September Chat

[tanyalynn]

Q. What is Chat?

A. A place for people with allergies (any sort of food or environmental reaction that's problematic) to chit-chat about how this affects our lives, to support each other and commiserate through the lows and celebrate the highs that most people just wouldn't understand.

Q. Can I join?

A. It's for everyone! Get to know some new folks, share a funny or a helpful tip, all are welcome.

Q. What the heck is all this detoxification discussion doing in the Allergies forum?

A. A number of people here have found that their body's innate detoxification systems (or their childrens') are very important to their food intolerances. By detoxification systems, I mean how our livers work to excrete chemicals and substances that our bodies either never wanted (pesticides in foods) or stuff we're done with (estrogen, other hormones, stuff like that). My son's food reactions go up and down based on how backed up his detoxification is, and it's worthwhile to read to learn about cool nutrients like folate and magnesium.

first, an easy-to-read URL with short, simple explanations
http://www.detoxpuzzle.com/

And then the detoxification threads....
MTHFR, salicylates and adrenals
methyl-what now?
Salicylate, amine and Histamine Sensitive Tribe
Hiding supplements and dense nutrition in foods
Ammonia and BH4
histamine and dopamine
depression as a food reaction
prenatal allergy prevention, nutrition-style

[chlobo]

Ok, I'm a little biased here but if anyone would like to see something insanely cute, click here:

http://smg.photobucket.com/albums/v3...t=MVI_1456.flv

[mtn.mama]

Yay! Thanks Tanya!!!

Chlobo, OMG, that is CUTE!

[mtn.mama]

Hey, I want to share our soup broth recipe tonight. Its so delish, I could drink it all myself and neglect my family. Anyhoo, its simple. 2 pounds of sheep meat, slow cooked all day with 4 small onions and 8 small tomatoes and 4 medium carrots all chunked. Then I added about a teaspoon of sea salt and 2 tablespoons blackstrap, about 1/2 teaspoon of cayenne and 1/2 teaspoon of ground mustard seed. I might have added more salt, I can't remember. There's about 3 quarts of water, or there was when it started. It is so so good. I'm serving it with roasted butternut squash and maybe some walnuts.

[lil_miss_understood]

Shannon,
I was wondering if you were put on any anti-clotting meds or advised to wean bc of your pregnancy (wean bc of increased folic acid need)? Someone in the Women with blood clotting disorders thread just posted that they were... I hadn't even realized that might be an issue with MTHFR mutations...

[lil_miss_understood]

Okay seriously...
I was sitting in my bath, contemplating my up and coming 504 plan meeting with DS1's school, and envisioning what I will say to them about his lunches and how I will address the school nurse's concerns about his nutrition (expressed at his last 504 meeting)... The response I came up with was:
We have a 5 week rotational menu which I have balanced using nutritional data software which uses the USDA nutritional database for complete nutrient information which is presently available.

Does it occur to anyone else how incredibly obsessive and anal this would seem outside of our small circle?

ETA: My response is only partially true... I only have the first week analyzed so far.

[mamafish9]

Clobo, totally cute!

mtnmama, yumm....

And JR, yup, probably not what they normally hear, LOL!

Sigh, up at 2:30am is not cool. The zeolite REALLY messed up DS' sleep. It's been better the last two nights since I stopped the zeolite for a few days, but up at 2:30am is not exactly excellent sleep. Hopefully we'll be back to more normal sleep soon.

ETA: From the August thread, OMG on groceries. I just pulled down our credit card and bank account data since January, and looked at what we are spending on food + supps. Jan-Mar were "pre special diets", and they're on track with our average food budget last year. Since then (and why I've been afraid to look) - it's DOUBLED. Some of that is supps, but a lot of it is food. That's just nuts.

We're foodies, and we actively choose to spend lots of money on our food - local, pastured meat and eggs, local organic milk, farmer's market and CSA produce, $4 a loaf bread from the wood fired bakery down the street. So our grocery bill wasn't cheap before all this. But DOUBLED???? I buy nothing prepackaged any more. I know we eat more meat, and less grains, which are cheap. Hemp milk is outrageously expensive. But still. Phew.

[Theloose]

Originally Posted by JacquelineR

Shannon,
I was wondering if you were put on any anti-clotting meds or advised to wean bc of your pregnancy (wean bc of increased folic acid need)? Someone in the Women with blood clotting disorders thread just posted that they were... I hadn't even realized that might be an issue with MTHFR mutations...

Not me, but I don't exactly know anyone here who even knows what mthfr is, so that's no surprise. I think a big part of the issue is high homocysteine, and mine's normal... I did meet someone who was put on aspirin (I think) due to mthfr, normal homocysteine, and infertility. The explanation was teeny tiny blood clots causing issues with implantation. She also said her first dd has a complete (to the tip) tongue tie, but that she thinks she can still touch the roof of her mouth with her mouth wide open. I forget if the new baby had any tie, but she was there because of the baby's food sensitivities...

I'm getting sick of the insomnia. It's getting worse, not better. I don't know why - whether it's emotional, nutritional or continued trigger exposure, but I do know that something needs to happen because the low serotonin that goes with it makes for a lonely mommy :

[mamafish9]

Ugh Shannon, I wasn't looking for company up at this hour, sorry you can't sleep .

So, I'm researching replacements for our non-stick frying pans and crepe pan. I'd like to try cast iron, and amazon.com has a by 3 get one free deal on Lodge brand preseasoned cast iron stuff, including what I think would make a good crepe pan. Anyone have experience with this brand? Anything I should know about cast iron?

[tanyalynn]

JR, your nurse is seriously concerned, nutritionally, that DS1 can't have dairy? Really? Is there more to it than that? Because I'd be tempted to point out that that's just silly. But clearly you want the nurse on your side.

Mamafish--I deliberately didn't look at our grocery bills for a LONG time. It's only very recently that I've been able to think about the topic, let alone try to make changes to make it actually fit into our monthly budget. Just with the changes and newness, our spending spiked for a long time.

whoMe--sorry you're not sleeping well, I did that in my pregnancy with DS and wow, so not fun. I have no good ideas, I was just miserable and whiny. I guess short-term, food journal? It was hard. Is it worse now that you're pregnant, vs same foods before you were pregnant? Maybe a bit of guess-and-check with the related nutrients, assume that you have less leeway now that little one is growing so quickly, and you've been making all that placenta and such?

[chlobo]

Originally Posted by mamafish9

Ugh Shannon, I wasn't looking for company up at this hour, sorry you can't sleep .

So, I'm researching replacements for our non-stick frying pans and crepe pan. I'd like to try cast iron, and amazon.com has a by 3 get one free deal on Lodge brand preseasoned cast iron stuff, including what I think would make a good crepe pan. Anyone have experience with this brand? Anything I should know about cast iron?

We have this brand and it has worked well for us. We purchased another brand before it & didn't like it so we bought the preseasoned stuff.

Just remember not to use soap when cleaning as it will break down the seasoning.

[chlobo]

Originally Posted by TanyaLopez

JR, your nurse is seriously concerned, nutritionally, that DS1 can't have dairy? Really? Is there more to it than that? Because I'd be tempted to point out that that's just silly. But clearly you want the nurse on your side.

So does she also take aside all the parents who feed their kids processed crap and tell them it has no nutritional value?

[kjbrown92]

Originally Posted by mamafish9

ETA: From the August thread, OMG on groceries. I just pulled down our credit card and bank account data since January, and looked at what we are spending on food + supps. Jan-Mar were "pre special diets", and they're on track with our average food budget last year. Since then (and why I've been afraid to look) - it's DOUBLED. Some of that is supps, but a lot of it is food. That's just nuts.

I know what we spend on food is nuts. It was $600 before food intolerances, and DH wants me to bring it back to that (if not reduce it further). For a family of 5, whose DS is a bottomless pit. And DH is 6'5", 200 lbs. It's not like he's a slouch in the eating dept. either. But I experiment all the time. That's probably the problem. I should do a meal plan like Jacqueline and see if I can do more stuff with the cheaper ingredients. I hate to resort to frozen veggies and all that though. Isn't fresh worth it?

Originally Posted by whoMe

Not me, but I don't exactly know anyone here who even knows what mthfr is, so that's no surprise. I think a big part of the issue is high homocysteine, and mine's normal... I did meet someone who was put on aspirin (I think) due to mthfr, normal homocysteine, and infertility. The explanation was teeny tiny blood clots causing issues with implantation. She also said her first dd has a complete (to the tip) tongue tie, but that she thinks she can still touch the roof of her mouth with her mouth wide open. I forget if the new baby had any tie, but she was there because of the baby's food sensitivities...

The person that I know that I just found out has the MTHFR gene had to go on blood thinners to get pregnant, and she said it was a clotting issue. Hmmm.... didn't know that connection. Does it matter which MTHFR gene it is?

Originally Posted by JacquelineR

Okay seriously...
I was sitting in my bath, contemplating my up and coming 504 plan meeting with DS1's school, and envisioning what I will say to them about his lunches and how I will address the school nurse's concerns about his nutrition (expressed at his last 504 meeting)... The response I came up with was:
We have a 5 week rotational menu which I have balanced using nutritional data software which uses the USDA nutritional database for complete nutrient information which is presently available.

Does it occur to anyone else how incredibly obsessive and anal this would seem outside of our small circle?

I am so glad that I've been lucky so far with the school. I haven't talked to DS's new teacher yet (DD1 had her a few years ago and she's nice). But the first day of school, a letter came home from the nurse that asked that birthday parties and celebrations revolve around activities and crafts, and not food. There's a nut/fish allergy in the class (I knew there was a tree nut one, because he's been in DS's class since preschool, but not sure if it's someone else with a fish allergy, or if that kid turned out allergic to fish as well), a diabetic, and "a child with many food intolerances". So without even having to fill out any paperwork again, the nurse must have noted his sensitivities without having me have to explain everything again. We'll see how the year unfolds since this school system does seem to be food-based (pizza parties and make your own sundae parties as "prizes").

[chlobo]

Originally Posted by kjbrown92

Isn't fresh worth it?

If you can afford it, its absolutely worth it, in my opinion. And think about the money you save by not eating out.


I am so glad that I've been lucky so far with the school. I haven't talked to DS's new teacher yet (DD1 had her a few years ago and she's nice). But the first day of school, a letter came home from the nurse that asked that birthday parties and celebrations revolve around activities and crafts, and not food. There's a nut/fish allergy in the class (I knew there was a tree nut one, because he's been in DS's class since preschool, but not sure if it's someone else with a fish allergy, or if that kid turned out allergic to fish as well), a diabetic, and "a child with many food intolerances". So without even having to fill out any paperwork again, the nurse must have noted his sensitivities without having me have to explain everything again. We'll see how the year unfolds since this school system does seem to be food-based (pizza parties and make your own sundae parties as "prizes").

I lucked out somewhat in the school department in that there are a couple of mom's with kids with severe peanut allergies who came before me. They advocated doing away with food based birthdays & other celebrations and have been quite successful.

[lil_miss_understood]

Yes, the nurse was seriously concerned. Her question was worded as, "You're losing basically two whole food groups. How are you going to make up for that nutritionally?" And, no, I'm assuming she doesn't pull aside other parents who feed their kids processed junk- particularly taking into consideration the school cafeteria menu. Pizza four times a month, hot dogs another four times... etc and so forth. Other favorites are tacos, hamburgers, mac and cheese (only mac and cheese, although it does come with a side order of peas)...
My response at the time was "Firstly, I'm losing ONE "food group". Celiac disease has been around for a long time and I assure you there are plenty of grains for them to eat. So the only food group we're losing is dairy and I'm assuming your concern there is calcium? There are plenty of foods which contain calcium and we will be using those in our diet to make up for the lack... There are also non-dairy milks which are enriched with calcium. " Luckily, I'm also familiar with the school counselor and she also "stood up for me", saying that DS1 has one of the best diets out of all the kids in the school, he's not one of the kids bringing in "Lunchables" every day. So obviously processed foods are a concern to her, but probably a little more difficult to attack head on since most of those parents probably aren't making 504 plans regarding, basically, their child's diet..

Originally Posted by kjbrown92

I am so glad that I've been lucky so far with the school. I haven't talked to DS's new teacher yet (DD1 had her a few years ago and she's nice). But the first day of school, a letter came home from the nurse that asked that birthday parties and celebrations revolve around activities and crafts, and not food. There's a nut/fish allergy in the class (I knew there was a tree nut one, because he's been in DS's class since preschool, but not sure if it's someone else with a fish allergy, or if that kid turned out allergic to fish as well), a diabetic, and "a child with many food intolerances". So without even having to fill out any paperwork again, the nurse must have noted his sensitivities without having me have to explain everything again. We'll see how the year unfolds since this school system does seem to be food-based (pizza parties and make your own sundae parties as "prizes").

Food spending: I'm guesstimating that we spend about $800 per month right now. I have no real idea as, despite my attempts to have it happen otherwise, the cashiers tend to give DH the receipts which he then pockets and, when I ask about them, "I don't know where it is. I probably threw it out."
Last year, parents were asked not to bring any kind of birthday celebration to school bc there is only one janitor (as compared to 3 the year before). I'm assuming it will be the same this year. We lost our music teacher, a gym teacher, one of our librarians, 2 office staff of which I know. And that's just the elementary school...
We have a very food based school too, Kathy. Same deals: pizzas for reading and make your own sundaes; (microwave) popcorn and soda during special movie times, etc and so forth. I can't even tell you how many times I've had to send DH to the store for stuff because the school had a "surprise" for the kids which involved food.

[chlobo]

Anyone ever cook a whole pollock fish? Would wrapping it in tinfoil & cooking on the grill work?

we're getting it from our CSF. We can always pan fry but I was thinking of trying something different.

[Wugmama]

Yogurt starter left out all night

So I have a baggie holding my unopened bottle as well as my opened bottle of allergen free yogurt starter. The whole thing got left out all night on the counter. Should I bother to try making yogurt w/it just in case, or chuck it?

Thanks,
Tracy

[tanyalynn]

Carren, I've always wanted to make one of those salt shells over a whole fish and bake it that way. But I haven't done it, we just watch a lot of Good Eats on food network.

[dannic]

I'm subbing. I haven't been able to get on here these days...I've been sick with a nasty cold and energy has been low. I can't believe it's September! DH and I celebrate our anniversary next week. (And both our birthdays later in the month--guess who's older?)

JR glad you're feeling better--maybe I caught a cyber bug from you, lol!

Trialling eggs with DD1--wish us luck!

[dannic]

wanted to add that I posted a question in the vax forum and would love your input...look for "possibly urgent question".