She was wonderful. Knowledgeable, articulate, pleasant, conversational and had LOTS of ideas. We also had a long discussion regarding my intolerance to pills and she very respectfully acknowledged my issues. It's so nice to have someone who listens.
First step: probiotics. Nothing will work without good digestion and she suggested the fermented foods I have been reading about for quite sometime: kimchi and kombucha. These bizarre probiotics are difficult to get anywhere in my neck of the woods, but they are plentiful in the big city. So I headed to Whole Foods after the appointment and loaded up on kimchi and kombucha. I already have sauerkraut at home and I forgot to buy artichoke hearts which are supposed to help with digestion. Oh, yeah, and I bought dandelion greens and some other weird bitter to help with fat digestion but I don't remember the name. Neither of the greens taste good. They are bitter. Maybe that's why they are called "bitters." Duh.
UPDATE: Can you believe I'm still eating/drinking things without researching them first? When will I learn? Kombucha is made with black or green tea. CAFFEINE! First, no wonder I thought it tasted so good and second, yes it was too decadent to be good for me. I can't go near caffeine. I didn't seem to have a reaction but I was only sipping a little each day. Supposedly it has less than regular tea, but with my sensitivities it would be best if I avoided it. Also, due to the fermentation, it's considered an alcohol...so strange to have an upper and a downer all in one drink? Maybe they cancel each other out? Yeah, I knew this was too good to be true! I have found if I drink more than a few sips over more than one day I become irrationally depressed. Caffeine is evil.
The first time I tried the kimchi I didn't think I'd like it. It was really hot with peppers so at first I thought maybe I'll just do it a little spoon at a time. But ten minutes later I was CRAVING more. That is always a good sign that my body wants it. I try to listen to my body. I love it on top of food like hamburger or fish.
Here's to being on a new path for improved health!
Wish me luck!
I'm finding probiotics helpful.
ReplyDeleteGood to know! Do you eat/drink those I mention or take supplements for probiotics? I've never done well with pills so I feel thankful probiotics can be found in other forms.
DeleteFor me, a lot of probiotics and fermented foods have too much yeast in them, or maybe the wrong kinds of yeasts. My body is not amused by them. I think it has geared up my immune system against yeasts. That includes kombucha and many of the pills. And fermented milk and coconut is out as well. I do really well with a lot of sauerkraut as long as I'm careful about the salt. Kimchee has nightshades in it (peppers? tomatoes?), so I can't eat it yet, but I'm hopeful.
ReplyDeleteI made my own sauerkraut last summer, with a genuine kraut cabbage from Central (huge huge head that was mostly thick ribs inside and not much of the green leafy stuff. I grated it coarsely and placed it in a big bowl. then I smashed it for a long time - first grinding it down with the flat bottom of the jar, then when it was softer, smooshing it through my fingers. Then I mixed in a T salt per quart jar and loaded it into said (cleaned and boiled) quart jars. I closed the lids lightly and kept in on the counter for 5 days, each day burping it once or twice and tasting it for sourness. When it was done, I closed it up and kept it in the frig for about a month. It was good. And cost very little.
Glad you found such a spicy healthy food to eat on what can be a pretty bland diet!
No way will I drink Kefir. It sounds disgusting. Fermented coconut also. You make the sauerkraut recipe sound easy!
DeleteI am CRAVING kombucha...I just don't trust the caffeine.