Sunday, March 22, 2015

Hives aren’t always for the bee


   I’ve been away from the blog for a few weeks. But, I wanted to give the readers an update. Within the last week, I developed hives on my hands. Never having hives before, I wasn’t sure exactly what it was. My hands were painful to touch, swollen and covered in red welts. A visit to the urgent care center confirmed that it was indeed hives. The next thing was to figure out what substance caused the allergic reaction. My wife helped me to remember everything we had eaten the day before the hives appeared. We tracked it down to either tomatoes or soy lecithin. I didn’t have any tomatoes for several days but the hives were not subsiding. Unbeknownst to me, soy lecithin can be found in many products. Once I understood that, I stayed away from anything that contained soy lecithin. At the end of the day, my hives were beginning to subside. This puts another twist to my dieting.

   Why did I suddenly have a reaction? I’m not really sure but I suspect that I accidently overloaded on soy lecithin on the day before the hives appeared. I have eaten so many of the foods that have soy lecithin, but I do not think I ever had so much within a 24 hour period. Once my hives have cleared, I will have to do some testing.

   My doctor told me that allergies can appear anytime. Things that may have never bothered you before can suddenly cause an unpleasant reaction. Learning what I can and cannot eat and listening to my body is a slow process but it is worth the reward of good health, fitness and long life.  When I think hives, I immediately think bees, but I suppose that hives aren’t always for the bees. I certainly would rather let the bees have their hives, then for me to have mine.

   Take care, stay well, eat healthily, and live long.

Sunday, February 15, 2015

USDA Approves GMO Apples


   The USDA has approved two varieties of Artic Apples, trademarked by the Okanagan Specialty Fruits Inc. Due to genetic engineering, these apples do not turn brown when cut, as the gene responsible for the browning has been turned off.

   I for one am very and truly disappointed for the introduction of the first GMO apples into the apple marketplace. Apples have been one trustworthy food for non-GMO consumers. Apples are highly nutritious and delicious. I do not know of any health hazard accompanying this new GMO product, but my question is, was this really necessary? Is there such an outcry for non-browning apples? Maybe there is, but I for one will not purchase these.

   The varieties approved for sale in the US are Artic Golden Delicious and Artic Granny Smith. I doubt that they will be on the markets soon, as Okanagan will have to convince growers to grow their apples and it will take some time for those trees to bear salable fruit.
 
   With more than 70% of our food supply coming from potential GMO sources, the rise of food allergies, digestive problems and autism, it seems to be the wrong path to go happily skipping down. Biotech foods might not be the source of these problems but one has to wonder why the explosion of these problems, can it truly be just processed sugars and salts. I have no idea, but I do know that it is getting harder and harder to put ‘natural’ foods in our diets and into our bodies.

Thursday, January 15, 2015

The bear in me


   For as long as I can remember, I wanted to sleep through the winter. When the air turns cold and the snow falls, I want to curl up and sleep until spring. I have also noticed that I have a craving for carbs during the cold. I think that, like a bear, my body wants to store up fat for the long sleep or at least insulate me from the surrounding cold. I am not sure, but it might be the decrease in serotonin that happens naturally in the winter months. Carbohydrate rich foods can increase serotonin production temporarily. But I am sticking with the bear analogy.

   I am continually amazed at the separate intelligence that our body has.  It’s incredible that our bodies regulate temperature, balance salt and water levels, and create cravings in an effort to get what it needs. Even when I sleep, my body continues its thousands, perhaps millions of functions. I don’t have to think about it, yet my brain is constantly busy. I wonder if bears dream. I hope so, sleeping all winter gives you lots of time.
 
   I’ve been trying to combat my cravings for carbs with more protein. It’s working until the afternoon, then the compulsion for something sweet really kicks in. I will admit that I do sometimes succumb to the prodding. Now, how to I set my alarm for early spring?