Diet brainstorming...help please!

[kaleidoscopeeyes]

My diet needs some help, seriously. I'm just not feeling healthy these days, haven't in a long while. My teeth are literally rotting out of my head (and I have good hygiene, so it isn't that).
Anyway, I've tried to incorporate more TF into my diet before, but fall off the wagon for a few reasons: it's time consuming, expensive and not always real appetizing.
I was vegetarian for close to 10years, vegan (or near vegan) for about 2 of that. My palate just isn't real keen on meat. Oh, and I'm lactose intolerant.

So here is my thinking...

I am going to try to incorporate more broth and such into my diet. I'm not grossed out by meat or anything, but I'm just not that keen on a steak, ya know? organic, grass-fed/pastured meats are easy to come by around here, but they are expensive (high demand). I am going to try to budget in some high quality meats, but is it ok to use just organic commercial meat (i.e. an organic chicken from Trader Joe's)? Is it worth it at all or do I need to save my money for the small amount of pastured meat I can buy?

I've tried raw butter in the past...didn't like it. It had a sort of "off" taste to it. It is probably just my unaccustomed palate, but for $10 I want to at least enjoy using it. I have been using Kerrygold, which is pasteurized, but I *believe* grass-fed cow milk. Plus it's a lot more economical for me. Does the pasteurization make it worthless? Would I be better off worth organic butter (again it's pasteurized and probably grainfed)?

AS for dairy...I'm giving up the Soy! Oh this is going to be tough. I can tolerate aged cheeses and cultured dairy (yogurt mainly) fine, but a cup of milk does awful things to my belly. I'm planning on keeping a small amount of whole milk on hand for my coffee (not ready to give that up yet) and my oatmeal. Small amounts don't bother me too much. Is it possible that my lactose intolerance will wane as my gut flora balances out some? My lactose-intolerance was adult onset, but no one in my family but my uncle (who eats a very very low-fat nearly vegetarian diet) has a problem with milk. I am half African American and I know lactose intolerance is prevalent amongst AAs. Is there anything I should focus on to help my gut process dairy better?

I'm also going to try and cut way down on the amount of grain (especially wheat) in my diet (hard to fathom for a former veg), eat lots of quality eggs, *try* coconut oil (I have always hated the flavor of coconut) and start making my own kombucha (love the stuff but it's expensive). Oh and start taking cod liver/butter oil (man that stuff is EXPENSIVE!)

Any other ideas to help with my 3 major deterrents from TF? I already belong to a produce CSA, so will have lots of quality organic produce in the house anyway.

Thank you thank you thank you!

[quietserena]

Depending on your levels of lactose intolerance, you might be able to tolerate raw milk better than pasteurized. It has some lactase by itself so it should help break down lactose. Kefir can never hurt, and you can get grains from mommas on MDC. I'm not sure that raw will always help - it all depends on how sensitive you are.

I think the things you've already outlined are *awesome* and if it were me, I'd keep to those and not add much more.

Regarding meat, you'll find varying answers on that. We get grassfed beef to put in the freezer but can't afford to only eat that so we supplement with commercial organic or commercial.

I'm happy you're taking steps to help yourself feel better. :

[PaulaJoAnne]

You should have no problem with raw milk. Plus, its readily available in CA.
As for your teeth, I would drop everything and get on www.drrons.com, and order the High Vitamin Butter oil, and the High Vitamin Cod Liver Oil.
Get them seperate, so you can intake a higher dose of the butter oil.
The combination of the these three things will start to heal your teeth rigth away.
Along with that, start brushing your teeth with this mixture. 6 tbls baking soda, 1 tsp sea salt, and a few drops of peppermint oil.
Make a homemade mouthwash that has myhrr oil in it.
Commercial and most "natural" pastes and washes have glycerin in them.
Bad news for the teeth. Keeps them coated, and inhibits healing.
Check out the dental forum.
My teeth have lots of new enamal, and a large cavity is well on the road to recovery, and I have been following the above regimen for almost two months now.

For lots of fun help, check out Ann Maries blog. She lives in CA.
www.cheeseslave.com

One thing you can do, if red meat is to much, is start eating lots of fish and shellfish. Like 3-4 times per week. This will also help in rebuilding your bones and teeth.
Go to the markets on Sat. and shop at Whole Foods and Trader Joes.

You mention expensive.
All families that go full TF discover something amazing.
The food bill goes down.
Medical and dental bills drop as much as 80%.
So, it ends up being much cheaper in the long run.
The latest WAPF magazine has an excellent article on how this happens.

Paula

[kaleidoscopeeyes]

Oh yeah, raw milk is easy to come by here in San Francisco, but I've tried drinking it. I don't care for the taste and as of now anyway, it upsets my stomach terribly. I can handle small amounts, like I can drink a double short latte (roughly 6 oz of milk) and be fine.

I'm hoping that eventually I will be able to adjust to digesting lactose again.

As for expense, I hear what you're saying about it being cheaper in the long run. And really I think we should spend more on our diets than is popular these days. However, I do live in one of the most expensive cities in the US. I'm a student and don't even make $30K a year. After rent there plain isn't much left

[AJP]

Personally, I think KerryGold is a good butter nutritionally (and delicious), at least as good as most organic brands available in CA stores, although ecologically a more local, organic butter (like Straus or Spring Hill, the latter is amazing if you can find it) is better. The fat in milk is less damaged by pasteurization than the proteins, so butter made from pasteurized cream is less of a compromise. It doesn't have any enzymes, unless it's from cream cultured after pasteurization, but still has the fat-soluble vitamins and good fats.

If you're talking about the brand of raw butter available at retail in CA, Organic Pastures, I agree with you, it tastes off. I make raw butter from my own cow's milk, and it's so superior to OP raw butter, not even a trace of funkiness. Their milk is great, but the butter is gross, IMO.

Some people who are very lactose intolerant don't do any better with raw milk, even though it still has its native lactase enzyme intact, but it's worth a try if you haven't done so yet. (ETA: nevermind, I just saw your post above and see you've tried it) The minerals in raw and/or cultured dairy are much more available to your body than from pasteurized.

Increasing mineral intake from food and allowing your body to better assimilate those minerals, by reducing phytate content in your diet and improving gut flora, for instance, plus adding the vitamins that facilitate that process (A, D and K2 primarily) should be a good start on helping your teeth. It's no guarantee (which I know all too well, we have a problem with very weak baby tooth enamel in my family, in spite of a nutrient-dense TF diet), but many people have had success healing their teeth with diet improvement and the other measures Paula mentioned.

Cultured veggies are a wonderful way to help your gut flora - sauerkraut, kimchee, etc., and real kefir (made from kefir grains, not the storebought brands) has a much wider range of good bacteria than yogurt.

[kaleidoscopeeyes]

I think Spring Hill has a stand at the FM. They sell a lot of cheeses and I know they have butter, but I've never tried it. Don't know why I didn't think of that. I can totally do Strauss too, though KerryGold is still cheaper. And you are correct, Organic Pastures is the butter I tried. I even tried making butter from their cream but ended up with the same "off" taste.

Cultured veggies are something that will take me a while to adjust to, but I am going to try to include more. Sauerkraut and kimchi have always grossed me out. I love curtido though, but I kind of doubt the stuff I get in the little Salvadorean places around here is lacto-fermented. Adjusting to unsweetened yogurt is going to be a transition in itself. Baby steps, but I do plan on including more of that stuff over time.

The soaking time on everything is such a challenge for me. I really need to think ahead, but I find myself getting caught all the time. That, I suppose is the lifestyle change.

[tanyalynn]

It's taken me a while to ease into our approach, and it's a work in progress still, but a big part of what I'm trying to do with us is balance the fundamentals of Price's work (lots of minerals, whole lots of fat soluble vitamins, good digestible whole foods) and the foods that feel good to us.

We're dairy-free, so I obviously feel that it's pretty reasonable to eat TF without dairy. If you want to experiment with types of dairy that may work for you, definitely go for it, but all is not lost if you just decide no dairy at all.

For the basics: we do cod liver oil and I give the kids Thorne's K2 supp instead of butter oil, I like to make homemade stock a lot, both for the minerals and for how soothing it is on the digestive system (we're working on health problems, so this is important to us), and I try to find a couple GF grains that are nutritious and satisfying--mostly quinoa (for nutrition) and brown rice (for versatility and familiarity/comfort). Like I said, we've got health problems, so we use a couple vitamin and mineral supplements in addition to this, but someday I hope to use a lot fewer.

We love fermented veggies--I was shocked that this was the case, but I've found them tasty and easy to make and just satisfying at a very deep level. If you have to struggle with them, maybe they're not the right solution for you. I mean--it's good to have an open mind and really consider them, and maybe start with some easy ones like homemade pickles, but if they just don't make you happy, then thinking of a different source of probiotics may be the right thing for you.

For fats, we use a mix of coconut oil, palm shortening and tallow for the most part, and add it in regular cooking (as opposed to getting a lot from a milk beverage).

So I guess I'm trying to pick among the many ways of meeting specific Price nutrition goals and figuring out what makes us feel happy and nourished.

[Shazer]

Eating good quality fats should do wonders. Use coconut oil. If you're OK with raw eggs, use them in smoothies. I make a smoothie of 2-3 raw pastured eggs, 2-4 tbs coconut oil and/or butter melted in hot water, frozen berries or other fruits. I've only recently started adding yogurt to this.

I don't think your health will reverse itself overnight. But you'll be amazed at what adding tons of fat and good quality protein will do to help you feel better bit by bit.

[saratc]

I think organic chicken from the store is okay, but personally, I wouldn't buy any beef or pork from a store. I would rather have less pastured meat.

Kerrygold is a fine butter. It is grassfed. A lot of us also get the Organic Valley cultured butter, especially if you will be cooking with it. And if you've had trouble with lactose, anything cultured would be easier to digest. Pasteurization eliminates the x factor, but pasteurized grassfed butter still has a lot of benefits. If you can find it, Kerrygold cheese is wonderful as well. For raw butters, look for farmers that offer salted butter. Raw butter unsalted sours quickly and starts to culture, which may account for the off taste.

I used to get real gassy and congested on milk, but fermented milk products really has helped me become able to digest milk. I would introduce milk kefir and try to have some every day. Or 24 hour yogurt, but kefir will do a better job as it will colonize your gut with good bacteria that will help you digest milk. And definitely use raw milk.

If you are having gut problems, you may wish to look into the GAPs or SCD diet. They are very difficult diets, but you can try implementing some of the principles to see if it helps. Avoid grains as much as possible. Lots of fermented foods, and bone broths at least daily. Get joints, feet, and other parts that will give you a broth with lots of gelatin. Broth and gelatin will help you heal and seal your gut. If you have a hard time digesting foods, make sure you have some broth and probiotic foods with every meal.

For salads and such, nut oils are great. For cooking, if you don't like the flavor of coconut oil, get a high quality mechanically refined, expeller pressed coconut oil. I get mine from Tropical Traditions and use it for things like mayonnaise, when I don't want the coconutty flavor to get in the way. Even refined, it will still contain high amounts of lauric acid, which is really good for you. Make sure you don't get a chemical or heat refined oil.

I second the baking soda and salt for brushing. Most toothpastes don't rinse off cleanly and prevents your teeth from remineralizing. Also, it's wonderful for gum hygiene. I use a different proportion -- 3 parts baking soda to one part salt. This in combination with lots of bone broth and CLO should help you remineralize.

You don't have to do a lot of meat to be healthy. Drinking broth actually spares protein, which means your body needs less protein. You can also get your protein from seafood, or better yet, farm fresh pastured eggs, which even at $4.50 a dozen is a bargain for the amount of quality protein. If you have issues with digestion, I would suggest removing the white and just having the yolk. You can even throw them into your kefir or yogurt smoothies.

[kaleidoscopeeyes]

All great suggestions! Thank you!

I am definitely not trying to look at this as all or nothing type of deal. I am trying to implement the most important elements I guess and give them time to see if they make a change in my over all health.

I'm going to check around for other raw butter sources, as I can almost guarantee there are some others in the area. (The meager amount of lactose in butter doesn't affect me). I will look into kefir. I've always been kind of afraid of it, don't know why.
As for the commercial meat, the one time I made stock from an organic chicken, it didn't gel. I was kind of bummed. I know it is still good for you, but I was looking for some more in the way of gelatin (for the gut healing properties mentioned above). The place I buy pastured chickens give them to you complete though, feet and head and all, which is probably why I was able to get more gelatin from it. Very pricey though, and I don't think I could afford it often right now (I'm hoping to make stock at least weekly). The eggs run me $7 a dozen as it is. Can you really get pastured eggs for $4.50?? That's amazing. The semi-decent organic battery eggs run that here.

I'm not going to worry too much about the meat I guess. I do eat fish semi-regularly. Though I could stand to add some variety (I eat a lot of salmon). I'm still checking out sources for the CLO and butter oil, that's my biggest up front cost I think.

I have been doing pretty well the last few day though, not great mind you, but pretty well. My semester is officially ended, so I'm going to hit the store tomorrow to stock up on supplies.

[Ruthla]

IMO, if you've been a vegetarian for a long time, and your body is starved for the nutrients found in meat, ANY meat will be an improvement. Even the factory-farmed stuff would benefit your body, just not as much as organic or pastured meats. You're probably better off buying lower quality meats, and more of them, rather than the ideal meats but not enough.

If you're lactose intolerant, then cream is probably a better choice than whole milk in your coffee. It's got more of those good dairy fats and less lactose.

[AJP]

Originally Posted by saratc

Pasteurization eliminates the x factor, but pasteurized grassfed butter still has a lot of benefits.

I belive the WAPF says that pasteurization does not affect the x factor, and if Price's x factor is indeed vit. K2 (as is the current theory), many things I've read say that vit. K is heat stable.

You may be thinking of the Wulzen anti-stiffness factor, which is destroyed by pasteurization.

[kaleidoscopeeyes]

I picked up an organic chicken at TJs today, i'll be making stock tomorrow.

I also got some cod liver oil capsules (Nordic Naturals, they seemed like a reputable company, am I wrong?) Can't find the butter oil locally but my aunt in Southern California has a chiropractor who is very into TF/NT. I'm hoping she sells it, my aunt is going to check for me. I'll be there on Sunday (for a week, which means some pretty poor eating for another week ) I just hate paying shipping. If I can't get it from the chiro, I'll go ahead and order this week.

I'm attempting to start a kombucha scoby (hopefully it's warm enough, I have it right next to the oven). I got some kombucha to drink for now too. I also picked up some lacto-fermented pickles. I figure it's a start with the fermented veggies.

I'm going to go make some popcorn with coconut oil and cultured butter. My first coconut oil ever!

Oh and I made up a mixture of baking soda and Real Salt for my teeth. Is that enough (I used the 3 parts BS to 1 part salt)? Is there anything else I should add or is it more a matter of avoiding glycerin?

I am amazed at how little I have eaten today. I really only had one meal, around 1:30 and I'm still not hungry! Not sure that is good or bad. It was a big meal, but still..I'm usually a pretty big eater.

[PaulaJoAnne]

Nutrient dense foods fill you up quicker :
You are doing well! Don't be afraid to keep asking questions.
Be sure to spend some time reading through www.cheeseslave.com, and www.kellythekitchenkop.com
Both are excellent sites for WAPF eating.
I post stuff off and on in our blog as well.
Oh, not sure about Nordic Naturals. Does it have 5,000 IUs of A and 500 IUs of D per serving?
Paula

[kaleidoscopeeyes]

I've been reading both those blogs Paula, thanks for the suggestion. Really enjoying them both!

These capsules don't have nearly that much A & D in them. Guess I'll have to get something else. Ah well, these were only $17, I guess I should know you get what you pay for.

[PaulaJoAnne]

Blue Ice is the brand to go for. Meanwhile you can take extra of the Nordic's.
I learned the hard way too. Your not alone.
Paula

[Ruthla]

Eating lots of butter will help you get the "butter nutrients" until you can get the butter oil.

[krankedyann]

Blue Ice is sold at www.greenpasture.org.