tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7685979597473858413.post5386028775695463231..comments2024-02-23T02:03:23.020-07:00Comments on The Eco Cat Lady Speaks: Why I'm Seriously Considering Eating Meat AgainEcoCatLadyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15704811319510740473noreply@blogger.comBlogger50125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7685979597473858413.post-69319271274328024892013-06-28T13:07:35.127-06:002013-06-28T13:07:35.127-06:00Wow! I've never actually met anyone else who w...Wow! I've never actually met anyone else who was allergic to exercise! I feel like less of a freak already! I've actually been working with my stepmom (she's an allergist) to try to come up with a better system, because 40 mile bike rides on an empty stomach were just not working for me! So we did a bunch of experiments and now I have a "bike breakfast" that I can safely have about 30 minutes before I ride. A skinless potato with 2 fried eggs with salt and olive oil. It's not gonna win any culinary awards, but at least I can ride without feeling like I'm gonna pass out. Of course, I still have to carry an epipen and take an antihistamine before I ride, but I can live with that.<br /><br />It's really interesting to me to see how my views on eating meat have changed. I mean, the main reason I was a vegetarian was for ethical reasons, but eating meat again just makes me feel SO. MUCH. BETTER. that at this point I usually have at least one serving of either fish or chicken per day, and I really feel it if I skip it. Perhaps my little brain is simply trying to justify it all to myself... Oh... the contradictions are swirling! :-)EcoCatLadyhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/15704811319510740473noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7685979597473858413.post-65178931661295478472013-06-28T12:10:20.280-06:002013-06-28T12:10:20.280-06:00Wow! I had never read this post before. Another ...Wow! I had never read this post before. Another thing we have in common: I'm allergic to exercise (cholinergic urticaria, but sometime its just plain old chronic urticaria). Never been associated with food that I am aware of (was put on a "knockout" diet and it didn't help) and started during a period of my life when I was eating meat plenty. So . . . . maybe its the coffee . . . and I'd rather die than give that up! Stefanihttps://www.blogger.com/profile/07239847432599114367noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7685979597473858413.post-87046078338998425202012-06-26T00:28:39.086-06:002012-06-26T00:28:39.086-06:00Ha! I figured it was just some blog slang that I w...Ha! I figured it was just some blog slang that I wasn't up on!<br /><br />I may do some research on the detoxes, but I'm not optimistic since most herbs will send me to the emergency room... seriously, parsley, fennel, dill, cilantro, cumin, coriander and the list goes on... sigh.EcoCatLadyhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/15704811319510740473noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7685979597473858413.post-4849677747166435142012-06-24T18:14:57.262-06:002012-06-24T18:14:57.262-06:00Rebooted? My constant wierd words are because Appl...Rebooted? My constant wierd words are because Apple iPad autocorrect is junk. Lol.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7685979597473858413.post-28180903882668661032012-06-24T04:33:15.135-06:002012-06-24T04:33:15.135-06:00I'm so glad to hear about your fillings!
The...I'm so glad to hear about your fillings! <br /><br />There are a lot of mixed reviews about detoxes, and I'm sceptical but do think some are great. From my perspective, medical doctors are in the business of sickness not health so they will absolutely say its BS. Natural practitioners are in the business of health and say its fantastic so it's just gotta be what sits well with you. <br /><br />I did a detox purely using herbs and powders my naturopath gave me. Not cheap, all up about $500AUD including the consult fees, but wow. My immune system started working too! BONUS! Perhaps a powder detox from a naturopath could be on your list of research items. <br /><br />Regardless if you are doing better that's the best outcome :)<br /><br />I have rebooted your frugal oxymoron post too if you wanna check it out xAnonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7685979597473858413.post-581207216722178912012-06-24T00:13:34.937-06:002012-06-24T00:13:34.937-06:00Well, I just finished getting all of the mercury f...Well, I just finished getting all of the mercury fillings replaced. It was sort of harrowing because apparently the anatomy of the nerves in my mouth is non-standard, and it required a fair degree of heroics to get me numb enough to do the work. But I'm very glad to have them out - and my father even picked up the $3000 bill which was very nice of him.<br /><br />In terms of detox... I have mixed feelings on the subject. On the one hand, the doctors in my family tell me this is all complete and utter BS, and I have some real reservations about the whole idea of colonics - I've heard some absolute horror stories. On the other hand, the notion that I might be suffering from leaky gut syndrome or something similar does not seem all that far fetched to me, and the idea of restoring balance to the gut makes sense. <br /><br />The problem is that all of the "detox" regimes that I've seen rely heavily on juicing with a variety of vegetables that I am deathly allergic to. And many of the products designed to promote a healthy gut are filled with a substance called inulin which is usually harvested from chicory root, and causes my tongue to swell to the size of a sweet potato.<br /><br />Soooo... for the moment I'm doing much better with the addition of a bit of chicken and the occasional serving of organic beef. I'm also taking probiotics which seem to help, although I have to be careful there because some of those expensive yogurts with fancy name brand probiotic blends caused me to be doubled over in extreme pain. But in general I feel much healthier than I have in a long time, and this is good!EcoCatLadyhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/15704811319510740473noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7685979597473858413.post-36212066501583499292012-06-23T09:00:46.218-06:002012-06-23T09:00:46.218-06:00How are you going with this? I'm only at the b...How are you going with this? I'm only at the beginning of my nutrition studies but here's some things that may be worth checking out:<br />Detox yourself. Hard as anything but in 2-3 weeks your body will be nourished and retrained, not to mention healed to a large degree. I hear a lot of great things about the Breuss Juice Detox and a form of The Gerson Therapy. <br />If you have amalgam fillings in your teeth do yourself a favour and splurge to have them replaced. They are leeching heavy metals into your system.<br />Have you heard of foot patches that detox and suck the heavy metals out of your body? They're AWESOME! Footsies is a brand. We have here.<br />You cannot heal yourself unless you heal your 40 million gut bacteria. A naturopath can help with that, it's a process and not a cheap one, but 100% worth it regardless of who you are.<br />A series of colon cleanses best done in conjunction with a detox to really cleanse yourself.<br />Meditation.<br />The commonalities in the diets of our ancient ancestors who have the largest percentage of centenarians is of course nothing processed, meat when available particularly organ meats they are so full of goodness, fermented milks, yogurts, cheeses, wines and even some vodka! Seasonal fruits and vegetables and eggs. Those that lived on the water ate loads of fish obviously and sea veg and used to barter their superfoods like seaweeds. Superfoods superfoods superfoods.<br />Another source of protein you might consider coz I know at least Costco has it (says our joke of a current affairs program) is kangaroo meat. The leanest red meat, iron rich, and we have a kangaroo plague apparently. Its tough meat, just slow cook it. I like it, but it's really rich.<br />Since I was a vege (couldn't keep it up) I have been thanking every morsel of meat before I prepare it for giving its life so that I may be nourished by it. I lovingly prepare it. My partner who is a theta healer blesses his meat as well. I feel like, if I don't I am ingesting death energy, why wouldn't it make me sick? I want the animals to know I appreciate it, I eat only what I need and my intention is love. I know how that makes me sound but whatever :)<br />Hopefully something here is new and potentially helpful xxAnonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7685979597473858413.post-25057410706979975312012-01-12T14:49:43.951-07:002012-01-12T14:49:43.951-07:00Hi Master Mynd, thanks so much for stopping by!
...Hi Master Mynd, thanks so much for stopping by! <br /><br />I have read a bit about the paleo diet and I'm sort of torn between thinking it makes total sense, and thinking that the guy is a complete quack. It's sort of hard for me to believe that pre-agricultural humans ate NO legumes or grains because if that was the case, how would it have occurred to them to start cultivating those plants in the first place? But I do agree that we, in general eat WAY too many of those foods. I don't know much about their inflammatory properties, but I do know that they contain a lot of omega 6 oils, and many of our health problems are caused by too many omega 6 oils and not enough of the omega 3 variety. I'm struggling to imagine what the vegetarian version of the paleo diet looks like... maybe I'll have to break down and read the book.<br /><br />For the moment, I'm really trying to focus on eating more vegetables, and when I do that, the rest seems to fall into place rather easily. <br /><br />Thanks again for stopping by, and for you kind thoughts.EcoCatLadyhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/15704811319510740473noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7685979597473858413.post-9665453793505038622012-01-11T20:44:48.618-07:002012-01-11T20:44:48.618-07:00have you looked into a paleo diet? i like robb wol...have you looked into a paleo diet? i like robb wolf's version.<br />he makes a very good point about the inflammatory properties of grains, dairy and legumes.<br />maybe try his book-he really explains the biochemistry and anthropology behind the health benefits. and he also allows for a vegetarian version.<br />best wishes, chronic allergies and food intolerances are no fun.master myndhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/14080665800950467330noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7685979597473858413.post-74019796429112620842011-11-25T21:53:33.904-07:002011-11-25T21:53:33.904-07:00Ha! Guess we hyper-allergic types will just have t...Ha! Guess we hyper-allergic types will just have to suffer... that is until they find some way to make everybody hyper-allergic and then develop a ridiculously expensive drug to treat it! What cynics we are...EcoCatLadyhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/15704811319510740473noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7685979597473858413.post-48497464992327643702011-11-25T16:39:34.715-07:002011-11-25T16:39:34.715-07:00You know, now that I'm thinking about it, I do...You know, now that I'm thinking about it, I don't have that cheese desperation like I did before i started eating fish again. I mean, a McProcessed Fishlike Filet with Cheesy-slice is still heaven, but. <br /><br />The FDA is currently very busy opening up a new pharma market for 9-year-old hypercholesterolemics. Cut them some slack.The Good Luck Duckhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/08448071993000984393noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7685979597473858413.post-24398782325432529992011-11-23T18:30:45.871-07:002011-11-23T18:30:45.871-07:00Duck - I liked the Quorn products too... unfortuna...Duck - I liked the Quorn products too... unfortunately it's all the undeclared spices that get me in trouble. It would be SOOOO nice if the FDA would just require them to say what's actually in it, instead of just listing "spices" or "natural flavors". Sigh.<br /><br />Anyhow, I still feel fairly qualmy about it all, but I've gotta say, physically, I feel better than I have in years. The other thing I've noticed is that I no longer have the desire to smother everything with cheese. It's very odd, because before I started eating meat again, I literally CRAVED cheese at every turn. Imagine my shock when a hunk of it actually went bad in the refrigerator because I never got around to eating it! My little lactose intolerant tummy is much happier too.EcoCatLadyhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/15704811319510740473noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7685979597473858413.post-49239918610208911962011-11-23T13:31:55.093-07:002011-11-23T13:31:55.093-07:00Troubled pescetarian myself. I want to be vegan, ...Troubled pescetarian myself. I want to be vegan, but can't control my triglycerides without fish oil, and holy moly, do I love cheese. I haven't reconciled myself completely to eating fish/taking their oil, which I should go ahead and do because WTF. <br /><br />I'm not sure of the lurking ingredients, but I do like Quorn products, which are mycoprotein a little bit like mushrooms. Really, they're fungal proteins grown in a vat, but it sounds better to say they're like mushrooms.<br /><br />So, I really understand your ethical reluctance to eat meat. I wish that when I fell off the veggie wagon I felt gross and sluggish and disgusting, but I actually feel pretty great, except for the ghost of the burger haunting me.The Good Luck Duckhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/08448071993000984393noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7685979597473858413.post-9148494354065466322011-08-23T19:56:56.714-06:002011-08-23T19:56:56.714-06:00Hey Angel Mama,
Thanks so much for your comment. ...Hey Angel Mama,<br /><br />Thanks so much for your comment. I'd never heard of brominated flour... after looking it up it sounds scary! I actually eat very little wheat because I'm allergic to yeast. So what bread I do eat is generally tortillas or biscuits that I make myself with stone ground whole wheat flour. <br /><br />I had no idea that soy was in spices! I'll have to read the ingredients on mine. I actually use very little in the way of spices because, you guessed it, I'm allergic! My main spices are oregano, basil and chives, all of which come from my garden.... no soy there!<br /><br />Thanks again for your comment!EcoCatLadyhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/15704811319510740473noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7685979597473858413.post-22989029615498392882011-08-23T18:34:53.025-06:002011-08-23T18:34:53.025-06:00EcoCat ,
I love your blog. Hope you still read ol...EcoCat ,<br /><br />I love your blog. Hope you still read old posts and comments and happen to see this. So glad you are staying away from soy. With the flour it could be ( brominated ) if you happen to get the flour with that in it ( get unbleached unbrominated) or wheat berries, spelt berries or Kaumut and grind yourself for breads. Also some flours have malted barley in them which is a trigger food and a form of MSG. Avoid and grind yourself or get a flour with all those not in. <br /><br />Avoid any fake sugars, MSG and check all your spices! Grind the spices yourself or get organic as many have soy added to them .<br /><br />So glad you are staying away from soy. 90% of it is GMO .<br /><br />Angel MamaAnonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7685979597473858413.post-17917886530017678662011-08-02T13:31:27.746-06:002011-08-02T13:31:27.746-06:00Hey Nic - I'm a leafy greens fanatic. The only...Hey Nic - I'm a leafy greens fanatic. The only problem is that I'm allergic to everything in the lettuce family. (Allergic as in hives and swollen tongue type allergy.) But I do eat chard, kale or spinach every day. I also LOVE seaweed like nori, but it's not exactly local here in Colorado, so it's in the rare treat category.<br /><br />Helen - Thanks for your thoughts. The FODMAP concept seems quite interesting, although I don't really have the symptoms of IBS. My issues are mostly true immune system allergies (like hives and anaphylaxis) or migraines. The truth is that there are SOOOO many foods on the forbidden list that it's already a challenge to find things that I can eat. I just can't see restricting my diet any further unless it's absolutely necessary.<br /><br />I'll post a follow up soon, but I've been having a small serving of meat pretty much every day and I already feel worlds better. Now I've just gotta figure out how to prepare the stuff!EcoCatLadyhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/15704811319510740473noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7685979597473858413.post-5473199451400107532011-08-02T10:09:49.686-06:002011-08-02T10:09:49.686-06:00Definitely see a nutritionist! I similarly have a ...Definitely see a nutritionist! I similarly have a range of food intolerances, including too much lactose, fructose, soy, and lentils. <br /><br />There's actually a range of foods called FODMAPs that many people react to - google FODMAP and see if the foods on that list seem to fit with the ones you're having issues with.<br /><br />Before I saw a nutritionist I was sick nearly every day. Now I know which foods to avoid (after a structured programme of elimination and reintroduction) I rarely have issues - except when I knowingly break the rules!<br /><br />I'm completely vegan at the moment - but could not have done it healthily without professional help! For food related issues I've found a nutritionist far and away more helpful than a doctor.Helenhttp://becominganurbangreenie.blogspot.com/noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7685979597473858413.post-71523068974399099432011-08-02T07:59:22.112-06:002011-08-02T07:59:22.112-06:00I know I'm sort of late on this conversation b...I know I'm sort of late on this conversation but since nobody else has mentioned this I thought I would. Have you tried increasing your intake of dark leafy greens? I find these help me a lot when I'm feeling chronically tired. They are high in protein by volume and also have lots of other vitamins and minerals. Seaweeds are also high in their protein, vitamin, and mineral contents.RunNicRunhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/14867119424895643417noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7685979597473858413.post-13055862834484067692011-07-31T16:53:21.636-06:002011-07-31T16:53:21.636-06:00Thanks Barefeet, This whole experience is making m...Thanks Barefeet, This whole experience is making me feel a tad bit... out of my element!EcoCatLadyhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/15704811319510740473noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7685979597473858413.post-20884541441975269472011-07-31T15:33:24.709-06:002011-07-31T15:33:24.709-06:00That poor trout! I can't believe your ex just ...That poor trout! I can't believe your ex just told you to whack it and them tossed it in the trailer. My gosh, I might have gone veg after that horrid experience!<br /><br />To answer your questions, when I mentioned grilling on my last post, it referred to an actual BBQ grill outdoors. You just use a BBQ brush (stiff metal bristles) to scrape the grill clean when you are done cooking. :)Maryhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/16576182360963956966noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7685979597473858413.post-17658675516749487282011-07-26T21:36:59.253-06:002011-07-26T21:36:59.253-06:00CF - Ha! Be my guest. No, actually, it was nearly ...CF - Ha! Be my guest. No, actually, it was nearly 20 years ago... I'm over it. The trout on the other hand... "flip flop, flip flop, flip flop"...<br /><br />Maren - I meant to include this in my last comment, but there was a lightning storm overhead so I had to quickly shut off the computer and unplug everything. <br /><br />Anyhow... I think I have spent far too many years trying to do what's "right" in some abstract global sense while fully ignoring what is right for me. CatMan says it's a good way to avoid dealing with your own personal shit and he probably has a point. But I'm gonna start putting myself much higher on the list from now on. Because, after all, if the life we create isn't sustainable for us as individuals, there's no way it will ever be sustainable on a societal level.<br /><br />I have long been intrigued by the whole concept of candida (system wide yeast infection). I spent about a year of my childhood on constant penicillin for strep infections. It turned out that my best friend was a carrier, but I often wonder what damage that did to my system. As an adult, I had another bad bout of throat infections and had to be on antibiotics for nearly six months. It's not like any of my "issues" can be directly tied to those events, and I don't know that I exactly fit the profile, but still, it makes me wonder.<br /><br />I also didn't know (or had forgotten - either is equally likely) about the soy-thyroid connection. My thyroid function is hovering just barely on the lowest level of normal, enough so my doctor didn't want to treat it, but enough so that I'm sick of feeling tired and cold all the time (it's 80 degrees in here and I'm wearing a fleece jacket.) <br /><br />But... the other thing is that I think I'm always looking for "THE" thing that's going to make "everything" better, and I'm sorta coming to the conclusion that there is no magic bullet. I'm not saying that people who have a concrete health problem won't be helped by curing that problem, but I just don't think that there is one overarching thing that causes all problems in my health or life. I'm sure there are lots of things that could be a bit better, and for now, at least, I'm trying to focus on taking small steps in what feels like the right direction.EcoCatLadyhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/15704811319510740473noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7685979597473858413.post-38100389872428123192011-07-26T18:26:47.486-06:002011-07-26T18:26:47.486-06:00I'm sure he had lots of good qualities, but I ...I'm sure he had lots of good qualities, but I kind of want to kick your ex in the balls.ConsciouslyFrugalhttp://consciouslyfrugal.blogspot.comnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7685979597473858413.post-59819187519058375512011-07-26T18:00:00.756-06:002011-07-26T18:00:00.756-06:00Fonda - I checked out the GAPS website and it'...Fonda - I checked out the GAPS website and it's certainly piqued my curiosity. I've read about a zillion things that claim they can cure allergies, but inevitably they end up having some sort of "cleansing" diet which requires you to eat a bunch of things that would send me to the emergency room with my throat closing, and this one was no exception. But I do think that the whole concept of leaky gut syndrome is compelling, so I think I'll do some more reading about it. In terms of fish, I'm afraid it's a bit hard to find wild caught fish here in Denver, although I do eat wild caught salmon. That's pretty much the only fish I do eat. Perhaps I'll have to do some further investigations.<br /><br />Aldra - Hmmmm... a cooking buddy, that's an interesting idea. Not sure if I'm organized enough for that one, especially since pretty much all of my friends are vegetarians. I sort of think that I just need to get over it, and in the meantime my "buddy" will probably just be the butcher.<br /><br />Regarding killing what you eat... my one experience with this was... um... well, I'm not sure it ended up being very humane. My Ex was an avid fisherman and one time he took me with him. I caught a huge rainbow trout and he told me I had to kill it. I was standing there sobbing uncontrollably while he was shouting at me to hit it's head on a rock. I finally did it, and we put it in the cooler and headed down the road. Well, apparently I had only stunned the poor thing because it came back to life in the cooler and started flopping around. I am still haunted by the memory of the "Tell Tale Trout"!<br /><br />Anon - Local, organic, pasture raised, grass fed... that's the plan. I fear I'm allergic to shellfish thoughEcoCatLadyhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/15704811319510740473noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7685979597473858413.post-37160573390251937132011-07-26T12:03:03.977-06:002011-07-26T12:03:03.977-06:00HOLY! You are in tough! I thought that I had it ...HOLY! You are in tough! I thought that I had it bad with my 'food issues', but I got nothin' on you girl! My heartfelt sympathies go out to you...<br /><br />I just got on the 'no soy' train as well after reading THE TRUTH on why is is actually so bad for you (and here I thought I was doing such a great thing and that stuff is working at knocking out my thyroid)! As you know, I jumped on the vegetarian bandwagon yet again this past winter and after 6 months or so, I have decided to re-introduce some meat in moderation. I eat chicken (only the non-sketchy, non-supermarket, organic, free-run, etc. kind), and also a bit of fish... I re-introduced this b/c I was actually craving it... I am all about listenting to my body and trying to figure out what works best for me and I think that I might have it by adding those things back in...<br /><br />So, I guess that's my best advice... try not to think in terms of 'diet' or 'ethical eating' too much... try to think in terms of: what is my body telling me it needs? You have some MAJOR signs/signals going on...<br /><br />One more thing: the bulk of my food issues went away when I got treated homeopathically for a yeast infection that was in my BLOOD! Just a thought....<br /><br />My heart goes out to you! Good luck!Anonymoushttps://www.blogger.com/profile/05827718321802434964noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7685979597473858413.post-86736675869265756932011-07-26T11:48:18.665-06:002011-07-26T11:48:18.665-06:00I'm too lazy to read through comments so maybe...I'm too lazy to read through comments so maybe someone suggested this. But if you eat meat, you can try organic, hormone-free, humanely-raised or cage-free etc..<br /><br />Wild-caught fish is safer. Maybe shellfish is okay too?Anonymousnoreply@blogger.com