house as the Food Nazi, I have enjoyed returning to things like 2% milk and full-fat ice cream. I had enough oat bran and flaxseed for a lifetime in 6 months, thank you, but I have to admit, I do try to pay a bit more attention now to what I put in my mouth.

So anyway, in the next town over, once a month through April, they're having a winter farmer's market. I went today. It was largely stuff like organic meat of assorted varieties (like, buffalo and goat, not just cows!), homemade honey and cheese, etc.

The friend who helped me do most of the moving here stopped at the last farmer's market of the season in town here and bought some cheese from an Amish family. She said it was really good, and they were there today as well, so I bought a regular hunk of cheese and a bag of "fresh" cheese curds. (Cheese curds are a Wisconsin delicacy ;-) -- it's what you skim off the top before you actually form the cheese -- they're usually quite tasty, and they make an amusing squeaking noise when you chew them.)

The bag says, "all natural, no additives." The Amish lady said, "they're so fresh, they were still in the cow 24 hours ago." My stomach says, -- well, if we had a "ralphing" smiley, it would go here. I was INSTANTLY sick to my stomach.

So. Is the lesson here "stick to pasteurized cheese" or "stop eating additives and chemicals"? I mean, is this a usual reaction, or is my body just out of whack after months of eating funny?

Just curious.

CB

[Sabrina]

I can't really answer any questions here ... but I really enjoyed your post. Very amusing!

I am very much into organic foods and flaxseed (granted, I take it in capsule form) bit I agree in terms of a natural body reaction to what is supposed to be totally natural food (if that made sense).

I am a bit of a cheese nut but I think I will just stick to not knowing how "fresh" it really is

[jbug]

I love Cheese curds. The ones we have here in Arkansas don't squeak. The also aren't as creamy as the one in Wisconsin.

Jbug

[Perna]

I think the lesson is don't listen to people telling you about cow's insides and dairy production while you're eating! LOL "Still in the cow. . ." would have made me hurl too.

I say eat what tastes good and "feels" good to YOU, all in moderation with lots of variety :-)

[(JD)]

awwww... you know? Something about that was warming to me...to think, like the milk was still warm in the cow's nipple etc heheeh could have gone to a suckling baby cow instead ??? IDK I think that's sweet.

Anywho... I didn't go food conscious all at once..there was just too much to learn. I took it one item/food at a time. I decided I would NOT eat hot dogs because of...(the nitrites that cause cancer) and then it was ALL processed meats... I moved on to eliminating any product with MSG... and alas I have NO tolerance (that's 0%) for hydrogenated/partially hydrogenated products. I also never have anything with MSG unless it's a goof on my part. (THAT'S tough too...as almost all soups have it and packaged anything!)

I cut out sodas this year...almost completely..and if I do have one, it is regular since the added chemicals in the diet ones are really worse.

As I eliminate some things, and have knowledge of that...it allows me to learn and make choices about others.

I like real butter rather than any artificial. The body knows what to do with cow products...doesn't have a clue about artifial junk

[drunksunflower]

</font><blockquote><div id="quote"><font class="small">Quote:</font>
_Sky said:

I cut out sodas this year...almost completely..and if I do have one, it is regular since the added chemicals in the diet ones are really worse.

I like real butter rather than any artificial. The body knows what to do with cow products...doesn't have a clue about artifial junk

</div></font></blockquote><font class="post">

Absolutely agree with these two points.

Is just about moderation IMO ...

I try and do organic at least some of the time ... I also don't really 'do' meat ... although I am trying a little here and there cos of iron.

[(JD)]

Yes... I can't handle the growth hormones and antibiotics they put into regular meats... so I only eat black angus, and Perdue chicken, and IF there's range fed type beef available...

[jennie]

</font><blockquote><div id="quote"><font class="small">Quote:</font>
Perna said:
I say eat what tastes good and "feels" good to YOU, all in moderation with lots of variety :-)

</div></font></blockquote><font class="post">

Perna

ya gotta listen to your body!

you may see it as food nazism, but your innards are in much better shape after all of that flax seed and oatmeal.

i eat no processed foods, no quick food/junk food, no red meat, drink very few "real" sodas, drink tea, eat fish (lots of fish) and chicken and tons and tons of vegetables. lots and lots of legumes.

whole grain bread and a little butter. no margarine and no white bread. daily tofu in stir-fry and smoothies. lots of fruit.

it took very little time to adjust my habits and my body is in much better shape than it was prior to the changes. BP, cholesterol, pulse, etc. all within very healthy ranges.

i really do believe that we are what we eat......

[lenjan]

I'm on Coumadin, so I can't do the take-this-or-that herbs deal, not even herbal tea (and especially not green tea). A lot of the "healthy" suggestions out there are useless for me because of it. I do try to eat more fruits and veggies, and I've seriously cut down on the fast food (like, once a month, instead of multiple times per week), but there's still a lot of "healthy" food I can't have in any quantity that would make it interesting or filling, even. (I mean, I love fresh spinach salads, but spinach has stratospheric levels of vitamin K.)

Someone on my clotting disorder forum posted this, which looks interesting for a variety of reasons (besides the fact that he posts a Coumadin diet :-))

Dr. Gourmet

[(JD)]

I can't eat spinach either (doctor's orders) nor black tea nor peanuts. (They all zap your body of iron.)

I thought I found some neat flax seed cookies today... but upon reading the ingredient list, it had way too much sugar for me, and boasted a large 6 grams of fat per cookie I put them back But I did buy some sugar free ginger snaps for a diabetic friend of mine, who I hope to see at dinner tomorrow night

[lenjan]

In addition to no interesting herbs, spices or dark leafy veggies, fish is pretty much out as well. There's some recent lit about no cranberries. It is just easier to eat junk food, because all the stuff the "health gurus" tell you to eat, I really can't!

and you don't think that all of the grease and chemicals in the junk food are bad for your health?

[lenjan]

I know they're bad for my health, but the stuff that's supposed to be good for my health, I can't have. So I'm supposed to eat air?

candybear, i know that there are safe alternatives for you. you may have to work harder to find them, but junk food is not the answer.

[wisewoman]

Why no fish? Also anticoagulant therapy is adjustable so that if you start eating three spinach salads a week and your P.T. and I&R change then keep eating exactly the same thing and follow medical orders on adjusting the anticoagulants.

Me, I am a food nightmare as I don't eat meat, once in a while fish, and really do not have regular meals. That is a hold over from childhood. Anyway I agree that diet sodas are horrid for you. Anyone know how to break the habit? it cuts through the mucous in the a.m. I don't drink coffee. It makes me awake, it is a habit that I feel good when I have it and deprived when I don't. Food is a very weird thing when it comes to trying to be as healthy as possible. Dairy is only cheddar cheese now and then. I rarely eat bread or butter. I have heard about the Power foods and I can handle avocados, eggs, nuts. Food is a hard one in my opinion.