posted
Well since lyme has dictated my need to eat healthier I had cut out all breads, sugars, diary and meats for the last 6 months.
After watching Forks over Knives I had decided I need to go vegan. It just sounds alot smarter and healthier. I have been doing my research but sure could use some ideas from anyone else who has adopted that way of eating.
I noticed Giant grocery store has a wide variety of vegan foods. Refrigerated section they were mostly soy products which were ok but not exactly my taste. I sure would love to hear any ideas from anyone else here in lymeland
Recipes most welcomed too!
-------------------- A little lymie... Posts: 104 | From Greener Pastures in PA | Registered: Sep 2011
| IP: Logged |
Keebler
Honored Contributor (25K+ posts)
Member # 12673
posted
- I caution against extreme measures. You might consider easing into changes. Test out how you FEEL from eating certain foods. How do they serve you?
As you transition, remember the most important thing is the SOURCE of your food (whatever it is), care of it at all steps, and human treatment and care for those who are tending our foods.
I was vegetarian for 18 years. I needed more than plants (even with lots of beans) and eggs were never enough animal protein for me. I found that I really need fish and lean meat, though, and do so much better with those from the best sources.
Sardines and wild salmon have saved my life many times over. Mostly, they've helped reduce seizures. Plant sources could not begin to give me the effect of the fatty acids in sardines and wild salmon. My brain really needs these.
For myself, I think muscle meats are much healthier than soy based pressed proteins that often contain lots of gluten and MSG (by one name or another).
Be sure to really study labels and try to make your own fresh legume soups rather than buy fake meat products that go through endless processing.
If you go vegan or vegetarian, be sure to supplement with Taurine as well as B-12. You'll also need CLA (Conjugated Linoleic Acid) from somewhere (it is mostly in grass fed cattle).
And be sure to have protein with all meals and snacks.
Those with chronic infections need 25% more protein daily.
Nuts are great.
Look up the website for: Christina Cooks
- she is vegan and overcame cancer with her diet. Uses brown rice syrup but you can just leave that out. She uses tempeh (good) but that is the most processed thing she uses. All else is fresh. Mediterranean flair.
She seldom uses wheat but (as we should avoid gluten) you can leave out that, too, and use Quinoa, Wild or Black Rice instead. -
[ 12-03-2011, 02:54 AM: Message edited by: Keebler ]
Posts: 48021 | From Tree House | Registered: Jul 2007
| IP: Logged |
posted
Keebler, may I ask - when you say sardines have been so helpful - are you just speaking of sardines that come in a can?
Posts: 251 | From Florida | Registered: Aug 2011
| IP: Logged |
Keebler
Honored Contributor (25K+ posts)
Member # 12673
posted
- Yep, unless you can get them to just jump into your net - or get them fresh from a fishmonger (preferable as long as from good waters, using good methods). Some stores "do" good fish; some don't.
If your grocer does not carry this brand, you may ask them order it - or see if they have another brand with similar practices. You can also order on line. I've tried many brands and this is the one that works best for me.
I still can't say they are my favorite food, exactly - but of all foods, they do the best work for my brain, by far. Gotta put to use foods that really work for me or out they go. And this brand does taste the best of all I've tried.
You can add some lemon juice & parsley or cilantro leaves if you like. Other garden herbs & spices - add to salad green or lightly steamed lacinato kale, or just scarf them down.
Ingredients: Sardines, Spring Water, Sea Salt in a BPA-Free Can. ($3.50)
Sourcing & Fish Facts
Albacore and Skipjack Tuna
Wild Planet sources albacore and skipjack tuna only from pole and troll caught fisheries. Numerous fleets around the world use this artisanal small-scale method and deserve our support.
This catch method is considered a BEST CHOICE in harvest technique by the consensus of international environmental organizations studying this issue.
We may expand our sourcing as needed from other troll and pole fisheries, all of which are nearly by-catch free and are not overfished.
NO PURSE SEINE OR LONG-LINE CAUGHT TUNA WILL EVER BE USED IN OUR PRODUCTS!
From their FAQ page, regarding the ALBACORE TUNA:
Why is there so much less mercury?
The troll-caught albacore in the North Pacific fishery are lower in mercury because these migratory fish are smaller (about 9 to 25 pounds) and younger (three to five years old) than the long-line caught older fish that reach up to 70 pounds after ten to fifteen years of growth.
Naturally, the longer a fish lives and feeds, the more it bio-accumulates mercury.
While all fish caught along the West Coast are low in mercury compared to larger overseas fish, we have made it our quest to produce the safest possible product. We do this by packing only these smaller fish.
Their Retailer list -
Posts: 48021 | From Tree House | Registered: Jul 2007
| IP: Logged |
Keebler
Honored Contributor (25K+ posts)
Member # 12673
posted
- You might also want to get from the library the series of the MOOSEWOOD COOKBOOKS and THE ENCHANTED BROCCOLI FOREST.
Not sure if vegan but both have only vegetarian recipes and education. While they do have recipes with wheat, it's their legume recipes for hot, steamy soups and vegetable dishes that capture my taste buds.
They also speak to gluten free options like Quinoa, Buckwheat Groats, Millet, Wild Rice, etc.
Also consider these books:
The Cure is In The Kitchen - and A Spoonful of Ginger.
All of those are also at Amazon. -
Posts: 48021 | From Tree House | Registered: Jul 2007
| IP: Logged |
posted
Keebler, as always you are a wonderful source of information. Thanks a million!!
I love tuna and I really don't mind the occasional sardine. I'll check out the info you posted. Thanks again.
Posts: 251 | From Florida | Registered: Aug 2011
| IP: Logged |
MannaMe
Frequent Contributor (1K+ posts)
Member # 33330
posted
Keebler, Which brand of salmon do you use? We really like salmon, but I'm never sure which is the best brand.
Posts: 2601 | From USA | Registered: Aug 2011
| IP: Logged |
Keebler
Honored Contributor (25K+ posts)
Member # 12673
posted
- MannaMe,
Getting good food has become a lot of leg work. But it's worth it.
If you have a natural foods store in town, talk to them. If not, then talk to the meat/fish dept. head at a good grocery store.
Try to buy from the fish case, that way it's not been sitting wrapped in plastic, absorbing petroleum and chemicals.
[Also ask if the fish is given a bath in ammonia or other solution. If so, avoid. Many meats are washed in an ammonia solution and some ground meats have it in it. Not good.]
Restaurants usually get farmed fish (best to avoid) . . . but you might call the best restaurants in your town and see if they might have a connection for some wild salmon (even if frozen). Then do your homework to confirm source.
Fortunately, I live in the Pacific NW so we have salmon on the brain.
I eat ONLY WILD salmon, though. I prefer fresh, not frozen. But, even here, that's only for a slim window of the year.
I used to get frozen wild Alaskan salmon from Trader Joe's but I've had lots of trouble with theirs - even when wild and supposedly "good" it often smells odd and old - even when just removing it from the packaging straight out of the freezer.
So I only get it from my grocer now. They carry only WILD and detail where it is caught and how.
Still, most of the year, it's been frozen so I can buy only what I can eat that day or the next. And, since I only have someone shop for me every 3 - 4 weeks, I don't get to have fresh salmon very often.
I also hesitate to try other kinds of frozen but if others know of consistently good frozen brands, please share.
For canned salmon, I've used Trader Joe's canned WILD.
But the Wild Planet site above has my interest now. I did not know that they had salmon, too. And BPA-free cans. The lining of the cans really matters.
Also, do avoid pouches unless you know for sure that the salmon has NOT been cooked in the pouch (some brands do this) - and that some thought has gone into the pouch material itself.
Hot plastic is never good. Stuff stored in plastic is not a good idea, either. -
Posts: 48021 | From Tree House | Registered: Jul 2007
| IP: Logged |
posted
Thanks so much for the info on vitamins. I needed that. I am eating all fresh fruits and plants. I do make soups with can beans as I hate doing dry beans.
Christina Cooks is one source I definitely want to look into. I got a little carried away and cooked alot today. Soup, fruit salad and green salad. I also made veg. chili. The house smelled sooo good.
-------------------- A little lymie... Posts: 104 | From Greener Pastures in PA | Registered: Sep 2011
| IP: Logged |
Keebler
Honored Contributor (25K+ posts)
Member # 12673
posted
- Indeed, the aroma of your gourmet chili traveled all the way out here. Aren't spices just grand? And saut�ed onions to get it all going, of course.
Chefs often say, saut� an onion and garlic and everyone will think you are a gourmet chef.
Canned beans add in the factor of the lining of the can. Also, what kind of pots were they cooked in? Through what kind of piping system have they traveled?
Soaking and then cooking dried beans offers assurance that you're not consuming petroleum (including BPA) in your soup - or aluminum.
Of course, it's good to have a supply of canned beans (especially in the winter in case of power outages), but I hope you can devise a system so that soaking beans is a breeze for you.
Lentils require no soaking - oh maybe a few minutes with the pre-rinse before tossing them in so be sure to have lentils on hand always. I like the tiny FRENCH GREEN lentils the best.
The orange ones do not need any rinsing and cook up in no time at all.
Lentils are great as a curry. Coconut oil or milk added - or not. The MOOSEWOOD cookbooks have lots of lentils recipes. -
Posts: 48021 | From Tree House | Registered: Jul 2007
| IP: Logged |
The Lyme Disease Network is a non-profit organization funded by individual donations. If you would like to support the Network and the LymeNet system of Web services, please send your donations to:
The
Lyme Disease Network of New Jersey 907 Pebble Creek Court,
Pennington,
NJ08534USA http://www.lymenet.org/
UBBFriend: Email this page to someone!
![[Smile]](smile.gif)
Printer-friendly view of this topic