Doctors, the Medical Profession, and Diet

As I mentioned in Biscuits - Cookies for the "No Grains" Diet I spent over 20 years trying to get a diagnosis of my systemic candida condition - originally caused by the administration of antibiotics. 26 years to be precise. In that time I consulted numerous doctors and was put through a heap of tests : a thyroid test (fatigue), barium meal tests, barium enema tests, liver and gallbladder tests, a bilharzia test (yes! - fatigue again).

I had pain in my stomach, so finally I nearly had an endoscopy. That was aborted by the specialist at the last minute, complete with an abusive "dress-down" standing in a hospital corridor, to boot. In effect, the medical profession told me it was all in my head - insult on top of injury.

In all that time, I kept asking the doctors if there were any foods I should avoid, mainly because my own self-experimentation was leading me to believe that some foods affected me worse than others. And in all that time, the standard answer was, "Nah, as long as you are getting an all-round diet, that's fine."

I had pretty much given up on the medical profession, and was researching and experimenting with dietary restrictions forced on me by the realities of my condition - whatever it might be.

Then by chance as Regional Solicitor for the ACC in Hamilton, I conducted a review hearing about a lady denied cover for an illness contracted while picking a bed of asparagus contaminated with an endectocide spray. I was impressed by the knowledge and open-minded approach of the doctor who gave evidence on her behalf.

The result was the candida diagnosis, and the discovery that I was allergic to 35 different foods (about which, more later) - no doubt because my condition had persisted so long. The doctor told me I could be very close to having ME, and gave me some reading materials on that health problem, too.

At least candida is now recognized by the medical profession generally, and in some cases it's being recognized that one of the causes is the use of antibiotics. About time too.

But in all those years of struggle and search, not one doctor had anything to offer on the issue of diet and food, which as I'll explain later, is a crucial plank in getting rid of any candida infection, be it oral, vaginal or systemic.

That to me is a travesty when you remember that the original father of medicine, the Greek physician Hippocrates (ca. 460 BC – ca. 370 BC) said “Let your food be your medicine, and your medicine be your food “.

Wikipedia has this to say about Hippocrates :

Hippocrates is credited with being the first person to believe that diseases were caused naturally and not as a result of superstition, and gods. Hippocrates was credited by the disciples of Pythagoras with allying philosophy and medicine. He separated the discipline of medicine from religion, believing and arguing that disease was not a punishment inflicted by the gods but rather the product of environmental factors, diet, and living habits. [my emphasis]

Well, how far have we come? Western medicine is only one medical discipline that would say it doesn't believe in superstition and 'gods'. But for years now it has been following the equally deadly gods of the pharmaceutical industry.

We're in a Dark Age of science and medicine when more emphasis is placed on administering drugs than on looking to Hippocrates' wisdom.

But this is also the Information Age, when people with internet access can do their own research and make their own informed decisions.  This needs to happen, and the word needs to get out to those who don't have the internet, and probably need it most. 

That to me (and I'm not an American) is why Michelle Obama's "Let's Move!" and other health initiatives are so important.

Patricia

Sunflower Seeds Turn You On

Some years ago. Prevention Magazine ran a series of articles about sunflower seeds (Helianthus annuus). One of them started off by saying that if you were stranded on a desert island and the only food you had was sunflower seeds, you would be fortunate, because of the many healthful elements they contain. I've always remembered that.

Though in my Extremely Busy Solo Woman's Biscuit / Cookie Recipe sunflower seeds are cooked, they are of course even better eaten raw. In fact, Prevention had another insight to share, and it was this. According to a friendly doctor, the secret of staying young and vital all your life is :

"Every day eat something which, if put into the ground, will grow."

If you think about that, most things we eat would definitely not grow if put into the ground. That attribute is reserved for seeds - and sunflower seeds are one of the best. Here's a summary of what they contain:

• Protein (24%) This is complete protein - a rare find in non-animal foods - with an excellent balance of the 9 essential amino acids. In comparison with eggs, sunflower seeds have just about the same amount of lysine and methionine, and even higher levels of all the other essential amino acids. In today's world when the price of meat is high and questions are being asked about the connection between over-consumption of meat and cancer, it's good to know that at least one non-animal food can foot it with the best.
• Essential Fatty Acids (46%) - particularly linoleic acid - required for smooth skin and healthy hair, strength of connective tissue, reproductive processes, and to mobilize cholesterol.
• Vitamin E - for heart health, preventing blood clotting, and for reproductive processes.
• Vitamin A - for complexion, eyesight and the integrity of mucous membranes. It appears the vitamin A content of sunflower seeds is particularly well utilized - cattle when fed on sunflower seed cake (the remains from oil extraction) produce a higher level of vitamin A in their milk than when they are fed on other feeds.
• Vitamin D - again a very good natural source, probably because the sunflower keeps its face turned towards the sun. On top of that, this natural source also contains a bunch of minerals needed to activate the vitamin D. Isn't this far preferable to taking your D in capsule form?
• Vitamin Bs - especially thiamine, riboflavin, niacin and B6. More B Vitemins than are found in wheatgerm, in fact. THAT's useful information for people suffering from gluten intolerance or coeliac disease!
• Minerals - zinc for heart and prostate health; magnesium for strong blood vessels, bones and nerves; potassium for heart function; phosphorus and iron. And for anyone concerned about sodium intake, sunflower seeds are low in salt.
• Enzymes - when eaten uncooked, sunflower seeds provide an excellent source of enzymes - something most people living on cooked foods are drastically lacking.
• Fibre - essential for the bowel, heart health and cholesterol management. They are in fact better for us than wheat bran : another good tip for coelic sufferers and people who are allergic to grains.

I should add that the elements stored in this powerhouse seed are also known for their capacity to promote a sense of well-being. These gluten-free seeds have what it takes to add a spark to your day - and there are NO SIDE EFFECTS.

So instead of rushing off to get your fix of fast foods (and all the nasties that go with it), make sure you have sunflower seeds in your pantry, and take some to work with you every day.  Your body will thank you for it.  So will your bank balance!

Patricia

Biscuits - Cookies for the "No Grains" Diet

I have suffered for many many years from a systemic Candida infection. It all started as a teenager when a ship's doctor "threw the book" of antibiotics at me and unwittingly killed off all the good bugs in my system as well as all the bad ones.

It took me 26 years of trying to get a diagnosis and being told repeatedly that it was all in my head before a more savvy than usual doctor diagnosed me as having candida rampant in my gut. He also found I was allergic to 35 different foods - a lot of them plain ordinary fare like milk (cows' and goats'), grains, some veggies, and of course the expected food additives, cigarette smoke, petroleum and suchlike.

A course of nystatin (Nilstat) helped, but did not fix the problem and after avoiding a lot of foods for awhile I went back to eating fairly normally, but without sugar, and battled on.

I'm now at the point where I realise I just have to nail this thing before it nails me - about which, more in another post. But because living gluten-free or grain-free can be extremely hard at times, I thought I'd share my crazy biscuit / cookie recipe born out of sheer desperation. Before you turn your nose up at it totally, remember as well as grains I am also unable to eat sugar or other natural sweeteners, and I'll say right now that artificial sweeteners are only fit for the rubbish bin. If you doubt me, go to http://mercola.com/ and search the term.

So here it is - and because of all the other stuff I do it's called

"The Extremely Busy Solo Woman's Biscuit / Cookie Recipe"

Ingredients:
2 cups sunflower seeds, ground (coffee grinder)
2 cups sesame seeds, ground (ditto)
1 tsp sea salt
hot water to mix : 1.5 - 2 cups

Method:
Preheat the oven to 180 deg C or 350 deg F.

In a bowl thoroughly mix together the seeds and salt. Add the water a little at a time and mix as you go. You don't want to get the mix wet because you can't just chuck in some flour to fix it. Gradually add and mix enough water to let you fold and knead the stuff, then shape it into a round mass. It shouldn't be too sloppy - surprisingly, if you get it right, it will just about hold together.

Let it sit while you grease a big flat baking tray. I use olive oil - I refuse to use the usual polyunsaturated garbage. Put your mix onto the tray and with damp hands gradually flatten it out. Mine is usually 4-5mm thick.

Place in the preheated oven and cook for 20 mins. Keep an eye on it the first time you cook this recipe - ovens vary and your time might be different. I have a fan-heated oven, so it burns less than some ovens.

Take it out of the oven and before it cools release it from the tray - I have a very long knife I use for this. Once cooled, break it into pieces by hand and store in a tin or lunchbox. It's a lot quicker this way than messing around with cookie cutters - which would not work with this mix. Or you can score it into squares with a sharp knife before you bake it.

Get creative. There are some great things you can add for variation, depending on your own tastes - herbs like oregano, cumin or cinnamon, coconut cream (yum!) or garlic paste. Go wild and experiment with 'sweet' and 'savory' - just keep off the grains and sugars!  The great thing is that sunflower and sesame seeds are exceptionally good for you - and I'll explain that in later posts.

Because this is a bit more messy to handle than a flour mix, I have an old kitchen tool I use for the whole process from mixing the seeds to adding the water. I love using things for purposes other than the intended - it does a great job, too!  Haha!!

Enjoy.

See also : 
Sunflower Seeds Turn You On - (Helianthus annuus)
Sesame Seeds - Food of the Gods 1 - (Sesamum indicum)

Patricia