Reasons Why We Might Be Gluten Intolerant

Today, I was talking with someone about food, and she asked me a question that I thought was interesting. Why are people gluten intolerant?

My opinion on why people are gluten intolerant is simply because when the wheat is growing, it is heavily sprayed with pesticides.

I once saw a documentary where people were spraying the wheat plants that flour comes from. I was horrified by what I saw, and whenever I bought flour from that point on, I knew there were risks involved.

The woman who asked me the question explained to me that we are gluten intolerant because flour has been completely stripped of everything it originally started out with. When it gets into our systems, immediately it turns to sugar and our bodies react to this by producing antibodies to the gluten.

One more point was brought up. The woman continued to explain that for a while, she was gluten intolerant. She went off gluten and eventually was able to eat products with gluten in them. But a very important point she made was that her digestive system needed to be repaired. Once her digestive system was repaired, she could start to add the gluten products to her diet again.

Some think that the problem with gluten is that the wheat is genetically modified. The problem with that theory is that we really don't know if wheat has been genetically modified or not. At least, according to my little bit of research. Some people say that it has been genetically modified, and others laugh at that idea. So, maybe it is a contributor, or maybe it has nothing to do with the reason why people have to go on gluten free diets today.

I have heard a few stories of where people who are gluten intolerant can go to another country and eat bread without any problems. Maybe we can factor this into our research of what causes gluten intolerance. What is it that farmers in other countries do or don't do to their wheat while it is growing? Or maybe it is the preservatives and additives we put in to our products that contain gluten. It is hard to say at this point.

The main take away though is this; whatever sickness or ailments we have, we must cure them first by getting our digestive systems fixed. That is where we need to begin. Then we can go on with our research following that protocol.

What Is Wrong With Eating Cool Whip?

   OK, I know that this is the holiday season and most of us have been trained in either baking a lot or eating a lot of baked goods and products. We break the rules for this season and promise ourselves that we will do better once the holidays are over.

   So, I hate to bring up disappointing news, although for many of my readers, this subject is nothing new. I thought I would write this just in case there are those who don't know yet.

   Cool Whip is not a healthful product. In fact, many of the ingredients are toxic. I do not consider Cool Whip as a food product anyway. We use it because it gives a cool texture to food when mixed with sugar and other food items that are not good for us either.

Here is a list of the ingredients in Cool Whip:
*Hydrogenated oils
*High fructose corn syrup
*Polysorbate 60
*Skim milk
*Light cream

   I guess they are processed together to make Cool Whip what it is. I am not going to go into detail about all of these ingredients but I did find this article at: http://thescienceofeating.com/2014/09/16/dangers-of-cool-whip/

   You can read the article on your own. There is also a link on the page for a recipe for a Cool Whip type of product.

   I personally use whipped cream as a substitute for Cool Whip when the recipe calls for Cool Whip. For the confectioner's sugar used in making homemade whipped cream, I now use 'Swerve' which looks exactly like confectioner's sugar but is made from erythritol, and oligosaccharides. Here is a description of Swerve. It looks totally safe to use.

Is it really possible? Zero Calorie, powdered goodness? With Confectioners Style Swerve, even cupcake frosting can be guilt-free! Swerve is a great tasting, natural sweetener that measures cup-for-cup just like sugar! Made from a unique combination of ingredients derived from fruits and vegetables, Swerve contains no artificial ingredients, preservatives or flavors. Swerve is non-glycemic and safe for those living with diabetes. Human clinical trials have shown that Swerve does not affect blood glucose or insulin levels. The secret to our zero calorie sweetness is a combination of erythritol and oligosaccharides that provide excellent baking and cooking functionality. And with the ability to brown and caramelize, Swerve is gonna be right at home in your kitchen. There are no conversion charts needed when baking and cooking with Swerve. If your recipe calls for half a cup of sugar... you simply replace with half a cup of Swerve!

   Another product that might seem hopeful to use (but probably expensive) is 'Just Like Sugar'. Here are the ingredients for this product:
Chicory root dietary fiber, calcium vitamin C, natural flavors from the peel of the orange.

   I am not sure how this would work in a Cool Whip substitute recipe, but it might be worth a try. I have not tried this product yet, but, a friend who has a friend who is on a restricted diet, recommended it to her, and she recommended it to me.

Happy Holidays and safe baking!!!

The Power Of Fruits And Vegetables Is Being Stripped Away

They are taking away the power of the fruits and vegetables. Yep. That is right. But you ask, how are they doing that?
One way is through genetic engineering. The genetic structure of the plant is rewired to make the plant have certain desirable qualities. But no one thought, or maybe no one cared, that the nutritional value would go down in the plant.
If vegetables and fruits, as well as meats and dairy products are stripped of their nutritional value, they will not be able to serve us with good nutrition. Our bodies will become weak. The goal of the nourishment of the food we eat will no longer be able to be accomplished.
I see this as a spiritual battle as well. Satan wants to destroy human beings through whatever means possible. He works through people to accomplish his goals. Most people have no clue what is happening, but Satan appeals to their greedy hearts. It's one thing to try to produce food that can be produced in such a way that everyone can eat. It's another thing to monopolize the industry and make tons and tons of money, by depleting the nourishment of food in order to supposedly feed millions of people.
Wouldn't it be better to teach a group of people how to do farming than to try to do the farming for them? No one organization can possibly feed everyone. That is a lie from the Enemy himself. It would be better to produce nourishing food for a group of people, and to train other groups to grow their own food.
But groups like Monsanto keep getting bigger. The more money they have funding and supporting them helps them to grow exponentially while the rest of the world continues to become more and more undernourished.
Is it any wonder so many people in this country are sick? And when you think of it, who are these sick people supporting anyway?

Petra Under Her New Sunlight

I don't know what she was thinking when I first turned this light on. She moved to a part of the cage where the light wasn't as bright. She doesn't understand yet, that this light will be just like sunlight from the outside, and will help her body to form the vitamin D3 she needs to have in order to have strong bones.

I had to remove the top part of her cage, which was the playpen platform bottom situated at the top of her cage. She never liked playing on it anyway. 

Also got her a moon light. Not sure what it will do, but it is supposed to help keep a bird calm at night. I did not take a picture of it because when I turned out the lights, it was too dark to take a picture of it.

Here is a close up picture of Petra in her cage, under her sunlight. I have to make sure that the cord is out of her reach. It will be interesting to see if this light helps bring back the colors in her feathers. She is also started on Featherrific and another product from Avi Tech to help with feather plucking. I will keep everyone updated on this adventure. 

We spend a lot of time making sure our food and environment is safe for us. It would be wise to do the same thing with our pets. I don't understand the mentality where people think it is ok to give inferior food to animals. Animals can get sick just like humans, and when they do, it costs a lot of money to try to get them well. 

Safe And Natural Care For Birds

My bird, Petra, is 28 years old. When we bought her, she was six weeks old and we were told that she would live to be about 25 years.

From the beginning of our lives with Petra, I have been seeking the best way to care for her. I got on an emailing list for conures (a type of parrot) and asked a lot of questions. I got a lot of help from the people on that list.

I put a couple of pictures of Petra on Facebook the other day. I got a lot of interesting results, which will end up helping me to care even better than before.

Petra, unfortunately, plucks the feathers off her chest. She didn't do this at the beginning of her life, but somewhere down the road, she picked up this terrible habit. Needless to say, my pictures of Petra resulted in a lot of people feeling sorry for her. What had I done wrong or left out that she would not look as pretty as all the other conures whose pictures were also posted into this Facebook forum?

Someone was impressed that Petra was 28 years old and asked me what it was that I did to end up with a bird that is that age, when she should have only lived to be 25. I came up with a list of things I did. Some were to protect her. Some had to do with how I fed her. There were other things I did as well. I thought I would write some of them here, and hope they will help other bird owners.

Now that people feel sorry for Petra, after seeing her with her bald chest, I went on the Internet and studied some more and also asked the other bird owners for wisdom. I will write those ideas on the bottom. I just ordered some products and hope they work to help Petra to stop pulling out her feathers!

Bird Health And Safety Tips:
1. Never cook with Teflon or other non-stick pans around the bird.
2. Never give the bird avocado, chocolate, alcohol, or mushrooms.
3. Use organic produce whenever possible (I have heard of birds dying by eating the toxins in the plant)
4. Do not smoke around the bird or use candles.
5. I open the curtain to let sunshine in during the day.
6. I feed half of a seed mixture and half pellets (approximately).
7. Keep cats away from birds.
8. Make sure bowls are clean. Give clean water a couple of times a week.
9. I put powdered calcium in the bird food (this helps with egg laying too).
10. I have a video player and a radio on in her room.
11. Never let a draft reach your bird. Keep the cold air from coming through windows and doors.
12. Give the bird time out of the cage. A playpen is a good idea. Probably about 4-6 hours is good.
13. I take out peanuts from the bag of bird seed. Peanuts can contain a mold that is harmful to birds.
14. Interact with your bird. Birds thrive on interaction.
15. If there is ever a threat of fumes or chemical toxins in the air, protect the bird by insulating the doors or windows to keep out the fumes. Birds lungs are very sensitive.
16. I have a bird heater attached to her cage and use it when it is cold out.

It is good to cover the bird's cage at night, but I am not sure how necessary it is.
Here are some new things I am going to try:

1. Bach's Rescue Remedy - was recommended to help calm a bird, and maybe help reduce feather plucking. (Already came in the mail. Using it on my cat as well).


Rescue Remedy can be used for an immediate calming effect in any stressful situation,or when your pet needs help overcoming a variety of emotional or behavioral problems.Remedy can help your pet with-Visits to the vet, Fear of loud noises, Excessive barking or hissing, Shock, trauma or mistreatment,Loss of companion, Separation anxiety, Adapting to new surroundings.Rescue Remedy is suitable for use on pets of all shapes and sizes. 
(Amazon.com description)

 2. Featherbrite - Full Spectrum light bulb. Replaces real sunlight in room.

• BIRD full spectrum bulb simulating sunlight is designed for the health of parrots
• Can have a positive effect on a bird's physical and mental well-being
• Simulates natural sunlight; enhances Vitamin D synthesis; use year round as window filtered sunlight is not beneficial to your bird
• Compact spiral fluorescent bulb with a standard screw in base
• 5500k, 91cri with UVA 5% and UVB .04%. 1450 lumens

(Amazon.com description)
3. Featherbrite - Moon light - looks like a night light but gives effect of genuine moonlight.

• Latest in technology
• Bird night light providing parrots a soothing environment and helps reduce stress from fear of darkness relieving "nightfright"
• Long life mini light

(Amazon.com description)

4. Avitech Avicalm - Helps birds to become calm.


Avitech AviCalm calming supplement works miracles on screamers, feather pickers, nervous nellies, pluckers, chewers and just plain aggressive birds. It is a safe, non-sedating calming supplement that uses a compound found in green tea, FDA registered L-Thea nine which promotes a feeling of well-being without drowsiness. It is non-toxic and cannot be overdosed. Avitech only uses the certified and tested human food additive form of L-Thea nine in its AviCalm formula and receives a certificate of analysis for every lot delivered to ensure purity, the absence of heavy metals and not evidence of coliform organisms. The L-Thea nine is combined with malt dextrin, a non-sugar food-grade carbohydrate to allow for great taste and easy dosing. Just sprinkle over food. Use AviCalm together with Featheriffic! for optimum results. Birds love the taste. You'll see the difference! Made in USA.
(Amazon.com description)

5. Featheriffic - Helps bird's feathers

• A vitamin condition feather formula - special ingredients for pet birds
• Featheriffic will help grow healthy beautiful feathers, a parrot nutritional food supplement
• Formulation contains coarse ground corn that attracts birds and aids in acceptance
• Sprinkle on top of your parrot's food

(Amazon.com description)

I hope this has been helpful for you and your bird. I have not tried the last 4 items listed, but will receive them next week. These items are Amazon Affiliate links, which simply means I will get credit with Amazon if you click on the link and order a product. Thank you for your support!

My New Really Tasty Safe Snack

          This is an improvised version of a peanut butter cup. I broke off 6 little rectangles of a Green & Black's Organic chocolate bar (85% cocoa) and topped it with a big dab of Smucker's Organic Peanut Butter.

       Yum. Especially after chewing two large magnesium tablets, that, in my opinion, cannot be swallowed! Unless, you are a horse, of course!

The finished product! Organic peanut butter on top of
organic chocolate (85% cocoa)

You should be able to get Smucker's Organic peanut butter at your grocery store. I'm sure any good brand of peanut butter that is organic will be fine. 

Here is a description of the chocolate bar from Amazon: Green & Black’s Dark 85% organic dark chocolate is perfect for the chocolate lover who wants to experience the full, intense flavor of organic cocoa combined with the best ingredients. We use 85% cocoa solids balanced with just enough sweetness to bring out a unique and memorable taste and finish it with a delightful touch of organic vanilla. A pack of 10 makes it easy to keep this special treat on hand.

The candy bars you get from the grocery stores has lots of sugar and other undesirable ingredients. You want to find the highest percentage of cocoa solids in the bar. 

Too much of anything will end up not being good, so choose your snack items carefully. A little bit of chocolate goes a long way. I'm sure that there are tons of recipes using both chocolate and peanut butter on the internet. This one recipe is just a simple version of something more elaborate. 

If interested in ordering Green & Black's Organic Chocolate, or learning more about this product, click on the picture below (an affiliate link).

Green & Black's Organic Chocolate Bar, Dark 85% Cacao, 3.5 Ounce (Pack of 10)

Here are a couple of articles on the benefits of cocoa:
http://www.medicinehunter.com/cocoa-health-miracle
http://www.livestrong.com/article/331715-cocoa-powder-health-benefits/


"Over the past dozen of years or so, a steady stream of science has emerged, showing that cocoa and the confection made from it (chocolate) possess extraordinary life-imbuing and disease-fighting properties. Most notably, cocoa demonstrates significant benefits for the cardiovascular system, helping to reduce the risk of heart attack and stroke, reduce the risk of high blood pressure, and even reduce the risk of cancer. Furthermore, cocoa consumption is associated with reduced cognitive decline in old age". - See more at: http://www.medicinehunter.com/cocoa-health-miracle#sthash.3KIpuSTq.dpuf

"Many people crave chocolate and avoid it because they are under the impression that it is fattening and unhealthy. Although a lot of chocolate products are unhealthy and calories dense, it is due to the addition of substances such as sugar and not to the cocoa itself. In fact, cocoa powder, which comes from the cocoa bean, is highly nutritious, and it can provide numerous health benefits." http://www.livestrong.com/article/331715-cocoa-powder-health-benefits/

Update: I took the idea of this tasty snack and became more creative with it. I melted the chocolate over low, low heat and placed the melted chocolate into a silicone candy mold. Then I put a dollop of the peanut butter on top of the melted chocolate in each mold. Then it has to go in the fridge and harden. Really, really good though!

Melted Organic Chocolate Bar

Finished Product! Yum!

Fast Food, Fat Profits & My Comments

This video is so interesting and enlightening. But, we could feel hopeless after watching it.

Could there be logical reasons why cancer and diabetes are escalating? Given our food environment in America, we can come up with some good reasons why we are a nation filled with unhealthy people.

I have never seen what a bottle of 'Chubby' soda looks like, but in the video, the bottle is quite small. But the amount of sugar in a bottle of Chubby is equal to the sugar in 7 doughnuts. Chubby is marketed for children.

"It's all about money" says one of the people in the video. How right he is! "Who is profiting from this current situation? Certainly not the children." announces one person.

Cheap food is heavily subsidized. Wow. A nice sized hamburger is cheaper than an apple. Sad. How we devour these things without even thinking about the consequences.

The sad part is, the public isn't really even aware of this. Those who are skilled at marketing are doing a good job and making a lot of money using the techniques of the 'lust of the flesh' when it comes to food and eating habits.

Watch the video. It is about 23 minutes. You will never be the same.