a statement, some whining, and a question!

Oct 07, 2008 09:03

I've starting seeing a Naturopath for a whole host of health problems. I won't bore you with the details, but most notably migraine, fatigue, and belly aches. She did a few tests, and yesterday was my follow up appt ( Read more... )

food: substitutes, alternative medicine, advice, allergies/sensitivities

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Comments 91

nyayuri October 7 2008, 16:20:57 UTC
I don't really have any information to share on the topic. But that seems so intense. I don't think I could handle that.

Are you seeing results since you've been with her?

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lilbrigid October 7 2008, 16:22:09 UTC
I'm a vegetarian, not a vegan, but I avoid eggs and some dairy products. There are soy/rice yogurts and cheeses out there you could try. Make sure to read the ingredients as some still contain casein and other dairy products. (I don't know if you're allergic to casein, but I was just throwing that out there.) There are tons of dairy-free "milks" available depending on your tastes. I use hazelnut milk, but there's also hemp, soy, rice, almond, and oat (and possible something else, too). You can easily find egg-free bread. I'm pretty sure the kind I buy is vegan and it's just a Whole Foods generic. If you're worried about protein, eat plenty of legumes and nuts. I haven't eaten meat in three years and have never been protein-deficient.

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rollinsgirl October 7 2008, 16:26:43 UTC
Thanks for your input. I take a protein shake every morning and I eat a lot of beans, so I am not really worried about protein.

I didn't know about the egg-free bread, thanks! And I will also look out for the soy yogurts and such, that will be awesome if I can find them. I usually shop at Trader Joe's, so I'll see this weekend.

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lilbrigid October 7 2008, 16:49:46 UTC
I bet Trader Joe's will have what you need. I'm pretty sure Silk soy yogurts aren't dairy-free, but some of the others will be. Look in their bakery section for the more natural breads; those are usually egg-free. Good luck! My stepsister is allergic to eggs and milk, and though it's a pain for eating out in restaurants, it's a pretty manageable allergy.

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wretched_snail October 7 2008, 18:07:50 UTC
Silk yogurts are vegan

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absenthine October 7 2008, 16:23:17 UTC
Have you talked with your natropath about your concerns? She's got to know that these changes need to take time. Talk to her about your budget for food/supplements and ask for practical tips on how to get things incorporated into your life. Also, ask if she has any samples of supplements you should take. That could help ease you into this program.

If she's completely inflexible or won't help you address your concerns, you could find a new natropath! Natural medicine doctors should be more understanding than pharmaceutical doctors, not less.

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rollinsgirl October 7 2008, 16:28:55 UTC
This appt was just yesterday afternoon, and to be honest when she was telling me all this I was kind of in shock because in my head i was thinking WHAT?!?! no eggs or dairy?????

Then when I got home I was thinking ok this is going to cost a fortune, let alone the fact that i will be drinking and peeing and taking pills all day long! I see her again in 2 weeks for some more test results (ughhhh) and will talk to her about it then.

Thank you!

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walksbeauty October 7 2008, 16:33:28 UTC
I love SoyKaas brand soy cheese. I especially like the orange one and not the individual slices. It melts nicely and tastes good as a sub for cheese.

There are plenty of breads with no eggs. Ezekial is a great wheat free sprouted bread and they have it at Trader Joes.. (they dont' have the SoyKaas.. I get it at Natural grocers or wild oats.)

Also, you can sub Cow's milk with Almond Milk, Rice Dream and Soy milk.. I use all three and all in all, you will be better off than when you used Cow's milk!

It's worth it, IMHO, to see if this regimen helps.. I know it's alot but if your migraines and other things are terribly debilitating & this works, it's worth it! You'll get used to it.. it''s a lot at once, I know...

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iluvrob20 October 7 2008, 17:43:21 UTC
i love the SoyaKaas. The Slices are kinda meh. but the Bricks are awesome. I like the veggie shreds for melted cheese. I know you can't have eggs but I put the mexican blend in my scrambled eggs and its total yum, i cant even taste the difference.

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misledyouth00 October 8 2008, 14:57:13 UTC
i think Kaas has casien in it...

a lot of faux cheese products do to get that melting effect.

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antikythera October 7 2008, 16:34:23 UTC
There's something to be said for whole-body medicine, but there are also advantages to a simple, scientific and systematic approach. If you're allergic to stuff, an allergist would have you stop eating that stuff and see if it helped. If it didn't help, then other things like supplements and medication would be tried. But if it did help, problem solved.

This bombardment with all kinds of junk that you might not need is what I thought people went to naturopaths to avoid. I don't see the advantage of this practitioner over a regular allergy specialist.

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breakableheart October 7 2008, 16:49:29 UTC
Actually naturopathy is a scientific systematic approach. I fear you may not actually understand what naturopathic practice does. Hmmm.

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antikythera October 7 2008, 18:51:52 UTC
Fair enough -- I should have said that this particular method doesn't seem very systematic. :P I'm not talking about any intrinsic difference in philosophy between naturopathic and pharmaceutical medicine. This practitioner is not using any kind of deductive reasoning to figure out what's actually wrong and determine the most efficient course of treatment.

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ma_ee_uh October 7 2008, 17:18:39 UTC
I totally and utterly agree with this.

To the OP: Try an elimination diet -- i.e. eliminating dairy & eggs -- for 3-6 weeks and see if you feel better.

Actually, eliminate ONE at a time -- dairy for 4, then eggs for 4.

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