 We need protein to build our body. Protein is made up of amino acids. These are the building blocks of protein. There are 20 amino acids altogether. We can make up some of them in the chemical factory that is our body. The 8 essential ones we cannot make and have to have them in our diet. Without the essential amino acids things will start to go wrong in our body. Carbohydrates like bread, sugar, potatoes and starch will not give us the building blocks we need to build our body. Sheldon Cooper in the Big Bang Theory tells us that his favourite amino acid is Lysine. Lysine helps prevent herpes. It is good to take as a supplement if you get little ulcers in your mouth or cold sores. A cold sore is a type of herpes. 8 Essential amino acids
Where can we get Protein? Foods made up of protein are
You can see that we need to include the following foods to be able to make protein in our body.
References: Essential amino acids
Low-carb Living for Families by Monique le Roux Forslund Photo by Therese Vahland
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 Irritable Bowel Syndrome (IBS) can have very unpleasant symptoms.
Does your tummy feel like this some days? Symptoms of IBS Burping, bloated midriff, rumbling, pain, lots of most embarrassing wind, lots of bowel movements, diarrhoea, exhaustion, and yes, EXHAUSTION. Dr Sue Shepherd has been working on diet to help people affected by IBS. She has discovered there are different, natural sugars in may foods. She has discovered that if you do not have the necessary bacteria in your bowel to digest these foods then you get the symptoms we have just talked about. After lots of testing, she has found there are groups of foods containing these sugars. So if you cannot tolerate some foods in the group you most likely will not be able to tolerate other members of the group. Just to make things a bit more complicated, some foods contain more than one of these sugars so the food belongs in two no-no groups for you. Things are a bit complicated while you are getting used of your new way of eating. However the extra energy you will have and the lack of pain and the lack of wind and the ...... So the list goes on. FODMAPS The new diet is called FODMAPS, the initials of the different sugars. You will need to find a dietitian to help you work through this if you have lots of problems. At the start you will have to go on an elimination diet to rid your body of the toxins it has built up. This diet will last from six weeks to six months depending on your state of health. You need to be strong again before you test out the foods of the different groups. This is done in a very orderly fashion. This is why you need the help of a dietitian. Some of the highly respected health practitioners from hundreds of years ago all said that food can be your medicine. By elimination foods that disagree with you, the food you eat can be your medicine. It will make you strong and well.  People who have Chronic Fatigue Syndrome (CFS) often have a large Yeast problem. Yeast is in the same family ad mould and grows in the body. It feeds on sugar.
Anybody who has been following this blog will remember that I have written a few articles about the dangers of sugar. Sugar is also called sucrose. It is made up 50/50 of glucose and fructose. Carbohydrates in fruit, vegetables and grains are converted into glucose. Symptoms of a Yeast Infection Symptoms of a yeast infection are similar to those of CFS. There seems, as yet, no definitive test that can be done to determine exactly what CFS is. This is why it is called a syndrome. Symptoms include:
Easing Sugar Cravings It is important to eliminate sugar from your diet. I know this is easier said than done. Only people who have these cravings can have any idea how hard it can be. The little molecules of yeast scream blue murder if they are deprived of their food - sugar in all its forms. Remember this includes carbohydrates. Fructose has a different affect on our body than does glucose. All our food is broken down into glucose. This is then used as our energy. Fructose is like a stimulant. When we eat it, it does not tell our brain that we are full. Fructose spikes our insulin levels. Changing our Diet By experience, I have found that eliminating fructose from the diet first helps those cravings for sugar to ease. Fruit contains lots of fructose. So that is another food to eliminate. Carbohydrates Lots of vegetables and grains contain carbohydrates. Remember, carbohydrates turn into glucose in our body. So lots of vegetables and grains should be eliminated. I have a philosophy that everything should move slowly. If you eliminate these things one by one over a matter of weeks, you will not have made cravings. The little yeast beasties in your body will die off bit by bit and you will not have severe reactions to the diet. If you have a major reaction to changing your diet, you are less likely to keep the diet going. Keep at it. You CAN do it. More on where sugar hides next time. The Evil of Sugar Are you a Sugarholic? Is Sugar Killing Us? The Relationship Between Sugar and Cocaine Sugar Daddy - Gary Taubes Good food is very important. It provides the fuel our body needs to do what we have to do every day of our life. Bad food also provides fuel for our body but it also creates inflammation in our body. Our body does not differentiate between good and bad food. It just takes what we give it and uses it. Therefore wouldn't it be better to always give our body good food? Sometimes it's hard for us to distinguish between good and bad food. Food companies continually tell us how good their food is for us and why we should buy it. They don't always bother if their food is good for us. They only make it taste good so we will want to buy it. Their prime concern is to make money. Bevan Love to cook. Everyone vies for an invite. His wife is a great cook too! Bevan has entered this video into Jamie Oliver's Food Tube Competition. He would really appreciate it if you would watch this video. Enjoy the recipe of this good food. Perhaps you will cook it for yourself too.  Wheat and eggs are major allergens What are the Major Allergies?
The major allergies people suffer from are cow's milk, wheat, egg, peanuts, tree nuts and shellfish. Other foods many people are affected by are soy and sesame seeds. There are many other foods that some people cannot eat and these can be specific to a smaller number of people. Some people are affected by many foods while others are affected by only one food. Legumes Another set of food that some people are finding they cannot tolerate are legumes. These include peanuts, soy, lupins, chickpea, lentil and peas. These have been used because they are an important source of protein. Previously they may have been the main ingredient in the diet of Indians or Mexicans. Many people with cow's milk allergies have turned to soy milk over the last two decades. Many people are finding now that they cannot tolerate this either. With the health food revolution of the last twenty years many foods that we would not have eaten regularly if at all, have come into our diet. This includes sesame seeds, chickpeas and lentils. Gluten Free Flour In the last ten years particularly many people have gone on a gluten free diet. Flours used in this cannot be made from wheat, barley or rye. Therefore other seeds and grains have been researched and used in these flours. Chickpeas are often included in Gluten Free flour. Chickpea flour is also called Besan flour. Lupin flour is sometimes included in this mix though I have not come across it myself. So when you are buying your next batch of gluten free flour, first look at the ingredients to see what is in the ingredient list. The Immune System We can build up our immune system by not eating the foods that affect us. This gives our bodies time to cleanse the toxins that are created each time we ingest food that does not agree with our system. Then our body can become stronger when it is not constantly bombarded by unwelcome nourishment. Photo, with thanks  Dairy Milk Can Help
In Western society cow's milk is the usual source of milk. It has become big business and we are always being bombarded with advertisements on the television telling us to 'Drink More Milk'. It is interesting to note that the Chinese people do not include milk in any form in their diet. Personally I do not think grown up people need to drink milk. Milk is for babies before they can eat solid food. Cow's milk is for calves, baby cows. Milk for humans comes from humans - we call it Breast Milk. However Science tells us that there are some benefits to drinking milk. Benefits of Milk Milk is a food that is easily assimilated into our body. It needs to be this way so that a baby can digest it quickly and easily. Different Forms of Milk Humans have experimented with milk through the ages and today we use it as yoghurt, kefir, cheese, butter, whey, buttermilk and all sorts of flavoured and fat strength milk. Milk comes from different animals, not just cows. Goat's milk is popular and sometimes you can get sheep milk, though this is often made into cheese because of the highter fat content. Through the decades goats were popular, especially during the war years. Goats are smaller than cows, take less food and are easier to handle and house. They can become great pets. People with Allergies When children had allergies to cow's milk their parents would often seek out some goat's milk to supplement their diet with great benefits to the child. Now here's why. That great beast - SCIENCE - now tells us that sheep and goat milk is high in alpha-lactalbumin, a major immune boosting component also found in human breast milk. There is less of this immune booster found in cow's milk. So our grandparents knew what they were doing when they fed their sickly children goat's milk. Protein Drink Adding whey to yoghurt or milk is an excellent protein drink. Whey protein is generally low in lactose so may be tolerated better than cow's milk.  Margarines take up a lot of shelf space in the supermarket Trans Fatty Acids
In Australia trans fatty acids were supposed to be phased out of our food by the end of January 2013. This has not happened. Why? It is because the government left it up to the large manufacturers to do this. The government was reluctant to make it a law under the Food Labelling Law and Policy. Are they more interested in what the food manufacturers want than in the health of their own people, the people of Australia? The government will have to pay the bill in the health system in the future by letting the manufacturers have their way. At the moment manufacturers do not have to tell us if our food contains trans fatty acids (TFAs) or how much it contains. This makes it hard for us to make an informed decision about the foods we eat. How did Trans Fatty Acids Come About? Manufactured TFAs were first made in the 1950s when the processors found out how to make liquid oils solid at room temperatures and extend their shelf life. Who is at Risk? Anybody who eats large quantities of snack foods and margarines is at risk of inflammatory diseases caused by the trans fatty acids. What do Trans Fatty Acids do? Trans fatty acids increase our ‘bad’ cholesterol and lower our ‘good’ cholesterol so making us more at risk of heart disease. Where are Trans Fatty Acids Found? TFAs are found naturally in milk and dairy products made from milk. These are not as dangerous as manufactured TFAs. Dangerous TFAs are found in margarines and fast foods which include pastries and bakery goods. Snack foods, for instance muesli bars, microwave popcorn and potato chips are included in this. Anybody eating large quantities of these is at greater risk of heart disease and other major illness including diabetes. How to Avoid Trans Fatty Acids? The best way to avoid the consumption of ingredients in foods we do not wish to eat is to eat fresh foods, that is, vegetables, fruit and meat and to cook meals ourselves. This way you can control the ingredients in a meal. People in the US consume five times the amount of trans fatty acids than the people in Australia. Let’s try to limit our consumption of TFAs and become more healthy. Photo with thanks  Sulphites in dried fruit can cause asthma Food Preservatives can Cause Asthma
Sulphite preservatives are some of the worst additives that cause asthma. 'But I don't use sulphites or even know what they are!', I hear you say. Well you don't have to know what they are but I bet you are probably eating them. Sulphur dioxide - Preservatives 220-228 Sulphur dioxide, the same as sulphites, is preservative 220. You will find some preservatives or additives listed in the ingredients, mostly hidden away in small type on the back of food packaging. You will also see othe numbers between 220 and 228. Beware of all of these. A person may get asthma from a food but not get the attack of asthma immediately. Sulphites build up in your system and when another trigger is added, eg exercise or cold air, the bronchial tubes can take no more and react, bringing on an attack of asthma. Sulphites are Found in Everyday Food and Drink Sulphites can be found in dried fruit including sultanas, raisins and apricots and in fruit flavoured drinks. It is also found in meat in sausages and rissole and often in minced meat. Adults who suffer from asthma may be surprised to know that the alcohol they drink in the form of beer or wine also contains sulphites. They are also found in french fries and hot potato chips. If you think you may be affected by sulphites/sulphur dioxide, start eliminating these foods mentioned and start reading the labels on the food you buy. You may be pleasantly surprised to find your asthma ease and eventually be a thing of the past. You are the person most interested in your health and that of those around you. Make a start to better health today. Happy detecting.  Broccoli does not fit into the FODMAPs diet FODMAPs Diet
Diet may play a significant role in Irritable Bowel Syndrome (IBS). Dr Sue Shepherd and other people have been studying food to find common denominators for natural ingredients in food. They have found that by eliminating certain foods from our diet, many problems with the gut can be controlled. This may also have implications for people with allergies and other such problems. Some natural ingredients in our food that may not agree with some people are fructose, mannitol, sorbitol, lactose and oligosaccharides. These can ferment in the gut causing bloating, rumbling and flatus (wind from the bowel). These symptoms can be very distressing for the person suffering from this as well as for those around them. Foods to Avoid Some foods you may already know about, others you may not, but they may still be causing you problems. Watch your symptoms when you eat some of these foods Legumes, dried beans, lentils, green peas, sweet corn, brussel sprouts, cauliflower, milk and milk products, wheat and rye, onions and garlic These are just a few of the common foods that may be causing this problem. If you think you need further help find a dietician who can help you eliminate all the foods in these categories then see how you feel.  Dark red fruit contains antioxidants News Release - Antioxidants Caught in a Jar
I have chatted on in the past about the benefits of antioxidants. I talked about rhubarb, goji berries, raisins and prunes. Here are a couple of links to help you remember Glutathione - Major Antioxidant Antioxidants in Rhubarb Antioxidants in the Goji Berry Quinoa - Antioxidant, Super Food Rhubarb Compote Quinoa Porridge Well, all of these take a little work to make, not much though. If you are the person who needs a quick, nutritious breakfast, well I found something interesting recently. It is only available at Aldi stores, but if you have one near you then it is worth stocking up ona few jars. This product is called Berry Cocktail by Sweet Valley. It contains strawberries, blackberries, black currants, blueberries and de-stoned Morello cherries. We get lots of phyto-nutrients from red and perple fruit and they are full of antioxidants. A Quick Breakfast 2 dessertspoons of Berry cocktail 1 dessertspoon of quinoa 1 dessertspoon of non fat yoghurt Add 1/2 cup milk And sprinkle over the top 1/2 teaspoon of ground chia seeds Of course nothing beats fresh food, however it is not always possible to have on hand. It is good to have something nutritious that we can use as a backup. I hope you can find this product or keep you eye out for something similar in you supermarket travels. |
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Thérèse VahlandI am a trained Natural Therapist, Teacher, published Author and Artist who lives on the south eastern coast of Australia. To contact me or schedule an online consultation, please use the Contact Form.
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