Halloween and Election Night – Fame or Fear In The Making – Real Or Imagined

“Everyone Knows Someone Who Needs This Information!” (TM)

This post about Halloween and the American Presidential Election may seem a bit like Jekyll and Hyde, morphing from one strange topic to the next, but there really is a diabetic foundation in discussing both these timely topics, and I’m throwing them in together, so you have time to think and act about them, as do I.  Of course, for diabetic children, Halloween is already a nightmare, and the possibilities of the “other” candidate (than the one you “want”) actually being the election winner, well, that’s a nightmare-in the-making, maybe for all of us. Only time will tell, but both candidates do not really seem to have health plans that will help America get a real handle on the health problems real people face, and I also believe that unbiased and untainted by drug-money education, on a wide-scale, is needed to help everyone learn better choices, as well as better regulation of what is named “food”. Some will say these worries (that times will remain nightmarish), are just ghostly spectres and imagination run wild, but I’m well read, and I’m concerned.

So, first, let’s tackle Halloween — options for healthy, quick meals and treats, then on to the first of 2 just-before-the-Election posts.

You may want to change the names on the recipes to things appropriate for Halloween that will tickle kid’s fancies. One of the things I do when I am still with kids on Halloween is to make this before-Treating dinner lots of fun — with a decorated table, the adults in a somewhat-costume and the foods named ghastly-ghostly names. They seem to look forward to it all better and eat decently, rather than wanting to just rush out for candy.

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SALMON CHOWDER:   http://www.wholefoodsmarket.com/recipes/recipe.php?recipeId=476

Serves 4 (or more if just for kids)

You can use another cold-water, high Omega-3 fish like cod, pollock, trout or whiting (possibly, I have to track its Omega-3s) for this chowder, instead, to cut cost. Make sure that you limit the amount of liquid served in the bowl to young children, before they go out to Trick-or-Treat, (no bathrooms easily available!).  And remember to give them another warm drink after they finish outside.  You can make this chowder the day before, and then just heat it gently, so it doesn’t boil. You will have to watch it and stir it while its reheating. It’s a one-bowl meal.

3 strips nitrite-free “bacon”, diced (turkey or vegetarian) * [I don’t to use this – changes the flavor!]
1 large yellow onion, diced
1/2 cup diced celery
2 large Russet potatoes, scrubbed, peeled and diced  [I don’t peel them]
2 carrots, scrubbed, peeled and diced                         [I don’t peel them]
2 cups vegetable stock [comes in cartons, if no time to make your own]
1/2 cup organic whole milk
1/2 cup organic half-and-half **
1 1/2 pounds wild-caught salmon fillet, skinned, boned and cut into 1-inch cubes ***
1/4 cup finely chopped fresh parsley
1/2 to 1 teaspoon dried dill
Sea salt and cayenne or freshly ground pepper to taste
GARNISH:1 tablespoon minced fresh or dried chives for garnish
Oyster crackers for garnish (optional and remember, wheat contains gluten – so wheat is not for any people with celiac disease or gluten sensitivity! Ask parents, if you are having guests.)

Method

Brown “bacon” in a deep, heavy-bottomed sauce pot until crisp. Remove with a slotted spoon and set aside.

Sauté onion and celery in the fat or in some olive oil (if you are not using “bacon”), in the same pot until onion is translucent. Add potatoes and sauté about 5 minutes, stirring occasionally. Do not brown. Add carrots and stock, bring to a boil, then reduce heat and simmer until vegetables are fork tender about 10 minutes.

Add milk, half and half, salmon, parsley, dill and pepper. Simmer over low heat 5 to 8 minutes or until fish is cooked through and liquid is steaming, but not boiling. Add more pepper and salt to taste. Transfer to serving bowls and garnish with crispy “bacon” pieces and chives. Serve with oyster crackers, if desired.

Nutrition

Per serving (about 19oz/533g-wt.): 540 calories (230 from fat), 25g total fat, 7g saturated fat, 135mg cholesterol, 930mg sodium, 32g total carbohydrate (4g dietary fiber, 6g sugar), 46g protein

* For Kosher or Halal, if you have Jewish or Muslim children at your table, then you can only use vegetarian “bacon”, if you use any at all.

** It is necessary to use organic dairy products as environmental toxins reside in the fat of animals and their products. Animals grazing on organic land have less of these residues.

*** You might also try a few cans of boneless, skinless wild-caught canned salmon, for the soup, instead of fresh. The soup will prabably cook faster as the chunks are smaller. If you use fresh fish, don’t use farmed fish (unless you buy it at Whole Foods, which has a far more rigid criteria for farmer’s aquacultural practices than other markets have, even other health food chains I know).

And, run the tip of your clean finger along both edge areas of the flesh side, about 1″ in; look for “pin bones”, tiny cut bones that rise above the flesh just slightly. Use a well-washed pair of tweezers to pull them out before you cube the fillet; these bones are surpisingly long, and you do not want them hiding. Search for them while the fillet is whole.

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GLUTEN-FREE, VEGETARIAN SWEET POTATO AND BLACK BEAN ENCHILADAS http://www.wholefoodsmarket.com/budgetrecipechallenge/recipe2.php

Serves 4 (or more, if younger children)

Especially if this is a children’s party, you need to find out if anyone MUST have gluten-free food. Of course, the less we eat gluten grains (wheat, barley, oats and rye) the better we will be, especially wheat, as it is SO overused (this alone creates allergies). This recipe won the Budget Meals Contest at Whole Foods, and on the sidebar, you’ll find other runner-up budget recipes. This recipe is pretty fast, and should hold well in a warm oven. Serve with a green salad or the Refrigerator Slaw (see link).

This is also vegetarian, so all children can be included without worries about Kosher and Halal.

Quickie Green Chile Sauce

1. 1 cup light vegetable broth [you can use carton veggie broth]
2. 1 tablespoon arrowroot starch dissolved in a little cold water [pour the water in a little at a time]
3. 1 generous cup chopped roasted, mild green chiles
4. 2 to 3 cloves garlic, minced
5. 1/2 – 1 teaspoon cumin or mild chili powder, to taste

Enchilada Filling

1. 1 (15-ounce) can organic black beans, rinsed, drained
2. 4 cloves garlic, minced
3. Fresh lime juice from 1 big juicy lime
4. 2 heaping cups cooked, diced sweet potatoes
5. 1/2 cup chopped roasted mild green chiles [or use red pimentos] 
6. 1/4 – 1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
7. 1/4 – 1/2 teaspoon mild chili powder
8. Sea salt and black pepper to taste
9. 2 tablespoons chopped fresh cilantro

Assembly

1. 2 to 4 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil, as needed
2. 8 white or yellow no-GMO corn tortillas * or spelt tortillas
3. 4 ounces shredded Monterey Jack cheese

Serves 4 (using 2 enchiladas, each). approximately $2.59 per serving

Method

Preheat your oven to 350°F. Choose a baking dish that would hold 8 rolled enchiladas.

For the Enchilada Filling, using a mixing bowl, combine the drained black beans with minced garlic and lime juice. Toss to coat the beans and set aside. In a separate bowl combine the cooked sweet potatoes with the chopped green chiles; add the spices. Season with sea salt and pepper.

In the meantime, make your Quickie Green Chile Sauce by combining the broth, dissolved arrowroot, green chiles, garlic and spices in a sauce pan and heating over medium-high heat. Bring to a high simmer. Simmer until thickened. Taste test and adjust seasonings. Set aside.

Pour about 1/4 cup of the Quickie Green Chile Sauce into the bottom of the baking dish.

To assemble the enchiladas, grab a skillet and heat a dash of oil. Lightly cook the corn tortillas to soften them, one at a time, as you stuff each one.

Lay the first hot tortilla in the sauced baking dish; wet it with the sauce. Spoon 1/8 of the sweet potato mixture down the center. Top with 1/8 of the black beans. Wrap and roll the tortilla to the end of the baking dish. Repeat for the remaining tortillas. Top with the rest of the sauce. Top with a sprinkle of shredded Monterey Jack cheese.

Bake for 20 to 25 minutes, until the enchiladas are piping hot and the sauce is bubbling around the edges. Serve with a green salad or the make-ahead Refrigerator Slaw recipe from:  http://www.wholefoodsmarket.com/recipes/recipe.php?recipeId=2187 .

Nutrition

Per serving (about 14oz/405g-wt.): 500 calories (190 from fat), 21g total fat, 7g saturated fat, 25mg cholesterol, 980mg sodium, 64g total carbohydrate (11g dietary fiber, 11g sugar), 18g protein

* No GMO corn is essential. Most of America’s corn is now Genetically Modified! This means that shrimp genes, or anything else, can be “inserted” into corn.  You never know what’s been inserted, and people with allergies, are living a nightmare! I included spelt as an option here, as some celiacs and those with gluten intolerance can use this ancient grain (an ancestor of wheat) and as I hate corn tortillas, I wanted to alert you to another possible option. Ask the parents of any special needs kids if they know whether their child can use spelt; if no-one has a food sensitivity, then I encourage you to opt for spelt, anyway, to reduce your dependence on wheat, and the increased chance that wheat overuse will cause food allergy in the future. Any good health store should have spelt products.

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Use this recipe for dessert, but also make “extra”. You might use these as bribes to retrieve hoards of other less healthy candies! In any event, make sure you go through any diabetic child’s treat bag, together, and negotiate other more suitable “treats” for your child to “buy” with their candy — maybe even fun ACTIVITIES rather than just other candy.  Hopefully, they won’t get to eat much of what they collected.

Chocolate also is a pH acid food, as is sugar and agave (all in varying degrees), so to counteract the negative effects of so much pH acid food, be sure to have meals that offer lots of pH neutral and pH alkaline foods (see the Reference section for more info).

LOW GLYCEMIC CHOCOLATE EARTH BALLS

http://www.wholefoodsmarket.com/recipes/recipe.php?recipeId=748

Serves 4

1 cup organic nut butter
1/3 cup organic honey *  OR 1/4  cup  agave nectar **
2 t – 4 teaspoons carob powder or unsweetened organic cocoa powder
1/2 cup organic raisins
3/4 cup unsweetened shredded organic coconut, divided
1/2 cup dark or semi-sweet chocolate chips
1/4 cup sesame seeds
1/4 cup finely chopped nuts (walnuts or pecans)

https://diabetesdietdialogue.wordpress.com/2007/11/27/ph-strategies-use-alkaline-winter-vegetables-to-produce-an-alkaline-ph/

Method

Before measuring the nut butter, stir it up well.
Mix the nut butter, honey and carob or cocoa powder until well combined. Stir in the raisins and 2 tablespoons of the coconut. Stir in the chocolate chips. Refrigerate for 1 to 2 hours.

Place the remaining coconut, sesame seeds and nuts into 3 separate bowls. Using a spoon, scoop small heaps of the peanut mixture from the bowl; roll into 1 1/4-inch balls. Rolling is easier if you form a rough ball, roll in the coconut, and then continue rolling into a more perfect shape. Roll each finished ball in more coconut, sesame seeds and chopped nuts. Arrange the balls on a plate, cover loosely with plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least 30 minutes.

 

Nutrition

Per serving (42g-wt.): (Using honey) 210 calories (140 calories from fat), 15g total fat, 5g saturated fat, 3g dietary fiber, 5g protein, 18g carbohydrate, 0mg cholesterol, 85mg sodium.

There will be about 1/2 the glycemic effect of honey, if you use agave nectar, so a diabetic’s blood sugar level is much less effected. The pH of honey is more alkaline than that of agave. The carbs are not a lot different; there is a small difference toward benefit from the agave. NEVER use high fructose corn syrup! See my posts about why in the Titles Archive.

I was really in a conundrum about what to hand out to the children this Halloween. It’s always a wrestling with my conscience versus the desire to help them have fun. This time I settled on a wrapped square of Ghiaradelli dark chocolate, as only this form of chocolate is “healthy”. Dark chocolate has lots of antioxidants, at least, and a whole lot less sugar and fillers. Cost was ten cents a piece at my local employee-owned chain.

* Whole Foods house brand of raw, organic honey has excellent flavor and consistency. Raw honey should not be used for any child under 3 years old.

** There is a large variance in the agave products. Read the post  at:  http://www.dld123.com/sweetsavvy/sweeteners/summary.php?id=Agave%20Nectar

Have a safe and happy Halloween!

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Well, there’s not much space left for the election comment, so I’ll try to write another post before the beginning of next week, but meantime, do read your voter’s pamphlet and vote in an aware way on all the OTHER items on your state’s agenda (and local agenda). These are often more important to you, in real life.

As far as the national scene, Congress has been either asleep at the wheel or “bought” or “gutless” or just plain do-nothing! HOLD THEM ACCOUNTABLE. Only one of your senators will be up for re-election this time, and all of your state’s Representatives are. Really take the time to understand their positions, understand who their largest campaign contributors have been and are now! Look to see the way they voted on the recent, ill-conceived Wall Street bail-out. For their record on that vote, start with:

http://www.nytimes.com/ref/washington/ROLLCALL.html?currentChamber=house&currentSession=2&currentCongress=110&currentRoll=681

http://www.maplight.org/map/us/bill/72675/N7DgM9/votes/votedetail-351995

http://www.maplight.org/node/43109

For campaign donations, check:

http://www.newsmeat.com/

http://www.opensecrets.org/indivs/index.php

http://www.fec.gov/finance/disclosure/norindsea.shtml

http://fundrace.huffingtonpost.com/neighbors.php

Quiz them in person, fax or write to them online and get an answer as to whether they will vote for campaign reform. Get a detailed answer on their ideas for an effective solution for universal Health Care and programs for Health Education and for Prevention.  

Ask them how they intend to roll-back the powers grabbed by the Executive Branch (with Congress’ acquiesence or ignorance). Ask them if they intend to restore Posse Comitas, a basic Constitutional freedom. Find out if your candidate even knows what it is!

Get their ideas about how to restore our Freedoms lost to the Patriot Act, and to protect Americans against the abuse-of-power forays of our own Government. Constitutionally, ALL  rights that citizens do not give to their Government reside as rights of the People — our Government is trying to forget that. The Founding Fathers knew that Governments grasp for Power, and tried to protect We The People FROM our Government. We now need a clean-sweep of anyone who does not know how to be a PUBLIC SERVANT!

Use: http://www.usa.gov/Contact/Elected.shtml

Campaign Reform comes before all else, because otherwise old-ways persist, and globalist corporations run our Government (and for very little money from THEIR coffers, I might add).

And, if you find you are having trouble when you actually try to vote, then use the following as a resource; you will need to buy it at a bookstore. The state-by-state information in the second half, is definitely useful. This tip comes via a poster at a new, savvy blog I’ve joined at www.walkaboutjones.com   www.walkaboutjones.com/forum The specific thread is: http://www.walkaboutjones.com/forum/viewtopic.php?f=9&t=70 and the AlterNet reporter Steven Rosenfeld comes to the rescue with his book “Count My Vote – A Citizen’s Guide to Voting” at: http://firedoglake.com/2008/09/30/book-salon-count-my-vote/

Best to all — Em

P.S. Be sure to also check out the rest of the Title Archive from the tab on the upper Navigation Bar. Enjoy!

REFERENCES:

https://diabetesdietdialogue.wordpress.com/2007/05/19/acid-to-alkaline-the-ph-path-to-health/

https://diabetesdietdialogue.wordpress.com/2007/12/04/ph-strategies-use-these-alkaline-vegetables-often-cucumber-recipes-here-too/

https://diabetesdietdialogue.wordpress.com/2007/12/25/ph-strategies-use-alkaline-vegetables-often-part-2-karela-melon/

(c)2008 Em https://diabetesdietdialogue.wordpress.com

Please respect my copyright, and if you would like to quote from or use my article, be sure to include my copyright information and website location in your footnotes or Reference section. Thanks!

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Stocks Crash – Food Prices Rise – Panic is Possible – How To Cope – Part 2

“Everyone knows someone who needs this information!” (TM)

I am very concerned that the nation’s most vulnerable citizens, including diabetics, are getting caught in the crossfire of the results of greedy Wall Street, too-late and ineffective fiscal policy decisions by the US federal government, a bail-out that does not help those who need help the most or one that gets at the root-cause of the nation’s financial woes — improperly offered mortgages, massive devaluation of existing homes with no adjustment in the value of the mortgages owed and the highest number of foreclosures in recent memory. People are also getting laid-off, as the economic crisis worsens, especially in our nation’s economic back-bone of small businesses, and for many, unemployment or reduced time / wages means not getting the medicines they need, at all OR taking less of them, without consulting a physician as to the impact of that.

Last week’s article was about many practical steps to take to start to protect your family in uncertain times. You can read it at: https://diabetesdietdialogue.wordpress.com/2008/10/16/stocks-crash-food-prices-rise-panic-is-possible-how-to-cope/

It is imperative that you call your physician’s office if you think that you are in jeopardy of not being able to take your meds already as prescribed. Tell your physician the real reasons for your problem, so hopefully you will get the consult free, and will get the information you need. Ask about ALL the medications you are taking, not just what to do or where to go if you can’t buy your diabetes meds!

There are many medications that you just cannot stop taking safely, without guidance.

When my husband went to see his cardiologist last week about a needed change of a newly prescribed medication which he had not responded well to, I asked him to discuss the protocols for him to take, in case there was civil unrest and he could not get his medications (that’s a potential issue everyone faces,  even if you think you are financially stable, this discussion still applies to you).

I knew one of his medications, Atenalol, is absolutely critical to know how to wean yourself off, if you have to. You cannot just stop taking Atenalol; doing so can be life-threatening. My mother is also on this med, so I was concerned for 2 of my family, and luckily, for the first time, a doctor told us how to get off this medication safely.

Maybe he was only forthcoming because the question was posed as a critical societal possibility that no-one would have any way of avoiding, rather than a personal issue. Others haven’t wanted to answer, in the past. But, hopefully, doctors are now going to help people understand what they should be doing with their meds, in case of civil strife and lack of supply AND in case of financial turmoil that results in lack of ability to buy some meds already prescribed.

For people on insulin,  who need to worry about refrigeration, you should see if there are other options, if electricity is down for weeks or more.  And, also ask how else to cope. There are documented stories of people cut-off due to WW2, of them improvising about insulin, but hopefully there are other options now.  I’m not familiar with this and think you should only get your doctor to research this.

Not only are fewer prescriptions being taken as prescribed, but physicians are actually writing fewer prescriptions, for the first ime in about 12 years, maybe as they hear more and more patients say ‘they can’t afford them’, an article at the New York Times reports. The piece also states that “the average number of prescriptions filled by each person in this country increased from 8.9 a year in 1997 to 12.6 in 2007“. That’s horrendous.

Get an annual assessment of all your meds. Get rid of any that your physician decides you do not need, and really let them know you want as few meds as possible.  “Overall spending in the United States for prescription drugs is still the highest in the world, an estimated $286.5 billion last year. But that number makes up only about 10 percent of this country’s total health expenditures of $2.26 trillion.   … Already, a migration to generic drugs means that 60 percent of prescriptions over all are filled by off-brand versions of drugs. But with money tight, even cheaper generic drugs may not always be affordable drugs.” The NYT article has got a great deal of useful information. The link is below.

Other nations do not overly medicate their populations the way Americans do; here, physicians are really brain-washed about pills, especially by the drug companies, and with outrageous drug commercials in the media, at almost every break, doctors are being bombarded with patient requests about meds they’ve seen advertised.

We just have to get off this drug merry-go-round whenever it is safe to do so. Get your doctor to offer you as many safe, natural alternatives as possible, and if that doctor won’t or can’t, find a holistic MD or ND who will.

Now, as the flu season is almost upon us, diabetics will be told to go en masse to get flu shots. My husband went after seeing his cardiologist; my mother wants to get hers. Against my doctor’s wishes, I am not getting mine. I am not advocating you do that. You must decide, along with your doctor, what’s right for you.

But in the couple of times in the last 15 years or so that I did get the flu shot, those were the times I got the flu, and I got it badly. I don’t exactly know why (I have some suspicions), but I do know that I stay healthier without the assault of the shot on my immune system. I now trust that what I am doing for myself is a healthy regimen, but you may not have established as healthy a regimen as mine, so declining a flu shot is NOT advice from me for you to follow.

To help you, whether you get a flu shot or not, I will add the following information. Dr. Mercola, DC, well-regarded online holistic practitioner, says that the newest science is showing that in the winter months, when exposure to the sun on our skin for reasonable amounts of time, declines to almost zero, this is when the flu gets prevalent, and that Vitamin D (the substance made in our skin, when we are exposed to sunlight) is what protects us against influenza.  Dr. Mercola has a video at the link below which explains the dosages required and the protocols for amounts of vitamin D to take, if you do feel like you are getting ill. Keep several bottles of Vitamin D with you at home this winter, but take only as he and your doctor prescribes, as you can overdose on Vitamin D; it is fat-soluble and stored in your tissues to some extent.

Well, hopefully all will go well for you this week, as we careen toward Halloween and the US Election. Lots of news stories are ripe for bursting, but we’ll have to see when and if they break. Meanwhile, look for alternatives to candy to give the kids at Halloween!

Best to all — Em 

Be sure to check the Title Archive on the upper Navigation Bar. There are 3 pages listed there. Enjoy!

REFERENCES:

http://www.nytimes.com/2008/10/22/business/22drug.html?_r=1&hp&oref=slogin

http://articles.mercola.com/sites/articles/archive/2008/10/21/avoid-flu-shots-vitamin-d-is-a-better-way.aspx

 

(c)2008 Em https://diabetesdietdialogue.wordpress.com

My article is copyrighted. Please respect my copyright, and if you desire to quote from, or use, my article, then please include the full copyright citation and website address in a footnote or in your article’s Reference section. Thanks!

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Stocks Crash – Food Prices Rise – Panic is Possible – How To Cope

 

 

 

“Everyone knows someone who needs this information!” (TM)

It’s been a troubling fortnight, and I think much worse economic and political news is in the offing for the long-term; periodically, we’ll assess this global issue, but for now, rising food prices are especially troubling for diabetics, and I’ll share some ideas and resources for coping with this widening problem. All these extra societal and monetary stresses can effect your ability to maintain your biochemical equilibrium, as stress destroys well-being as well as peace of mind. So, first of all, stay as calm as you can and learn some stress-reduction techniques. Possibly monitor your blood sugar more often if your personal situation is dire.  What’s next?

Secondly, in order for you to be sure to be able to have money for your meds, monitoring supplies, doctor visits etc. cut all your budget items to the bone, except food! Do it now, so you start having money to make choices for an emergency kit and pantry. The American government tried to pass legislation to criminalize food “hoarding”. So far, it has failed, but get your emergency stuff together as soon as possible, in case they try those shennanigans again.

As food prices are rising world-wide, there is more and more chance of food riots (they have happened in a few places already), and some sites on the web report that American police and military troops are being trained for this eventuality, too. Shocking.

And, a mainstream news report last week on the chasm between Los Alamos, New Mexico (America’s wealthiest city) (who knew?!) with it’s valley neighbor which is poverty-stricken, showed one adult was “on food-stamps that supplied only $27 for food”! I hope that was for one week; she didn’t say. But, that amount is tragic and her wizened, skinny, beaten frame told the story.

Well, while most of us are not in her unacceptably shortchanged-by-her-government position, which does not allow her to retain her Health and be able to be a willing, energetic, healthy worker, we ARE also sliding on a very slippery-slope toward the same, if we are not educated.

So, thirdly, learn about the best, healthiest foods; ways to cut extraneous items from your budgets; ways to find the healthiest foods and ways to cook them so they retain the most nutrition.

Additionally, we all need to have some strategies in place in case there is civil unrest.

As an over-60 Boomer generation adult, I’ve had plenty of experience, and with 2 parents who went through the Great Depression, frugal ways were in place even though we lived an upper middle class life.  Even when my husband was making a six-figure income, we still retained many of these prudent financial food strategies because: they work; were responsible actions as stewards of the planet and because we understood our own life-progression would require it, (with us likely to live beyond our plan, as so many seniors have found financially, already).

I won’t re-iterate most of the steps, as I found a thought-inducing discussion at the New York Times today, with plenty of great grocery-shopping and food-process ideas. That thread will give  you many more options than I can fit in here, so I’ll include that link in the Reference section below. I’ll just mention a few really salient strategies to act on, at THIS time in our problematic history, as the other comments at NYT will all be as if it will be business-as-usual, with no civil unrest or with no deepening Depression. Personally, I think both of these WILL happen, and so the Plan needs to refined.

These are ideas to help with civil unrest and deep financial Depression.

___   It’s too late for most of you who have land to start a complete garden in Northern climes, but if you can get seedlings for winter crops like cabbage etc. then do it! If you live further South, then plant everything you can.

___   If you have fruit trees, harvest them, and store the fruit in a cold place like your garage (apples) or inside (nuts) or for pears etc. make into sauces, juice, freeze etc. (read how to do this). If you have thick-skinned gourds like pumpkins, do the same; keep them in the unheated garage.

___   For people in urban areas, without land, or anyone who has harsh winters, still grow whatever you can indoors, in a sunny window. Learn about gardening under full-spectrum grow-lights.

___   If you have space enough in a corner of a room, consider indoor citrus growing. I met Walter Doty, founder of the Indoor Citrus Society, in the 1980s and was touched by his passion, and I am glad that his legacy lives on. Citrus is one of the best sources of Vitamin C, and will hold well on the tree.

___   Learn which foods are the most nutritious. We’ve worked on this here, but you need to speed-up your own learning. Maybe we won’t have the internet, after all China was able to stop access to it, just by turning off a switch somehow, and of course, many people will not be able to afford their present level of access. Libraries will hopefully continue to give access to all. Nutrition Data listed below is also a really helpful site.

One of the respondents on the NYT thread had done research on which vegetarian foods were complete proteins, even if just marginal sources. Here’s the list, as the likelihood of supplies of animal protein being available during civil strife is nearly nil. These vegetable foods are ranked with the best protein sources first. My notes are in [brackets].

Use forms which will last in your pantry, as electricity may not be available or could be erratic.

Pepitas (pumpkin and squash seeds) [Be sure to buy raw seeds only.]
Avocados   [Won’t hold well, but get them as long as you can, as many as affordable.]
Lambsquarters (salad green) [Buy seeds.][Also, check out purslane.]
Spinach

Fresh Soybeans [While you can use your freezer, get the shelled, frozen ones]
Pistachios   [Do not use. These are always filled with microscopic molds.]
Potatoes [Only buy organic or grow your own in season. Others are sprayed with fungicide.]
Chestnuts   [Short season, but they store well.]
Tofu  [If you are a regular reader, you know I won’t use fractionalized foods.]  
Chickpeas   [Buy canned for civil-defense pantry + dry, in bulk, for regular cooking.]
Kiwis [In future, plant a male and female vine.] [For now, buy often. Great Vitamin C.]
Pink beans  [Same as for garbanzos]
Small white beans [Same as other beans]
Refried beans [Check to make sure these are made with healthy vegetarian fats, or don’t use.]
Split peas    [Buy as split-pea soup, and in organic, dry bulk.]
Great Northern beans [Same as other beans]

Cauliflower, raw   [Buy fresh while you can, but not often if you have thyroid problems.]
Red kidney beans [I do not recommend any kidney beans. Wrong food for most blood types.]
Black beans   [Same for other beans]
Cowpeas        [Same for beans]
Yardlong beans  [These only come fresh in season. Buy in Oriental Markets.]
Cashews   [This nut is not for every blood type*]

* I think raw, organic almonds are best, but they are almost impossible to buy now that California is insisting on irradiating its almonds (and still labeling them “raw”). California produces most of the world’s crop, but organic, non-irradiated nuts have been available at a few online sites.

___   Each of the photos above represent a stage in your thinking.

1. Store whole grains and have a manual, not electric grinder, if needed for flour. Otherwise cook the whole grains. Keep them away from moisture, otherwise they will mold. Check survival sites for the best container options. Include a balanced glycemic, wrapped, portable granola bar stash; I use Balance Bars.    www.balance.com

2. Eat the most nutritious fresh foods, in season, while you can. Learn to can and dehydrate properly and save for the equipment.

3. Have sproutable seeds on hand and the simple equipment you need to sprout them, along with a reference for time and technique. Sprouts are some of the most nutritious foods on the planet. Pay attention to the broccoli sprouts and micro-greens options, especially. Learn a lot at: http://www.living-foods.com/articles/sprouting.html You MUST use seeds set aside for sprouting purposes only!!! Other seeds to be planted in the ground have fungicides sprayed on them, big-time!!! http://www.cityfarmer.org/sprout86.html has great information about this and lots more; it’s a good site. I DO NOT RECOMMEND that you grow wheatgrass. There are real issues how to prevent mold. Choose other sprouts.

4. Store some foods without the need for refrigeration. Learn more in books about storing foods in a root cellar (even if you do not have one); for some foods, a cold, unheated garage may do, if you store the foods in the proper way, with good air circulation, too. Plan your garden next time to include these “keepers”; this year, buy more while they are in the market!

5. Do get some long shelf-life, vacuum-packed foods from Mountain House directly, or at good camping stores like www.rei.com  . I am not going to mention other brands, as this is the one I buy, and I saw a report of a family which has invested in thousands of dollars worth of this brand’s food, and found when they opened a pouch of blueberries, 10 years apart, they tasted just the same.   http://www.mountainhouse.com/   Remember to include any of the whole Celtic Sea Salts (not other salts).  Try to choose as many alkalizing foods as possible.

___   There are many Mormon sites on the internet which can teach you about what they try to store for emergencies, but in the past, I have been concerned that much of this is too oriented to flour and dry milk. The processing of dry milk is problematical. It is most usually processed at much too high temperatures — or for too long a time — for it to be quality protein any more (the same is true of any “ultra-pasteurized” fresh dairy).  Dried eggs may have some of the same issues, but I haven’t read about that specifically, as I have done about milk processing. In the past, good health food stores  have had options for lower-temperature dried milk (it should be labeled as such) or go online.

These Mormon / survival sites will also give you an idea of amounts per person. Use www.thefoodguys.com/foodcalc.html

___   And, remember to store fresh water! Learn at fema.gov about how to do that. Most of our city water supplies require electricity to pump our water to us. No electricity, no water. Go to an excellent camping store and get supplies to purify water — anything from tablets to filtering systems. I suggest REI.com   www.rei.com

___   Talk to your doctor about using an over-the-counter diabetes formula in case you cannot get your meds. This option may or may not apply to you. If you control your diabetes with mostly diet, you may be able to use something like 21st Century’s Diabetic Formula which is a multivitamin and diabetic assuaging herbs. The preparation is shelf-stable and has a decent shelf-life (around 2 years, if fresh when you purchase it).  Under normal circumstances, a month’s supply costs about $7. Go to their site, print out the information and take it to your doctor to discuss. If you are on insulin, ask LOTS more questions about what to do in long-term emergency civil strife!

Make sure your children and grandchildren will have proper options at their schools, too, regardless of whether the child is diabetic or not. Schools are lagging here!

And, be sure to plan for babies — even if there are none in your family at the moment, in any protracted time-line, babies have a habit of “showing up”!

I will probably add to this later, and will do more in coming weeks, if my own circumstances permit. I’m off to do lots more on this for my own family, as much as we can, anyway.

I think it is important for Americans to keep a real, present, constant assessment going on the financial and societal state of affairs. I hope we have an orderly transition of government after the election, but I see too many signs, from the present government’s planning, that this will not happen. They have not systematically removed the Bill of Rights and many other Liberties for nothing.

Learn more at:

very important ! www.guardian.co.uk/world/2007/apr/24/usa.comment

http://www.alternet.org/rights/101958/thousands_of_troops_are_deployed_on_u.s._streets_ready_to_carry_out_%22crowd_control%22/?page=entire

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HaG9d_4zij8

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GHijdPM3Rjs

very important:   http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_XgkeTanCGI

www.bibliotecapleyades.net/sociopolitica/sociopol_top25censoredstories2007a.htm#2%20-%20Bush%20Moves%20Toward%20Martial%20Law

Please read and watch the above sites. Inform yourself. Nothing could be more important at the moment.

Best to all — Em

Be sure to check the Title Archive on the upper Navigation Bar. There are 3 pages listed there. Enjoy!

 

REFERENCE:

http://www.nytimes.com/2008/10/19/nyregion/connecticut/19Rparent.html this is not the strategy I suggest, but it gives an overview of one person’s choices to help her family of 5 in a regular world.

http://community.nytimes.com/article/comments/2008/10/19/nyregion/connecticut/19Rparent.html

This is the thread where you will get LOTS of ideas. You will have to assess how pertinent they are to your situation, financially, and again, no-one here is thinking about civil-strife.

California Rare Fruit Growers – inheritors of wisdom from the Indoor Citrus Society:

http://www.crfg.org/fg/icrfsn.html

http://www.bbg.org/gar2/topics/indoor/handbooks/landscaping/orangerie.html

http://www.homecitrusgrowers.co.uk/citrusvarieties/uncommon3.html

REI – for the best camping supplies   www.rei.com

To assess foods for their nutrition: http://www.nutritiondata.com

Diabetes Formula www.21stcenturyvitamins.com

Sprouts: longest time expert I know of = http://www.sproutman.com/ I’ve read Steve since the 70s.

http://www.sprouting.com/

http://www.sproutpeople.com/

http://www.mountainhouse.com/    http://www.mountainhouse.com/emgcy_fds.cfm

http://theepicenter.com/chklist.html

http://www.survivalist.info/preplists/

http://www.prepare.org/disabilities/emergemedlist.htm

www.ready.gov     http://www.ready.gov/america/publications/allpubs.html

http://www.fema.gov/plan/index.shtm

http://www.fema.gov/plan/prepare/specialplans.shtm

http://www.dmoz.org/Home/Emergency_Preparation/

(c)2008 Em https://diabetesdietdialogue.wordpress.com

My work is copyrighted. Please respect that. If you want to quote from or use my article, please name me as author of the article and place my name and website’s address in a footnote or in your reference section of your article. Thanks!

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New Products for Diabetics – Coconut-Water and Agave Based and Dairy-Free

 

“Everyone knows someone who needs this information!” (TM)

 

I am always watching for new products, especially in natural-food stores, and recently I found 2 coconut products which will help diabetics enjoy low-glycemic, agave sweetened, totally-natural, healthier desserts (of course, on that basis, they are also great for ANYONE); these products provide new options for anyone who is lactose intolerant and needs foods which are dairy-free, too. Vegans can also use these foods. You can read articles about why coconuts are such an important human food in 4 of my prior articles whose links are in the Reference section, below.

You may have to ask your health-food store to special-order these products at first, but once they do, get them to try them; then, you may find them willing to just include them as a regular part of their inventory! They definitely are tasty, as well as healthier. Whole Foods carries both.

So, let’s learn more. The first product is called SO Delicious, and it is a coconut-water based yoghurt, sweetened by low-glycemic agave nectar, and containing what is possibly a newer combination of friendly probiotic cultures for your body, which include: L. Bulgaricus, L. Plantarum, L.Rhamnosus, L.Paracasei, Bif. Lactus and S. Thermopolis (Jordan Rubin, CEO of Garden of Life, trained as a naturopathic physician, but doesn’t practice, says he has serious reservations about S. thermopolis, which is also on every other yoghurt label I have looked at. Oh well, an opportunity missed.).

Last week, for the first time in ages, I had to go through a course of antibiotics, as I had injured one eye, and it became red and swollen. Anytime a person is on antibiotics, their friendly gut bacteria are also being killed, and so it is important to replace those ‘friendlies’ each day, while you take the medicine (use yoghurt about 2 hours after at least one of your pill doses) and then for at least a week beyond that. This time, I used the SO Delicious yoghurt as a source of my ‘friendlies’, and it was an effective source. I had a normal week, without discomfort, and I was helping by not adding dairy, which disrupts most adults’ intestines in various ways, when the gut was already under seige.

I still think that any yoghurt has to be considered a dessert. In addition to being dessert-like, SO Delicious has the perfect mineral profile, which matches our blood plasma, (that’s why clean, fresh coconut-water was used during World War 2, as an IV in surgery, in the Pacific islands, when they ran out of other options).

But, SO Delicious is not a protein source like dairy yoghurt is. And, it’s fats are saturated fats, (they are no choesterol, vegetarian fats). Unlike dairy yoghurt, these coconut fats contain the healthy medium-chain essential fatty acids our bodies need for making both genders’ hormones like progesterone. So far, this year, coconut fats have kept my post-menopausal progesterone levels better balanced to prevent the problems of excess estrogen running rampant. Progesterone and estrogen must always have a ratio to one another.

SO Delicious’ carbohydrate comes from agave nectar, which is a low-glycemic sweetener from blue agave cactus, which is very useful for stable-blood-sugar for diabetics and anyone who understands the health issues created by other sugar sources. There are no artificial ingredients.

SO Delicious comes in many flavors: plain (slight coconut hint of flavor), vanilla, coconut-pineapple, blueberry, strawberry, raspberry, passionate mango are the ones I remember. I have tried all of them except strawberry; it’s still sitting in my fridge. (UPDATE – finally got to the strawberry; it’s a very light flavor, needs some berries mixed in for some burst-of-flavor). All flavors tasted delicious, along a continuum, with plain on one end and passionate mango on the other (I liked mango best; raspberry and blueberry tied for second and coconut-pineapple for third).

The nutrition profile is 140 calories for the 1 container serving, and Fat 6 grams, Carbohydrate 24 grams, Protein 1 gram, Cholesterol 0 grams.

You can learn more at their web-site www.sodeliciousdairyfree.com  or http://turtlemountain.com/   Download their PDF of ingredients per product at http://turtlemountain.com/products/purely_decadent_Coconut_Milk.html

So Delicious also have several frozen coconut desserts (like an ice-cream), that I saw at Whole Foods this afternoon, but I haven’t tried them yet; my husband said some of them are soy-based, so I will have to check (I did, some are soy coconut-water combos; others are only coconut-water based. Read the PDF above).

I want only the coconut-based products, as I will not use the soy; it is a goiterogen, which slows (and possibly harms) the thyroid gland, so we always limit our use of soy, especially anything other than the whole bean (known as edamame)(whole soy beans have a few protective elements, I believe, that make it a little less damaging).

The next item was found by my husband (I’ve helped him learn to be quite a discerning shopper; he’s a great guy!). It IS a coconut-water based frozen ice-cream type treat called Luna and Larry’s Organic Coconut Bliss . They have about 6 flavors. So far, we have tried the Chocolate Hazelnut Fudge and the Cherry Amaretto. All our family gave each flavor a thumbs-up.

You can  checkout their website at:  http://www.coconutbliss.com

REFERENCE:

Recipes For Longevity — Coconut, The Tree of Life — Part 4A
https://diabetesdietdialogue.wordpress.com/2007/09/10/recipes-for-longevity-coconut-the-tree-of-life-part-4a/

Recipes For Longevity – Coconut, The Tree Of Life — Part 4Bhttps://diabetesdietdialogue.wordpress.com/2007/10/02/recipes-for-longevity-%e2%80%94-coconut-the-tree-of-life-%e2%80%94-part-4b/

Recipes For Longevity – Coconut Oil – Part 4C
https://diabetesdietdialogue.wordpress.com/2008/06/06/recipes-for-longevity-coconut-part-4c/

Recipes For Longevity – Part 4D: Coconut Oil
https://diabetesdietdialogue.wordpress.com/titles-archive/titles-archive-page-2/

(c)2008 Em https://diabetesdietdialogue.wordpress.com
If you desire to quote from or use my article, please respect my copyright and include the full copyright citation and website location in your footnote or reference section of your article. Thanks. If you use a trackback, please give me credit as the author on your page, too.

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ArBoMa’s Friendship Bread – A Diabetic Dessert Recipe, in Progress

Even diabetics have to have a sane treat once in a while, and it’s time to create a new Basic diabetic dessert, so here’s a recipe my relatives have been working on; there’s a mystery aspect to this recipe, which is why I have to post it today, so you will be able to use it in time! I am now working with them to develop this recipe to be more and more diabetic friendly each time we make it, and will welcome your suggestions, too. 

This has fantastic flavor and a texture which is so good, that with a very sharp knife, you can even cut a slice 1/8″ – 1/4″ thick and have it sit prettily on the plate! Because it is tasty and dense, but light, it is satisfying, and a loaf pan size cake has many, many servings. I think it will also freeze well, but it kept perfectly for a week at room temperature in an airtight plastic container.

Let’s continue to co-create something wonderful. Starting today, you’ll be just in time to eat this for Sukkot, the ancient Feast of Tabernacles, which occurs after Yom Kippur (the Day of Atonement)(the holiest day of the Jewish year). Sukkot is the Harvest Festival, and we’ll learn a bit more about it around October 13.

 This originally began as an Amish Friendship Bread recipe, but we hope to make it healthier, and even tastier.

Best to all — Em
===============================================================================================
 

ArBoMa’s Friendship Bread

First, some instruction:
– DO NOT use any type of metal spoon or bowl for mixing [it is OK to use metal measuring cup or spoon for ingredients before they go into the mixing bowl]. Stir ingredients with a wooden spoon.

___ DO NOT refrigerate the mixture; leave it at room temperature at first [when the whole process is first finished, then it is OK to refrigerate mixture up to one month to alleviate the next-cycle schedule. You’ll understand that comment by the end of these instructions. Just keep reading.]

___ If air gets into the bag [or the fermentation process fills the bag with gases], let it out! Otherwise, you could pop the bag and have a big mess.

___ It is normal for the batter to rise, bubble and ferment and smell sour (it’s a “clean” smell, like sourdough bread [or just alcohol, in the beginning]). Don’t be put off by that smell. The final product is wonderful, at least using our native wild yeasts from the West Coast! After all, from San Francisco to Alaska, the West is famous for its fabulous sourdough.

___ There should never be any other type odors, and definitely no mold or colored areas. If in doubt, throw the starter away. You can always use a commerical sour-dough starter to make the first batch, too.  Once made, following their instructions, then just start at our Step 1.

Commerical sourdough starters are available at good kitchen stores and online at Sourdough International and read full instructions at SourDoLady’s starter recipe and procedure also shown below.

Figure that the original amount of starter to use in this recipe is approximately 1 cup.

If your commercial starter makes more than that, then make it and set aside 1 Cup of finished starter.  Divide the rest of the starter into 1 Cup portions, each in their own 1 gallon ziplock bag, and use them EITHER for other sourdough recipes, refrigerate them for more Friendship bread (you will have to feed them once a month) or give them away to friends (include these instructions and reference site).

================================================================
On your 1 gallon size, plastic food-grade ziplock bag, it is important to write the date you start [and print out these instructions, then insert the day of the week and date on each line, below so you don’t get confused].

Follow all the pertinent instructions depending on whether you have received a batch of starter (begin at Step 1), or have to begin everything on your own

(USE STEP 1’S INGREDIENTS LIST and then go back to the process in Step 2 all the way thru to Step 15).

Step 1: DAILY PROCESS: (takes about 30seconds – 1 minute)

____  Day 1: Do nothing (this is the earlier of the day you either receive the batter**

OR the first day you mix the first batch of starter, if you have to do it all on your own, (follow the SourDoLady recipe below and then pick-up the ArBoMa recipe at Day 2: 

SourDoLady’s Wild Yeast Sourdough Starter

Day 1: mix
2 T. whole grain flour (rye and/or wheat)(rye works best for the first 3 days)
2 T. unsweetened pineapple juice or fresh orange juice
Cover and let sit at room temperature for 24 hours.

Day 2: add
2 T. whole grain flour
2 T. juice (pineapple works best — canned is ok)
Stir well, cover and let sit at room temperature 24 hours. At day 2 you may (or may not) start to see some small bubbles.

Day 3: add
2 T. whole grain flour
2 T. juice
Stir well, cover and let sit at room temperature 24 hours.

Day 4:
Stir down, measure out 1/4 cup and discard the rest (can use it to cook with).
To the 1/4 cup add
1/4 cup flour*
1/4 cup filtered or spring water

*You can feed the starter whatever type of flour you want at this point (unbleached white, whole wheat, rye). If you are new to sourdough, a white starter is probably the best choice. All-purpose flour is fine — a high protein flour is not necessary. The rye flavor will dissipate. Keep using rye if you want sourdough starter for sourdough rye, as a separate project!

Repeat Day 4:
Once daily until the mixture starts to expand and smell yeasty. It is not unusual for the mixture to get very bubbly around Day 3 or 4 and then go completely flat and appear dead. If the mixture does not start to grow again by Day 6, add 1/4 tsp. apple cider vinegar with the daily feeding. This will lower the pH level a bit more and it should wake up the yeast.

More instructions are on the SourDoLady site, but you will need to gradually increase the number of feedings, using the same proprtions to have the 1C of starter for the first steps of the ArBoMa Bread recipe.

Because this process is dependent on humidity, temperature, acidity and more, it may take 11 days to get this first batch of 1C of starter if you have to make your own, but then it can be used over and over for years. It’s a worthwhile investment

** OR jump-start at the appropriate step, using the date on the bag, ( if your friend has already dated Step 1 before they gifted you the starter), and therefore part of the process is already done for you.

The whole process never takes more than 10 days, unless you have to make your own original starter – then it will take a total of at least 3 weeks for your first batch!  After that, it will never be more than 10 days, with a healthy starter.

 ——————————————————————–
____ Day 2: “Mush the bag.” That is, keep the ziplock bag closed and just gently move the batter around for 30 seconds or so. Remember to keep the batter at room temperature.

____ Day 3: Mush the bag

____ Day 4: Mush the bag

____ Day 5: Mush the bag

____ Day 6: Add to the bag
                                           1C Flour* 
                                           1C Sugar **
                                           1C Milk
* [so far, Version 2 = “white, unbleached whole wheat flour”, “succanat” – a natural, whole, brown sugar **, and low fat cow milk].

Then, remove most of the air in the ziplock bag, as you close it. and mush the bag, again.

____ Day 7: Mush the bag
____ Day 8: Mush the bag
____ Day 9: Mush the bag
____ Day 10: Follow the instructions below.
A.  Pour the entire contents of the bag in a large NON-METAL bowl

B.  Add 1-1/2C white, unbleached whole-wheat flour
            1-1/2C succanat sugar **
            1-1/2C  low-fat cow milk

C. Measure out 4 separate batters of 1C each, into four 1-gallon Ziplock bags. Only use a plastic or glass measuring cup, plastic ladles etc! Do not use metal.

You will have some starter “left-over”; that is what you will use to bake with today.

[Always mark the date on each bag as “day #1”].  Keep one starter for yourself and start feeding it on the same schedule or refrigerate it one month, and then discard all but 1/4 C and start the feeding schedule all over again. The “discards” can be mixed with other batter’s ingredients, but aren’t nutritious, as the yeast has used it all for food, already. Many people just never use the discards.

Give the other 3 original starter packs to friends, along with a copy of this recipe (if you do not pass along the starter on the first day, be sure to tell your friend which day the bag is at when you present it to them.

OR  you can keep all the batches. Use one starter set to bake a current cake and refrigerate the others, to stage other baking for later in the month, as long as you feed your starters at least once a month (following the directions in the paragraph above), you could keep them longer. After feeding, they should stay unrefrigerated until they show signs of life!

=====================================================================================

BAKING THE CAKE:

11.  Cook the “extra” starter for today’s cake after adding the ingredients below. Preheat the oven to 325 degrees. Meanwhile, prepare glass loaf pans and proceed to measure ingredients for the batter.

Grease 2 large Pyrex glass loaf pans [I used a non-stick Pam-with-flour spray, with great results]. 

12.  Add to the “left-over” portion of starter batter in the bowl [I combined and mixed all the liquids in one bowl, combined and mixed all the dry in another, and then mixed them together by hand with a wood-and-rubber spatula]. Do what works for you.

WET INGREDIENTS:

3 Omega-3, free-range eggs
 1C  organic canola oil
 1/2C low fat cow milk
 1/2tsp natural vanilla
 
DRY INGREDIENTS:
the original “left-over” starter
½ C  sugar*
 2C white unbleached whole wheat flour
 1 1/2 tsp cinnamon
 1-1/2 tsp baking POWDER
 1/2 tsp    baking SODA
 1/2tsp sea salt
 1 large box instant vanilla pudding

*** We are working on substituting for sugar, using agave, but we haven’t done this yet. [Using agave requires you to reduce some liquid in the recipe and to reduce oven temperature by 25 degrees.]

In the non-metal bowl, combine your portion of starter, then the dry ingredients. Mix well.  Then the wet ingredients, slowly. Mix after each bit of the wet ingredients is added.

13.  Optional: Sprinkle top with a little sesame seed and up to 1/2 tsp cinnamon. Cinnamon helps diabetics and should off-set some of the sugar in the recipe. 

Optional: Dust the greased pans with a little flour, if your non-stick spray does not include it. Shake off excess.

14. Pour the batter evenly into the 2 pans.

15.  Bake 50 minutes to 1 hour.  Cool until bread loosens from the pan easily (about ten minutes).  Turn out onto a  wire cooling rack.  Serve warm or cold. 

(Do not bake more than 2 loaves at a time.)
 
Equivalents: 1C = 16Tablespoons   1Tablespoon = 3 teaspoons    1C fluid = 8 fluid ozs.

*** We’ll inform you when we have tested agave nectar equivalents and the changes needed in that process.

(c)2008 Em https://diabetesdietdialogue.wordpress.com

If you desire to quote from or use my article, please respect my copyright and include the copyright citation and website address in your footnotes or reference section. Thanks!

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