| Author | Message | ||
| Jo POTAFTAC
|
Debby, I made a salad dressing of org. sunflower oil, fresh lemon juice, celtic sea salt, stevia, org. dill, garlic powder, and mustard powder,which is ,by the way, delicious, but I think I may be reacting to it now. Can these ingredients form glutamates whiile sitting in the fridge even if they are not cooked? I have been really sick for the past 2 days and am scared every time I eat! Are you supposed to freeze salad dressings too? Thanks, Javonda | ||
| Evelyn H. |
Javonda--Are you sure it was the dressing and not the lettuce or whatever you had in the salad? Also, I have been reacting to garlic powder and onion powder of late (stomach cramps, etc.), so I'm sticking to fresh onions and garlic when at all possible. | ||
| Ruth |
Watch out for food allergies. I found out through a blood test that I am highly allergic to 4 foods, one of them garlic. I had no idea! Everyone has certain foods that they can't tolerate. Trial and error. That might be too many ingredients to put in the dressing. Maybe you should start with salt, pepper, stevia, fresh lemon, and olive oil. Make sure the lettuce is organic. What is a safe brand of stevia. Can't seem to find one without additives. Does anyone know if it is safe for a candida diet that eliminates all sugar and anything sweet? Thanks. | ||
| Carol Guilford
|
Hi, There are all kinds of stevia, check to see if the kind you bought has any additive. I am no expert on stevia (just aspartame poisoning) but I know from the aspartame support group list that stevia can have addivtives. Best, Cg For all the aspartame info, the web site is www.dorway.com | ||
| Anonymous |
That food you are talking about gives me really bad gas, so bad my mom kicked me out of the house. So when I tried to look uup why this was happening i loaded some pictures of gas my hamster attacked the cooooomputer.! heellllllllllp!!!! Whats wwrooong with me and my hamster. Do i smell! | ||
| MEMorrisNJ
|
Javonda - I would stay away from garlic powder! | ||
| Five |
I began reacting to different foods one by one. White stevia, green whole leaf stevia, Ext.Virg. Olive oil, all citrus, all flavorings, like vanilla, Chocolate, butter, poultry, green beans, eggs, on and on. I can eat beef! And I do, fat, grissel and all. I get sooo hungry. I have lost 10 pounds in the last 6 months. Not good since I only weighed 112-113 to begin with. | ||
| Anonymous |
i have been diagnosed with hashimoto thyroiditis have not been put on medication have grown an allergy to seafood my body not allergic rejects nuts and eggs lately i tried a creamy mushroom past wether with or without chicken - i seemed to have a reaction to it no matter who cooks it yet all the ingrediants i cant eat?? chiken, mushrooms, pasta cream -milk cheese? | ||
| Carol H |
The mushrooms and the cheese were likely sources of MSG. The chicken and cream were possible sources. | ||
| Sue Garrison
|
I have a very bad reaction to onions. I eat raw, cooked, dehydrated,or powered onions and I have these reactions. It is worest with raw onions. The onions make me go to sleep. I am out like a light. It is very hard for someone to wake me up. It feels like I am leaving my body and in a very deep sleep where I can't open my eyes and when I do wake up I feel like someone has heavily druged me or like I am on some strong pain med. I have talked to my doctor, but he said he has not heard of that before. I went to a dermatologist and he ran a food allergies test, but it came up neg. with his testing. The onions do not stop my breathing or make me break out so the doctor told me to just stay away from them. The onions make me feel foggy. I would like some advise on this; please help. I am a female in my late 30's in good physical shape. I noticed this about 6 years ago. | ||
| Deb A. |
Onions contain a lot of sulfur. Are you allergic to sulfa drugs or sulfites? They may also be treated with AuxiGro, a metabolic primer sprayed on many root vegetables, that contains 30% free glutamate, the form found in MSG. Most Idaho and I would bet a lot of other onions and potatoes are sprayed with it. Just heard an ad for it on the Paul Harvey talk show the other day...so I'm sure a lot of farmers in Washington state now know about it. Makes me angry. | ||
| Anonymous |
Most of yall have food allergies because you may have on overgrowth of yeast or fungus in your GI tract- causing you to not be able to absorb the food correctly- making you allergic to food... | ||
| Pam E. |
I believe that for many of us, the sensitivity to Glutamates and the overgrowth of yeast are connected. But, it is not just yeast that causes our problems. I have my yeast problem under control and I still must avoid MSG and all of its derivatives! I recently took a short trip for a family reunion. I took enough food, but unfotunately did not stay cold enough and had to eat restaurant food. I am still trying to recover! Next time I will be sure my food stays cold. Pam E. | ||
| Carol H |
Anonymous, each of us has a unique set of circumstances that brought us here. Hard to day what caused my food allergies. The best I can do is try to deal with them now and hope research explains more about why allergies happen. | ||
| Anonymous |
Ein Schloss, Ein Wurst, Ein Kopf !xjm | ||
| anonymous Unregistered guest |
I'm not sure about this answer but i have heard sea salt has a good amount of natural msg if it's dried from seaweed or scraped from it or whatever. | ||
| James Unregistered guest |
I have the same type of reaction to certain foods that Sue describes. When I eat the wrong thing, it's like I'm drugged. Plus, my mood is terrible. I'm having another 'episode' today and I'm not sure what I did to bring it on. I'm starting to wonder about these pumpkin seeds I've been eating. DOes anyone have experience, good or bad, with Go Raw sprouted pumpkin seeds? They are salted with "Celtic Sea Salt" and "organic", but who knows. Maybe I'm overlooking something obvious: http://www.goraw.com/products/Sprouted_Pumpkin_Seeds Of course, it could be something else, too. We bought some organic arugula the other day, but I haven't had any for over 24 hours. I believe my reaction starts pretty quickly, this seems unlikely. | ||
| bo'nana Unregistered guest |
james, my husband reacts exactly the same way to certain foods! his reactions came on very suddenly and dramatically about 8 years ago (one day he smelled onions cooking and went ballistic, throwing things and accusing me of trying to poison him-!) ...but we still dont really know why. there does seem to be a connection with sulfur in some way, but it does not seem to manifest consistenty to all forms of sulfur/sulfate/sulfite/sulfa, or anything else for that matter. his dr recommended MSM, which seems to give him a tiny bit of tolerance but he still has to avoid most alliums completely- especially leeks, and onions in any form. those are the gnarly moodswing triggers. ...but interestingly enough... he often seems to do all right with very small amounts of shallot, garlic or chives (well-cooked). he goes back and forth with beans and eggs- sometimes they are a big problem, other times not at all. right now he is craving eggs for breakfast nearly every day. sprouts in general are iffy for him, but real sea salt has never seemed to be a problem- regardless of whether it is made from seaweed or evaporated. as for soy sauce, a good fermented tamari doesnt seem to be a problem- but a cheepy (like Kikoman's) puts him out like a light every time. usually with a hangover to follow as well. i know he reacts to msg, especially in chinese food, with migraines- so why is a fermented tamari ok? if he gets the migraine and/or evil moodswings, we can almost always connect it with some sort of onion &/or msg. but other things will knock him out completely for a couple hours after a meal, and it never really seems to be the same thing twice in a row? sometimes fruit gets him (he is also reactive hypoglycemic)- other times he gets to craving bananas just about every day. there is no consistency... honestly, i have no idea what to make of all this. except for the sulfur link, and even then i have no idea how it fits... at least, it does help to know there are others who experience this type of reaction, especially when most people (doctors included) sort of look at you like youre from another galaxy as you try to explain what just happened. well, good luck unravelling your personal mystery... and do let me know if anything in this ramble ive posted makes some sort of relevant sense! | ||
| James Unregistered guest |
Hi bo'nana. This sounds a lot like me. I've never quite gone ballistic, but my mood definitely tanks completely. I am more combative and likely to argue though. It's as though a dark cloud just formed over my entire world. Everything seems bad, I don't want to do anything, etc, etc. If I'm identifying the food correctly, then it takes anywhere from :45 to 2 hours before I'm really feeling it. I get a weird sinus headache/pressure. It's not really a bad headache, but it drags me down. I get REALLY tired, like I just can't function. My eyes start to sting. Usually, I end up going to bed for 1:30 or so. When I wake up, I feel like I got hit by a bus. Once I wake up, I'm not tired anymore, but I feel like crap, like a hangover. The mood seems to persist for at least a day. I know enough about what's going on now that I can deal with it. Llike today, I just told my wife "My mood is suckin". She understands. Still, it's terrible right? I'm still trying to figure out what causes me to hit these rough patches. The discussion here has helped a lot though. Not too long ago, someone (I think Deb) pointed out that overdoing foods naturally high in free glutamate might be triggering a reaction, even if the same food in moderation produced none. Heeding this advice, I made tomato soup last week in my blender using locally grown tomatoes, onion, pepper, etc and had no problem. I didn't eat it twice in a row though  Yes, my doctors all think I'm nuts I tell them about avoiding the free glutamate and they nod and smile, as if to say "this guy is groping, but that's ok". Even my nephrologist didn't buy my story and I had a VERY pronounced reaction to my MSG-related diet change early this year. She's had me on an ACE inhibitor for about a year. Anyway, my BP was always around 125/75 or so, but within 3 or 4 days of quitting MSG, I started to feel dizzy a lot. Taking my BP, I found that my normal resting pressure had dropped to about 105/60, sometimes lower. This has been consistent, it wasn't just one low reading. Conversely, I had NEVER had a reading lower than 115/75 or so and that was rare. Even yesterday, I got a 100/60. My machine won't even read lower than this it seems, it just says "error". She reduced my dosage (which was already low) and the pressure hasn't changed much. Here's the interesting thing: When I'm having a pronounced reaction, the pressure comes back up. COnsistently. Could be stress or something I guess, but I'm pretty sure it's not. Even just laying around during an "off day", I can feel my pulse in my fingers, etc. I definitely react with elevated (relatively) blood pressure. Thanks for sharing your information and good luck nailing down your husband's triggers. I'm sure it's frustrating and you're great for being so patient. The up's and down's must be tough for spouses and family members James | ||
| guruofmsg Unregistered guest |
James, Have you tried reading the ingredients on your toothpaste, shampoo/conditioner and dry/liquid soaps? They often include ingredients with free glutamic acid (MSG) i.e. citric acid. I buy MSG-free toothpaste at Whole Foods called Weleda. Only the Plant Gel version of Weleda (with in the green package) is MSG-free but the rest contain carrageenan. | ||
| bo'nana Unregistered guest |
ooh, yeah... toothpaste... i cant use ANY of them anymore, they all make my mouth break out and sore... just using plain baking soda these days... and i also like DebA's idea of adding a drop of mint essential oil, its the best breath freshener! guru, what hair care products have proven safe for you? | ||
| James Unregistered guest |
My toothpaste does contain Carageenan (Tom's of Maine), I'll check for Weleda at WF next time I'm there. Unfortunately, the closest WF is almost an hour away (:45 if you're lucky), but we shop there about once a week. Speaking of WF, has anyone tried their soda (365)? I don't drink much of it, but the ingredients look fairly benign in most of them. I have a lot of baking soda in the house, I'll see how that works in the meantime. Thanks! | ||
| James Unregistered guest |
Regarding Whole Foods soda, I just looked at the label and it contains citric acid. Oh well. | ||
| bo'nana Unregistered guest |
james, the only commercial soda pop i have found that i can safely enjoy every once in awhile, is Reed's Double Ginger Ale... and i think lately even they have jumped on the 'natural flavors' bandwagon with everyone else... but my family has discovered that we all really enjoy homemade mock sodas and spritzers using plain soda water mixed with fruit juices or my homemade flavored syrups. can you tolerate genuine extracts, say, vanilla, mint or orange? if so, just cook up a little sugar syrup on the stove and add a bit of the essence to taste. i havent had any problems with the Simply Organic line of flavorings, so far they are still just the essential oil in a sunflower oil base. my boys really like my mock cream soda too: stir a little maple syrup into a little safe cream or milk, then fill the glass with plain soda water. we use Talking Rain's plain soda water (the blue label) with no problems. unfortunately, all their flavored fizzies give me a stomach ache, so must be their choice of 'flavor essences', boo): Whole Foods probly has their own 365 plain soda water that might be safe. a nice thing about Talking Rain is that it is carried by quite a few different stores... at least in this area... Do you have Trader Joes where you are? they also have a good plain fizzy, and it even comes in a travel size 4 pack oh, one more idea- this one is great for hot summer days! Puree a small watermelon (about a pound of flesh per cup of juice) and strain through a sieve. add a little lime juice to spark it up (optional), chill well. Frappe with a few ice cubes to make an absolutely fablous slushy, or mix half & half with plain soda water for a great watermelon fizz. YUM - you wont even miss store bought | ||
| guruofmsg Unregistered guest |
Here's the Weleda Plant Gel Toothpaste I use which can purchased online as well: http://usa.weleda.com/our-products/shop/plant-gel-toothpaste.aspx As for shampoos, I use Avalon Organics: http://www.avalonorganics.com/?id=88&pid=28 Notice the list of other available scents listed on the left side of the page. Each one of those is MSG-free and doesn't contain Parabens or Sodium Laureth Sulfate. | ||
| guruofmsg Unregistered guest |
Another great reason to go to Whole Foods (besides to find MSG-free products) is to be able to have conversations with fellow customers who often pick up item to read ingredients while looking perplexed. Everyone I've spoken to there actually listens to me when I briefly tell them about the cover-up of hidden MSG. All I do is tell them which ingredients contain MSG in the product, encourage them to do a google search on "hidden MSG", and, most importantly, to remain skeptical about everything---because, after all, the road to acknolowledgement & true awareness most often starts with DENIAL. | ||
| James Unregistered guest |
Speaking of bad reactions, has anyone had any experience with Spectrum Organics Mayonnaise? I've been a little wary of it, but it would be nice if I could eat it since my wife makes stuff with it all the time. I sent them a mail a couple of months ago, asking them about the free glutamate content of the product. They replied with a bunch of coupons and a form for me to fill out. I completed the form and mailed it back, but I haven't heard anything since. Essentially, the information they were requesting pertained to allergic reactions or illness believed to be a result of consuming a product of theirs. Here is the ingredients list from the mayo: Expeller Pressed Organic Soy and/or Canola Oil, Organic Whole Eggs, Organic Egg Yolks, Filtered Water, Organic Honey, Organic White Vinegar, Sea Salt, Organic Mustard (organic distilled vinegar, water, organic mustard seed, salt organic spices), Organic Lemon Juice Concentrate. Obviously, I don't know what "organic spices" means. Other than this, should I be concerned with expeller pressed soybean oil? | ||
| Di Unregistered guest |
James, I use this mayo and am fine, but I'd be interested in their response...please let us know. | ||
| kristy Unregistered guest |
James, I don't think you will react to the soybean oil or canola oil, but it certainly isn't something we should be eating a lot of. Do a google search to learn more about those oils. Here is a link to my recipe for homemade soft drinks (ginger ale and cream soda): http://www.livingitupcornfree.com/2010/03/corn-free-soft-drinks.html We are allergic to corn and we can still drink Reed's Premium Ginger Brew. The natural flavors are the pieces of ginger in the bottom of it. I talked to them to make sure before we even tried it. bo'nana, Sometimes the thing we crave is the very thing we can't tolerate. None of us can eat any brand of bananas anymore. Some are worse than others (never buy anything with a Dole label - even produce), but they all cause us reactions. Most of the fruits in my produce section are corntaminated. My reaction to corn is very similar to the description by you and James, it is called narcolepsy. My face gets really red and hot and then my eyes burn. I start to feel as though my eyes have sand in them and after a little while I will fall asleep. Sometimes this is accompanied by sudden extreme emotional reactions like bursting into tears or rage (only during really bad reactions). It is so intense that I swear I would fall asleep even if I was walking around. It is like being drugged. The worst is when I am driving and get that reaction. I have found my only option is to pull over and go to sleep for a little while (20 or 30 minutes) and then I can drive for a little longer. This is just the first day of the reaction. For the next few days I experience muscle cramps, stomach upset, weakness, fatigue, mood swings, swelling of extremities and restless legs, insomnia. maybe you two should start trying to avoid all corn derivatives instead of just the msg type additives. It would certainly explain the soy sauce issues that bo'nana describes and the hard to pin down reactions. There is a pretty up-to-date list of them here: http://www.cornallergens.com/ | ||
| bo'nana Unregistered guest |
thanx for the good suggestions kristy- i really value your input, as you have obviously had to work doubletime to identify AND eliminate so many triggers. and corn is such a biggy... i cant even imagine the difficulties your family has had to deal with especially extreme reactions as long lasting as yours- my goodness! ours tend more to be, KER-BLOOM.... altho, in the past several years i personally have had more of the residual issues hanging around too. chronic pain and fatigue mostly. and now that you mention it... i am wondering about the insomnia as my hubby's is fairly chronic...hmmm however, im pretty sure that corn just isnt one of the ones for us. there are plenty of times when we are having corn and doing fine... but, with all the dinking they do to the stuff, i wouldnt be at all surprised if there are chemical or gm or who knows what other sort of residues we are reacting to, that are on a lot of the corn! we do try to stick with organic... as you said though, corn really is everywhere but other than soy (with the exception of fermented tamari).... my family doesnt seem to react all that strongly to any food group as a rule. even dairy & eggs, which my older son tested positive (elisa-act and GI)... its turning out that he can tolerate actual whole organic milk products just fine, so long as we dont overdo it. for example- a little whole milk cheese, yes- but a whole bowl of pudding or icecream, look out. so all his heavy reactions (moods, oppositionality, low cognitive ie 'tunnel vision', sinuses) appear to be mainly centered around the low/nonfat carageenan-laced processed products! ...and he has never had any kind of problem with eggs that come from a friends home-grown chickens that scratch around free in the yard. just all of the store-bought ones. so thinking about the patterns i am beginning to recognize in our family, i am thinking the four of us most tend to react to the chem additives and processing techniques that have ruined so much otherwise perfectly good food. i am so thankful for all your advice and sharing of your experiences in this area, becoz you have helped me all ready to identify several common ingredients and processing which i now know to beware of- for example, the 'natural flavors' thing turned out to be a really big one for us- now i am able to see the reactions specifically to these 'flavor essences' etc. SO good to know that Reeds is stil using Real Food to flavor their drinks... i think i am going to go have meself a ginger brew to celebrate | ||
| James Unregistered guest |
Thanks Di and Kristy, I'm going to give this mayo another shot. The recipes are great, too. It's very difficult to make time to fix food sometimes, it's one of the most frustrating things for me now. I usually spend over two hours per day, just preparing food and cleaning up. Some days, it's much worse It's those days when I'm REALLY busy, find myself hungry, and realize that I haven't planned well enough ahead. Sometimes, this compounds over a couple of days and I realize that I should have given more thought to my week and how I was going to eat. I'm not normally out of food, it's just the time it takes to prepare it. Some days, I have a lot of time for food prep, other days I have none it seems. I'm so glad that I can make salad and chicken by the batch, otherwise I'd lose my mind. It's interesting what Kristy says about craving the food you can't tolerate. I have that problem with a lot of foods that I no longer eat. Fortunately, I've found other foods that I really like, but I miss some of those "bad" foods. The Dole comment is disappointing! I buy their organic bananas to make smoothies, but maybe I should obstain for a week and see what happens. I get something similar to the "hot face", but it's the back of my neck and ears. Some of the other things you mention are familiar to me, too! Mine lasts for at least a day or two, I'm on day three of a bad reaction now and just starting to feel a little better intermittently. I, too, have some swelling of extremities, but it's mild. More like being "puffy" in the hands and feet. I think your suggestion is great, I am going to ditch the corn for a week or so and see what happens. While I feel much better on average now than I did 6 months ago, I still feel like I'm missing something. Maybe I'm not being careful enough, maybe there's something else bothering me, like corn products. | ||
| kristy Unregistered guest |
You know, guys, corn is one of the most difficult things because there are people that react to some corn derivatives but not all. Some people react to every trace of any derivative (like us) but some can even eat whole organic corn but not tolerate any additives made from it. Some get a false negative on scratch tests but are unable to even be in the same room with someone eating popcorn. It is very unusual as a food allergy goes and some doctors think it isn't an allergy at all. I also wonder if it is just inedible now that it has been changed so much and broken down into all these chemical additives. Who knows, but I say you should look at each additive and try eliminating all and adding them back in gradually to see if there are any you can tolerate. There doesn't seem to be any rhyme or reason to it so guinea pigging it is the only way to know. Once you start learning about the hidden corn (undeclared corn used as a "processing aid" or as part of the package itself), a lot of reactions may start to make sense. Here is a link to a couple of very good articles about the corntamination of eggs which explains why it is so hard for us to find safe eggs: http://no-corn.blogspot.com/2007/06/trouble-with-eggs-et-all.html http://no-corn.blogspot.com/2007/10/problematic-eggs.html I know of several mothers that removed corn additives from their children's diets and had them sleep normal for the first time in their lives. One lady removed a supplement that had a corn derivative (she had them on a very clean diet and that was the only corn left in their diet) and her son stopped sucking his thumb that night. I know it caused anxiety and feelings of doom in one of my kids. It is very tricky and effects even the three of us in my family in different ways. Most people have no idea what normal is until they get completely clean for a couple of weeks. They think they are tired because they are getting older or achy in their joints because they have been overdoing it. They think they have insomnia because of caffeine or stress or something. My mother believed for years that her reflux was just something she was going to have to live with. Now, she doesn't need Prilosec anymore and she can even eat at night again (as long as she is diligent about the ingredients). I just think it effects everyone negatively but some much more than others. I also think that some people are able to withstand the damage for a longer time, but if ingested for long enough it will get everyone eventually. I also believe as long as someone is in very good health, they don't feel the effects but as soon as we get ill it makes it harder for our bodies to fight off the toxins. The companies also increase the amount of additives in foods every year so the decline will get faster. The ones that have it the worst are the little kids of today. We at least didn't have all this crap in our foods when we were growing and developing. We were allowed to become adults before our bodies were assaulted with all this non-edible crap in our food. Here is an article about hidden corn: http://eatdrinkbetter.com/2009/02/20/corn-allergy-sufferers-face-hidden-corn-everywhere/ and the forum for corn allergy: http://forums.delphiforums.com/AvoidingCorn/messages I have definitely become a reluctant expert on this subject. I think everyone here is on the right track because we have learned to listen to our bodies and not just doctors or lab tests. The average American has so much junk going on with their bodies that they have no idea what it is trying to tell them. I think we are all light years ahead of them. | ||
| ali Unregistered guest |
That was a wonderful piece of writing Kirsty, certainly gave me food for thought as they say. After cutting out all processed food, aside from bread, try as i might i cant find enough hours in the day to make it!!, i totally understand what you say about not knowing what is normal. I am still astounded by how well i feel and how the little niggly complaints ive lived with as normal for years have all but gone. That said, should i have something to eat at a friends house i pay for it. And i KNOW its not msg as i always check the labelling before accepting. My friends go to great lengths to ensure they have something msg free in their house when we visit. But at home we just dont eat anything processed at all unless it is tried and tested!! Which leads me to corn derivatives. I will read the articles you linked and see if that sheds any light on it. I am able to tolerate whole organic corn with no problems. But after lunch at a friends house a couple of days ago, ive been iritable and feeling a bit achy with slow digestion. Kirsty, do you use arrowroot?? I just wondered as I recently stopped using cornflour to thicken sauces and switched to arrowroot. I seem to have no problem with it at the moment. Have you any experience, good or bad, of it? I really must have a go at the quick breads you told me about. I had a look at your blog, it was wonderful with some great info and recipes. Thanks for taking the trouble to write it. | ||
| Kaye Unregistered guest |
My son loves making his own beer - but if he drinks it, he gets a major headache. I have just realized that it is probably due to the barley malt that he used. My question is - is there any way to make beer using something other than barley malt? | ||
| kristy Unregistered guest |
ali, I love arrowroot powder. I use it in cooking and homemade baking powder and in homemade deodorant. I buy it in big bags and keep it in a glass wire bale cannister. Kaye, If I am remembering correctly, most beer brewing is done using a rapid boil and store bought extracts. Perhaps he would have better luck if he brewed using an all grain method instead. It is more trouble but would probably make much better tasting beer and no msg headaches. Here are a couple of links: http://www.alabev.com/ingredie.htm http://www.wikihow.com/Brew-Beer-Using-All-Grain-Method |
