SCM Discussion Forum

1. 

   MamaWebb
   Member

   hey, i know you all aren't doctors, so on and so forth.  but i was doing some reading on this site about traditional foods: http://www.cookingtf.com/...has anyone used her menu mailer?  Has anyone perused this site?  what caught me was the site owner's personal story...of celiac, etc.  i am  not celiac, but gluten intolerant.  i have pertty significant GERD and fibromyalgia and acne.  I love love love to cook - a bit of a foodie, with food addiction issues, lol.  I have read Nourishing Traditions but am overwhelmed by it because my food budget is very tight, the sale of raw milk is illegal in NJ and i don't know how to regualrly acquire the raw milk, raw butter, grass fed beef, etc - first of all in my state, second of all in my budget - esp when my DH is just sort of non chalent about health issues.  mostly he easts what i feed him, but he prefers meat and potatoes. he also would prefer that i spend less money than i do on food.  also, a few of my kids and i have dairy intolerances, but the few times I have gone into PA to get raw milk, it doesn't bother my stomach/snot level as much as store milk.  where in goodness's name do i start?  

   also, i read that with traditional foods, and healing one's body, you must heal the gut.  since i have significant reflux, i know i need to do that.  How do i begin that?  anyone have any experience with that?

   tia,

   amy

   Posted 1 year ago # Report Post
2. 

   Heather
   Member

   Hi Amy, I am learning right along with you about eating healthy! I too have a small food budget on which I feed my family of 5. We do lots of beans, rice, vegetables, fruits...we do grass fed beef, but I've learned to make a pound last over 3 or four meals. We drink raw milk since I have a local farm nearby that I trust, but I can tell you that while raw milk is good for you, dairy is not necessary for good health. You can get all of the calcium you need from dark leafy greens and other vegetables. So, I wouldn't fret over that. I do consider myself knowledgeable about GERD, though. I have Barrett's Esophagus and I had surgery to repair it around 16 years ago but it didn't last...so I began my "lifelong" dose of prescription medications. This was until I began to be more aware of natural remedies and became very interested in healthful eating and a healthy lifestyle about 6 years ago. I can tell you some things that the medical community didn't tell me about keeping the GERD away that I learned for myself. First, sugar CAUSES the GERD to act up. I try to avoid it like the plague. It is the worst trigger I have. Secondly, if you are a coffee drinker, you can switch to organic coffee. There's something about it being organic that allows me to drink it all day if I wanted without any issues. Also, bananas cause issues. I know. Weird, right? You probably know about peppermint, tomatoes and soda but I'll mention them anyway. Okay, so the remedy I use if I occassionally have an issue, usually when I have had something sugary, is 1 tbsp organic Apple Cider Vinegar (with the mother - I use Braggs ACV) and 1/2 tsp baking soda. Mix them together in a small cup and add some water. I prefer warm water. It is not tasty, but it will make you feel better almost immediately and you'll be able to write down the trigger that caused the episode so you'll know to avoid it in the future! You may be on prescription or over the counter meds, but I can tell you from experience that they have bad side effects and the benefits don't last. You soon have to switch to another med and so on, and so on. Interestingly, I've read about the studies and trials they run for those heartburn meds. They've given them to people who have never had an issue with GERD or heartburn and after a short time they take the subjects off of the med and they begin to have heartburn on a regular basis...therefore you always have to be on them to get relief. Oh, and weight loss helps. I'm still working on that one myself!

   I sure hope this helps some. GERD is miserable, I know.

   Posted 1 year ago # Report Post
3. 

   exploringSCM
   Member

   Thanks Heather! I found your ideas very helpful. I am not person who started this thread but I am also very interested on how to feed my family GF on a budget.
   How do you stretch a pound of beef over 3 - 4 meals?

   Posted 1 year ago # Report Post
4. 

   Heather
   Member

   @ exploringSCM: Very simply, I divide a pound of grass fed ground beef when I get it into 3 or 4 portions and make my meal plans accordingly. You can make tacos by mixing the ground beef with lentils to bulk it up, if you season the whole lentil/beef batch like you would normal tacos. You can put it in spagetti sauce (even though it's not alot of meat, my husband feels like he's getting alot more when there some beef in the sauce). We like to steam rice and add it to a stir fried beef/veggie mix. You can make some chili in the crockpot with a bit of beef, or brown it and add it onto some mostly veggie tortilla pizzas which we love. Again, it doesn't make alot of meat at one particular meal, but if you have a meat and potatoes man like I do, you can sort of trick them into feeling like they have a meaty meal even when you are using very little meat.

   Hope this helps some!!

   Posted 1 year ago # Report Post
5. 

   exploringSCM
   Member

   Thanks again, Heather. I think I had better go and buy some lentils :)

   Posted 1 year ago # Report Post
6. 

   LindseyD.
   Member

   Amy, you are right that you need to begin by healing your gut. I dont' have a lot of time to post, but we did the GAPS Diet late last year, and we saw some great results. It is intense and can be overwhelming, but GAPS is hands-down the best way I know to heal gut (as well as a host of other) issues.

   As far as Traditional Cooking goes, this will certainly help you and your family in feeling better. Proper preparation of grains, nuts, seeds, and legumes is extremely important in digestive health. If you don't already own it, may I suggest getting your hands on a copy of Nourishing Traditions? There are little things you can do that will go a long way toward improving your diet that won't break the bank. For example, you can change your fats. If you currently use vegetable or canola oil, make a switch to coconut oil. Another small change is to begin soaking and/or sprouting your grains/beans/lentils/nuts prior to consumption. It doesn't take any more time, although planning ahead is key. Start small. As soon as you feel comfortable with one change,  you can move on to the next one. You don't necessarily have to go crazy and make a bunch of changes all at once...I've tried that....it's overwhelming.

   I am not familiar with GERD, so I can offer no help there. My suggestion to everyone who expresses a health concern and wants to treat it naturally is to find a wellness chiropractor and start going regularly. Diet is only part of the solution to health issues, rarely the entire solution. You can eat all the healthy food in the world, but if your spine and nervous system (your master system) aren't functioning at full capacity, you're not going to feel amazing. After four years of weekly chirorpractics, our family has experienced much healing including: no more headaches, no more seasonal allergies, reduced PMS symptoms and much easier periods, better posture, much less illness, dd's constipation went away, and more.

   I hope you find the answers you're looking for!

   Lindsey 

   Posted 1 year ago # Report Post

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