Natural and homegrown

Anne, a couple of months ago, I bought a Cuisinart pressure cooker (electric), but returned it 3 days later because its cooking pot was non-stick (Teflon). Um, BIG mistake, I'm trying to get away from cancer-causing chemicals like Teflon.

After doing a lot of research, I splurged on a Kuhn-Rikon 6-quart pressure cooker. It's stainless steel and is used on your stove... I was intimidated at first but now I L*O*V*E this thing!!!!!!!!!!! I'm such a last-minute person (which is why I used to microwave so much junk and that's probably how I got cancer to begin with), this pressure cooker is SO perfect for me. Organic brown rice cooks in 20 minutes (as opposed to 45+ without a pressure cooker)... I can handle 20 minutes!! and like I said, dried beans are cooked in a blink. Vegetables are literally done in 1-3 minutes. (That's another thing I like about my Kuhn-Rikon... I can "instantly de-pressure" the pot by running cool tap water over it. With the electric kind, you have to wait for it to de-pressure and by then the vegetables are soft, pale, mush.)

I love "Clean Eating" and "Mother Jones" too, and sometimes "Vegetarian Times"... lately, though, I've been sticking to gardening magazines since I'm really determined to grow my own food well.

Julia (who is soooo hippie/liberal in some ways, soooo conservative in others!!!)

For yogurt or nut cheese you have to add weight to press it down slowly. A brick wrapped in a towel works well.

Has anyone not taken any medications and tried an all natural diet?

Olivia

I do not take any pills either. My "treatment" is dark chocolate, red wine in moderation, combination of nuts, no soy, and organic food. I eat everything,no special diet, but I try to avoid refined white sugar, white bread, white rice, etc.

In regards to sleeping issue what works for me is drinking water. When I wake up in the middle of night ( actually is around 4 AM) I drink water and I fall back to sleep. I also use a night cream ( it is organic) Badger Sleep Balm (badgerbalm.com) if I cannot fall back and that usually helps, too.

I am all for balance in my life and I would recommend the book  "Real Food" by Nina Planck. She explains why all foods are good in our life, but you need to know how to balance sugar, fat, and other "bad" foods that are actually not bad.

Here is something that might help.

FOODS THAT HELP YOU SLEEP

What you eat affects how you sleep. One of the keys to a restful night's sleep is to get your brain calmed rather than revved up. Some foods contribute to restful sleep; other foods keep you awake. We call them sleepers and wakers. Sleepers are tryptophan-containing foods, because tryptophan is the amino acid that the body uses to make serotonin, the neurotransmitter that slows down nerve traffic so your brain isn't so busy. Wakers are foods that stimulate neurochemicals that perk up the brain.

Tryptophan is a precursor of the sleep-inducing substances serotonin and melatonin. This means tryptophan is the raw material that the brain uses to build these relaxing neurotransmitters. Making more tryptophan available, either by eating foods that contain this substance or by seeing to it that more tryptophan gets to the brain, will help to make you sleepy. On the other hand, nutrients that make tryptophan less available can disturb sleep.

Eating carbohydrates with tryptophan-containing foods makes this calming amino acid more available to the brain. A high carbohydrate meal stimulates the release of insulin, which helps clear from the bloodstream those amino acids that compete with tryptophan, allowing more of this natural sleep-inducing amino acid to enter the brain and manufacture sleep- inducing substances, such as serotonin and melatonin. Eating a high-protein meal without accompanying carbohydrates may keep you awake, since protein-rich foods also contain the amino acid, tyrosine, which perks up the brain.

To understand how tryptophan and carbohydrates work together to relax you, picture the various amino acids from protein foods as passengers on a bus. A busload containing tryptophan and tyrosine arrives at the brain cells. If more tyrosine "passengers" get off the bus and enter the brain cells, neuroactivity will rev up. If more tryptophan amino acids get off the bus, the brain will calm down. Along comes some insulin which has been stalking carbohydrates in the bloodstream. Insulin keeps the tyrosine amino acids on the bus, allowing the brain-calming tryptophan effect to be higher than the effect of the brain-revving tyrosine.

You can take advantage of this biochemical quirk by choosing protein or carbohydrate-rich meals, depending on whether you want to perk up or slow down your brain. For students and working adults, high protein, medium-carbohydrate meals are best eaten for breakfast and lunch. For dinner and bedtime snacks, eat a meal or snack that is high in complex carbohydrates, with a small amount of protein that contains just enough tryptophan to relax the brain. An all- carbohydrate snack, especially one high in junk sugars, is less likely to help you sleep. You'll miss out on the sleep-inducing effects of tryptophan, and you may set off the roller-coaster effect of plummeting blood sugar followed by the release of stress hormones that will keep you awake. The best bedtime snack is one that has both complex carbohydrates and protein, and perhaps some calcium. Calcium helps the brain use the tryptophan to manufacture melatonin. This explains why dairy products, which contain both tryptophan and calcium, are one of the top sleep-inducing foods. 

SNOOZE FOODS

These are foods high in the sleep-inducing amino acid tryptophan:

Dairy products: cottage cheese, cheese, milk Soy products: soy milk, tofu, soybean nuts Seafood Meats Poultry Whole grains Beans Rice Hummus Lentils Hazelnuts, Peanuts Eggs Sesame seeds, sunflower seeds 

BEST BEDTIME SNACKS

Foods that are high in carbohydrates and calcium, and medium-to-low in protein also make ideal sleep-inducing bedtime snacks. Some examples:

apple pie and ice cream (my favorite) whole-grain cereal with milk hazelnuts and tofu oatmeal and raisin cookies, and a glass of milk peanut butter sandwich, ground sesame seeds (It takes around one hour for the tryptophan in the foods to reach the brain, so don't wait until right before bedtime to have your snack.) Back to

BEST DINNERS FOR SLEEP

Meals that are high in carbohydrates and low-to-medium in protein will help you relax in the evening and set you up for a good night's sleep. Try the following "dinners for sleep":

pasta with parmesan cheese scrambled eggs and cheese tofu stirfry hummus with whole wheat pita bread seafood, pasta, and cottage cheese meats and poultry with veggies tuna salad sandwich chili with beans, not spicy sesame seeds (rich in tryptophan) sprinkled on salad with tuna chunks, and whole wheat crackers

Lighter meals are more likely to give you a restful night's sleep. High-fat meals and large servings prolong the work your digestive system needs to do, and all the gas production and rumblings may keep you awake. Some people find that highly-seasoned foods (e.g., hot peppers and garlic) interfere with sleep, especially if you suffer from heartburn. (See gastroesophageal reflux). Going to bed with a full stomach does not, for most people, promote a restful night's sleep. While you may fall asleep faster, all the intestinal work required to digest a big meal is likely to cause frequent waking and a poorer quality of sleep. Eat your evening meal early.

Heed the sleep wisdom: "Don't dine after nine."

FOODS THAT KEEP YOU AWAKE

Caffeine-containing foods top the list of foods that wake you up.

Here's why:

As a stimulant, caffeine speeds up the action of not only the nervous system, but of other major body systems, too. Within fifteen minutes of downing a cup of coffee, the level of adrenaline in your blood rises, which triggers an increase in heart rate, breathing rate, urinary output, and production of stomach acids. Basically, caffeine's effects are the reverse of what you want to happen as you go to sleep. Caffeine also prompts adrenal hormones to release sugar stored in the liver, which stimulates sugar cravings to replenish the stores. Caffeine heightens the roller coaster effect of blood sugar swings, producing a quick high after a morning cup of coffee, followed by a downturn in the afternoon. Caffeine's effects in the body are sort of like the law of gravity: what goes up must come down. The morning jolt is often followed by afternoon doldrums. Caffeine also makes it difficult to sleep well.

Know your caffeine quota. Some persons are more caffeine-sensitive than others. Many adults can take up to 250 milligrams of caffeine a day (the average amount in 21/2 cups of coffee) and experience no sleep problems. Others get jitters after one cola.

Time your caffeine boost. For most people, the effects of caffeine wear off within six hours, so coffee in the morning will usually not interfere with sleep in the evening. Caffeine-containing beverages at lunch may not affect your sleep, but coffee, tea, or cola in the evening is likely to keep you awake.

Know what foods contain the most caffeine. As you can see from the chart, coffee, colas, and tea rank highest in caffeine content.

FOOD	CAFFEINE (mg.)
coffee, brewed, 6 ounces	105
coffee, instant, 6 ounces	55
Mountain Dew, 12 ounces	55
Colas, 12 ounces	35-45
Tea, 6 ounces	35

Contrary to what we are led to believe, chocolate is not high in caffeine. Two chocolate chip cookies may contain less than 5 milligrams of caffeine, a packet of cocoa mix contains 5 milligrams, and one chocolate candy bar contains around 10 milligrams. In fact, many people find chocolate desserts that also contain dairy products to actually be a sleep inducer because of the combination of tryptophan and carbohydrates.

To get the taste of tea with less of a caffeine jolt, recycle the tea bag. Discard the first cup of tea made from the tea bag, which contains the most caffeine, and make another cup. Also, don't squeeze the tea out of the tea bag, as these drops of tea contain more caffeine. Try grain-based hot beverages and caffeine-free herbal teas as alternatives to coffee and tea.

Some over-the-counter cold and headache remedies are high in caffeine. Check the label or ask the pharmacist, especially if you are a caffeine-sensitive person.

http://www.askdrsears.com/html/4/T042400.asp

Wendy, to cook dry beans in my crock pot, I either soak clean beans overnight or I will 'power soak' my beans (if I forget to soak overnight), put cleaned dry beans in large bowl, cover with boiling water, and let stand in hot water for 1 hour. Some say to drain the liquid from the beans in measuring cup and add that amount of fresh water but I put that water in the crock pot with the beans to retain the nutrients that may have boiled out, add 3-4 cups more of stock or water to cover beans completly with liquid. Turn on low and cook for 6-8 hours or high for 3-4 hours. If liquid gets too low, just add additional liquid. With white beans I add diced onion and celery (aprox 1/2 to 1 cup each for a full crock pot) about 1 hour before serving to help season the beans.

here is a link to the grill sargent with his navy bean and ham bone soup http://www.pentagonchannel.mil/thegrillsergeants/recipes/season2/beans/Navy_Bean_Soup.pdf

My niece uses her pressure cooker to cook her beans for chili and her husband said that he doesn't like dry beans in chili but he can't tell the difference. She has a large canning pressure cooker but my mom is talking about getting her a smaller one for regular cooking.

Sheila

Thank you for asking.

I had my 3rd treatment today and am feeling very good. I feel very blessed to have found a great onc who gets it. They are taking very good care of me. Today marks the half way done tally for me, and I am feeling really positive about that as well.

Crunchy Poodle.. you are very inspiring.. I currently live on about an acre and grow herbs, peppers, onions, squashes and tomatoes.

We just bought a farmette with a field that could be a little orchard.  Starting over I guess.  It's been 'unworked' for about 15 years and is tree covered.  there are raspberry bushes and I would love to see an asparagus patch pop up.

nice thread

Drug  Recall - Very Serious ***

Send to friends & family  

 CONFIRMED  BY: SNOPES.COM <http://snopes.com/>     Type in the word PHENYLPROPANOLAMINE in the search box

All  drugs containing PHENYLPROPANOLAMINE are being recalled.

STOP  TAKING anything

containing this ingredient. It has been linked to  increased hemorrhagic

stroke (bleeding in  brain)

among women  ages 18-49 in the three days after starting use of medication

The FDA  recommended that everyone (even  children) seek  alternative medicine.

The  following medications contain  Phenylpropanolamine:

Acutrim Diet  Gum Appetite Suppressant

Acutrim Plus  Dietary Supplements

Acutrim eMaximum Strength Appetite Control

Alka-Seltzer  Plus Children's Cold Medicine Effervescent

Alka-Seltzer  Plus Cold medicine (cherry or orange)

Alka-Seltzer  Plus Cold Medicine Original

Alka-Seltzer  Plus Cold & Cough Medicine Effervescent

Alka-Seltzer  Plus Cold & Flu Medicine

Alka-Seltzer  Plus Cold & Sinus Effervescent

Alka-Seltzer  Plus Night-Time Cold Medicine

BC Allergy  Sinus Cold Powder

BC  Sinus Cold Powder

Comtrex Flu  Therapy & Fever Relief

Day &  Night Contac 12-Hour Cold Capsules

Contac 12  Hour Caplets

Coricidin D  Cold, Flu & Sinus

Dexatrim  Caffeine Free

Dexatrim  Extended Duration

Dexatrim  Gelcaps

Dexatrim  Vitamin C/Caffeine Free

Dimetapp Cold  & Allergy Chewable Tablets

Dimetapp Cold  & Cough Liqui-Gels

Dimetapp DM  Cold & Cough Elixir

Dimetapp  Elixir

Dimetapp 4  Hour Liquid Gels

Dimetapp 4  Hour Tablets

Dimetapp 12  Hour Extendtabs Tablets

Naldecon DX  Pediatric Drops

Permathene  Mega-16

Robitussin  CF

Tavist-D 12  Hour Relief of Sinus & Nasal Congestion

Triaminic DM  Cough Relief

Triaminic  Expectorant Chest & Head

Triaminic  Syrup Cold & Allergy

Triaminic  Triaminicol Cold & Cough

I just found  out and called the 800# on the container for  Triaminic  and they  informed me that they are

voluntarily recalling the following  medicines because of a certain

ingredient that is causing strokes and  seizures in children

Orange3D Cold  &Allergy Cherry (Pink)

3D Cold &Cough Berry

                    

3D Cough  Relief Yellow 3D Expectorant

They are  asking you to call them at 800-548-3708 with the lot number on

the box  so they can send you postage for you  to send it  back to them, and they will also issue you

a refund. If you know of  anyone else with small children,

PLEASE PASS  THIS ON.. THIS IS SERIOUS STUFF!

DO PASS ALONG  TO ALL ON YOUR MAILING LIST so people are informed. They

can then pass  it along to their families.

To confirm  these findings please take time to check the  following:

http://www.fda.gov/cder/drug/infopage/ppa/_ <http://www.fda.gov/cder/drug/infopage/ppa/_>  

I would propose posting a link to long articles rather than a cut and past. Just my thoughts

3monst, have you seen the stainless steel lunch containers? They would work for a kid's lunch... I've seen some that were specifically for lunch boxes and they're unbreakable. Let me know if you want to dig up some of the sources I bookmarked.

Happy Easter! Red Wine Helps Cardiovascular Health, But Is It the Alcohol or Something Else?Two studies show different results on the source of wine's heart health benefitsJacob Gaffney
Posted: March 31, 2010One of the longest-running debates on the potential health benefits of regular, moderate red wine consumption is whether the alcohol or the other components in wine are responsible for better health. A study from Italy claims that moderate consumption of alcohol, regardless of other compounds like polyphenols, can help prevent a repeat heart attack. But a new study from the U.K. suggests that the polyphenols found in red wine may help keep blood vessels in proper working order.Previous studies suggest that red wine is responsible for improved blood flow, which helps keep the heart and the body in better health, but whether that's due to polyphenols or alcohol, or both, is still unclear. A study from the Research Laboratories at the Catholic University of Campobasso, Italy, claims the alcohol, not the antioxidants, helps prevent another heart attack or stroke.Published in the Journal of the American College of Cardiology, the study looked at 16,351 people from eight countries who had previously suffered a heart-related injury, usually a heart attack. When the researchers compared their drinking habits to the recurrence of strokes, heart attacks, or any other deadly cardiovascular event, they found that moderate drinkers of one to two servings of alcohol per day had a 20 percent lower risk of recurrence compared to nondrinkers and heavier drinkers."Our research highlights another crucial issue: Drinking has not only to be moderate, but also regular," said co-author and university epidemiologist Licia Iacoviello in a statement. "Moderate consumption spread along the week is positive. The same amount of weekly alcohol, concentrated in a couple of days, is definitely harmful."The director of research at Compobasso warned against using the study as an invitation to start drinking, however. In a press release, Giovanni de Gaetano said that the study dealt with previously ill people and, therefore, is not necessarily translatable to the general public.A study conducted at the University of Surrey, England, published in the Journal of Human Nutrition and Dietetics, suggests that alcohol may not be the only factor, however. A research team found that people who drank a kind of simulated wine—alcohol mixed with red grape juice—during mealtime showed several markers of improved cardiovascular health. Those who drank just water did not see the same levels of improved blood flow. Those who drank just grape juice saw slightly lower benefits.To try to figure out the relationship between alcohol versus red wine compounds, the team had ten subjects consume a standard meal with a test drink on different occasions. The test drinks accompanying the meal were either water, red grape juice or red grape juice plus alcohol. Red wine itself was not used in any form, as de-alcoholized wine tends to still contain some level of alcohol, which might have marred the results. The simulated wine was red grape juice with alcohol added to create a 12 percent alcohol drink. Various measurements were taken to estimate blood flow.The flow-mediated dilation, a measure of the ease at which blood is pumped through the body, stood at 6 percent for those who only had water, 7 percent for those who had grape juice only and more than 8 percent for those who had the red grape juice/alcohol mixture.The scientists credit ingredients in the red grape juice for most of the benefits. "The conclusion drawn from this study was that non-alcoholic components present in alcoholic beverages have a potential benefit on vascular function—blood vessels," said Dr. Shelagh Hampton, senior research fellow on the faculty of Health and Medical Sciences.

All-

You are inspiring me! We live on 1.5 acres, and I attempted a grow box garden for the past two years, but I had pests the first year (refused to use any pesticides and my vegetation died), and last summer, well, I had just been diagnosed with cancer, and gardening wasn't on my priority list. I will start again this spring. We live in Texas, so our summer cuts our growing season short with the heat.

Changes we have made? Well, my diet has radically changed, but I was fairly organic before. However, I have stepped it up a notch, because I truly get 8-10 fruits and vegetables a day, and if I don't I have a multi-vitamin to back it up. But most days, I do pretty well. I have 3 small children, so I cannot avoid Sams Club or Costco, so I stock up on beans there (not organic, unfortunately-- can't do all organic due to cost). Once a week, I do pinto beans with onions and seasoning. Pretty yummy, and we have that to nosh on during the week.

I buy lots of produce at Sams and Costco-- organic where possible, and I don't worry if it's frozen. I buy organic frozen fruit (berries, mangos, etc) as well. I buy the bulk produce and fruits, since there are 5 of us.  Then I go to Whole Foods for organic meats and dairy.

I don't consume dairy anymore (unless it is cultured), so I've replaced cereals in the a.m. with etiher quinoa or flaxseed waffles with a bit of almond butter. Or organic eggs if I have time. I also do not consume wheat products of any sort. Seems I am gluten intolerant, so I have sadly given up breads-- only have Udi's on occasion, which is a rice based bread.

We have always composted, and I have used vinegar for cleaning for a long time. I used to use Dr. Bronners years ago, and it used to be CHEAP. Now it's pretty pricey, so I buy it and use only small amounts for cleaning my wood floors and cabinetry in the kitchen.  We use plain old bleach for the nasty stuff in the bathroom, but my husband handles it for me so I don't have to handle it at all.

One thing I've noticed is that I started developing a strange chemical aversion for approximately 2 years prior to BC diagnosis. That is, I loved perfume for a long time, but suddenly a lot of fragrances gave me instantaneous headaches when I applied them. Candles with scent did the same thing! I am certain it has everything to do with my BC diagnosis, and have attempted to clear my environment of as many fragranced things as possible. Anyone else have this? I had to get rid of all my favorite perfumes!

I am working on a few things now: Since we live in Texas on a creek, we have SO MANY mosquitos. I've tried eating garlic, all the "natural" types of sprays on the kids and me, and nothing seems to work. My husband is not bothered by them at all, but I get bitten by swarms the moment I step outside (May through October!)  Any tips for this??? I don't like applying DEET to my kids, but sometimes I think it's better than the bites.

I haven't used plastics for storing my food for years, and we don't use the microwave very often at our house. In fact, I have considered getting rid of it. I might just do that in 2011.

Thank you again for starting this thread! This is a great topic!!!