Sugar: The Bitter Truth
Posted: October 19, 2011 Filed under: cleansing, Freed people, Personal Leave a comment »I was hipped to this video from Heidi at Adventures of a Gluten Free Mom, and after only 30 minutes of watching, I knew that it was going to be the best hour and a half I would spend in my day. I’ll say it again! As long as this presentation is, it is totally worth watching. Dr. Robert Lustig does an excellent job of explaining why sugar, in the forms of sucrose, fructose (not fructose that occurs naturally in fruits and veggies) and HFCS, is poison and why it is so prevalent in our diets today.
When life gives you a garden….
Posted: August 14, 2011 Filed under: Personal, Uncategorized 2 Comments »
Well….you garden!
I gotta tell you, it has been most therapeutic! Besides my Mom, there had been some other events that hit my family hard, and required me to focus my attention on my family’s immediate needs. Around the same time my mom was diagnosed, I learn that a spot had opened up at the community garden! I had been on the waiting list for a year!
I initially thought that I wouldn’t have time to do any gardening, but my family encouraged me to go ahead since they know that it’s something that I really enjoy. When I was in college, I kept a small garden on the side of our house during the summers. That was my first time getting into anything botanical and I got hooked fast! I couldn’t believe you could grow all the produce that you see in the grocery store in my own yard!
Stevia is doing very well in the garden this year!
Gardening has really kept me sane this year. It’s been my escape, my solace. I can go there, and toil for hours and when I come home, I feel strangely satisfied, even though my back hurts and my legs ache. It’s one of the only activities where the work you put in is hugely rewarded in the end!
The best part is bringing home pounds and pounds of fresh, organic produce. Everyone benefits. My family, friends, and neighbors have been enjoying the bags of veggies I am always loaded down with. There is no way I can eat all of it.
So I’ll be sharing my garden with you too! I’ve been cooking up a storm over here at JSN headquarters, and there are lots of interested ingredients, techniques, and recipes that I’ve come across or have created to continue to cook and eat without sugar.
I can’t wait to show you!
Well that was fast!
Posted: March 25, 2011 Filed under: Personal 1 Comment »It’s suspected that Mom has thrush already!
Thrush is basically a candid infection in your mouth!
I knew chemo is strong and works quickly, but dang!
Now I have to be the “Sugar Nazi”
“No sugar for you!” LOL!
And the winner is…..
Posted: March 17, 2011 Filed under: Personal 1 Comment »
My mom finally got word from her nutritionist about which sugar-free sweeteners she recommends. There were only two, Splenda and stevia. My mom doesn’t like Splenda (yay!) so stevia it is!
This will be a fun challenge to sweeten only with stevia, since I have always used a combination of some sort, but I’m up for it. Luckily, we had a little leeway. We can use some fruits in there whole form for added moisture and fiber. I do also have a lot of Stage One recipes in the archives that I think she will enjoy.
Thank you all so much for your kind comments! My mom is doing ok right now. She’s tired, but resting and her spirits are still up. We do our best to keep her as comfortable and content as possible.
Sugar Free Now Goes Beyond Me!
Posted: March 9, 2011 Filed under: Personal 4 Comments »
Remember when I said my mom had outpatient surgery and she was fine? Well…..
I wasn’t being totally honest.
My mom is a two-time breast cancer survivor. She has been an advocate of cancer education, working at the county health office to coordinate classes in hospitals and community centers. She is very active in several cancer support groups, and fund-raising events for cancer research. Yes, she is at the Susan G. Komen walk every year! The two of us even went to London in 2008 to support a fellow survivor in her first ever symposium for breast cancer survivors of color. Truly amazing!
I consider my mom one of the strongest people I know. She is a true definition on a warrior to me.
Unfortunately, she has to put up her dukes again. Cancer just doesn’t want to leave her alone!
I’m most upset about the fact that chemo is the chosen course for cure. While my mom fights cancer, chemo will be beating up on my mom. A suppressed immune system is just ONE of the many side effects of chemotherapy. The rest of the effects read like the ingredients list of a Pringles sour cream and onion potato chips!
My mom is aware of how I fell about her chosen course of healing, and she understands how I feel, but she knows that I will, without a doubt, be there for her. I already have a role!
Since her immune system will be compromised, it’s highly likely that she will develop thrush (another word for Candida Related Complex). We have discussed with her doctor and amongst ourselves that the best nutritional path will be a sugar-free diet. I’ll be put to work making meals for her, and I couldn’t be happier about that!
This will be very interesting because her likes and dislikes, as well as her ability to digest certain foods will have to be taken into account. This is a challenge for me, because I’ve been cooking for years based solely on what I like!
I absolutely appreciate everything I have learned about sugar-free and gluten-free eating so far, but I’m about to learn even more about it.
Apple Cider Vinegar-What took me so long!
Posted: January 11, 2011 Filed under: cleansing, drinks, Personal | Tags: anti, apple, bacterial, cider, microbial, vinegar 1 Comment »
Well, being snowed in isn’t really so bad. That is, when you don’t need anything! Run out of something-bread, onions, your favorite comfort food, and suddenly we curse snow like it’s the devil!
In the mornings, especially in the winter, I start off with a warm, spicy lemonade: lemon juice, cayenne, a little stevia and some hot water. It really jump starts my morning! It’s better than coffee in my opinion and I’m sure a whole lot healthier.
This morning, I went to reach for the lemon and…..of course, there wasn’t one. So, I’m thrown off my routine a little. I want to have something hot, but without the sour tang and sweet hints, it just wouldn’t be the same. So I’m thinking “What would be sour? Oh, I do have Apple Cider vinegar….”
Here’s the thing. I don’t like vinegar, ANY vinegar. It’s just too strong! To me, it’s hard to get the taste balance right when it’s added to cooking. I much prefer the acidic balance of lemon or lime juice.
But, it’s a new year, and it’s time to try some new, healthy things. And I can’t go out and get any lemons anyway.
So I made my drink with Apple Cider vinegar, and it wasn’t bad at all. This is a good start. With all the health benefits of this stuff, it’s something that I SHOULD be using more of. I just have to get used to the taste.
Note: You have to use the cloudy kind. That’s the only one that has the health benefits. Don’t buy the kind you can see through!
Happy 1/1/11
Posted: January 1, 2011 Filed under: Personal 1 Comment »
via hacknmod.com
I just wanted to write that cause the numbers look so cool! I’m such a geek!
Cheers!
Healthy for the Holidays: Curried Cauliflower Nuggets
Posted: November 26, 2010 Filed under: fall, favorites, Healthy for the Holidays, Personal, Stage 1, Vegan, vegetarian, Whole grains, winter | Tags: cauliflower, curry, free, fried, gluten, healthy, holidays, Vegan, vegetarian Leave a comment »
Turkey is not the only thing that can be fried! If you are frying a turkey for Christmas (please don’t burn down the house!), these can go in after the turkey is done, and will take no time at all! I love these so much that I’m making a cranberry chutney to go with them. Yes, I will be posting the recipe.
Here’s what you do. Break up your head of cauliflower into smaller florets. Rinse well. Don’t dry! Place in a bowl and sprinkle with a cup of white rice flour that has 2 teaspoons of curry powder and 1 teaspoon of salt mixed in. Toss to coat the florets well. Fry up after the turkey, or heat a deep skillet with about 2 inches of oil (grapeseed, peanut and canola are the ones with the highest smoke points). Drop a small piece of cauliflower in the oil, if it sizzles and bubbles, it’s ready! Put in a few pieces at a time. Not too many! The pieces shouldn’t touch.
When they turn golden brown, remove and drain on paper towels. Sprinkle with more salt if desired.
Renegade Kitchen Disasters!
Posted: October 7, 2010 Filed under: Personal Leave a comment »
What you see above is one of my recent failures. I’ve been working with rice paper wrappers for years, trying to mold them to be egg rolls and pot stickers. Today, I finally conceded defeat! Then, I immediately realized why it hasn’t been working all this time!
Egg roll, wonton and potsticker wrappers are dry, but pliable. All you have to do is peel off, fill, fold over and wet just the edge to seal. They fry beautifully. Dinner is done!
Rice paper wrappers come dry, but nowhere near easy to bend. It will snap in two when dry, so you have to soak them in water in order to work with them. Nothing fries well when wet! Forget about it! Then trying to let them dry out again before frying just makes them sticky! It’s a complete mess in my wok!
Despite my extreme frustration, I’m always glad to have these mishaps, because they always have a lesson. And I NEVER forget them because the disaster was so real, I don’t wish to repeat it again! There are lots of failed attempts in alternative cooking, but I think we don’t like to reveal them because it makes us look like bad cooks. But I think we should reveal more failures because it helps everyone understand that it happens to all cooks. And just maybe someone has figured out how to fix the very problem we experienced!
Going up a level!
Posted: October 1, 2010 Filed under: Personal 1 Comment »
I’m happy to say that it’s time for me to break out of stage 2. This means that I will be able to eat some things that I have put aside for the last two years. I still can’t tolerate wheat and oats, but I’m going to try spelt (I know it’s a type of wheat) and barley and see how everything goes. I’ve been making alot of my old standby recipes lately and have had nothing new to share, but this will definitely spark my creativity again!
